United Nations Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment – side event
This is an official side event to the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2), taking place on Tuesday, 24th July 2023. More information on the UNFSS+2 can be found here.
Organizers
Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD); Climate Resilient Food Systems Alliance (CRFS Alliance); Coalition of Action on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems for Children and All (HDSFS); Fighting Food Crises along the HDP Nexus Coalition (HDP Nexus Coalition); Social Protection and Food Systems Transformation Coalition; Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).
Background
Food systems in fragile settings are facing a poly crisis feeding off conflicts, economic crises, climate change, food insecurity, malnutrition. Billions struggle to secure their basic needs and access nutrient-rich diets, with conflict as a primary driver of acute hunger. Climate change intensifies crises, destroying food systems and escalating conflicts. In regions like the Arab countries protracted conflicts have disrupted food production and distribution, increased food insecurity, compounded by high levels of forced displacement which have added further strains on resources. At the same time, in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 53% of women and 45% of men live with obesity. This reflects the interconnectedness of food insecurity, access to healthy diets, nutrition, conflict, and climate change. To address the current poly crisis, food systems transformations are pivotal as they have the potential to simultaneously tackle multiple challenges at once.
The discussions will aim to solidify global understanding of the role of sustainable, equitable, inclusive, healthy, and resilient food systems in rescuing the SDGs towards resilience. It will also highlight operationalization of existing climate-sensitive and nutrition-sensitive coordination platforms within countries to provide clarity and consistency across the humanitarian-development-peace domains, with a focus on:
- To identify joint opportunities for “poly actions” that leverage food systems transformation in fragile settings to address the underlying drivers of conflicts, climate change, malnutrition, economic crises, and forced displacement;
- To highlight the key role of cooperation, coordination and partnership building to implement transformative actions;
- To help foster cross-fertilization between different tools, knowledge, and advocacy initiatives that play a key role in national implementation of food systems transformation policy action;
- To elevate voices from affected countries and local actors to frame and inform global discussions and multilateral negotiations, in particular 2023 SDG Summit and COP28.
Moderator
- H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Al-Dukheiri, Director General of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD)
Speakers
- Karima Al Hada’s, Yemen SUN Planning and Liaison Specialist & ExCom Member, Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation
- Inaya Ezziddine, Member of the Lebanese Parliament, Chairperson of Women & Children & SDG 2030 Agenda Parliamentary Committees, National Convenor of Lebanon
- Rola Dashti, Under-Secretary-General Executive Director, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
Registration
The side event is hybrid with in-person participation at the premises of the
FAO Headquarters in Rome and it will be broadcasted on the UNFSS+2 virtual
campus. Please register here to follow the
event online.