Govt, WFP, World Bank support BARMM's Food Security plan

20 September 2021 (Manila)—More than 700 online participants from the private sector, civil society groups, government, and media, tuned in to the first of a three-part series organized by the United Nations (UN) Philippines in support of the global Food Systems Summit (FSS) happening on September 23, Thursday at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA.

The first session of “Beyond the Plate: Reinventing Food Systems” focused on ensuring food security in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) through its Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) Roadmap.

The panelists were Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) Director General Mohajirin Ali, World Bank Operations Manager for the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Brunei Achim Fock, President of Federation of Women Associations Amelita Piang, Officer-in-charge and World Food Programme Head of Programme Giorgi Dolidze.

These discussions are the UN Philippines contribution to the Global FSS that is being led by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to call attention to the need to make progress in the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs, which we should achieve by 2030, or less than 10 years from now. The COVID-19 pandemic has stalled or even reversed hard-won gains made by the Philippines and other countries in the SDGs. And while the COVID-19 response is taking priority today, we have to emphasize that recovering or building back better from the pandemic is linked to progress in the SDGs.  



Over the past 18 months, the Summit has brought together all UN Member States and constituencies around the world – including thousands of youth, food producers, Indigenous Peoples, civil society, researchers, private sector, and the UN system – to bring about tangible, positive changes to the world’s food systems.  



The Philippines held the National Food Systems Dialogue last July, and it was convened by Secretary William Dar of the Department of Agriculture.  



Our discussions are distinct from past FSS related dialogues in two ways:



(1) their emphasis on dimensions/aspects of food systems whose reinforcement are vital to the interests of Philippine sectors that are furthest behind; and  



(2) their commitment to inclusivity through their focus on the issues that are vital to stakeholder groups that were not able to fully participate in the Philippine National Food System Dialogue.  

Watch the recording of the first session or to register for the next sessions on September 22 and September 23 featuring discussions on the Promotion of Accessible and Sustainable Food Consumption through Social Safety Nets, and Strengthening the Livelihood Resilience of Food Producers.