Food systems transformation for rural prosperity

21 يوليو 2021

14:00 – 15:00 CEST

In this pre–Food Systems Summit session, we will take a close look at the challenges food systems are facing, the key drivers of change, and the potential game changing solutions. The discussion will focus on the work conducted for the preparation of IFAD's Rural Development Report (RDR). This year's RDR, produced by IFAD and Wageningen University & Research (WUR), will focus on food systems transformation for rural prosperity and will be published in September 2021. 

The RDR promotes equitable livelihoods for rural people, since they are front and centre in transforming food systems, alongside the need to improve nutrition and protect the environment. The global need for more nutritious food, ecosystem services, and a low-carbon economy also offers the potential for new and innovative livelihood opportunities. The RDR delivers evidence dating back to the 1960s, when contemporary food systems began transforming our world into something unrecognizable. Since then, global agricultural output has risen enormously, yet food systems are now failing to provide decent livelihoods for many of those who work within them. Yield growth and falling food prices have been accompanied by unsustainable environmental degradation, and a focus on calories rather than balanced nutrition has led to poor diets. Against this backdrop, the RDR takes a deep look at the opportunities for transforming food systems – and the inevitable challenges – and assesses the implications for rural poverty.