UN Food Systems Hub Seeks Just and Sustainable Food Solutions
Doha, Qatar: The push to make food systems more equitable, sustainable and resilient must gather speed if the world is to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said Stefanos Fotiou, Director of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.
In an interview with The Peninsula on the sidelines of the World Summit for Social Development, Fotiou stressed that transforming food systems is not only about boosting agriculture but also about tackling the social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainable development.
“The main role of the Hub is to support national governments with the participation of stakeholders and technical assistance from the UN system to implement their food system transformation pathways and make them more sustainable and resilient,” he explained.
He highlighted that the Hub’s approach is driven by countries themselves, starting with direct engagement with governments and National Food System Conveners to identify their unique needs.
“We took the global momentum and messages and translated them into practical action at the country level,” Fotiou said. “We bring together the UN system, local stakeholders and the broader ecosystem of support to provide hands-on assistance to national food system focal points. That’s our main model and our key achievement.”
While global discussions continue through major platforms like the World Social Summit and COP climate conferences, Fotiou noted that the Hub’s real strength lies in connecting international initiatives with on-the-ground action.
However, he warned that progress toward the SDGs remains uneven. “Many of the SDG indicators linked to food systems are not on track,” he said. “There was a slight improvement in hunger levels this year, but overall, we are far from where we need to be. Compared with 2015, we are almost nowhere.”
Fotiou also raised concerns about rising inequality, especially among family and smallholder farmers who produce most of the world’s food yet receive only a fraction of the benefits.
“There is evidence that poverty is declining, but inequality is increasing, and that is one of the biggest challenges,” he said. “We need to make agri-food value chains fairer and ensure that those who grow food are properly rewarded with decent incomes, social protection, education and healthcare.”
He emphasised that food systems sit at the heart of the entire 2030 Agenda, serving as a powerful entry point for advancing multiple SDGs at once.
“Food systems are connected to every part of the 2030 Agenda,” Fotiou said. “If we make them more sustainable, we will see wide-ranging benefits for the environment, social progress, reduced inequality and the achievement of all the SDGs.”
Fotiou added that countries that have successfully improved their food systems have seen positive impacts that go well beyond agriculture. “Fixing food systems is not just about making agriculture more sustainable; it’s about making a country’s entire development more sustainable,” he concluded.