Chair
Background and Rationale
The global food system is experiencing unprecedented stress. Climate change, environmental degradation, conflict, economic inequality, and the lingering effects of pandemics have exposed the fragility of current food systems and severely undermined food security and nutrition outcomes worldwide.
These compounded crises have escalated food insecurity worldwide—over 735 million people face hunger, and over 3 billion cannot afford a healthy diet. Meanwhile, unsustainable agricultural practices continue to drive greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion, undermining planetary health.
Despite significant technological advances, hunger and malnutrition persist, while food systems remain major contributors to biodiversity loss and climate change.
Food systems today are not only failing to meet basic nutritional needs but are also deeply entangled with challenges such as poverty, gender inequality, and climate vulnerability. The need to transform food systems to be inclusive, resilient, sustainable, and nutrition-sensitive is both urgent and widely acknowledged in global frameworks like the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, and the outcomes of the UN Food Systems Summit.
Transformative, system-wide approaches are urgently needed to build sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems that can ensure food security for all while safeguarding planetary health. There is a growing global consensus that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), will not be possible without fundamental reforms to food systems.
In response to this urgent need, this proposal recommends the establishment of a Working Group on Sustainable Food Systems and Food Security under the auspices of GHI.
Mission
The Sustainable Food Systems and Food Security Working Group will serve as a collaborative forum that bridges science, policy, and practice. Its primary purpose is to foster cross-sectoral dialogue, harmonize policy actions, and mobilize collective efforts to accelerate the transition toward inclusive, sustainable, and resilient food systems that ensure long-term food and nutrition security.
Topics & Objectives
The primary objectives of the Working Group are to:
- Promote Policy Coherence: Facilitate the integration of food security, nutrition, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience across global, regional, and national policies. Inform evidence-based policy and decision-making at local, national, and international levels to promote long-term food system resilience.
- Support the Global Agenda: Contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, and SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production) and international climate and biodiversity targets. Contribute to global dialogues and forums (e.g., COP, CFS, G7/G20).
- Support Evidence-Based Decision-Making: Synthesize and disseminate research, data, and innovative practices to guide effective interventions.
- Strengthen Multi Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as a platform for bridging collaboration across governments, international organizations, private sector, civil society, academia, and Indigenous Peoples.
- Advance Resilience and Climate Action: Promote practices and policies that build resilient food systems and contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.
- Champion Equity and Rights-Based Approaches: Ensure inclusive participation and advocate for policies that address the needs of the most vulnerable populations.
- Enhance Capacity-Building: Support member states and partners in designing and implementing sustainable food system pathways.
Key functions
- Policy and Strategy Development: Draft policy recommendations, white papers, and strategic frameworks.
- Capacity Building: Organize training, workshops, and peer-learning sessions.
- Research and Innovation: Commission or collaborate on research to fill knowledge gaps and support innovation.
- Advocacy and Communication: Develop advocacy strategies to raise awareness and mobilize political will.
- Monitoring and Reporting: Contribute to progress reports and global monitoring frameworks for sustainable food systems and food security.
Meetings
Dates, times and locations to be announced.
Interested in joining this Working Group?
If you have suggestions or are interested in joining our efforts and contributing constructively to our Working Group, please contact the Working Group Chair or the Working Group Coordinator via email. Your request will be reviewed to ensure that your expertise is matched to this WG area of interest.
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