The first-ever UN Food Systems Summit saw nearly 300 commitments from hundreds of thousands of people from around the world and across all constituencies to accelerate action and to transform food systems.

The Summit process gave rise to several multi-stakeholders’ initiatives led by civil society, farmers, women, youth and indigenous groups that Member States commit to in order to deliver on the priorities, needs, and gaps identified in national pathways.

“Indigenous Peoples have been supporting the Summit. We have organized dialogues in the seven socio-cultural regions, with almost 300 Indigenous Peoples organizations participating, said Indigenous Peoples rights activist and Summit Advisory Committee member Myrna Cunningham, who launched the Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems at a UN press briefing on Thursday.

The 148 commitments that have been registered so far are collective or institutional commitments to action that are aligned to the Summit’s Action Areas, and come out as a result of an 18-month inclusive and engaging process with diverse stakeholders.

The Summit process was also applauded by farmer leaders for its inclusivity. “The Summit has been very inclusive,” said President of the Pan-African Farmers Organizations (PAFO), Elizabeth, Nsimadala, who represents 80 million farmers across 50 African countries, and is a member of the Summit’s Advisory Committee. “As producers we held several independent dialogues at all levels and these dialogues resulted into a global common position.”

The UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed spoke at a UN press conference on the Food Systems Summit on Thursday and said, “In terms of inclusiveness, I don’t know of a more inclusive process. People look at the SDGs. They see themselves in that, and we wanted to reflect that in this people solution Summit.”

In support of national and regional pathways, these multi-stakeholder commitments to action emerged across the Summit’s Action Areas that were featured at yesterday’s UN Food Systems Summit. These five Actions included Nourish All People, which led to a multi-stakeholder commitment to action on the Food is Never Waste Coalition, and the Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems fo Children and All Coalition.

The second action area, Boost Nature-Based Solutions of Production, saw different multi-stakeholder commitments including the Agroecology Coalition. The Advance Equitable Livelihoods, Decent Work, and Empowered Communities brought in the Decent Work and Living Incomes and Wages Coalition. With countless other initiatives stemming from the Action Area of Build Resilience to Vulnerabilities, Shocks, and Stresses, for instance the Local Food Supply Alliance, and many more going to Supporting Means of Implementation.

This Action Area helped countries leading up to the UN Food Systems Summit connect to initiatives, and resources around finance, governance, science and knowledge, innovation, technology and data, capacity, and beyond.

 

Watch the Summit on-demand here.