Category: News

Speaking at the opening plenary of the Science Days, a 2-day virtual event organized by the Scientific Group and hosted and facilitated by the FAO on 8-9 July 2021, the Chair of the Scientific Group Joachim von Braun highlighted seven science-driven innovations to accelerate the transformation to healthier, more sustainable, more equitable, and more resilient food systems. The innovations are drawn from a strategic paper prepared by the Scientific Group as an input into the UN Food System Summit 2021.

A transcript of the remarks can be found here.

Joachim von Braun gave a keynote at the World Food Convention on June 24^th, 2021. He highlighted the problems of human suffering from hunger and unhealthy diets, and the high indirect true costs of food, and emphasized the science and innovation opportunities to move to a sustainable food system.

World Food Convention is organized by German newspaper Tagesspiegel.

Agnes Kalibata, Special Envoy to UN Food Systems Summit and Federal Minister Gerd Müller also spoke at the Convention.

» Program

Listen to keynote of Prof. von Braun:

Joachim von Braun, Chair of Scientific Group, gave a “Briefing in the UN Food Systems summit (UNFSS)” to the G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (G20-MACS) on June 15th, 2021.

Besides reporting on Scientific Group’s key papers, such as defining and modelling food systems, and the true costs of food, he outlined the emerging science and innovation proposals of the Scientific Group for the UNFSS. von Braun stressed that the G20-MACS’ Communique was very coherent with key points of the Scientific Group’s proposals, such as R&D for ending hunger while enhancing sustainability, the opportunities of digitization, One Health, and bioscience.

See attached von Braun’s PPT presented at G20-MACS.

Joachim von Braun delivered the keynote at the German national dialogue to the Food System Summit on 8 June 2021. He discussed challenges and opportunities for achieving sustainable and equitable food systems, and outlined the possible contribution of the Summit and Germany in particular to promote food systems transformation.

The German presentation can be found here.

The Dean of the Academy Prof Shenggen Fan chaired the meeting attended by a large group of researchers and policy advisors.

Joachim von Braun highlighted the important role of science incl. social sciences for the evidence based emerging agenda of the Food Systems Summit (read presentation). He emphasized the need to pay attention to different perspectives of countries and regions by drawing attention to insightful background Briefs from partners of the Scientific Group from China, India, Russia and Europe, and the important role of sharing China’s tremendous experience in food systems transformations.

Opening commentaries were contributed by Prof Jikun Huang, China Center for Agricultural Policy (CCAP), School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, and by Prof. Fengying Nie, Director, Agricultural Information Institute (AII), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences who is also a member of the Advisory Group to the UN Food Systems Summit.

On May 21st a Parliamentary Briefing of the European Parliamentary Alliance against Hunger and Malnutrition had a session on Achieving a sustainable Food Systems Transformation – Reflections for the UN Food Systems Summit.

Seven members of the Parliament from 5 different groupings participated, as well as the FAO Director General. Joachim von Braun gave the keynote to the event.

The Program as well as von Braun’s speaking points are available here.

Friday May 14^th, a workshop by the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and of Social Sciences addressed the needed actions of financing the restart after Covid, financing the climate agenda, and financing end of hunger and extreme poverty. The workshop was titled “DREAMING OF A BETTER RESTART” and had as speakers IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, the US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, the Chair of the African Union and President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Félix Tshisekedi, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry and others.  

The meeting was co-chaired by the Presidents of the Academies, Stefano Zamagni and Joachim von Braun. Key issues discussed included the need for large expansion of capital for the multilateral finance institutions (IMF, World Bank etc.), much more attention to finance for overcoming poverty and hunger, fair sharing of vaccines, ending tax havens and establishing global corporate taxes, and a meaningful global CO2 price.    

“Financing the end of hunger needs a set of initiatives”, says Joachim von Braun, Chair of Scientific Group. Considered should be doubling the annual international development funding (ODA) for food, agriculture, nutrition; an End Hunger Fund; blended finance and de-risking instruments; pledges by companies, investment funds, and philanthropies; and most importantly, using the opportunities of some of additional Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) for the IMF for guarantees of country actions, such as a “zero hunger bonds”.

Read concept note “Financing SDG2 and the End of Hunger” by Joachim von Braun.

Read workshop report at http://www.pas.va/content/accademia/en/events/2021/final_report.html

Joachim von Braun, Chair of Scientific Group for the UN Food Systems Summit, delivered the keynote to the European Union – FAO High-Level Dialogue Thursday 6 May 2021, linking the dialogue to the Food Systems Summit and the need to transform food systems globally. He emphasized innovation, including in European food policies. His presentation is attached.

» Presentation

Workshop of the Scientific Group for the UN Food Systems Summit and
the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (PAS), Vatican City, April 21‐22, 2021

Read the statement here.

“This summit must not become bogged down in ideological battles”

Read the interview on www.welthungerhilfe.org here.