A United Nations summit on the state of the world’s food systems opened in Rome, Italy, a gathering that comes amid mounting concerns about the planet’s long-term ability to feed a fast-growing human population.
Delegates from across the planet are discussing at the UN Food System Summit the often-devastating environmental impact of agriculture and how to make food production more sustainable.
Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) explained that “Our food systems right now are unsustainable. They are a major contributor to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.”
“Changes to our food systems, when done with careful planning, can actually help alleviate hunger and malnutrition. Sustainable food systems prioritize diverse and nutritious crops, local production and farming practices that can withstand climate change.
“We are at a crossroads. There is no real alternative other than a strong, coordinated response to what is a deepening crisis. There are some tangible outcomes that we would like to see emerge from the discussion in Rome.
She concluded by saying “The task ahead of us is not easy. But by working collectively we can make our food systems more sustainable and resilient to climate change. That will ultimately help us make significant progress toward creating a better future for us all.”