Committee on World Food Security
Making a difference in food security and nutrition
2022 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA): CFS High Level Panel
Responsible Land Governance for Sustainable Food Systems: The CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (CFS VGGT)
Date: 26 January 2022
Time: 11:00 - 12:30 CET
Background:
The state of global food security and nutrition is worrying with the latest SOFI report showing that close to 811 million people were hungry in 2020, with healthy diets out of reach for 3 billion worldwide. With only 8 years left to 2030, SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) targets are unlikely to be achieved in many parts of the world.
COVID-19 has added to climate change and natural resource degradation, conflicts, persisting poverty and inequalities as core drivers of food insecurity. Food systems place hard pressure on biodiversity, soils, and the environment. They are responsible for the consumption of over 70% of fresh water resources and between 21% – 37% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
These challenges associated with agriculture and food systems require urgent attention in order to achieve food security and nutrition for all. The sustainability and resilience of agriculture and food systems must be improved to reduce their pressure on natural resources and negative environmental impacts, while mitigating climate change.
In addition, healthy soils and related ecosystem services are imperative for food security, ecosystems stewardship, and biodiversity conservation. Farming practices have a crucial impact on soil fertility and health. More critically, smallholder and family farmers require access to and control over land and other resources to build the resilience and sustainability of food systems.
These issues are at the center of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (CFS VGGT), and its newest policy recommendations on Agroecological and Other Innovative Approaches.
Speakers and panelists:
- Gabriel Ferrero, Chairperson, CFS - Statement
- H.E. Cem Özdemir, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Germany - Statement (German) - Video message
- H.E. Frida Krifca, Minister of Agriculture, Albania - Video message
- H.E. Ibrahim Turay, Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Sierra Leone
- Maximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist, FAO - Presentation
- Césarie Kantarama, Representative, CFS PSM
- Perla Álvarez Brítez, Representative, CFS CSM
- Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Representative, CGIAR - Presentation
- Chris Hegadorn, Secretary, CFS
- Jennifer Clapp (Moderator), CFS HLPE Steering Committee Vice Chair
More information available here.
About GFFA:
The GFFA is an international conference on central issues of vital importance for global agricultural and food policies. It is held annually in Berlin by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany. The five-day forum features a large number of events that provide an international audience of experts from the worlds of politics, industry, science, and civil society with an opportunity to address issues and challenges relating to global agricultural policy and food security. The 2022 theme of the Forum was “Sustainable Land Use: Food Security Starts with the Soil”.