SEED FUNDING JOINT PROGRAMMES

Egypt

Strengthening Sustainable and Resilient Food and Nutrition Systems in Egypt for SDG Acceleration

SDG 2 Zero Hunger LogoSDG 3 Good Health and Well-BeingSDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

PROJECT TITLE

Strengthening Sustainable and Resilient Food and Nutrition Systems in Egypt for SDG Acceleration

ContextEgypt engaged actively in the 2021 Food Systems Summit process, convening a national dialogue and developing national pathways with recommended interventions for improving food security and nutrition by 2030. To enhance multi-sectorial coordination and spearhead the transformation process, the Government created a National Committee for Food and Nutrition Systems chaired by the Prime Minister and bringing together several ministries to coordinate joint actions. Strengthening coordination mechanisms, fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships, consolidating accountability structures, focusing on the availability of evidence, analysis, and data, are identified as key priorities to strengthen the food systems governance structure in Egypt.
PUNOsWFP, FAO, UNICEF
Contribution to SDGsSDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being, 12 Responsible Consumption and Production.
Contribution to other SDG transitionsClimate, biodiversity, pollution
DurationJune 2024 – May 2025
Expected financial leverage$87,000 (PUNO co-financing)
Alignment with SG Call to ActionPolicy integration; Food systems governance; Research, data, technology and innovation; Inclusive and participatory design; Private sector engagement
OutcomesThe JP contributes to strengthening policy and governance frameworks for food systems transformation and generating evidence and analysis on key dimensions of food systems to inform decision-making, supporting the work of the National Committee for Food and Nutrition Systems. The JP complements the government’s flagship program “Country Platform for the Nexus of Water, Food and Energy”, which provides a mechanism to mobilize climate finance and private investments.
Partners
  • National Committee for Food and Nutrition Systems, including Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Supply and Internal Trade, Health and Population, Planning and Economic Development, International Cooperation, Social Solidarity, Youth and Sports, Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Water Resources and Irrigation, and Trade and Industry, as well as representatives of the Defense Ministry and the National Authority for Food Safety
  • Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics
  • CSOs, private sector, IFIs
Outputs
  • Strengthen capacity of government institutions including the National Committee for Food and Nutrition Systems to effectively develop, implement, and monitor multi-sector, climate resilient, and gender responsive plans and initiatives for food system transformation.
  • Develop recommendations on financing options, partnerships and M&E for Egypt’s food systems strategies ad national pathways addressed to the National Committee for Food and Nutrition Systems.
  • Support development and/or drafting of M&E plans and costing plans for key policy frameworks relevant to food systems agenda, including on anaemia reduction and marketing of breastmilk substitutes.
  • Conduct analysis on gender-disaggregated impacts of economic crises on different food systems segments.
  • Carry out analysis and develop recommendations for: 1) more efficient, climate resilient, and gender responsive food value chains; 2) food loss and waste systems in small-holder farming systems; 3) food marketing.

Sustainable development in action: Insights from the regional review of food systems in Asia and the Pacific

30/04/2024

Bangkok, Thailand, 29 April 2024: The United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub, the ESCAP and FAO regional office for Asia and the Pacific brought together around 100 Food Systems National Convenors and other experts from across the Asia-Pacific region to assess the progress made in transforming food systems, as well as to facilitate regional knowledge sharing and identify emerging patterns and solutions.

The event was the last part of a series of regional preparatory meetings organized as a follow-up to the United Nations Food Systems Summit +2 (UNFSS+2) Stocktaking Moment, which occurred in Rome in July 2023. It built upon the discussions of the first Asia and the Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting held on 13 March 2023 and UNFSS+2.

The meeting also followed the side side event at the APFSD10 in February 2024 ‘Food Systems Transformation as an Accelerator for SDGs Implementation and Climate Action in Asia and the Pacific Region’. Objectives of the meeting included:

  • Reviewing the progress in food systems transformation and sharing identified challenges, best practices, and lessons learnt.
  • Exploring strategies for aligning food systems transformation processes with climate action plans.
  • Fostering regional collaboration and regional communities by exploring strategies for planning and coordinating future collaborative efforts among participating countries and stakeholders.

The meeting started with opening remarks by Mr. Sethakiat Krajangwongs, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Minister of Agriculture, and Cooperatives Thailand; Mr. Jong-Jin Kim, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific; Ms. Lin Yang, Deputy Executive Secretary, ESCAP; and Mr. Stefanos Fotiou, Director, UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.

Speakers highlighted that the Asia-Pacific region is not on track to achieve multiple SDGs including SDG1, SDG2, and SDG13, where food systems transformation is imperative to achieve these goals.  A significant 44% of the population cannot afford a healthy diet in the region. Food security is especially severe among women with the highest gender disparities in South and Southwest Asia and West Asia (SOFI, 2023). Environmental crises further complicate the landscape, with increasing occurrences of floods, droughts, diseases, and other climate impacts affecting food production. However, simultaneously, food systems contribute to climate and environmental change, with escalating emissions from intensive energy use, transportation, trade, and high consumption of freshwater resources. In the region, climate risks are estimated to result in annualized economic losses amounting to USD 675 billion (~2.4% of the region’s GDP), primarily due to droughts, which significantly impact agriculture, where 80% of drought-related impacts occur in agriculture and livestock sectors. Without immediate action, temperature rises of 1.5°C and 2°C will cause disaster risks to exceed resilience capacities, surpassing the limits of feasible adaptation and threatening sustainable development. (ESCAP, 2023)

Country experiences

National Convenors from over 20 countries shared their perspectives and experiences in implementing their national food system transformation pathways, aligning food system efforts with climate action, and mobilizing financial and technical support during roundtable discussions and sub-regional breakout group discussions.  Participants emphasized the urgent need to converge food systems transformation with climate strategies in a multi-sectoral approach and discussed collaboration and support from the Hub Convergence Initiative, development partners, and an active youth community in the region.  Participants called for a fast-track line to food systems transformation and climate action, driven by commitment, collaboration, research and local-level implementation.

The event brought together members of the Ecosystem of Support from youth, UN agencies, international organizations and NGOs, farmers organization and regional networks such as ASEAN to share initiatives and key messages that can further support the implementation of the national pathway.

The full summary meeting report of the regional meeting will be available soon. Find the presentations from the Regional Meeting here.

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