50th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
After four long days of policy debate, the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) adjourned its 50th Plenary Session (CFS 50) to reconvene as soon as possible and conclude deliberations on coordinating policy responses to the global food crisis informed by the 2022 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report (SOFI).
Convened as the first in-person plenary since 2019, CFS 50 saw record-high attendance by senior officials and high-ranking delegates and close to 40 ministers, vice-ministers and state secretaries from around the world. More than 1,500 delegates participated either live or on-line from among civil society, the private sector, and a diverse group of food and nutrition stakeholders.
“We must recognize that structural gender inequalities underlie our food systems.”
H.E. Sima Bahous, Executive Director, UN Women
Revitalized CFS Strategic Direction Towards SDGs
The Plenary revitalized CFS's strategic direction towards 2030 to accelerate action on SDG2 on Zero Hunger based on a Critical, Emerging and Enduring Issues for Food Security and Nutritionnote by the CFS High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN). This note will inform the Committee's next Multi-year Programme of Work.
The Committee also requested the HLPE-FSN to conduct a study on Strengthening Urban and Peri-urban Food Systems in 2024 focusing on food security and nutrition in the context of urbanization and rural transformation.
3rd HLPE-FSN note on Critical, Emerging and Enduring Issues for Food Security and Nutrition
The policy recommendations are designed to be tools and resources for use in shaping national agriculture and food systems policies, investment plans, legislations and development programmes that include the youth and respond to their needs.
“The endorsement of the policy recommendations delivers the message of hope we need especially at a time when the world is facing unprecedented global crisis.”
H.E. Ambassador Pio Wennubst,
Rapporteur of the CFS Youth Work and Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Rome-based Agencies
Visit the CFS Website for more information on how smart and responsible investments can help feed the world. Additional resources and publications on CFS-RAI are available here.
“Financing is a lever that can address existing crises and guide lon-term transformation.”
Martien van Nieuwkoop, Global Director, World Bank
Food Systems Transformations:
Building Long-term Resilience to Global Crises
In a Special Event organized as a follow up to the September 2021 UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), countries shared their progress on implementing national food systems transformation pathways and engaged in an interactive dialogue with UNFSS coalitions and CFS stakeholders.
“The 2030 Agenda cannot be achieved without the transformation of food systems.”
Stefanos Fotiou, Director, Office of Sustainable Development Goals at FAO and Director of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub
SIDE EVENTS
A total of 30 side events were organized by CFS partners and stakeholders on diverse topics critical to food security and nutrition including youth, gender, climate change, finance, land rights, and others. The side events enriched and complemented the Plenary sessions and gave partners and other stakeholders an opportunity to highlight their work.
50th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
With the world facing a worsening food and cost-of-living crisis caused by the interlinked shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and all armed conflicts - including in Ukraine – CFS will convene its 50th Plenary session (CFS 50) in a ‘hybrid’ format at FAO Headquarters in Rome, 10-13 October 2022.
Join over 1,500 registered participants drawn from government, civil society, private sector, UN and others to accelerate action to end global hunger and malnutrition.
Full-day ministerial segment on coordinating policy responses to the global food crisis informed by the 2022 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report
High-level opening segment
2022 SOFI report presentation
UN Crisis Response Group updates
Ministerial session on coordinating policy responses to the global food crisis
Empowering women and girls and promoting gender equality and commemoration of the international day of rural women
International Day of Rural Women
CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition
CFS Strategic Direction Toward 2030
Accelerate action on SDG2 to End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Data Collection and Analysis Tools
Start of a CFS policy convergence process on data collection and analysis tools for food security and nutrition
Endorsement and Uptake of the CFS Policy Recommendations on Promoting Youth Engagement and Employment in Agriculture and Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition
Boosting responsible investment in sustainable agriculture and food systems.
CFS 50 Special Session on Food Systems Transformations: Building long-term resilience to global crises
Endorsement of the CFS 50 Final Report
SIDE EVENTS
To enrich and complement the CFS 50 Plenary and give partners and other stakeholders an opportunity to highlight their work, CFS will organize 32 side events over the four days (13 hybrid and 19 virtual).
The war in Ukraine is undermining global food security and nutrition, which is already seriously compromised by the COVID-19 pandemic, other conflicts, climate change and rising food prices. CFS has offered its unique, science-backed global platform to coordinate policy responses to the crisis.
This has also been the focus of discussion in the public debate segment of the last three CFS Bureau and Advisory Group meeting. Watch the debate on 25 May 2022 here.
HIGH-LEVEL SPECIAL EVENT: CFS and the President of the General Assembly) are co-convening a high-level special event to foster coordinated global policy responses to the current global food crisis supported by – and in support of – the UN Secretary-General´s Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy, and Finance.
DATE: 18 July 2022 TIME: 15:00 – 18:00 EDT (New York) / 21:00 – 24:00 CEST (Rome) VENUE: Trusteeship Council Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York
Among other items, CFS 50 will feature a special ministerial-level segment on the state of food insecurity in the world and on fostering coordinated policy responses to the global food crisis, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ecological and economic shocks, the conflict in Ukraine and protracted crises elsewhere.
The Plenary is also expected to endorse two new policy products: CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women's and Girls' Empowerment, and CFSPolicy Recommendations on Promoting Youth Engagement and Employment in Agriculture and Food Systems. We will also review the work of CFS and its HLPE toward 2030, kick-start our workstream on data collection and analysis for food security and nutrition, and examine the impact of our CFS-RAI Principles.
Endorsed by CFS in May 2012, the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (CFS VGGT) have served as a highly-respected global reference document for practices regarding the governance of tenure.
To commemorate the10th anniversary of the VGGT, CFS and FAO jointly organized a high-level event on 27 May 2022. Watch the recording of the event here. For more information, visit the CFS webpage.
From the CFS High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE)
Briefing Note: Impacts of the military conflict in Ukraine on global food security and nutrition. Read more >
Upcoming Report: The new project team has been selected to work on the upcoming report "Reducing inequalities for food security and nutrition". Read more >
OTHER CFS UPDATES
Ongoing Negotiations: Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment. Latest updates >
2022 FAO Regional Conferences:See remarks by CFS Chair at all FAO 2022 Regional Conferences here >
NEW: Better late than never! CFS and its HLPE are finally on LinkedIn. Follow CFS and HLPE >
Ongoing Negotiations: Youth Engagement and Employments in Agriculture and Food Systems. Latest updates >
FSN as Key to Human Development: Remarks by CFS Chair at Brussels hearing by the European Parliament Committee on Development here >
#CFSConversations: Interview series with CFS thought leaders and partners. Watch all episodes >
Expo Dubai 2020: CFS High Level Ministerial Event, in collaboration with FAO and the Government of the UAE. Read more >
New Guide: FAO-UNCCD Technical Guide on Responsible Governance of Tenure and Land Degradation Neutrality. Read more >
Speeches by CFS Chair: Access the webpage dedicated to all speeches by the CFS Chair here >
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Endorsed by governments and other stakeholders in 2012, the CFS VGGTs offer an internationally negotiated framework to improve land governance for food security and nutrition, with respect for human rights at their core.
CFS at the 2022 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA)
CFS and its work featured prominently at the 2022 GFFA, hosted by H.E. Cem Özdemir, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture of Germany, from 24-28 January, under the theme of “Sustainable Land Use: Food Security Starts with the Soil”.
"CFS has initiated important developments [in land governance], especially with its [VGGTs]. They thus make an important contribution to food security."
"FAO has supported awareness raising and capacity development on the VGGTs and land governance in 78 countries, elaborated land policies and programs based on the VGGTs in 34 countries and enacted laws and policies based on the VGGTs enacted in 9 countries."
The CFS HLPE proposes an update to our conceptual understanding of food security to encompass the broader dynamics that affect hunger and malnutrition by incorporating of two new dimensions - agency and sustainability - into food security policy and analysis frameworks:
Read the viewpoint by the CFS HLPE Steering Committee members Jennifer Clapp, William Moseley and Barbara Burlingame, and Paola Termine, HLPE Officer, on "The case for a six-dimensional food security framework", published in January 2022 in Food Policy, Volume 106.
See also the CFS HLPE report on "Food security and nutrition: building a global narrative towards 2030" (2020), which highlights how the concept of food security has evolved to recognize the centrality of agency and sustainability, along with the four other dimensions of availability, access, utilization and stability.
OTHER CFS UPDATES
Call for experiences: On the use and application of CFS-RAI. Read more >
Call for inputs: Draft Policy Recommendations on Youth. Read more >
Save the date: CFS Ministerial Event at Expo Dubai. Read more >
ICYMI: End of year 2021 message by CFS Chair. Read more >
Call for inputs: Draft CFS Gender Voluntary Guidelines. Read more >
New policy brief: How responsible investment can contribute to the realization of the right to food. Read more >
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HOLIDAY GREETINGS FROM THE COMMITTEE ON WORLD FOOD SECURITY!
2021 has been a pivotal year for CFS and the rest of the global food security and nutrition community. Unfortunately, the numbers of hungry and malnourished are going in the wrong direction, but we mustn’t lose faith in our collective ability to urgently reverse these trends. We all must double down on our shared commitments in the 2030 Agenda, to address conflicts, climate change, persisting poverty and inequalities, and the compounding impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which have increased inequalities all around the world and the numbers of hungry and malnourished to unacceptable levels.
Despite the enormity of the challenge, I have seen unambiguous conviction and action by the global community for a world free from hunger and malnutrition. This year saw the world come together at the UN Food Systems Summit in September to mobilize action, investments and policies to transform our food systems. In his Statement of Action, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that “all participants were able to benefit from the engagement and products of the CFS, that steers global policy making” and highlighted the critical importance of CFS delivering on its mandate. I have no doubt that the Committee will respond to the Secretary-General’s call to engage to provide leadership in a responsive way. Likewise, the UNFCCC COP 26 held in November and the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Japan in December spotlighted hunger and malnutrition and the urgent actions needed to address them.
"The CFS remains an essential intergovernmental and stakeholder platform for all working together to ensure food security and nutrition for all through sustainable and transformative food systems. Engagement with the CFS to provide leadership to the follow-up to the FSS will be essential to deliver on its mandate."
The year was among the busiest for CFS with three plenary sessions – CFS 47 in February, CFS 48 in June and CFS 49 in October. CFS 47 saw the endorsement of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition (VGFSN) after many years of consultation and intense negotiation. The CFS Policy Recommendations on Agroecological and Other Innovative Approaches were endorsed at CFS 48. Our 49thPlenary session focused on the 2021 State of Food Security and Nutrition report; uptake of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition; the implications of the UN Food Systems Summit on CFS; ongoing CFS workstreams; and priorities and synergies and opportunities between CFS and the three Rio Conventions.
We need to harness the momentum generated by these efforts together with existing tools, products, resources and partnerships to speed up the transformation needed to fulfil the 2030 Agenda through the advancement of SDG 2 and inclusive, resilient, equitable, sustainable and healthy food systems. We agree that the moment is now; that the coming years will mark the difference for decades to come and for billions of people and the planet.
CFS will be front and center in this effort, hand in hand with the Rome Based Agencies, playing its convening role in transforming food systems for the progressive realization of the right to adequate food, as the most inclusive global inter-governmental policy platform. It offers what no other existing international platform does: an inclusive multilateral space where countries, civil society, the private sector, the UN system and other stakeholders come together to share, deliberate and reach consensus on complex systemic issues for achieving food security and nutrition, providing also a knowledge-governance interface that is transparent and participatory: the CFS High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (CFS HLPE)
None of our work is possible without the tremendous support we receive from our Members, Bureau and Advisory Group members, our funders and other stakeholders. I thank you all on behalf of myself and the CFS Secretariat. We are counting on your continued support in our work to achieve the Committee’s vision.
Gabriel Ferrero y de Loma-Osorio
Chairperson
Committee on World Food Security
Organized as the first major global event on Food Security and Nutrition after the United Nations Food Systems Summit, key highlights of the Plenary will be:
State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021;
Uptake of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition;
Election of new CFS Chairperson, and selection of new CFS Bureau Members and their Alternates; and
CFS Secretariat’s Special Session to celebrate International Rural Women’s Day and explore synergies and opportunities to align CFS with the Rio Conventions.
With under one week to go, do not forget to register for an opportunity be part of this global discussion on Food Security and Nutrition.
Speakers:
António Guterres, United Nations
Secretary-General
Collen Vixen Kelapile, President, ECOSOC
Amina J. Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General
Thanawat Tiensin, CFS Chairperson
QU Dongyu, Director-General, FAO
Gilbert Houngbo, President, IFAD
David Beasley, Executive Director, WFP
Mariam Al Mehairi, Minister of State for Water and Food Security, UAE
Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University
Martin Cole, Chair, CFS HLPE
Steering Committee
HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Princess of Thailand
Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP
Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary, UNCBD
Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Director, UNCCD
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC
Visit CFS 49 webpage for the full list of confirmed speakers.
Side events:
To enrich and complement the CFS 49 Plenary and to give its partners and other stakeholders an opportunity to highlight their work, CFS will organize 16 virtual side events over the four days – 4 per day, in parallel during the lunch break.
The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is pleased to invite you to a press conference on 21 September 2021 at 13:00 New York time / 19:00 Rome time:
At this press conference, the new HLPE Steering Committee membership will be announced ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021.
Speakers:
Chris Hegadorn, CFS Secretary
Martin Cole, Chairperson, HLPE Steering Committee
Ismahane Elouafi, FAO Chief Scientist (TBC)
HLPE Steering Committee representatives will also be present at the press conference.
In addition to presenting the new Steering Committee, this press conference will be an opportunity to brief journalists about the work of CFS and its HLPE in addressing global food security and nutrition issues as well as give an overview of the role of CFS and its HLPE in the follow up and review of the UN Food Systems Summit outcomes.
CFS Session at the UNFSS 2021 Pre-Summit Multilateral Policy Convergence for Food Systems Transformation; CFS and its Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition
On 26 July 2021, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) organized a session at the Pre-Summit of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021. A recording of the CFS session is available here. More information on the session can be found here.
"To be successful, the Summit needs to make use of existing institutions, and build on the experience, tools and resources that we have in place, including the CFS and its HLPE."
"Being a key stakeholder in the CFS, Cameroon’s agriculture growth orientation continues to be inspired by the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security and all other policy instruments."
"The [CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition] present holistic and comprehensive guidance for governments to positively influence the evolution of food systems for better nutrition."
See the event webpage for full remarks by all our speakers.
OTHER CFS UPDATES
CFS 49 SIDE EVENTS DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 31 AUGUST 2021: Visit the side events section of the CFS 49 webpage for more information on how to apply. Read more >
NEW: At the CFS Session at the UNFSS 2021 Pre-Summit, CFS launched its digital platform on the Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition. Access here >
HLPF 2021: CFS organized a side event on "Global Policy Coordination for SDG2" at HLPF 2021. Read more >
NEW: The CFS HLPE Report #16 on "Promoting youth engagement and employment in agriculture and food systems" was launched on 5 July 2021.Read more >
NEW VIDEO:Also at the CFS Session at the UNFSS 2021 Pre-Summit, CFS premiered an explainer video on the Voluntary Guidelines. Watch here >
DATA EVENT: On 1 July 2021, CFS organized an event on "Closing data gaps and promoting evidence-informed decision-making". Read more >
UPCOMING: Regional Consultations on the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment from September to November 2021. Read more >
JOINT EVENT: On 16 June 2021, CFS together with the World Bank Group organized a webinar on the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition. Read more >
CFS 48: Missed the highlights from CFS 48? You can find more information on CFS 48 on the CFS website. Read more >
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Given the mounting hunger and malnutrition crisis - with close to 811 million people going hungry in 2020 according to the latest SOFI report, the UN Food Systems Summit is an opportunity to galvanize global effort to reverse this trend.
At the UNFSS pre-Summit, CFS is organizing a session to share its experience conducting policy convergence work in an inclusive and evidence-based format to drive progress on SDG 2.
Speakers:
Mr Thanawat Tiensin, CFS Chair and Permanent Representative of Thailand to FAO, IFAD and WFP
Mr Martin Cole, Chair, CFS High Level Panel of Experts (CFS HLPE)
HE Gotabaya Rajapakse, President, Sri Lanka
HE Ambassador Hans Hoogeveen, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to FAO, IFAD and WFP
HE Gabriel Mbairobe, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cameroon
Ms Naoko Yamamoto, Chairperson, UN Nutrition
Mr Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
Mr Rick White, Chair of CFS Private Sector Mechanism (PSM)
Moderator: Mr Chris Hegadorn, CFS Secretary
The event will be interpreted in all FAO languages plus Italian. More information on the session can be found here.
The Domincan Republic and the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) invite you to a side event on Global Policy Coordination for SDG-2; CFS amid COVID19 at the United Nations (UN) High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development.
Although food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture are central to the 2030 Agenda and are crucial for achieving all of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the world is not on track to achieve SDG 2 on zero hunger.
The side event will highlight CFS’s collaborative, multi-stakeholder contribution to international policy convergence aimed at driving progress towards SDG 2.
Speakers:
Thanawat Tiensin, CFS Chairperson and Permanent Representative of Thailand to FAO, IFAD and WFP.
Mario Arvelo, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to FAO, IFAD and WFP, former CFS Chairperson.
Gerda Verburg, UN SUN Movement Coordinator, former CFS Chairperson.
Naoko Yamamoto, Chairperson, UN Nutrition.
Jennifer Clapp, member of CFS HLPE Steering Committee.
Rick White, CFS Private Sector Mechanism (PSM).
André Luzzi, CFS Civil Society Mechanism (CSM).
Interpretation will be available in EnglishFrenchSpanish