ONE UN - From Policy to Practice. Agrifood Systems Transformation as a Key Accelerator of the SDGs (WUF13)

Across Europe and Central Asia (ECA), cities are at the frontline of agrifood systems transformation. Rapid urbanisation, changing diets, climate pressures, and economic uncertainty are reshaping how food is produced, distributed, governed, and consumed in urban areas. Evidence from FAO-supported urban food systems assessments conducted in 2025 in a number of cities in the region shows that urban food insecurity is rarely driven by lack of supply. Instead, cities face persistent challenges related to the affordability of healthy diets, fragmented governance, inadequate market and cold-chain infrastructure, and weak coordination across food, health, social protection, and urban planning policies. This WUF side event builds on these insights to highlight the critical role of local-level agrifood systems transformation in accelerating SDG implementation and enabling more integrated, holistic responses to urban challenges. The discussion will examine how cities across the region are translating policy commitments into concrete action, showcasing practical tools and experiences for integrating agrifood systems into local governance. These include urban food systems assessments, the use of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) as strategic instruments for SDG localization and agrifood systems transformation, the forthcoming FAO-UN-Habitat publication on integrating agrifood systems-related indicators into VLRs, as well as concrete examples of existing food policy networks, such as the Milan Food Policy Pact. Examples of city level initiatives to improve the local agrifood systems will be explored, e.g. food loss and waste. By bringing together municipalities, researchers, and technical partners, the event highlights the critical role of local governments, evidence-based indicators, and inclusive research in accelerating agrifood systems transformation and SDG implementation. The side event aims to: • Highlight the role of local-level agrifood systems transformation in accelerating SDG implementation, by showcasing how cities in ECA are translating policy commitments into concrete actions. • Present practical tools, entry points and approaches, including urban food systems assessments, Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), food loss and waste, and agrifood systems-related indicators. • Share examples of food policy networks to support integrated urban food governance. • Foster dialogue between municipalities, researchers, and technical partners on urban food policies.

Facilitators:

Mary Kenny

Partners:

FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization (Hungary)

UN-Habitat (Turkiye)

Panelists:

Mr. Balasz Bálint, Executive Manager and Senior Research Fellow of the Environmental Social Science Research Group, Environmental Social Science Research Group (Hungary)

Ms. Shaleen Meelu, International Agrifood Systems Specialist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (United Kingdom)