The Farmers’ Route to Sustainable Food Systems

The UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), convened in September 2021 by the UN Secretary-General as part of the Decade of Action for the 2030 Agenda, aimed to drive inclusive transformation toward more sustainable, resilient, and fair food systems. From the outset, the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) advocated for farmers to be recognised as central actors in shaping those systems.

Since 2019, WFO has contributed to global Food Systems Dialogues and played a key role in the Summit’s preparatory process, affirming that farmers are the foundation of food systems and advocating for an independent voice for farmers, fishers, and all food producers. In 2020, the WFO General Assembly adopted a Policy on Sustainable Food Systems, which gave WFO a strong mandate to contribute to the Summit’s design, preparation, and follow-up — ensuring that the voice of family farmers remained at the centre of global food systems transformation.

Thanks to WFO’s advocacy, a formal mechanism for producer representation was established. In July 2021, ahead of the Pre-Summit, WFO co-organised global producers’ dialogues and, together with other food producers’ organisations, signed a joint declaration, positioning farmers as solution-providers. On Summit Day, WFO delivered the official producers’ statement in the plenary.

WFO continues to engage actively in key global food systems dialogues and multilateral processes, including the UNFSS follow-up. As part of this, WFO serves as producers’ representative in the Stakeholder Engagement and Networking Advisory (SENA) Group of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.