Food systems hold power to ‘realise vision of a better world,’ says UN Secretary-General at first Food Systems Summit

The UN Secretary-General has called on the world to keep its promises for a better future through food systems that work for people, planet and prosperity at the first UN Food Systems Summit.

In a Chair’s Summary Statement of Action, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on governments and partners to meet the commitments they made to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

“As the pandemic physically pushed us apart, the preparations for this Summit brought us together,” said Guterres. “Through national dialogues, governments gathered together businesses, communities and civil society to chart pathways for the future of food systems across 148 countries. Over 100,000 people came together to discuss and debate solutions — many of which are now being shared at this Summit.”

Guterres commended the Summit for “leading the way to food systems that can drive the global recovery in three fundamental ways. For people. For the planet. And for prosperity.”

As over 90 heads of state and government submitted their national strategies and commitments, the Secretary-General paid tribute to family farmers, herders, workers, Indigenous Peoples, women, and young people: “Let’s learn from each other — and be inspired by one another — as we work together to achieve the SDGs.”

At a global level, UN agencies – the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP) – will jointly lead a UN system-wide coordination hub to continue the work of the Summit and support countries along with Resident Coordinators (RCs) and UN Country Teams (UNCTs).