End poverty, protect the planet, ensure prosperity for all? Food is the answer

How can we end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all? Why food can be the answer.

Sustainable food systems are central to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Over half of the SDGs relate to global food security and nutrition, including the goals that relate to poverty, gender equality, water and sanitation, responsible production and consumption, and climate change. Global food system needs to be reshaped to achieve a whole range of SDGs and address the current challenges of the 21st century. According to FAO (2017), to feed an additional two billion people in the year 2050, food production will need to increase by 50% globally. At the same time, 815 million people in the world suffer from hunger, while over 2 billion are overweight or obese, a large percentage of which are children. One third of our food production is wasted due to inefficiencies in the food supply chain (food losses) or takes place at the consumer level.

Food is responsible for one third of global greenhouse gas emissions and as such, has to be part of the strategies to mitigate climate change. Food production is also the biggest water user, accounting for 70% of freshwater withdrawals on a global average and contributes to pollution of freshwater and marine systems due to use of fertilizers. Many countries in the world already experience biodiversity and habitat loss due to unsustainable agricultural practices and land use.

Food is part of the problem but food can also be part of the solution.

Media and information have a major role to play in increasing the awareness and knowledge on the SDGs and promote their incorporation in development reporting for social change, challenging the narrative about progress in the developing countries and shining the spotlight to the people who are often left out of the conversation.

The BCFN panel aims at providing journalists and journalism students with information, tools and strategies to understand the complex issues surrounding the SDGs through the lens of sustainable food systems, agriculture, nutrition and climate change.

The event will also be the occasion to discuss together for a greater and effective engagement of journalists, media professionals and the general public on the implementation of the SDGs.

Panel:

Aligning the Food Sustainability Index with the SDGs - LUDOVICA PRINCIPATO, Ph.D. Researcher BCFN Foundation, Researcher Roma Tre University

Food and Migration. Understanding the geo-political nexus in the context of the Mediterranean - LUCIO CARACCIOLO, President and Head of Geopolitics, Macrogeo

Young Earth Solutions to food sustainability: SAY YES to BATS! - LAURA GARZOLI, STeP e CNR-ISE, Winner, 2017 BCFN YES!

Moderator: LUCA DI LEO, Head of Media Relations, BCFN Foundation

Organised and sponsored by BCFN Foundation.