Legislative frameworks as a pathway for agrifood systems transformation, says FAO Chief of Development Law Service

Legislative frameworks play a crucial role in fostering transformative change towards sustainable agrifood systems. This was the main message delivered by FAO’s Blaise Kuemlangan during a meeting of the Natural Resources Commission (NAT) of the European Committee of the Regions.

During his intervention at the NAT Commission, Kuemlangan presented the publication “Transforming agrifood systems”, which was produced in collaboration with the Canadian Université Laval. This document seeks to break down barriers between different sectors of the food system and develop a comprehensive legislative framework for transformative agrifood systems.

Such a framework should facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing within and between different sectors. Additionally, Mr Kuemlangan emphasized the need for the CoR to conduct a participatory consultation process when compiling the FSFS, as this process, although complex, will lead to a more effective and functional legal framework.

During his visit to Brussels, Mr Kuemlangan also held bilateral meetings with various Directorates-General of the European Commission, including DG SANTE and DG CLIMA as well as with the Organization of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), to discuss FAO’s work on legislative frameworks.

The FAO Development Law Service provides impartial, expert advice through tailor-made legal instruments that adopt a participatory, cross-disciplinary systems approach. The service has a network of national legal specialists that provide national, regional and international expertise in the development of national legal frameworks.

One of the Service’s core responsibilities is the FAOLEX database, which is among the world’s largest online collections of national laws, regulations and policies related to food, agriculture and natural resources from over 200 countries, territories and regional economic integration organizations. The database is constantly updated, with an average of 8 000 new entries each year.