25 April 2018, Washington, DC – FAO North American and the Alliance to End Hunger hosted a roundtable briefing on the role of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal to end hunger (SDG 2). The roundtable featured Ambassador Mario Arvelo, Chairperson of the CFS and Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the Rome-based UN Agencies. Rebecca Middleton, Executive Director of the Alliance moderator the Q & A session.

Vimlendra Sharan, Director of FAO North America, opened the event by emphasizing the unique role the CFS has as the most inclusive international platform for governments, civil society and the private sector to work together to ensure food security and nutrition for all.

Established in 1974, the CFS was strengthened in 2007 following the financial and food crises. In 2009, it was reformed to redefine its vision and role, adapt its rules and procedures, and expand stakeholder participation in order to become the central UN platform dealing with food security and nutrition. To provide policymakers with timely evidence-based analysis, the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) was established in 2010 to prepare reports requested by the CFS. 

The Committee produces voluntary policy recommendations and guidelines negotiated with all stakeholders. Major achievements include the voluntary guidelines on the Right to Food, Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT), Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (RAI), as well as the Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crisis.

“Openness, inclusivity and transparency are my main goals for the Committee on World Food Security” said Ambassador Arvelo. He stated that the ultimate goal of the CFS is to create an enabling environment for everybody to have sufficient, nutritious and culturally appropriate food. Looking forward, he emphasized that he hopes to establish mechanisms for CFS to engae with faith-based stakeholders, explore innovations and legal instruments to help translate policy reccomendtations into laws. 

Learn more about the Committee on World Food Security.