What you need to know about the United Nations Food System Summit
You may have heard about the forthcoming United Nations Food System Summit, addressing how the world is to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals through an integrated food systems approach.
Hundreds of dialogues have been happening around the world to come up with game-changing solutions to address the global challenges of hunger, poverty, inequalities, and climate change. In New Zealand, a number of both independent and member state dialogues have taken place to discuss the important issues we face and advancing solutions around food sovereignty, food waste, nutrition and food production. You can hear Minister Damien O’Connor’s New Zealand Pre-Summit address here that outlines the priorities from a government perspective.
Here at Beef + Lamb New Zealand, we, along with the global meat sector support the United Nations Food System Summit goals to review global food production with an aim to making it more healthy and sustainable. As a New Zealand beef and sheep sector, we believe our pastoral raised, grass-fed systems can be a model for other food systems, including those of developing countries to enhance efficiencies and progress better sustainability outcomes.
One example of our commitments around greenhouse gas emissions is He Waka Eke Noa, a partnership between Maori, government, and the primary industry. A recently launched greenhouse gas calculator is one of many tools within the NZ Farm Assurance Programme that will support farmers understand their numbers as a benchmark to progress improvements towards a carbon-neutral future.
As for feeding New Zealand and the global population, animal-sourced foods, like red meat make an important contribution to meeting nutritional requirements throughout life, and we believe environmental metrics that encompass nutrient density will provide a clearer picture on meeting the nutrient needs in balance with planetary boundaries for a future world.
The Pre-Summit has taken place this week 26-28 July in Rome, with the Summit taking place in New York late September and you can follow the activity via the Summit website or on social media looking up #UNFSS2021.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Global Independent Dialogue delivered by Global Meat Alliance.
Outcomes report produced by Global Meat Alliance.
The Independent Aotearoa Food Systems Summit Dialogue Report (June 2021)