UNIDO Side Event

There are 8 billion people on the planet and 800 million of them are still affected by a shortage of food. This problem particularly applies to South and South East Asia, India and Africa, where almost every fourth person south of the Sahara suffers from hunger. Malnutrition is identified as being the biggest global health risk. It is a bigger risk than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis put together.

What options has the food industry at its disposal to address this challenge? What expectations do companies have towards politics and science, and what role can development organizations such as UNIDO play when it comes to raw material procurement or questions of on-site investment?

As part of a side event at Anuga, this special event organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) highlighted the challenges facing hungry people, particularly in rural areas, and presented possible solutions based on multilateral cooperation, policy coherence and functioning agricultural markets. Since the future would bring additional challenges with it - among other things due to the climate change - and double the amount of people than 50 years ago would have to be fed, a 60 percent increase in the production of food would be necessary by 2050. A comprehensive and sustainable approach by the agricultural industry was thus indispensable to reach these goals.

Under Anuga's key topic "Sustainable Growth", the side event 1 "A world without hunger is possible" aimed to stimulate discussion and encourage people to strive for sufficient global food security using innovative strategies.

Objective

The purpose of this side-event was to present analytical studies, showcase innovations, and policy options to address this global challenge of transforming towards a healthy, inclusive food system. Particular attention was given to the role of private sector actors, and partnerships, as well as technology as an enabler to end hunger globally.

The food industry faced a challenging time. Global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and the conflict in Ukraine led to unprecedented disruptions in supply chains. The impact of these disruptions was palpable as the costs of food production rose due to inflation and uncertain access to agricultural inputs and energy. Consequently, this led to higher prices for consumers. At the same time, the food industry was expected to make a significant contribution to achieving sustainability goals (SDGs).

Another complex issue was the new legal regulations that prescribed higher environmental and social standards, known as Higher Requirements for Environmental and Social Standards (HREDD). Companies that primarily sourced their raw materials from developing and emerging countries were particularly affected. The implementation of these new regulations carried potential unintended consequences that needed to be carefully monitored.

To address these and other challenges and discuss possible solutions, the topic of supply chain disruption was addressed at the UNIDO side event on 8 October.

Objective

The aim was to bring together various stakeholders, including representatives from the food industry and stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of HREDD regulations. The speakers discussed the impact of the new regulations on the strategic supply chains of the food industry and presented approaches to minimize negative effects. There was a particular focus on avoiding risks by shifting supply chains to less vulnerable markets.

The side event at Anuga promised valuable insights and discussions on the future of the food industry in the face of the complex challenges it faced. The industry needed to find innovative ways to maintain supply chains while also making its contribution to sustainability and improving global nutrition.