How is the Ukraine–Russia conflict affecting food systems in Europe and Central Asia?

11.00 – 12.30 CEST

 Sustainability of food systems is demonstrated when nutritional and food security needs are met, and the system does not unduly degrade the natural resources base with due regard to balance environmental, social, and economic aspects. Sustainable food systems in Europe and Central Asia need to be resilient and able to react to shocks, emerging issues, and changing contexts, including a pandemic, severe weather phenomena (flash floods and droughts), inflation, and conflicts.

In this context, the war in Ukraine has short, medium, and long-term impacts on food systems, which need to be considered in relation to other shocks the region is facing. This highlights the importance of strengthening the resilience of food systems by addressing related priority issues and challenges, such as food supply and trade patterns, affordability and cost of food, implications of the energy-food-finance nexus.

The Issue-Based Coalition on Sustainable Food Systems, in partnership with Chatham House, is organizing a webinar on the impact of the war in Ukraine on food systems.

The objective of the webinar is threefold, to:

1. present key analytical work conducted by the IBC-SFS members in the region on the implications of the war on food systems, addressing different dimensions of food systems to provide the United Nations Country Teams with a holistic approach on the topic to advise governments on their response plans; 
2. identify critical issues, which need to be addressed as part of food systems transformation, to meet the challenges brought by the conflict, and other recent shocks; 
3. provide UN Country Teams with an opportunity to share information on current activities, areas of focus, and requests for support.