This conference panel will explore the importance of mindset and operating models in modernizing the food system. At global scale our food system is facing numerous challenges including climate change, food insecurity, biodiversity erosion, food waste, unsustainable agricultural practices and public health. To address these challenges, decision makers must rethink their positions towards new approaches and ways of working. In this panel unique speakers which are strong in their domain, will share their unique insights and will discuss the need for modernizing the mindset and operating models of food system actors.Overall, this panel aims to provide insights into the importance of why our way of thinking and way of working across the entire food system needs modernization urgently. Moreover it will offer practical recommendations for food system actors to adopt new approaches and strategies to address the challenges facing the global food system.

We share with you how Organic Districts transforms food systems locally and realise the economic and sociocultural potential of its communities, based on organic principles and practices. An inclusive and holistic mindset followed up by concrete actions is what we need- NOW! As part of the 4th Global Conference of the SFSP, this virtual side event invites you to take part in evidence from the four corners of policy, science, training, practice and snapshots from diverse Organic Districts in the Philippines, Tunisia, Argentina, Portugal, Mediterranean and Nordic countries.

Who controls the food we eat? Deep power asymmetries in food system governance block the transformation we need. At this event, the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) will launch a new publication, “Who’s Tipping the Scales?”, share their findings on the power imbalances that challenge democratic decision-making on food, and propose transformative governance reforms needed to address them. This is a 60-minute virtual side event for policymakers, producers, civil society, academics, and journalists interested in food system transformation.

The impacts of the recent compounding shocks and stresses, such as climate, public health and geopolitical crises, on food systems in an increasingly urban world have called for urgent changes in how we feed our growing cities. Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) offers the opportunity for cities to build resilience against these hazards by diversifying food sources, reducing food miles through shorter supply chains, and connecting producers with consumers. This side event, co-organized by members of the SFS programme, FAO, RUAF/Hivos, Rikolto and UNEP, will introduce UPA, and its multiple social, economic and environmental benefits, as a tool for integrated planning for urban food systems transformation, supporting the UNFSS’ goal to shift production and consumption patterns. Particular emphasis will be placed on building resilience against the impacts of climate change through UPA, supported by recent studies and key scientific messages from the IPPS, IRP and the ADB. The event will present the recent Sourcebook on UPA (FAO, Rikolto and RUAF), and demonstrate how UPA can be used as a lever and entry point for holistic food systems transformation through integrated urban planning, based on circularity, multi-level and territorial coordination, multi-stakeholder approach, data-driven and evidence-based decision-making, and thorough understanding of trade-offs. Cities (Bandung, Kampala, Antananarivo, Nairobi and Chengdu) will share success stories and best practices, unpacking their contributions to national pathways to food systems transformation.

Malnutrition, obesity and climate change are phenomena that occur concomitantly and that share the same factors and determinants. Based on the concept of the Global Syndemic and still under the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will transmit successful experiences in Brazil for the transformation of healthy and sustainable food systems with a special focus on territories and through intersectoral articulation. The reflections will set different perspectives: from civil society, municipal management and federal government. Successful case studies of how articulated and coordinated actions of these actors can contribute to the health promotion and climate resilience, with the potential to build more sustainable and fair food systems.

Convened by the SFS-MED Platform (CIHEAM, FAO, PRIMA, UfM), the side event will showcase food systems transformation processes and pathways in the Mediterranean towards sustainability, as a direct contribution to the UN Food Systems Summit follow-up process. In line with the objectives of the Conference, the side event will focus on fostering knowledge sharing, leveraging cross-country and multi-stakeholder collaboration on sustainable food systems in the Mediterranean, and mobilizing resources to further consolidate the SFS-MED Platform’s collaborative effort. The expected outcome is the consolidation of a Mediterranean collaborative way forward, embracing the concepts of blue, green and circular economy, fostering research and innovation, and leveraging the Mediterranean diet to bring about more sustainable consumption and production patterns, all key for achieving progress towards the 2030 Agenda in the region. The side event builds on the outcomes of previous dialogues and events organized by the SFS-MED Platform and the 3rd World Conference on the Revitalization of the Mediterranean Diet, which saw the participation of UNFSS National Convenors from several Mediterranean countries.

Food systems are at the heart of the nutrition-environment nexus. Access to adequate food is a fundamental human right, but food insecurity and malnutrition remain critical problems around the globe. There is increasing evidence that the triple planetary crisis is exacerbating the situation, with the most vulnerable disproportionately affected. Furthermore, various factors are fueling a transition to diets that tend to have low nutritional quality and high environmental footprints. Since cities consume up to 70% of the world’s food supply and nearly 80% of global energy, they play a central role in achieving sustainable food systems. However, this role cannot be disconnected from its rural surroundings. There are many policy options to incentivize dietary shifts and support innovative, sustainable practices at every food systems stage. This side event will launch the discussion paper, "Nutrition and the environment: Nurturing people, protecting the planet," developed under the umbrella of UN-Nutrition thanks to the United Nations Environment Programme and other Member Agencies. It will showcase good practices that support co-benefits for nutrition and the environment from cities and regions around the world.