On the heels of its participation in the United Nations Food Systems Pre-Summit held in July 2021, South Sudan is carrying out an all-encompassing assessment that will help identify the key actions to promote the sustainable transformation of its food systems.

Over 30 stakeholders representing the government, international organizations, civil society, private sector, academia and non-governmental organizations will be gathering in person and virtually on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, and Wednesday September 8, 2021 for a Consultation Workshop on “Catalyzing the Sustainable and Inclusive Transformation of Food Systems in South Sudan.”

Modern food systems, compromising of all elements from production to consumption, are currently failing to fulfill their purpose to provide nutritious and healthy food to all and contribute to enhanced livelihood opportunities in an inclusive and environmentally sustainable way. Our food systems are being challenged by many factors, including access to healthy diets, slow uptake of climate-smart agriculture techniques, technologies, growing urbanization, climate change, among others.

The assessment unfolds through four stages: the first stage will draw the big picture of the food system, the second stage will highlight key evidence to refine, refute or support the big picture, while in the third stage, a large stakeholders’ consultation will take place, giving diverse food systems actors opportunities to share views on key issues and challenges and analyze solutions. In the final fourth stage, the main findings will be summarized in a synthesis report. 

Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the European Union (EU), and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), in collaboration with the Government of South Sudan, and other partners (including WFP, IFAD, UNICEF, UNDP and others), the workshop will facilitate the development of a large-scale, assessment of South Sudan’s food systems within the framework of national and global food systems dialogues. The assessment is in line with the EU’s Farm-to-Fork Strategy, which is at the heart of the EU Green Deal aiming to make food systems more inclusive, healthy and environmentally friendly.

The consultation workshop is a central component in this assessment and in building consensus as it will bring together diverse food systems actors who will share their views on the multi-dimensional issues related to the sustainability of food systems, identify levers that can lead to sustainable food systems and identify key constraints and entry points for innovative policy and investment priorities for the transformation of the country’s food systems. 

The workshop aims to frame a policy and investment agenda as well as to guide future support programmes of UN agencies and the EU such as value chain development; food and nutrition security; resilient and sustainable livelihoods; transformative school feeding programme; industry and sector development; and reducing food loss and waste. As well as the EU sustainable landscape management initiative; coconut and cocoa industry development projects and forestry budget support among other projects and programmes.

Findings from the stakeholders’ consultation workshop will be summarized in a Food Systems Assessment Technical Report and Policy Brief that could feed into future food systems policies and investments in South Sudan and inform the high-level Food System Summit 2021 to guide future action under the global food systems transformation agenda as well as the post-summit agenda.

The consultation workshop is one of many being organized across South Sudan with food systems assessments being carried out in over 50 countries across the world. More information on the food systems assessment process can be found by visiting www.fao.org/3/cb4848en/cb4848en.pdf  or www.fao.org/food-systems/en