UN Food Systems Summit 2021 Ukraine held third National Dialogue

The Food Systems Summit Dialogues are convened by Member States through the organization of “national dialogues” aiming at strengthening the dialogue among diverse stakeholders on key challenges and innovative solutions to make our food systems more sustainable. In Ukraine, the national discussions should result in National Report with a clear roadmap and an action plan for sustainable food systems until 2030. The results will be presented by the President of Ukraine at the UN Food Systems Summit which will take place in September 2021.

While the first dialogue addressed Ukraine’s Food Systems transformation and development, and the second dialogue aimed at the development of food systems, the third dialogue was held on 19 July and was focused on sustainability and environmental friendly production. The dialogue continue a series of discussions in the framework of the national dialogue on the transformation of food systems in preparation for the UN Summit on Food Systems 2021.

The participants of the third National Dialogue discussed the topics of environmental protection in the context of agricultural development, related to the problem of global warming and the consequences that humanity is already actively facing.

“The development of environmental friendly production is a determining factor in the sustainable development of agriculture. The European Green Course sets out a roadmap within which we can find ways to implement reforms in Ukraine and change our politics in line with recent environmental challenges. Most of the changes concern the temperature regime, which, unfortunately, has shown a clear upward trend in recent decades,” said Roman Leshchenko, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.

The participants discussed that it is very important for Ukraine to be involved in the European Green Course initiative. However, most participants in the dialogue agreed that Ukraine in the context of the European Green Course already has its positive developments and unique specifics, which is why the terms of this policy should not be copied but adapted to Ukrainian realities.

“In the European Union, the discussion of the Green Course is now developing on the vector of how agriculture can be efficient and at the same time be environmentally safe, and Ukraine already has positive developments in this," said Taras Kachka, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Trade Representative of Ukraine.

Taras Vysotsky, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, added: “The Green Course program must be adapted to Ukrainian realities. The development of measures within the direction of environmental friendly production takes the form of dialogue, and with the understanding that feedback is essential for all participants in the process. State support the implementation of changes, it will focus on motivating agricultural producers, but will also have certain standards for products and production processes”.

The participants also discussed ways of financing the Smart Green Deal and Ukrainian environmental reality. The organizers of the event plan to hold more discussions in the format of the National Dialogue and formulate the remaining vectors of the future system of Ukraine’s food systems transformation.

Watch the whole event by the link: https://bit.ly/36Nusq7.