Notification 2021-007

Dear Madam/Sir, The Secretary-General of the United Nations will convene a Food Systems Summit (https://www.un.org/en/food-systems-summit) later this year with the aim of launching bold new actions to transform the way the world produces and consumes food, as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The Summit is scheduled to take place on the margins of the General Assembly and will be guided by five Action Tracks that will bring together key players from the worlds of science, business, policy, healthcare and academia, as well as farmers, indigenous people, youth organizations, consumer groups, environmental activists, and other key stakeholders. In preparation for the Summit, a number of dialogues (https://summitdialogues.org/) are planned, including Member State Dialogues organized by national Governments. The outcomes of these will be of use in developing pathways to sustainable food systems and will constitute a valuable contribution to the various work streams in preparing for the Summit. Given the important role that biodiversity plays in underpinning ecosystem functions and services that are essential for the productivity and sustainability of our food systems, these dialogues also present an opportunity to underscore the important links between biodiversity, food and agriculture, particularly in the context of the negotiations of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. In this regard, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Protocols, as well as observers, to take part in these dialogues. For example, National Focal Points may wish to reach out to the Member State Dialogue Convenors (https://summitdialogues.org/overview/member-state-food-systems-summit-dialogues/convenors/) via respective official government channels. Interested Parties and observers are invited to make use of and reference the transitions outlined in the fifth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook (https://www.cbd.int/gbo5), such as the transition related to sustainable agriculture and the transition related to sustainable food systems. The Secretariat has also made available relevant information on the Convention’s website that can be accessed at the following link: https://www.cbd.int/agro/foodsystemssummit/. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, Cartagena Protocol Focal Points, ABS Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant organizations