Laying the groundwork for more sustainable food systems

As the world attempts to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic, partnerships are fundamental to create stronger, more resilient food systems. As we move towards the 2021 Food Systems Summit, innovation, evidence-based decision making and aligning priorities around common goals are crucial components in transforming the way the world produces and consumes food.

Two recent partnerships - one with the International Renewable Energy Agency, and a tripartite agreement with the Union for the Mediterranean and the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies - focus on building sustainable food systems, by fostering research and innovation in the area of sustainable production and raising awareness on the role of food systems in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Both partnerships involve inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), an important new type of partnership for FAO, as the objectives of each of the collaborations will be supported and reinforced by the organizations’ members. “With less than ten years left to deliver the SDGs, inclusive partnerships are needed more than ever if we hope to address broader challenges, such as increasing sustainable production, improving nutrition and safeguarding the environment,” said Marcela Villarreal, FAO’s Director of Partnerships and UN Collaboration. “Partnerships with inter-governmental organizations, which allow us to work with a large membership around a shared vision and common goals, are instrumental in building the future we want to see.”   

The partnership with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) promotes sustainable bioenergy and the use of renewable energy in agri-food, fisheries and forestry value chains. Together, FAO and IRENA will conduct viability assessments of decentralised renewable energy solutions for agri-food supply value chains and the utilisation  of  geothermal  heat  in  the  food  and  agriculture  sectors,  and provide support to countries in the collection and use of data and statistics related to sustainable bioenergy and the food-energy-water nexus.   

IRENA is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transitions to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international cooperation on renewable energy. With 163 members from member states of the United Nations and regional intergovernmental economic-integration organisations, IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy.

The agreement between FAO, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) will work to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through collaborative actions aimed at transforming food systems in the Mediterranean region. The partnership promotes policy dialogue, research, knowledge sharing and capacity development in support of a shift towards more sustainable food systems.

UfM brings together all countries of the European Union and 15 countries of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, enhancing regional cooperation and dialogue around the three strategic objectives of the region: stability, human development and integration. CIHEAM, which has been a partner of FAO since 2015, is an intergovernmental organization composed of 13 member states from the Mediterranean region. Founded in 1962, they are devoted to the development of agriculture, fisheries and sustainable food systems and to supporting the inclusive growth of rural and coastal Mediterranean territories.