What To Expect From The First-Ever Food System Pavillion During COP 27?

In just 24 hours, COP27 will debut and will feature the first-ever Food System Pavillion organized by a wealth of international organizations. 

The Food Systems Pavilion brings together over 15 international leaders in the food space spanning the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, from farmers and youth to policymakers and scientists. This diversity of expertise and perspectives sets it apart from other coalitions, with co-hosts and partners committing to work collaboratively to tackle trade-offs, showcase solutions and overcome barriers.

Participating organizations include co-hosts Clim-Eat, Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH), EIT Food, Environmental Defense Fund, FOLU, Good Food Institute, Infarm, SNV and Yara International; session partners Aleph Farms, Food Tank, Just Rural Transition, One Acre Fund and Rabobank; and supporting partners World Farmers’ Organisation, World Food Forum, YPARD, IAAS World and YOUNGO.

Dr Dhanush Dinesh, Clim-Eat founder, commented: “New visions are needed for how food systems will operate in the future and the central role of farmers and small-scale agriculture as positive agents of change. Business as usual is not an option. To address these issues publicly and collaboratively, we are bringing together farmers, food producers, NGOs, businesses, youth, Indigenous Peoples, governments, and intergovernmental organizations in the first-ever Food Systems Pavilion. We believe COP27 will represent a critical turning point for our food systems. We urge all interested parties to join us in championing #ActionOnFood and making this the food COP.”

With agriculture and food systems contributing over one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, there are many complex challenges to overcome but also huge opportunities. Transforming the world’s food systems could generate $4.5 trillion annually in new economic activity and help to create a net-zero, nature-positive world, while also ensuring social justice and food security.

Sudhanshu Sarronwala, Chief Impact Officer at Infarm: “Climate targets cannot be met without transforming food systems. Period. The Food Systems Pavilion is therefore advocating for transforming our food systems to be more resilient and sustainable. That means completely changing how we grow, process, transport, and consume food including implementing conducive farm subsidies and supporting innovative farming”

Infarm will be co-hosting three theme days at the Food Systems Pavilion at COP. All sessions will be live-streamed (accessible via the links below).

• Sunday, November 6: Enhance resilience to climate and shocks
• Thursday, November 10: Accelerate innovation and digitalisation
• Thursday, November 17: Transform value chains and develop inclusive markets

The complete schedule:

• Sunday, 6 November 2022: ENHANCE resilience to climate and shocks
• Tuesday, 8 November 2022: ENABLE a culture of sustainable, healthy and nutritious diets
• Wednesday, 9 November 2022: INCREASE sustainable investment and financing to build food systems
• Thursday, 10 November 2022: ACCELERATE innovation and digitalization
• Friday, 11 November 2022: BOOST nature positive production and soil health
• Saturday, 12 November 2022: SCALE climate resilient agriculture
• Monday, 14 November 2022: EMBRACE sustainable water and aquatic blue food diversity for climate smart food systems
• Tuesday, 15 November 2022: CHAMPION youth action in food systems
• Wednesday, 16 November 2022: PROTECT and restore nature
• Thursday, 17 November 2022: TRANSFORM value chains and develop inclusive markets
• Friday, 18 November 2022: Closing of the Food Systems Pavilion

Discover the Food System Pavillion programme booklet here.

At the previous COP in Glasgow, policy makers took the first steps towards recognising the critical role of food and agriculture in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At COP27, the Food System Pavilion co-hosts want to substantially advance this agenda and put food centre stage.

Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to the 2021 Food Systems Summit and FOLU Ambassador, said: “We must ensure that food dominates the COP27 agenda. It has been the missing piece in climate negotiations for far too long. Yet, Africa is putting huge bets on a COP on the continent.  We hope that the world recognizes that our ability to produce food is fast being eroded, our adaptation capacity is the weakest, and how food is produced in parts of the world creates problems we must address.Transforming our food systems unlocks opportunities to significantly reduce GHG emissions, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and provide solutions to some of the most pressing environmental and social issues of our time. Without urgent action on climate change, an additional 100 million people in Africa could be pulled into extreme poverty in the next eight seasons – that’s more than 10 million people every year between now and 2030 – people that have until now been feeding themselves! Timely action on food systems is essential to stop more people from sliding into poverty and food insecurity – it is good for both people and the planet.”