Nigeria collaborates UN to organise national food systems dialogue

The Nigerian government has said it is collaborating with the United Nations to organise the Nigeria National Food Systems Dialogue (NNFSD) 2021.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Mrs Olusola Idowu, disclosed this at Webinar for Journalists.

She said the NNFSD is in preparation for the upcoming United Nations Food System Summit (UNFSS) which Nigeria as a member nation is bound to participate.

Mrs Idowu who is also the National Convenor of the NNFSD 2021 said food systems touch every aspect of human existence.

“In Nigeria and elsewhere in the world, the management of food systems profoundly affects the health of the people, as well as the health of the environment, economies and cultures.

The Food Systems vary by location, and so sustainable pathways must be rooted in national and local realities. To ensure an inclusive and participatory dialogue, the Nigeria National Food System Dialogue is planned to be organised at three levels in advance of the Summit billed to take place in September or October 2021.

“These include Inception Dialogue aim at identifying food system challenges from multiple perspectives, Exploration Dialogues planned to hold in the six geo-political zones is to harness promising approaches from diverse stakeholders that contribute to food systems in Nigeria and Consolidation dialogue to exchange views on the pathway towards sustainable National Food Systems, identify intentions and commitments of different food systems actors,” she noted.

She said the dialogues will focus on the UN five Action Tracks namely, Ensuring Access to Safe and Nutritious Food for All, Shift to Sustainable Consumption Patterns, Boost Nature-Positive Production, Advance Equitable Livelihoods, Build Resilience to Vulnerabilities, Shocks and Stress.

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“It is envisaged that the National Food Summit Dialogues will harvest contributions towards shaping the pathways that will lead to the collective determination of sustainable food systems and how they will contribute to achieving food security in Nigeria.

“Identify the practices and policies that will have the greatest impact on the achievement of the desired future vision within the Nigerian local food systems; consider how it will be possible to assess progress towards improved food systems as well as determine who needs to be involved in achieving the overarching objective of building effective food systems in Nigeria.

The Dialogues provide an opportunity for different stakeholders to work together to devise pathways for the sustainable future of national food systems that makes contributions to the SDGs.

The UN Resident Coordinator, Edward Kallon, said the UN Secretary-General António Guterres will convene the Food Systems Summit in September, as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

He said the Summit will launch bold new actions to transform the way the world produces and consumes food.

“In the same vein, the Deputy Secretary-General and Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Food Systems Summit, Amina J. Mohammed, has invited all Member States to engage in the preparation of the Summit through encouraging action-oriented and inclusive dialogues.

“Sustainable food systems do not just help to end hunger. We need to put in place systems to ensure that we produce enough food for the current generation, without compromising the ability of future generations to have access to adequate food and proper nutrition.

“As the population continues to grow, and with the many players in the food industry, there is a greater need for all of us to understand how we will ensure availability of quality food in quantities that will cater for the needs of all people in a sustainable way,” he added.

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Nigeria collaborates UN to organise national food systems dialogue

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Nigeria collaborates UN to organise national food systems dialogue