Food For Thought

In September 2021, the UN Secretary-General will convene the very first global Food Systems Summit. Ahead of this big premiere, a Pre-Summit will take place from 26 to 28 July in Rome. The Pre-Summit will lay the groundwork for a productive UN Food Systems Summit as it will aim to deliver the latest evidence-based and scientific approaches to food systems transformation from around the world, launch a set of new commitments through coalitions, and mobilise new financing and partnerships.

The Food Systems Summit scheduled in September will launch actions to deliver progress on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, each of which relies to a certain extent on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems. The Summit will aim to boost collective work to transform the way food is produced, consumed and perceived globally. The Summit will be guided by five action tracks:

Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all
Shift to sustainable consumption patterns
Boost nature-positive production
Advance equitable livelihoods
Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress

Ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all is one of the key missions of the packaging value chain. Packaging is an essential component of the food supply chain and plays an essential role in the delivery of essential goods by enabling the safety, accessibility, affordability and availability of food supplies across the EU. The recent sanitary crisis further demonstrated the intrinsic role of packaging within the food supply chain. A well-functioning packaging supply chain proved to be particularly critical to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of packaged goods safely from farms to factories, through retail and e-commerce, to consumers. EUROPEN looks forward to attending the Food Systems Summit and stands ready to support the transformation of food systems.

WHAT DID YOU MISS?

In a similar effort to redesign EU food systems, the European Commission is moving along with its Farm to Fork Strategy:

May 2021: The targeted consultation on the EU Contingency Plan for ensuring food supply and food safety in times of crises closed.

5 July 2021: The Commission officially launched the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices (CoC), with a total of 65 signatories on the day of its launch. The Code of Conduct sets out the actions that the food supply chain can voluntarily commit to improve and communicate their sustainability performance. The Code includes a set of 7 aspirational objectives, each with specific targets and a list of indicative tangible and measurable actions, which contribute to a food environment that makes healthy and sustainable food choices easier for consumers. The European Commission plans to present the Code at the UN Food Systems Summit.

WHAT’S NEXT?

26-28 July 2021: UN Pre-Food Summit
September 2021 (Date TBC): UN Food Systems Summit
16 October 2021: World Food Day
Q4 2021: Publication of European Commission proposal on EU food supply and food security contingency plan