From COP28 to COP30: Building resilient food systems for climate, health, and nutrition

20 November, 09:00 – 10:00 (Belém / GMT-3) – WHO Pavilion, Co-organized by UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, Coalition of Action on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems for Children and All (HDSFS), SUN Movement, Global Alliance for the Future of Food (GAFF), and Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition (I-CAN).

High and volatile food prices continue to undermine people’s access to affordable healthy diets, exacerbate food insecurity, and drive rising levels of child malnutrition. Food prices continued to rise in 2024, driving up the cost of a healthy diet of which 31.9% of people were unable to afford a healthy diet. Increasing climate risks—disrupting food production, supply chains, and trade—further compound these challenges, with direct consequences for health and nutrition outcomes. These pressures are felt most acutely by vulnerable groups, underscoring the importance of social protection systems that stabilize access to nutritious food during climate shocks. In parallel, the food systems dependence on fossil fuels and energy-inefficient practices increases exposure to price volatility and drives emission. These interconnected challenges were recognized at COP28, through the two UAE Declarations on 1) Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action and 2) Climate and Health, which emphasizes the need to jointly tackle climate risks, food systems transformation, and public health.”

At COP29 in 2024, the WHO Pavilion side event "Aligning Food Systems, Nutrition and Climate Action", co-organized by the UNFSS Hub, HDSFS Coalition, SUN Movement, WHO and the Nordic Council of Ministers, brought together diverse actors and initiatives committed to bridging these gaps and ensuring safe, nutritious food for everyone, everywhere. The discussions emphasized the importance of integrated approaches that link food systems, climate action, and health.

Following the UNFSS+4 Stocktake and UN Secretary-General Call to Action for accelerated and coordinated efforts in food systems, identifying six areas where urgent investment and collaboration are needed, emphasizing that inclusive partnerships, locally rooted policies, and scaled up investments are essential to build resilient food systems that secure peace, protect the planet, and ensure everyone has access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food by 2030.

Together with the renewed and new commitments at the Nutrition for Growth Summit, this COP30 side event will carry the discussion forward from Paris, Addis to Belém. It will spotlight key messages emerging on food, health, and nutrition; showcase leading initiatives paving the way for convergence; reflecting on consumer perspectives alongside the role of social protection systems in ensuring equitable access to healthy and sustainable diets; and explore opportunities for governments and partners to strengthen collective action toward resilient, equitable, and sustainable food systems, advancing COP-to-COP continuity from COP28, marked by the two key UAE Declarations, through COP30 and beyond.