Latin America and the Caribbean Review Progress on Commitments from the Food Systems Summit

Nearly four years after the historic 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit, Latin America and the Caribbean are reviewing progress, analyzing challenges, and reaffirming commitments during a regional meeting held from April 7 to 9 at the FAO Regional Office in Santiago, Chile. 

The event is part of the preparatory process for the second Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+4), which will take place in July in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It brings together National Convenors, government representatives, UN agencies, the private sector, civil society, academia, youth, and Indigenous Peoples. 

The regional meeting aims to document progress since the 2021 Summit, strengthen accountability mechanisms, and promote investment to accelerate the transformation of agrifood systems. This transformation is seen as essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and effectively addressing urgent global challenges such as hunger, climate change, and inequality. 

As part of its support to countries, FAO and IFAD and WFP spearheaded the creation of a Regional Task Force that facilitated the participation of 21 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean in the Summit and supported the development of 19 national roadmaps. This initiative has also strengthened interagency coordination with PAHO, UNEP, ECLAC, UNICEF, UN Women, and UNFPA. 

Máximo Torero, Chief Economist and Acting Regional Representative of FAO for Latin America and the Caribbean opened the event. In his remarks, he emphasized the urgent need to accelerate agrifood systems transformation in order to eradicate hunger and poverty, address climate change and biodiversity loss, and promote sustainable development. 

Torero also highlighted the importance of the Food Systems Summit as a reference framework and stressed the need to align with key processes such as COP30—set to take place in Brazil later this year—as well as regional initiatives including the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty (led by the G20 under Brazil’s presidency), and CELAC’s Food Security and Nutrition Plan. 

Key topics under discussion at the meeting include the convergence between climate action and agrifood systems, the role of science, innovation, and investment, the need for inclusive governance frameworks, sustainable financing, and the meaningful participation of all stakeholders—particularly youth, women, and Indigenous communities. 

The First Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2) was held at FAO Headquarters in Rome 

In July 2023, FAO headquarters in Rome hosted the first UN Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2), bringing together over 3,300 representatives from 182 countries. The event served to review progress on the 2021 commitments, identify challenges, and set priorities to move toward more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems at the global level. 

Two years after that milestone, it is essential to assess the progress made and outstanding actions objectively. In this context, FAO reaffirms its commitment to providing evidence-based support, practical solutions, and a systems approach aimed at building agrifood systems that can feed the present and future, protect the environment, and promote equity and inclusion.