The Pact for the Future aims to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs
The latest edition of the Sustainable Development Goals Report shows that current progress falls far short of what is required to achieve the SDGs. It states that without massive investment and scaled-up action, the achievement of the SDGs will remain elusive. It reports that the SDG2 on Zero Hunger is the biggest challenge in terms of accelerating efforts to meet the target. (Publication #1)
As highlighted in the latest edition of the SOFI report, after rising sharply in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, global hunger and food insecurity remained persistently high and almost unchanged for three years. In 2023, about 733 million people faced hunger, and 2.33 billion people experienced moderate to severe food insecurity. Despite progress, 148 million children under age 5 suffered from stunting in 2022. If current trends persist, one in five children under age 5 will be affected by stunting in 2030. The report provides a long-awaited definition of financing for food security and nutrition, and guidance for its implementation. (Publication #2)
The mid-year update of the Global Report on Food Crises shows that the number of people facing, or projected to face Catastrophe, an IPC/CH phase 5 classification that identifies extreme food crisis at household level, is the highest since the first GFRC had provided a global assessment back in 2016, driven mainly by the two major crises in Gaza and Sudan. (Publication #3; News #1)
The 79th UN General Assembly (UNGA), UN member states adopted the Pact for the Future, an agreement designed to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Pact sets out 56 actions in five areas. The first area focuses on “sustainable development and financing for development” and action 3 targets “ending hunger and eliminating food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition”. (Publication #4) In News #2, FAO underscores the pact's provisions for more equitable agri-food systems.
Shifting towards ‘territorial markets’ offers a more resilient, robust and equitable approach to food security
In its recently published report, the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES Food) concludes that a fundamental shift towards close-to-home food supply chains offers a more resilient, robust, and equitable approach to food security. The report states that dependence on just-in-time logistics, long and opaque global food supply chains, centralized shipping routes, and a handful of large corporations, make global industrial supply chains vulnerable to shocks. The concept of “territorial markets” that are based on small-scale producers, processors and vendors, rooted in territories and communities, promise to build resilience on multiple fronts. The IPES-Food report identifies a series of joined-up actions for governments to unlock the full potential of territorial markets and build a more resilient food future, (Publication #5)
Blog post #3 offers an interesting analysis that puts the IPES-food report in parallel with the recent HLPE-FSN report (Publication #6), both highlighting the critical importance of local markets to promote food and nutrition security, more particularly in urban and peri-urban areas where 70% of the world’s food is consumed.
The Africa Food Systems Forum calls for more support to the agri-food sectors
At the Africa Food Systems Forum, AGRA presented its latest Africa Agricultural Status Report which provides an in-depth analysis of the significant role that micro, small, and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) play in transforming food systems across Africa. It features case studies demonstrating how these enterprises are vital drivers of growth and innovation, and emphasizes the need for a coordinated agro-industrial policy strategy to support MSMEs and improve their operational environment. (Publication #7) The Africa Food System Forum contributes to the Post-Malabo Agenda bringing together 5.000 stakeholders, among them governments, scientists, agencies and NGOs. Policymakers discussed the need to increase public spending on agriculture, to strengthen regional cooperation and to incentivize the private sector to transform the food systems. (News #4)
In their latest Africa Agriculture Trade Monitoring Report, IFPRI focuses on the complex relationships between trade, climate change, and food security. It shows that stepping up the integration of African Food Systems through enhanced trade ties can help the continent solve some increasingly complex challenges, and calls for the smart use of countries’ comparative advantages to contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. (Publication #8)
EU-Dialogue on the future of Agriculture calls for shared prospects
Earlier this month, the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, a coalition of 29 major stakeholders from the European agri-food sectors, civil society, rural communities and academia, published a report outlining a common understanding and vision for the future of EU's farming and food systems. Although global linkages are not prominently highlighted, the report acknowledges the critical role of European agriculture and its impact on global food security. It highlights the importance of resilient supply chains and diversified production systems that reduce dependency on external inputs and fosters regional production and circular economy principles. (Publication #9, News #5)
