As the countdown to COP gathers pace – with just 80 days now remaining until the United Nations hosts its 27th Climate Change Conference – a coalition of leading international food organisations including SNV, has announced its plans to host the first ever Food Systems Pavilion.
The Food Systems Pavilion brings together over 15 international leaders in the food space spanning the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, from farmers and youth to policy makers and scientists. This diversity of expertise and perspectives sets it apart from other coalitions, with co-hosts and partners committing to work collaboratively to tackle trade-offs, showcase solutions and overcome barriers.
The Food Systems Pavilion will focus on actions, strategies and solutions spanning the entire food value chain which offer the potential to accelerate the transition to healthy, sustainable and equitable food systems for all.
Participating organisations include co-hosts Clim-Eat, Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH), EIT Food, Environmental Defense Fund, FOLU, Good Food Institute, Infarm, SNV and Yara International; session partners Aleph Farms, Food Tank, Just Rural Transition, One Acre Fund and Rabobank; and supporting partners World Farmers’ Organisation, World Food Forum, YPARD, IAAS World and YOUNGO.
‘Transforming food systems is key to meeting global climate targets and creating a more resilient future for the coming generations and for the planet. As a co-host of this first of its kind Food Pavilion at COP27, we want to shed light on the importance of collaboration to transform and build more equitable and resilient food systems that are able to respond to increasing environmental, market, and economic challenges. Together, we can more effectively scale innovations and realise the potential of our food systems to meet the challenges we face’, said Simon O’Connell, SNV’s Chief Executive Officer. ‘We urge all interested parties to step up and join us in backing #ActionOnFood and use this COP to transform food systems and keep food security high on the agenda’, he added.
With agriculture and food systems contributing over one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, there are many complex challenges to overcome but also huge opportunities. Transforming the world's food systems could generate $4.5 trillion annually in new economic activity and help to create a net-zero, nature-positive world, while also ensuring social justice and food security.
At the previous COP in Glasgow, policy makers took the first steps towards recognising the critical role of food and agriculture in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At COP27, the Food Systems Pavilion co-hosts want to substantially advance this agenda and put food centre stage.
To find out more about the Food Systems Pavilion and its programme of events, visit FoodSystemsPavilion.com or search the hashtag #ActionOnFood on social media.