Deep Dives Into the Nexus of Food Systems, Climate Change, and Nutrition

The 2021 UN Food Systems Summit is taking place in the context of the climate crisis and exacerbated global food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. While the world is facing these challenges and a global response will be needed, developing countries—and in particular African countries—are dealing with an even more extreme situation. Their development dynamics and needs involve an increase in food consumption and production to address the nutritional requirements of their populations in an approach that also ensures the environmental sustainability and resilience of their agricultural practices. Based on developed country experience, there is no evidence that such a transition could be achieved by relying on market economic forces alone, especially if the social inclusiveness of the process has to be guaranteed. Therefore, policy pathways must be identified and implemented that favour synergies and limit trade-offs within the nexus between climate change, food systems, and nutrition.

Speakers

• Francine Picard, Senior Policy Advisor and Partnerships Lead, IISD 
• Carin Smaller, Director of Agriculture, Trade and Investment, IISD 
• Dr. Andrew Kwasari, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agriculture, Office of the Vice President of Nigeria
• Christel Weller-Molongua, Director of Rural Development and Agriculture Division in the Global Department at GIZ 
• Dr. Felix Phiri, Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS of the Ministry of Health in Malawi  
• Willem Olthof, Deputy Head of Unit, DEVCO C1 - Rural Development, Food Security, Nutrition, European Commission  

This session explains how we can influence consumption patterns through policy interventions that will lead to better environmental and nutritional outcomes in three countries—Malawi, Ethiopia, and Nigeria—in order to identify policy roadmaps to sustainable food system transformation. Specifically, by building on the Ceres2030 literature review and cost modelling exercise, this research supports analytical work to strengthen the evidence base for climate-smart nutrition interventions in the context of a sustainable food system. This aligns with the overarching transformative theme of the UN Food Systems Summit.

The purpose of this parallel session is to present the results from the country case studies, together with country focal points from the three countries: the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria, the Ministry of Public Health in Malawi, and the Federal Ministry of Health in Ethiopia. We aim to develop joint ownership of the final recommendations and enhance the utilization of the research in the Food Systems Summit, dialogues, and long-term country-level strategies.

Deep Dives Into the Nexus of Food Systems, Climate Change, and Nutrition in Malawi, Ethiopia, and Nigeria will provide examples of how to develop a country-level roadmap for food systems transformation that could serve as a blueprint for other countries and that is based on the best available evidence, economic modelling, and a deep engagement with national-level stakeholders working together with experts.

This event is the result of a collaboration between the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the European Union, the Malawi Ministry of Public Health, and the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria.

Interpretation in French and in English will be available.