The event will pave the way for the Food System Summit in New York. The goal: to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food. The event will pave the way for the Food System Summit in New York. The goal: to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food.
Only a few days remain until the start, in Rome, of the United Nations pre-summit on food systems. Scheduled for 26 to 28 July, it will be an event that precedes the Food Systems Summit due to take place in September in New York. It will be a three-day series of meetings, some in the capital, others via a virtual platform, to bring together the efforts and contributions of a global process that aspires to the transformation of food systems.
The event will bring together young people, smallholder farmers, indigenous peoples, researchers, private-sector representatives, political leaders and ministers of agriculture, the environment, health and finance, to gather scientific approaches and good practices for the sector from around the world, launch a series of new commitments through shared actions, and mobilise public and private investment. "The pre-summit in Italy will be a pivotal moment to mobilise the ambitious efforts we need to build sustainable food systems that work for people and the planet," said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. "Through accelerated action we can rebuild a better post-Covid-19 world, fight rising hunger and tackle the climate crisis."
By hosting the pre-summit, the Italian government will take on a commitment to shape the spirit and ambitions that will drive the New York event. "Italy is ready to host this essential appointment of the food systems summit," said Prime Minister Mario Draghi. "We want to address the issue of food security within our broad programme as presidency of the G20. Together with the United Nations and its Rome-based agencies, Italy will engage with its partners to promote better agriculture, sustainable supply chains and healthy lifestyles. I expect everyone to join us in a global effort to protect the environment with meaningful action."
The term food system refers to all the activities involved in the production, processing, transport and consumption of food. Our health, as well as that of the environment, the economy and culture, depends deeply on the health of our food systems. "When they work well," the UN explains, "food systems have the power to unite us as families, communities and nations." At present, however, too many of the world's food systems are fragile and vulnerable, as they proved to be especially during the Coronavirus pandemic that has struck the world's population, penalising in particular the poor and the marginalised. Transforming them is therefore, according to the United Nations, one of the most powerful ways to change course and make progress towards all 17 sustainable development goals of Agenda 2030.
