全球粮食安全与营养论坛 (FSN论坛)

The agricultural sector will face enormous challenges to feed the projected 9.6 billion people who will inhabit the planet by 2050. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in severe economic and social distress around the world, triggering several negative impacts on agri-food systems. However, e-commerce entered the outbreak period ahead of time, especially in the agri-food sector, and with the new opportunities it creates, it is considered a potential solution to this difficult situation.

To continue its active work in promoting digitilization of the agricultural sector, FAO, in close collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Zhejiang University (ZJU), participates in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum. 

Following WSIS Action Line C7 on eAgriculture that focuses on using ICT applications for e-agriculture, the jointly organized webinar "E-commerce for agriculture and rural development" will aim at enhancing knowledge and exchanging experiences, involving a wide range of experts from various organisations, institutions, academia, and private sector businesses, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Alibaba, and African young e-commerce entrepreneurs.

During the event, the Digital Agriculture Flagship Report will be presented, which is based on experiences with successful business models and on results of technology applications in the field of rural e-commerce in China. 

The webinar takes place on Friday, 7 May 2021, 15:00–16:00 (CEST).

For more information on this event and to register, please click here. 

The technical webinar "Nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems" is part of the series organised by the FAO elearning Academy, Agreenium (l'Institut agronomique, vétérinaire et forestier de France) and UN-ESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific). 

The webinar aims to: 1) provide an overview of the existing resources on the formulation of nutrition-sensitive outcomes for sustainable food system policies, investments and programmes; 2) promote an understanding of current country needs to prioritize interventions, and 3) share the results of national research as evidence of the importance of sustainable nutrition-sensitive food systems.

The webinar will take place on 24 February 2021, 15:00-16:30 CET.

Please register here to participate in the event.

Since 2018, FAO and the Federal Government of Switzerland encourage innovation by publically recognizing best practices through the International Innovation Award for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. The award does not only acknowledge digital innovation, but also new or existing products or practices that are used in a specific context, to increase effectiveness, competitiveness and resilience. The second edition of this Award has been launched, which is open to individuals, private companies and institutions. It comprises two categories:

• Category A awards excellence in digitization and innovation for sustainable food systems (USD 30 000)

• Category B recognises an innovation that empowers youth in sustainable food systems (USD 30 000)

In the spirit of the forthcoming Food Systems’ Summit in 2021 and aligned to the aspirations and goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the candidates should demonstrate the important role of their innovation in transforming food systems through sustainable food and agriculture and the improvement of food security and nutrition for all, particularly in the face of increased environmental challenges. In line with the requirements and technical competencies of the Federal Office of Agriculture of Switzerland, all innovations must apply to agriculture and pastoral systems only. 

This call is open until 19 March 2021.

More information on this call and on how to apply can be accessed here. 

The Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) is an international conference on central issues of global agricultural and food policies, held in Berlin on an annual basis. The 2021 event will take place virtually on 18–22 January focusing on the topic of how can agriculture provide the world with food in the long-term for a balanced diet despite pandemics and climate change.

As in the past years, FAO will participate in the GFFA at several levels, including the following events:

CFS: Water and climate recommendations to feed the world

18 January 2021, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (CET)

The discussion, organized jointly by FAO and the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), will look at water as the primary medium through which we all feel the effects of climate change.

More information

Managing city region food systems – Enhancing strength and resilience against pandemics and climate change

19 January 2021, 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. (CET)

The joint panel discussion of FAO and the Global Partnership on Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems, will provide a forum for urban and national representatives to share experiences and review how the City Region Food Systems approach has helped them deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to define a vision on the way forward.

More information

How can innovation help strengthen the sustainability of food systems and prevent future pandemics?

19 January 2021, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (CET)

The panel will bring together a group of high-level policy makers, including FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, to discuss the impacts of the pandemic on food and agriculture and the role of innovation in this respect.

More information

Attending these virtual events is free of charge, it only requires prior registration through the GFFA website here.

The need for concerted action to prevent the COVID-19 international health emergency from triggering a catastrophic world food crisis received a welcome new tool today as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations formally launched the Food Coalition.

A "network of networks", the Food Coalition is a voluntary multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral alliance set up to support innovative initiatives to ensure global food access, increase the resilience of agri-food systems and put them on a more sustainable course.

First suggested by the Government of Italy and with more than 30 countries having already expressed interest in joining, it will support existing and future efforts to overcome the pandemic's disruptive impacts and help countries get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, particularly those of ending hunger and poverty.

FAO and partners have co-organized a series of Innovation Zoominars addressing the role of innovation and digital technologies in increasing resilience of smallholders to emerging disruptive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural livelihoods.

This Zoominar session will be part of ITU-UNESCO Regional Digital Inclusion Week for the Arab States, focusing on challenges facing the innovation processes in the agriculture sector with regards to governance and public policy aspects. The session will involve all partners and government representatives from the NENA Region and will emphasize on accelerating the development of innovation and digital agriculture in agri-food systems in the countries.

The discussion will examine the role that FAO and partners could play in facilitating the implementation and scalability of such innovations in the NENA region and guiding governments towards a robust policy plan of action to avoid the worst consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the agriculture sector and food security.

Join the Zoominar on Thursday, 12 November 2020 at 13:00 – 15:00 (UTC+2).

You can access the full agenda and further details of the Zoominar here.

Please find the registration link here.