In the face of the current global challenges the planet is experiencing, more and more governments are exploring approaches that can substantially contribute to the transformations of our food systems and societies in general. This transformation is urgently needed, made even more pressing by the current health and economic crisis caused by the COVID pandemic. Currently, there are good but rather scattered examples of governments that have been developing conducive and innovative policy instruments aimed at introducing and implementing agroecological and resilience principles.

The goal is to connect efforts through the Food Policy Forum for Change in order to increase learning between policymakers, as well as enriching the discussion on the role and instruments for country-level action to deliver food security and nutrition. The event will be held virtually on 13 October 2020 at the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) High-Level Virtual Special Event on Global Governance of Food Security and Nutrition. 

Objectives of the session:

The main purpose of this partner event is to showcase good policy practices, illustrating the key role of policymakers as agents of change when it comes to the long-term and resilient transformation of food and agricultural systems. 

a. A deeper understanding of existing approaches and instruments to operationalise agroecological elements at the policy level;

b. Exchange of practical knowledge on agroecological policies (e.g. identification of barriers and success factors);

c. Connecting existing frameworks available for supporting the policy for agroecological and food systems transformation;

d. Increased awareness of the need for redesigning our current food and socioeconomic systems to include resilience on a long term by applying agroecological principles in policymaking.

Panelists:

Moderator: Frank Eyhorn, Executive Director, Biovision

Dr. Maria Tekülve (tbc), Senior Policy Officer, Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Pio Wennubst, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to FAO/International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)/ World Food Programme (WFP)

Dr. Papa Abdoulaye Seck (tbc), Permanent Representative of the Republic of Senegal to FAO/IFAD/WFP

Dr. Vijay Kumar, Head of Department of Natural Farming, Andhra Pradesh, India

Emma Siliprandi, FAO Scaling Up Agroecology Initiative

Louise Luttikholt, Executive Director, IFOAM – Organics International

Register to the Food Policy Forum for Change here.

Register to the launch event of the Food Policy Forum for Change here (deadline for registration 8 October).