France committed to the transition towards sustainable food systems

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Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, attended the Food Systems Summit, which was held under the aegis of the United Nations Secretary-General, on 23 and 24 September 2021. He called upon the international community to sustainably transform our food systems.

In 2020, an estimated 800 million people faced hunger, a number which has been on the rise in recent years and made worse by the socio-economic effects of the pandemic. At the same time, approximately one third of global agricultural and food production is lost or wasted. Food systems are responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the erosion of biodiversity. Lastly, many food system workers and farmers in the world suffer from hunger, poverty, food security and malnutrition.

However, foods systems also are a solution for tackling the world’s challenges, and must undergo deep change. It was with this in mind that this Summit was organized by the United Nations, to mobilize the international community at the highest level around the different food and agricultural challenges, including food security, nutrition, health, the environment, and social and economic aspects.

Convinced of the importance of agriculture and food in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), France has shared its vision of the transition towards sustainable food systems. At the Summit, the Minister announced France’s participation in two international multi-stakeholder coalitions:

  • The coalition for agroecology; an approach that France promotes in its territory and in the world, particularly through its support for the Great Green Wall Accelerator in the Sahel,
  • The coalition for school meals; in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), which aims to guarantee one nutritious meal a day for school children everywhere in the world.