For World Food Day, Follow The Evidence 

MEDIA NOTICE

Saturday, October 16 2021 – The Global Alliance for the Future of Food today urged world leaders to build on commitments and evidence of progress on food systems transformation to protect biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, and avert the worst consequences of climate change. 

Ahead of World Food Day 2021, we released True Value: Revealing the Positive Impacts of Food Systems Transformation, an analysis that used “true cost accounting” to show the significant positive impacts sustainable food systems initiatives can have. The assessment of six “Beacons of Hope” worldwide – in Lagos, Zambia, the Philippines, Malawi, India, and the Americas – revealed far-reaching benefits of deep food systems transformation, including biodiversity conservation, reduction in carbon emissions, restoration of lands, and protection of species, alongside social gains like gender empowerment, workers’ rights, and access to healthy and nutritious diets. 

On every continent, in every sector – from food producers, farmer collaboratives, food banks, government agencies, researchers to social enterprises – doing the right thing on food has game-changing impacts on climate. With global leaders gathering this week for COP15 and in a few weeks for COP26, we urge policymakers and all stakeholders to embrace bold food systems transformation as a path to climate progress. That means: 

• Using True Cost Accounting globally as a policy tool to assess the real and hidden impacts of our food systems, from sustainability and health to workers rights and gender. This will level the playing field for producers and innovators, like the Beacons of Hope, who are profiting and growing already through positive approaches to food system management
• Embrace practices, principles, and systems-based approaches like agroecology and natural farming which we know reduce climate emissions and restore ecosystems 
• Place food systems transformation at the top of the global agenda, upholding local, Indigenous, smaller-scale and sustainable producers and breaking with the status quo of industrial agriculture.

“The wind is at our backs, and momentum is real. Let this progress be a call to action for the world to embrace holistic approaches to measuring and accounting for the true value of food,” said Ruth Richardson, Executive Director, Global Alliance for the Future of Food. 

• Ends 

The Global Alliance for the Future of Food is a strategic alliance of philanthropic foundations working together and with others to transform global food systems now and for future generations. We believe in the urgency of transforming global food systems, and in the power of working together and with others to effect positive change. Food systems reform requires new and better solutions at all scales through a systems-level approach and deep collaboration among philanthropy, researchers, grassroots movements, the private sector, farmers and food systems workers, Indigenous Peoples, government, and policymakers. www.futureoffood.org. 

For additional comments and interviews,  contact: Kasia Murphy, Communications Director
E: Comms@futureoffood.org