CIRAD and its partners are working to transform food systems

Feeding almost ten billion people without exacerbating poverty, accelerating deforestation or increasing our emissions will be impossible unless we immediately implement major changes in our food systems .

As things stand, food systems are behind a third of greenhouse gas emissions and, depending on which authors one reads, between 60 and 80% of biodiversity losses worldwide. They also play a role in the global obesity crisis, and generate inequality in terms of wealth and income.
In the hope of changing matters, CIRAD is providing various elements to support a transformation of those systems, as part of the many consultations or debates under way on various levels in the run-up to the UN Summit due to be held in New York in September. This means involving its scientists in the debate with society and policymakers.

In the countries and regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America in which CIRAD works, our researchers and their partners are playing an active part in the national consultations organized by governments and UN bodies. Their contributions centre in particular on the work done within the following platforms in partnership for research and training: MALICA, ISA, GoVInn and PPZS. The knowledge built up over several decades, updated by more recent diagnostic operations, is much appreciated by policymakers and other stakeholders in the various round tables at which the various options for change are the object of fierce debate. 

CIRAD is organizing the following events:

Coming up

Territorial governance for sustainable food systems

23 July, 14:00 - 15:30 CEST

Parallel session, organized ahead of the pre-summit, by the OECD and the Global Alliance for the Territorial Governance for Sustainable Food Systems, of which CIRAD is a member.

Bonding science and policy to accelerate food systems transformation

27 July, 19:30 - 20:20 CEST

A parallel session, organized at the pre-summit, following on from the high-level webinar organized by CIRAD on 4 February. The webinar was aimed at fostering science-policy interfaces to support the summit, with a call for "business as UNusual", to accelerate the transformation of food systems .

To register for the pre-summit and attend the event, click here

Past events

Priorities for inclusive food systems transformations in the global South

6 July

Round table, organized at the Science Days, by CIRAD and the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture Sciences, in collaboration with the RUAF Global Partnership on Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems, Michigan State University, the Centre national de la recherche scientifique et technologique in Burkina Faso and the UNESCO Chair in World Food Systems.

Territorial governance for sustainable food systems

8 July, on line

A consultation organized by CIRAD, the UNESCO Chair in Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies, and Wilfried Laurier University.

Geographical indications for a territorial approach to the SDGs

27 May

A consultation organized by CIRAD and FAO, which brought together around a hundred participants from five continents. 

See also