World Food Day Professionals Event

The Dutch agri-food sector and its international partners aim to increase their collective impact to ensure the accessibility and affordability of healthy diets for all, produced and processed in a sustainable way. A transformation of our food systems and innovative solutions, moving beyond just technical solutions, is needed.

The English spoken event can be followed online and is broadcasted live from the studio in Amsterdam. It starts with a pleanry programme from 10.30 till 12.30 and is followed by different sessions (details to be announced soon) from 13.00 till 14.30. World Food Day is organised by the Netherlands Food Partnership in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you are interested to join, please visit the website.

Context

There is an urgent need for a global, rapid response and to accelerate and increase (our) collective efforts in achieving SDG2: end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. The worldwide and unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, causing a global health and economic crisis, on top of already existing emergencies, sharply put into focus the vulnerability of our food systems.

The joint efforts to achieve the objectives under SDG2 by 2030 are impressive, but not enough. Looking at the roadmap towards the 2030 Agenda, the world is off track in meeting the global goals. It is important to come together and propose smart solutions and innovative actions, and to discuss challenges to strengthen the efforts and collectively achieve more impact. Furthermore, a concerted and integrated approach is required to address the interlinkages of SDG2 with other goals.

The Netherlands has a lot of knowledge and expertise to apply and share, especially when it comes to using a food systems approach and the Dutch Diamond approach, in which actors from government, business, knowledge institutions and civil society collaborate together. The Netherlands is also a partner in many international networks. Therefore, it has a lot to offer and can make a significant contribution towards achieving SDG2. World Food Day provides an inspiring environment for exchange between agri-food professionals on progress towards achieving SDG2: what are the smart solutions, how do we overcome bottlenecks and challenges and how can (new) coalitions be initiated and strengthened?

Programme

With an inspiring, interactive online programme, participants will engage with the latest insights in food systems approaches and smart solutions for healthy diets for all, presented by renowned international experts in the agri-food sector.

Participants will also be able to:

• Take part in the online discussions with other professionals about innovative solutions and current challenges in food systems;
• Get inspiration from smart solutions for healthy diets;
• Make use of an online networking app to connect with other professionals in the sector.

Hadassah de Boer will moderate the morning programme from 10.30 – 12.30 with contributions from Carola Schouten, Kitty van der Heijden, Simon Groot, Jack van der Vorst, Carol Gribnau, Jackline Owili and Myrtille Danse, and others.

The afternoon programme provides five Smart Solution Sessions from 13.00 – 14.00: participants can take an action oriented deep dive in their favourite smart solution:

• Join Hivos in a session on TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEM GOVERNANCE .
• Join Wageningen University & Research in a session on ASSESSING FOOD SYSTEMS IN TIMES OF COVID-19.
• Join Topsector Horticulture & Starting Materials in a session on SMART BUSINESS SOLUTIONS IN HORTICULTURE.
• Join Yoba4Life, SNV Uganda and the Netherlands Food Partnership in a session on DAIRY AS MOTOR FOR NUTRITION.
• Join the Design Academy Eindhoven in a session on DESIGN, HORTICULTURE AND THE CHALLENGES OF URBANISATION.

To conclude the Professionals Event, all participants are invited to join the Netherlands Food Partnership in a ​plenary dialogue​ from 14.10 – 15.00 on the preparations and contributions in the run-up to the ​2021 UN Food Systems Summit​.

For all information on this World Food Day Professionals Event, please visit the official website, where you can also find the link for online registration.

Public event “World Food Day Show”

In the afternoon an online event is open for everyone to attend: the “World Food Day Show” is filled with experts, food changers, chefs and an online cinema. The programme is in Dutch: please visit the web