Rigorous monitoring is necessary to guide food system transformation in the countdown to 2030 global goals and beyond

Rigorous monitoring is necessary to guide food system transformation in the countdown to 2030 global goals and beyond


This is a side event to the United Nations Food Systems Summit (taking place on September 23, 2021). This session will feature some of the co-authors of a forthcoming call for a rigorous, science-based monitoring framework to track food systems and their transformation. We argue that clear metrics and monitoring are necessary to support evidence-based policymaking.

Metrics and monitoring are similarly necessary to ensure accountability and progress towards timebound goals including the 2030 Agenda SDGs, and also the Paris Climate Agreement and the forthcoming Kunming Biodiversity targets, all of which require food systems transformation in order to succeed. We will present a monitoring framework centered around five thematic areas related to

  1. diets, nutrition, and health;
  2. environment and climate; and
  3. livelihoods, poverty, and equity;
  4. governance; and
  5. resilience and sustainability.

We will also present plans to use the framework and selected indicators in an externally adapted Delphi process, to analyze the proposed indicators and establish an independently assessed, and peer reviewed food systems baseline against which annual progress to the aforementioned goals can be assessed. Committed to consultative processes, inclusiveness, and transparency, we welcome contributions and new collaborators and are actively seeking to expand our disciplinary and experiential diversity. The discussions will be used as input to further improve the proposed framework.

Speakers:

  • Jessica Fanzo, Johns Hopkins University
  • Lawrence Haddad, GAIN
  • Jose Rosero Moncayo, FAO
  • Kate Schneider, Johns Hopkins University
  • Anna Herforth, Harvard University
  • Mario Herrero, Cornell University
  • Rashid Sumaila, University of British Columbia
  • Alejandro Guarin, International Institute for Environment and Development
  • Namukolo Covic, International Food Policy Research Institute
  • Christophe Béné, Alliance of CIAT and Bioversity