In 2021, 193 million people were affected by food crisis. Conflicts, socio-economic shocks (Covid-19) and climate change are the main drivers for food crises but poverty and inequalities, including gender inequalities, remain structural causes. The consequences of the war in Ukraine are adding to this situation, with specific challenges for development partners. As the Global Gateway highlights, solutions need to be designed to respond to both current risks and future threats. The Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM), welcomed by the European Council, is an example of integrated solution. The European Union and its Member States (“Team Europe”) and other development partners are fully mobilized to respond to these challenges and support long term goals such as the resilience of populations based on sustainable food systems, while adapting to the global geopolitical context and its consequences for food security and nutrition.
The special event aimed at reflecting on the role in the unfolding global food crisis for various development partners, including Team Europe, the potential changes in the development paradigm as well as the concrete solutions to respond to the crisis and ensure longer-term resilience and sustainability for food systems.
The high-level panellists were invited to share their analysis of the situation, and their actions and their assessments of potential needs for Team Europe and other development partners to work best collectively and provide an efficient and timely response in support to affected countries.
The following questions were posed to guide the panellists in their interventions:
- What is today at stake regarding global food security and nutrition and particularly in the light of the consequences of the Russian war in Ukraine?
- Which actions are already undertaken or planned for by your organization/ country?
- How can development partners best work together and with all relevant stakeholders in this context of global food crisis?
Moderator : Dr Suzanne Ngo-Eyok, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Managing Director for Africa - CGIAR
Panelists :
- Ms Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships - France
- Mr Kako Nubukpo, Commissioner for Agriculture, Water Resource and Environment, West African Monetary and Economic Union - UEMOA (online)
- Mr Jean-François Riffaud, Director-general - Action Against Hunger (Action Contre la Faim / ACF) (online)
- Dr Jo Puri, Associate Vice-President, Strategy and Knowledge Department - IFAD (online)
- Mr Koen Doens, Director-general for International Partnerships - European Commission
Synopsis
Panellists outlined what they are doing within their own practices to address the sustainability of the food system during times of crisis. Consensus was shown on the need to build a more resilient, greener and global food system and to increase funding, in addition to the necessity of implementing a framework designed to develop more localised agricultural production systems and supply chains. The French Development Minister presented the three pillars of the FARM initiative: trade, solidarity and sustainable production. She then called on the G20 to play their part in terms of ensuring a clear vision of market flows and stocks to preserve the fluidity of world trade in agricultural products.
