Global Governance

The UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies works at the international level to advance sustainable food systems agendas, with a particular focus on agroecology, biodiversity, rights-based approaches, and territorial governance. Our network regularly participates in Sessions of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as well as meetings of other UN Agencies.

CFS49 Side-Event—"Bridging Agroecology and Biodiversity Action: Coalitions, Evidence, Policy Frameworks"

On Oct. 13, 2021, the UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies co-organized a virtual side-event with the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, for the 49th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). The side-event, “Bridging Agroecology and Biodiversity Action: Coalitions, Evidence, Policy Frameworks,” brought together the agendas of the Committee on World Food Security and Convention on Biological Diversity by foregrounding the interconnected themes of agroecology and agricultural biodiversity. The panel interventions highlighted coalitions, evidence, and policy actions that are working to create rights-based and sustainable food systems.

Event summary of outcomes

Pre-event Q&A with Alison Blay-Palmer and Lauren Baker (Global Alliance for the Future of Food)

Co-Organizers: Agroecology Fund, Alliance Bioversity-CIAT, Biovision Foundation, Global Alliance for the Future of Food, IPES-Food, Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity, and Sustainability Studies, Switzerland, and WWF International

Food Systems Summit 2021 Independent Dialogue—"Territorial Food Systems Governance"

On July 8, 2021, the UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies co-organized an Independent Dialogue as part of the lead up to the Food Systems Summit. The goal of the dialogue was to bring existing and new collaborators together to engage in inclusive discussions to concretely identify how a territorial approach addresses governance issues across pathways for food system transformation. The event featured a panel discussion and multiple breakout discussion groups who worked together to identify the key ways that territorial food system governance can create help build resilient food systems and resulted in a report that provided official feedback to the United Nations 2021 Food Systems Summit.

Event Recording and Transcription

Dialogue Summary and Official Feedback

Co-Organizer: CIRAD

Speakers: Manuel Lapão (CPLP), Gabriel Ferrero (Spanish National Government), Rodrigo Messias (UCLG), Stefano Marta (OECD), Elodie Valette (CIRAD)

CBD Stakeholder Open Webinar—"Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Transition: Linkages to the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework"

On March 23, 2021, Alison Blay-Palmer was invited to provide the keynote address for one of four CBD stakeholder open webinars, which served as an open and informal space for attendees to explore and discuss concepts integral to the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Blay-Palmer is joined by Maryam Rahmanian (Co-chair of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems) to provide an address about "The Nexus of Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems Transition and Nature" (beginning at 8:36) and then participate in the open discussion with the discussants and attendees.