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ENVforum Annual Conference 2021 – Future of Food

Sustainable Development

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Project Period:
30 November - 1 December 2021
Venue:
Virtual

Policy Briefs

The Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) Annual Conference 2021 focused on Circular Food Systems as possible solutions to reverse climate change. The following Policy Briefs sumarise the outcomes and discussions arising from the conference.

Conference Outcomes

The Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) Annual Conference 2021 “Circular Food Systems – Solutions to Reverse Climate Change?” was a 2-day international conference that took place on 30 November – 1 December 2021, virtually.

Background

The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” has highlighted the key role the food system plays in meeting global challenges such as unstainable consumption and production patterns, ecosystem services and climate change among others.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the global linear food-production system that relies on chemicals and fuel to produce and transport food over great distances is to blame for between 21-37% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The majority of agricultural emissions come from livestock, rice cultivation and the use of synthetic fertilizers. Moreover, as ecosystems, such as forests and grasslands, are destroyed and the land converted to agricultural use, there is a loss of vegetation that has been contributing to removing GHGs from the atmosphere. Meanwhile, food production is also impacted by climate change that produces unpredictable and often extreme weather conditions or water scarcity.

The Conference

The Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) Annual Conference 2021 “Circular Food Systems – Solutions to Reverse Climate Change?” was a 2-day international conference that took place on 30 November – 1 December 2021, virtually.

The conference was designed to promote exchanges on regional and international levels and to highlight the range of multi-stakeholder initiatives or partnerships promoting the adoption of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) practices in food systems. It brought together representatives of governments, civil society and the private sector from Asia and Europe to exchange experiences, and also benefit from contributions from experts in the field of private-sector engagement. Participants had the opportunity to discuss challenges they have faced and how they have overcome them, while identifying best practices to be applied to food systems, aspects of production related to climate change and pathways to reaching food-system transition into the circular economy.

There were several interactive sessions designed to encourage the exchange of presentations showcasing national progress and achievements by representatives from ASEM partners, as well as plenary discussions on core aspects of SCP and the circular economy in food systems.

The conference provided:

  • An overall introduction to food systems and the main obstacles to circularity on global and national level;
  • A connection to international meetings such as ASEM, UN Food Summit and COP 26;
  • An Asian-European dimension by linking Asian and European approaches to the transition to circular food-production systems.

All attendees were strongly encouraged to interact with one another to share their ideas and experience, so as to develop a common dialogue.

Opening Session

Welcome Remarks by Organisers

  • Amb. Toru MORIKAWA, Executive Director, Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
  • Niall O’CONNOR, Director, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Asia Centre
  • Markus FERBER, Chairman, Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Moderator: Grazyna PULAWSKA, Associate Director, ASEF

Keynote Remarks

  • Dr Gerd MUELLER, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Federal Republic of Germany (by video)
  • Daniel GUSTAFSON, Special Representative of the Director-General, FAO Moderator: Valentina RICCARDI, Associate Director, ASEF

Opening Plenary

  • Henrietta GODDARD, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
  • Katiuscia FARA, WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (View Slides)
  • Moderator: Colm FOY

Thematic Streams

The event will consist of two plenary sessions and four parallel thematic streams on:

Agriculture

SMEs & Food circularity

Food Policy & Security

International food trade

The thematic streams broke down the challenges into manageable areas with specific characteristics that require differential approaches. Participants were encouraged to participate in these parallel sessions based on their expertise and experience in order to produce outcomes that will guide others as they deal with these issues in their own contexts.

STREAM 2: SMEs & Food Circularity
Speakers & Slides

STREAM 3: Food Policy & Security
Speakers & Slides

Moderators:

  • Ms Kuntum MELATI, Research Associate, Stockholm Environment
    Institute

  • Ms Anna IOANNOU, Associate Professional Officer, Food and
    Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

STREAM 4: International Food Trade
Speakers & Slides

Clossing Session

Rapporteurs’ Presentation (View Slides)

  • Dr Dora ALMASSY, CEU
  • Dr Luca COSCIEME, Hot or Cool Institute Experts’ Commentary

Experts’ Commentary

  • Anita NEVILLE, Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer, Golden Agri-Resources Ltd (TBC)
  • Beverley POSTMA, Interim Executive Director, Grow Asia (TBC) Madhura RAO, Food Claims Centre Venlo
  • Moderator: Grazyna PULAWSKA, Associate Director, ASEF

Presentation of Draft Conference Statement

  • Colm FOY, Consultant

Closing Remarks

  • Amb. Léon FABER, Deputy Executive Director, Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
  • Choonglai CHO, Secretary-General, ASEM Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC)
  • Yasuo TAKAHASHI, Executive Director, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)

Objectives

  1. To contribute to a better understanding of circular food system transition pathways among ASEM Partners
  2. To explore links between food production, transport and markets
  3. To support multi-stakeholder, regional and international dialogues on appropriate and sustainable food production
  4. To provide platform for collaboration and networking

Target

This conference gathered approximately 300 attendees and speakers, including:

  • representatives from relevant ministries working on SDGs implementation in the ASEM region
  • international experts from civil society, academia, and business working on issues related to the SDGs & circular food systems and the challenges posed by climate change
  • sustainable development experts and practitioners interested in solution-oriented policies

To find out more about ENVforum Annual Conference 2020 “Connecting the dots: Creating an enabling environment for SDG12 in ASEM” and its outcomes including policy briefs, visit this page | ENVforum Annual Conference 2020

The Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVForum) Consortium

Project Updates

Photos & Videos

Documents


Conference Programme

Download

Concept Note

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