An event on Sustainable Development Goals and Food Standards, was co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, on 7 November 2017. The Conference titled “Rooting for Sustainable Food” took place at the margin of theSeventy-third session of the Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards (7-8 November 2017).

Around 60 representatives from governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations academia, civil society and the private sector shared their views on how governments, the private sector, NGOs and international organizations can better collaborate towards achieving SDG 12 and ensuring best practices for sustainable food production and consumption.

The opening session of the Conference featured Mr. Geoffrey Hamilton, Officer in Charge of the Economic Development and Trade Division at UNECE; Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Director of the FAO Office at Geneva; Mr. Michael Bergöö, Programme & Policy, Advocacy Agenda 2030 at Biovision Zurich and Ms. Kristina Mattson, Head of Division Swedish Board of Agriculture.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Rodrigues-Birkett recalled that FAO has developed a common vision and an integrated approach to sustainability across agriculture, forestry and fisheries, which take into account social, economic and environmental considerations and ensure the effectiveness of action on the ground.

FAO Director further stressed that FAO promotes ecosystem-based agricultural systems, reduction of food loss and waste along the food supply chain, climate-resilient crop varieties and adapted livestock breeds. She highlighted initiatives like “Save and Grow” and emphasized FAO’s work at the national level in supporting governments in the development of “Climate-Smart Agriculture” approaches, providing policy-relevant evidence and tools, assisting in the design of national climate change adaptation plans, and in accessing climate finance.

Ms. Rodrigues-Birkett also underlined that greater efficiency in the use of natural resources, resilience of rural communities, and responsible and effective governance mechanisms are considered essential. In this regard, she recalled the Organization commitment to help countries in their efforts to reduce food loss and waste and tackle climate change, in the context of the SDGs.

Speakers and participants shared best practices and lessons learnt towards reducing food loss and waste through efforts at policy and business levels. During the FAO’s presentation on food value chains, it was highlighted that the prevention of food loss and waste is a better solution that producing more in order to meet the growing food demand globally. One dollar invested in prevention of food loss and waste may yield 14 dollars in return for the corporate investors.

It was felt that ensuring sustainable production and consumption of food requires consistent multi-stakeholder efforts whereby the public, private and civil society actors need to align their efforts.