Agriculture & Food Security

As the world population grows, it is essential to increase sustainable agricultural production, improve the global food supply chain, decrease food loss and waste, and ensure everyone—especially those suffering from poverty, hunger and malnutrition—has access to food. Improving yields on agricultural lands and restoration of degraded lands through sustainable agriculture techniques can also relieve pressure to clear forests for agriculture. Better management of water through improved irrigation and storage technologies, combined with development of new drought-resistant crop varieties, can contribute to sustaining drylands productivity.

Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2), “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture,” recognizes the importance of supporting sustainable agriculture, empowering small farmers, promoting gender equality, ending rural poverty, ensuring healthy lifestyles, tackling climate change, and other issues addressed by the 17 SDGs in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) takes the lead on agriculture and food security in the UN system, working in cooperation with other international and regional organizations and national governments.

19th Session of the UN FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

Delegates acknowledged the Commission’s role continues to grow beyond animal, plant, forest and aquatic genetic resources for food and agriculture (GRFA), and is tackling “new” issues, including the role of GRFA in mitigating and adapting to climate change, and microorganism and invertebrate genetic resources, including pollinator and biological control agents.

Event 15 July 2023 - 21 July 2023

10th Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open ended Working Group to Enhance the Functioning of the ITPGRFA Multilateral System

Delegates discussed the way forward on enhancing the Treaty’s Multilateral System, with a focus on the key issues at the heart of debates: digital sequence information/genetic sequence data; expansion of the list of crops in Annex I of the Treaty; and the payment structure and rates for benefit-sharing.

Event 12 July 2023 - 14 July 2023

Digital Sequence Information (DSI) Is Changing the Way Genetic Resources Are Used in Agricultural Research and Development: Implications for New Benefit-Sharing Norms

This event considered how agricultural research organizations are increasingly using DSI to improve their work to conserve crop and livestock genetic diversity and to use genetic diversity in their plant and animal breeding programmes

Event 7 December 2022

Delivering Climate-resilient Food Systems During Multiple Crises and Fragility

The war in Ukraine and the pandemic have shown that global supply chains are weak, and when they break, they do so at the expense of the poorest populations. This calls for strategies that address the connections between food systems, poverty, inequality, climate change, and other issues, attendees of a side event heard.

Event 14 November 2022

Our Food Is on the Table: Accelerating the Transition to Resilient Food Systems

This COP27 event highlighted the need for food to “be on the table,” on the agenda, at COP 27 and beyond.

Event 12 November 2022

Reaching Women Farmers with Climate Resilience Strategies in Africa and Asia

Panelists at a COP 27 side event highlighted the necessity and potential of gender-responsive approaches for building climate resilience in contexts of vulnerability, food insecurity, and conflict.

Event 11 November 2022

The Land Gap Report

Great hope has been placed in achieving significant carbon reduction through natural carbon sinks, but this approach requires land. A new report, presented at a side event, looks into the gaps between the official climate plans of governments and the lack of land to meet pledges and commitments.

Event 11 November 2022

Miser sur ce que nous savons: Regards croisés sur lʼengagement multi-acteurs pour des CDN plus efficaces pour la sécurité alimentaire

Drawing on a wide range of Francophone perspectives, including researchers and policymakers, this COP 27 event explored how governments can better coordinate their actions on agriculture and climate at the national and global levels.

Event 10 November 2022

9th Session of the ITPGRFA Governing Body

Meeting at a crucial moment for the future of the Treaty, parties relaunched negotiations on measures to enhance the functioning of the Treaty’s Multilateral System of access and benefit-sharing. Parties further addressed farmers’ rights and issues related to “digital sequence information/genetic sequence data” (data derived from genetic resources that is often shared freely online) that could undermine the benefit-sharing regime.

Event 19 September 2022 - 24 September 2022

UNEA Flagship Side Events

During the resumed Fifth Session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), side events focused on “Strengthening actions for nature to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals” and the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Event 28 February 2022 - 4 March 2022