Water: the game changer for food systems

A Food Systems Summit will be convene as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The culminating Summit gathering will take place in New York in September 2021 in conjunction with the UN General Assembly. This will be preceded by a pre-Summit gathering in Italy in July 2021.

The Food Systems Summit Dialogues will offer a powerful opportunity for people everywhere to have a seat at the table at this milestone UN Summit. Dialogues will bring together a diversity of stakeholders, including voices that are seldom heard, and provide an important opportunity for participants to debate, collaborate, and take action towards a better future.

Water: The Game Changer for Food Systems - a Global Summit Dialogue
Dr. Agnes Kalibata, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy to the Food Systems Summit; and Gilbert F. Houngbo, UN-Water Chair and President of the International Fund for Agriculture Development, are convening an online global dialogue on water on 27 April. The dialogue will explore the fundamental inter-connections between food systems and water systems, and their relations to other areas fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals, such as energy, climate, and the environment.

Participants will be invited to explore how water is an essential ingredient for sustainable food systems to:

• ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all
• shift to sustainable consumption patterns
• boost nature-positive production
• advance equitable livelihoods
• and build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress

The event will also build on the learnings that are arising on water and food systems in national and regional dialogues. Major water challenges that are threatening local and international food systems will be unpacked.

• Find more information about the Water: The Game Changer for Food Systems - a Global Summit Dialogue here.