Summit’s bid for food equity
THE United Nations has called on global experts, advocates and civil society to advance progress on, and find solutions, to improving the food production system – one of the largest drivers of global environmental change contributing to the climate crisis.
This process has involved more than 20,000 people worldwide and is culminating in a one-day summit on September 23 in Rome, Italy.
The Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University arranged for 48 Australian experts to come together and draw on decades of experience to discuss priorities and action for food systems change.
Their recommendations were submitted to the UN and will hopefully be adopted on the global stage.
To date, researchers and civil society have been working predominantly in silos to evoke change in their own disciplines and regions.
But this has diluted their ability to influence the
system. To make change, Australian experts assert that people from across the world need to have a shared vision of food systems – which should encompass health, equity and environmental sustainability – so solutions can be addressed in a global manner.
Human rights must also be at the centre of this vision, and the voices of farmers, First Nations peoples, lowincome countries and youth need to be prioritised and heard.
This vision should also
acknowledge that radical transformation may not be comfortable, and that there will be trade-offs.
Our mainstream food system is currently referred to as a “corporatised” food system.
This means only a handful of companies dominate the majority of production and distribution of foods around the world.
This has resulted in a disproportionate amount of power in the food system lying with large multinational corporations.
Addressing the power relations of the food system is a fundamental component in actioning effective change for healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems.
In the lead-up to the UN summit, experts have critiqued the fact that very few of the reports or food system events by multinational organisations or civil society have placed this issue of corporate power front and centre, and thus the status-quo of the food system remains, with little accountability held by the
food industry. Policy actions that are cohesive and work across sectors, aligning broader food system considerations, such as ecology and sustainability, could be key in overcoming some of these pitfalls.
But ultimately, necessary system changes may contradict the financial goals of large multinational food corporations.
These contradictions are unavoidable and vital to achieve a food system that is environmentally sustainable and provides healthy foods to all people – working for all. Experts note that the UN is uniquely positioned to help national governments unify and address systemic and urgent problems.
Outcomes from the summit could be the first step towards a collective food regulation program – provided they consider the voices of less powerful civil society groups.
Policy makers, scientists and advocates at the summit need to ensure their voices are raised loudly to counter that of industry.
But we also need you to raise your voice and speak loudly about the importance of food systems that value people and the planet over profit.
You can contribute to the summit by signing up to be a Food Hero, virtually attending the one-day event on September 23 and sharing your voice on social media using the tags #GoodFood4All #ActNow and #UNFSS2021.
Ensuring your voice is heard takes us one step further towards a healthy, sustainable and equitable food system.