In the framework of the “SFS-MED” project, FAO and partner organizations have just released an executive brief on food systems in the Mediterranean.

The publication - “Accelerating food systems transformation in the Mediterranean” - highlights key messages emerged from two dialogues convened in 2021 as part of the global efforts around the UN Food Systems Summit, focusing on the specificities of food systems across the Mediterranean. The dialogues connected 300 diverse stakeholders from over 30 countries, including government officials from ten FAO Member States.

Building on the dialogues’ outcomes, the document proposes entry points for food systems transformation in the Mediterranean towards more sustainability and inclusion. Proposed entry points include: blue, green and circular economy; sustainable management of land and water resources; reviving the Mediterranean diet; cities as drivers of sustainable approaches; equitable and inclusive development of rural livelihoods.

The brief also suggests some key ingredients to accelerate food systems transformation. Enhanced partnerships and multi-stakeholder collaboration, increased public and private finance and investments, as well as awareness raising and capacity building among food system actors can support and promote regional cooperation, including through research, data, and innovation.

About the SFS-MED project

The project "SFS-MED: a multi-stakeholder initiative for Sustainable Food Systems in the Mediterranean", funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, aims at accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean region.

The project supports the inception of the “SFS-MED” Platform that FAO is co-developing in partnership with the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) and the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfMS) as an affiliated project of the One Planet Network’s Sustainable Food Systems Programme.

The Platform offers a forum for dialogue and collaboration on sustainable food systems in the Mediterranean to enhance policy coherence, share knowledge, and promote effective implementation.