United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021

The United Nations Food Systems Summit is providing an opportunity for the first time for the world to come together and participate in meaningful and inclusive discussions to identify key levers and game-changing solutions to address one of the world’s biggest challenges: how to feed the world more nutritious food within the planetary boundaries.

It’s a unique opportunity that should not be missed to build an open and truly inclusive dialogue. To constructively engage with those who may not share the same views and beliefs or experiences. To break through silos and build innovative partnerships in the search for solutions to address unprecedented challenges.

As the global federation representing the plant science industry, we see it as a key moment to collectively debate the role innovation and technology can play in the sustainable intensification of agriculture for sustainable food systems, and to address some of the emerging challenges in GHG emissions, soil health, and biodiversity loss, amongst other key issues.

We welcome the opportunity to be involved in the Summit by hosting an Independent Dialogue, together with partners and stakeholders, focused on innovation.  We are highlighting the significant contributions Food Systems Heroes have made, and will continue to make, to sustainable food systems. 

And we are also launching a series of blogs convening voices from across the international community to focus on each of the Action Tracks announced by the Food Systems Summit whose goal is to deliver meaningful contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The opportunity and challenges before us are simply too big to be met by one company or organization alone. Cultivating sustainable change from seed to farm to fork requires new approaches. One where the private sector joins with public institutions, government, and civil society to achieve the SDGs.

My hope is for the first time that we are all at the UN Food Systems Summit in a fully inclusive conversation seeking to advance this shared ambition to secure the future for sustainable food systems.

– CropLife International President and CEO, Giulia Di Tommaso


You can read our monthly newsletter, Plant Science Post, to stay up to date on the latest CropLife International developments and to learn more about how the advancement of innovation in agriculture is not only accelerating the transition to a more sustainable future, but also more sustainable food systems. Click here to signup. You can also navigate the links below to directly access the content that we have developed around the Summit.

Contents

Use these links to navigate to these sections:

Blogs

The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health

To make progress on some of the world’s most pressing challenges such as food security, climate change and biodiversity, we must look at soil as a vital asset. The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) was built to establish a multi-stakeholder coalition to facilitate the implementation, adoption, and global coordination of soil restoration practices. The Private Sector Call to Action for Soil Health was developed to support the goals and objectives outlined by CA4SH and to recognize the need for private sector participation and engagement of farmers, acknowledge tangible outcome-related goals and solutions, highlight the work that is being accomplished through existing initiatives and alliances, and emphasize the need for science-based approaches and measurements.   

CropLife International is proud to be a facilitator and supporter of the Private Sector Call to Action, which includes agricultural input companies, food companies, financial institutions and other organizations.

Learn more about the Private Sector Call to Action for Soil Health

Summit Dialogue

Ahead of Food Systems Summit, CropLife International hosted a Food Systems Summit Dialogue in partnership with Agricultural Food Systems Institute, Cornell Alliance for Science, Global Farmer Network, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture, and Thought for Food.

Held under the Chatham House rule, the Dialogue focused on the theme, “Unleashing Innovation to Transform Local Food Systems” and included breakout sessions covering the six major growing regions.

A feedback report on the dialogue was shared with the Summit organizers and can be viewed here. Laurie Goodwin, Vice-President Public Affairs and Communications for CropLife International also authored a blog summarizing the key dialogue takeaways; and the dialogue curators – Global Farmer Network farmers Patience Koku and Paul Temple – co-authored a blog on how farmers can contribute to food systems.

Videos

In the videos below the facilitators and curators summarize some of the key takeaways from the discussions.

Joseph Opoku, Broadcast and Online Journalist in Ghana
Dialogue Facilitator for Africa Middle East

Patience Koku, Nigerian Farmer
Dialogue Curator for Africa, the Middle East and Asia

Paul Temple, British Farmer
Dialogue Curator for Europe and the Americas

Janina Peter, Social Innovation Consultant, Thought for Food
Dialogue Facilitator for Europe

Lloyd Day, Deputy Director General IICA
Dialogue Facilitator for Latin America

Pablo Orozco, Global Biosafety Expert
Dialogue Facilitator for North America

Laurie Goodwin, VP Public Affairs and Communications, CropLife International
Dialogue Host

Duke Hipp, Director, Public Affairs & Strategic Partnerships CropLife Asia
Dialogue Facilitator for North Asia

Quote Cards

Summary Cards by Region

#FoodSystemsHero

This year – in order to tie in with the United Nations Food Systems Summit in September 2021 – we are featuring Food Systems Heroes, beginning with our own member companies. All six are doing their part to make agriculture more sustainable and even regenerative in working towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. New profiles will be added regularly.

Quote Cards

CropLife International Staff

Youth

Pre-Summit

The Pre-Summit of the UN Food Systems Summit took place 26-28 July 2021 in Rome, Italy and was streamed online. The hybrid aimed to set the stage for the global event in September by uniting diverse actors from around the world to leverage the power of food systems to deliver progress on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Summary Remarks from the Event Organizers

Curated Links of Videos from the Sessions and Side Events

Quote Cards