Food Tank is partnering with the Champions Network for the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food to bring a series of panel discussions about how to transform the world’s food systems.
Over 80 percent of the human diet is provided by plants, yet only three cereal crops – rice, maize and wheat – provide 60 percent of energy intake, according to the UN. And according to IFAD, 14 percent of the world’s food production is lost before it reaches the consumer – an issue disproportionately affecting developing countries.
This series of virtual panel discussions will bring together more than 25 members of the UN Food Systems Champions Network to address these issues and discuss how to improve biodiversity, protect workers and the environment, reduce waste, and increase access to nutritious foods.
Each conversation will be moderated by Ruth Richardson, Chair of the Champions Network and Executive Director of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, and Danielle Nierenberg, President of Food Tank and help set the stage for the upcoming 2021 UN Food Systems Summit.
The Summit is an important part of the Decade of Action to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. It will bring together an international array of food systems leaders to issue calls for action at all levels of the food system, elevate public discourse about reforming food and agriculture systems, and develop principles to guide stakeholders in leveraging food systems to support the SDGs.
The first conversation “Addressing Power Imbalances Through Shared Power and Inclusivity” will take place on January 29 at 9:00 a.m. EST. Food Systems Champions on this panel include: Mamadou Goita, Institute for Research and Promotion of Alternatives in Development (IRPAD); Ajay Vir Jakhar, Bharat Krishak Samaj (Farmers’ Forum India); Michelle Nunn, CARE USA; and Jessica Vega Ortega, Global Indigenous Youth Caucus. The conversation will also feature special guest Christine Ciccone, IFAD.
Food Tank will also be announcing speakers for the other upcoming panels, which will be focused on the following themes: Public Research for the Public Good, The Hidden Costs of the Food System, Developing Sustainable Fiscal Policy for the Food System, Investing in a More Resilient Food System, Ecological Solutions for Stronger Communities, and Enriching and Diversifying Diets.
Learn more about the series and register for the upcoming panels HERE.
