Building Resilient Food Systems Report

The Building Resilient Food Systems report, produced by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN) of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), addresses the urgent need to enhance food system resilience amidst escalating environmental, political and economic challenges. It provides focused and action-oriented policy recommendations to build resilient food systems capable of withstanding shocks and stresses. 

Contributing as lead of the drafting team and presenting the report at CFS 53 in Rome, Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer, Chair of the UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies, emphasized the importance of Equitably Transformative Resilience (ETR), an approach that goes beyond “bouncing back” from shocks to “bouncing forward” toward systems grounded in human rights, social equity, and ecological integrity. Johanna Wilkes, Advisor to the UNESCO Chair and member of the HLPE-FSN drafting team, also helped shape the report’s integrative approach to resilience, equity, and sustainability. 

The report identifies four key pathways to advance ETR: 

• Governance and Policy 

• Emergency Response, Contingency Planning, and Foresight 

• Fostering Diversity in Production, Markets, and Diets 

• Knowledge Systems for Equitably Transformative Resilience 

These interconnected themes serve as a foundation for ongoing research, policy, and practice led by the UNESCO Chair, including the forthcoming Building Resilient Food Systems Repository.  

Resources 

• Full HLPE-FSN Report 

• CFS 53 Presentation Recording 

• CFS 53 Presentation Powerpoint 

Blog Posts 

• New HLPE-FSN team for the report “Building resilient food systems” (FAO: CFS HLPE-FSN) 

• Building resilient food systems report launch and executive summary (FAO: CFS HLPE-FSN) 

• Building resilient food systems: pathways to equitable transformation (FAO: CFS HLPE-FSN) 

• Strong governance holds the key to resilient agrifood systems (FAO) 

• HLPE-FSN Report Launch (UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies) 

• Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer Presents at CFS 53 (UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies) 

• Equitably Transformative Resilience: How Can Engaged Food Scholars Take Action? (Institute of Development Studies)