Given the time constraints the topics raised in the IFIAD conference covered a multitude of topics, dealing with each one in as much detail as possible while still being interactive and accessible to the wider audience.
The 5 Action Tracks of the UN Food System Summit was only mentioned in passing which I would have appreciated a greater discussion around, I think global polices such as the Paris Agreement have stated their aims and targets but have been somewhat forgotten about. Many countries have signed up to the Paris Agreement or are in support of the SDG’s however the efforts made to reach these targets always seem to fall short. I think that sometimes the support of these initiatives is often to keep up appearances while not actually willing to make any significant change and investment. The 5 Action Tracks offers a fresh and more succinct outline of what we need to achieve.
Much of the focus of this conference was around SDG 2 (zero hunger). This is, of course, a huge issue as highlighted by endless amounts of evidence, however the trade-off’s that come with the solutions must be accounted for. There was little mention of land-use/conversion, habitat loss, species extinction, etc. which are all likely to result from producing more food, particularly when factoring in the continued increase in population, another issue which was not discussed at large. It can be difficult to address all relevant topics as they are very closely interlinked, with Agriculture and Food Systems at COP26 being the theme of the conference I believe there was an overall well-rounded and inciteful discussion during the time provided.