Agrarian reform and food systems transformation: from commitment to action at ICARRD+20

In the framework of the International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD+20), the United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub organized the side event “Land, Equity and Resilient Food Systems: Lessons from UNFSS+4 and National Pathways”, linking the global debate on agrarian reform with the food systems transformation agenda.

The session brought together the outcomes of the United Nations Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake (UNFSS+4) and its Call to Action, which reaffirmed that food systems transformation requires structural change. A total of 130 countries, with strong support from United Nations Country Teams, have articulated integrated and multisectoral national pathways for food systems transformation. The challenge now is to integrate land, climate, nutrition, and finance within a single public policy architecture.

In her opening remarks, Michela Espinosa (FAO) emphasized that food systems transformation cannot be built on unequal rural foundations. Agrarian reform, she noted, is structural to climate resilience, territorial cohesion, and food security.

Juana Giraldo, from the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, recalled that inequality in access to land and weak territorial governance remain systemic bottlenecks. Implementing national pathways requires strengthened intersectoral governance and meaningful multi-stakeholder participation.

Representing the Government of Brazil, Valeria Burity highlighted that transformation requires strong states, coherent policies, and sustainable budgets, with decisive investment in family farming and agroecology.
Academic Felipe Roa-Clavijo stressed that evidence links tenure security to lower rural poverty and improved food security outcomes. He called for measuring transformation not only in terms of productivity, but also equity and well-being.

Juliana Millán, speaking from the perspective of family farming, reminded participants that land is only the starting point: without access to markets, infrastructure, and enabling policies, communities cannot thrive. Local solutions, she affirmed, are already transforming food systems and must be recognized as protagonists.

Moderated by María Inés Salamanca (UN Women), the discussion reinforced that land governance is a structural condition for sustainability, and that agrarian reform, climate action, nutrition, and rural development are part of the same equation.

In closing, Nils Grede (WFP) was clear: the success of ICARRD+20 will not be measured in declarations, but in more resilient, productive, and inclusive rural livelihoods. Agrarian reform, climate action, and food security are not parallel agendas, but interdependent pillars of transformation.

The event delivered a strong message: advancing towards sustainable food systems requires policy coherence, aligned investment, and solid partnerships to structurally transform rural territories.