Enhancing Policy Coherence Towards Delivering Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems Through Agroecological Practices

Organizer: Agroecology Coalition and the Coalition of Action on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems (HDSFS), with the Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)

The event, organized by two Coalitions, namely Agroecology, and Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems, highlighted multiple country voices (from Ecuador, France, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, Tanzania) that stressed the importance of ensuring alignment of policies towards linking sectoral development agendas for sustainable food systems transformation. Interventions from CSO, youth and academia, showed how agroecological practices could optimize diets and foster holistic approaches towards sustainable food value chains and improved nutrition. Evidence was shared that including the political and gender dimensions in agroecological programmes increases the likelihood of positive outcomes. It provided examples for the integration of agroecology principles into food security and nutrition national development plans, policies and strategies, articulating objectives and targets for enhanced impact. In a complex development landscape marked by the urgent need to mitigate environmental issues, greater efforts should be done to aim at producing healthy, safe and sustainable foods benefitting biodiversity, climate adaptation, and nutrition, so that both human and planetary health are not only conditions but also results of our joint efforts for sustainable and agroecological food systems transformation.

Speakers:

  • Ms. Anna Horner, Senior Coordinator, UN-Nutrition
  • Mr. Oliver Oliveros, Executive Coordinator, Agroecology Coalition
  • Mr. Chike Mba, Deputy Director, Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO
  • Ms. Rachel Beznel Kerr, Cornell University
  • H.E. Ms. Veronika Gomez Ricaurte, Deputy Permanent Representative to the FAO for the Republic of Ecuador
  • Mr. Raoul Mille, Scientific Counsellor, French Permanent Representation to the UN in Rome 
  • Ms. Aminata Shamit Koroma, Director of Food and Nutrition, Sierra Leone (online) 
  • Ms. Alessandra Roversi, Programme Officer, SDC 
  • Ms. Gladness Brush Martin, SWTA Programme Coordinator, SWISSAID Tanzania (online)
  • Ms. Edoardo Corriere, Global Programme Coordinator, YOUNGO/YPARD 
  • Ms. Lina Mahy, Cross-cutting Lead, Partnerships for Safe, Healthy and Sustainable Diets, Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO