Welcome to the United Nations
I - Proposed key messages for inclusion in the 2022 HLPF Ministerial Declaration
- The CFS is a unique platform where the world’s Governments, civil society organizations, international organizations, businesses and experts come together and engage in dialogue on global food policy convergence. Importantly, it is notable that the Committee prioritizes the right to food. (Source: ECOSOC President @CFS-49, October 2021)
- COVID-19 has had severe and lasting impacts on food security and nutrition, on the ability to lead healthy lives and on the right to adequate food in the context of national food security, particularly of the most vulnerable. There are as many as 161 million more people facing hunger in 2020 than in 2019; due to lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global food security, adding up to 30 million more people than in a scenario in which the pandemic had not occurred. (Source: CFS 49/Report, para 10 b)
- The pandemic has revealed and exacerbated existing structural risks, fragilities, inequalities, and injustices in our food systems, as well as the continuous impact of conflicts, diseases, poverty, economic downturns and climate change. The multidimensional and multilevel nature of the crisis and the possibility of recurrent pandemic point to the need for continued attention and multilateral coordination. (Source: CFS49/Report para 12 f) It has shown that agriculture and food systems are embedded in, and interact with, wider environmental and human-made systems (such as economies, ecosystems, and landscapes). (Source: CFS Policy recommendations on Agroecological and other innovative approaches, para 6)
- To prevent and reduce negative impacts to food systems as a result of a crisis or pandemic, governments at local, subnational and national levels have a leading role in collaboration with private sector, civil society and all other relevant stakeholders to support small and family farmers and small and medium enterprises, and to ensure food supply chains and food systems continue to function, the rights and health of all people with particular focus on food system workers are protected, the most vulnerable have access to social protection programmes, and that humanitarian assistance and food safety are prioritized. (Source: CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition, para 12)
- Recovering from the pandemic offers an opportunity to advance the 2030 Agenda through more inclusive and sustainable of food systems, integrating sustainability in its three dimensions throughout agriculture and food systems. This entails adopting context-appropriate transition pathways, towards sustainable agriculture and food systems that, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs: i) are inclusive and equitable, enhancing the livelihoods of farmers and food system workers, and respect human rights; ii) provide healthy diets accessible and nutrition for all; iii) are resilient, diversified, support climate change adaptation and mitigation, conserve biodiversity, ensuring the sustainable management and use of ecosystems, natural resources, water and biodiversity, and minimizing food loss and waste, (Source:) including through agroecological and other innovative approaches. (Sources: Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition, para 15; CFS Policy recommendations on Agroecological and other innovative approaches, para 6)
- The Committee calls for a systemic and holistic approach to food systems transformation and encourages that it be done in a coherent manner, as appropriate and in accordance with, and dependent on, national context and capacities. (Source: CFS 49/Report, paras 11 and 12)
- The Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition (GSF), which consolidates all relevant recommendations agreed by the CFS and is annually approved by CFS Plenary, provides an overarching framework and a single reference document with practical guidance on core recommendations for food security and nutrition strategies, policies and actions for catalysing coherent action at the global, regional and country levels. (Source: Global Strategic Framework, Section 1.2, p.4)
