19 April 2022 

Since its launch in 2018, the Scaling up Agroecology Initiative seeks to mobilize dialogue, cooperation and investment within and beyond the United Nations (UN) system, to bring agroecology to scale and achieve multiple sustainable development goals through sustainable agriculture and food systems. Different UN Agencies are progressively supporting agroecology across their respective mandates in partnership with governments and key actors across the food system.

Three years into the implementation of the Initiative (2019-2021), this webinar shared initial achievements, success stories and collective understanding of the enabling environment that takes agroecology forward on the ground, in different contexts and at different levels. The event was jointly organized by the UN advisory mechanism of the Initiative, composed by FAO, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Programme (WFP), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and World Health Organization (WHO).

 To watch the recording of the webinar, please click here.

Agenda

12:30 – 12:35 Welcoming remarks and introduction by Siham Drissi, Programme Management Officer, Biodiversity, People and Landscapes Unit, Biodiversity and Land Management Branch, UNEP

12:35–12:45 Opening remarks by Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General 

12:45–12:55 Audio-visual presentation: “Three years of the Scaling up Agroecology Initiative: main results”

12:55–13:05 Keynote address by Víctor Suárez Carrera, Undersecretary of Food and Competitiveness of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Government of Mexico

13:05–13:15 Keynote address by Vijay Kumar Thallam, Executive Vice-chairman, Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RYSS), Advisor to Government of Andhra Pradesh for Agriculture and Cooperation,  India

13:15–13:25 Keynote address by Dr Saliou Ngom, Director of Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Equipment of the Government of Senegal

13:25–13:55 Interactive Panel Discussion

Chukki Nanjundaswamy, Representative of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC);

Etienne Hainzelin, Advisor to the President, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD);

Jane Maland Cady, Program Director, McKnight Foundation

13:55–14:00 Closing remarks by Jingyuan Xia, Director of FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division

The seminar was moderated by Siham Drissi, Programme Management Officer, Biodiversity, People and Landscapes Unit, Biodiversity and Land Management Branch, UNEP.