World Food Day

Today is World Food Day, initiated to bring attention to the fact that there are still millions of people in the world affected by hunger. At Right2Grow we belief in "Shifting The Power" by amplifying local voices and empowering communities to claim their human right to food. This year, the global community came together to hold the first ever United Nations World Food Summit. Right2Grow Uganda colleagues convened a series of Independent Dialogues. The results, highlighting local evidence on the situation on the ground, contributed to the UNFSS. The Right2Grow team followed the global UNFSS conversations closely.

Nutrition and WASH go hand in hand. In 2020, 2 billion people lackedaccess to safe drinking water. Food systems transformation can increase access to clean drinking water, reduce water pollution, and support SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. Inclusive food systems can also play a crucial role in empowering women and achieving SDG 5: Gender Equality. Only 13% of agricultural landholders worldwide are women and they are 11% morelikely to experience food insecurity than men. GHG concentrations reached new highs in 2020, even with the COVID-19 pandemic’s temporary reduction. Greener food systems can reduce emissions and pave the way for achieving SDG 13: Climate Action.

Our food systems are complex. Instead of looking at these challenges seperately and finding siloed solutions, we need to understand the systemic correlations and build multi-sectoral approaches. At Right2Grow, we see a world full of strong women, men, and children in affected communities ready to voice their needs. Right2Grow collagues attended this years’s UN Food Systems Summit to bridge the gaps between food systems leaders and communities, to connect realities and make communities heard. In the past, top-down approaches in development have put power in the hands of donors and international organisations. Right2Grow works to shift this power and focuses on active participation of all the partners in decisions about the programme.

Let’s put more seats at the table

Looking back at the UNFSS, we are excited to announce our collaborative UNFSS reflection event, co-hosted by The Movement for Community-Led Development. We want to reflect back on the Summit, share our experiences and lessons learnt, and look ahead to prepare for upcoming summits: How might we create inclusive and democratic spaces for discussing the future of food systems?

Together we can do better, by talking with those affected by the food crisis. Let’s put more seats at the table and take action together. Join us and stay tuned. Event details will follow soon.