Where to Find GFN at COP27: The UN Climate Change Conference

The United Nations annual climate change conference, COP27, begins this week—and this year, food systems are on the agenda!?

Food systems have been noticeably absent from previous COPs. Climate change and food systems are deeply interconnected—that’s why solutions to one must involve the other.???

This year, food systems will be center stage on November 12 during COP's Adaptation and Agriculture Day and at side events between November 6-18th. GFN will be there in-person and virtually to continue advocating for locally led food banks’ role in climate action and building more sustainable food systems.?

Whether you’re attending COP in person in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, or tuning in virtually, make sure to join GFN and our partners at these events.??

You can find even more food systems events in the Food Systems Pavilion, Food and Agriculture Pavilion, Food4Climate Pavilion, and WWF: Ambition to Action Pavilion.

Tuesday, November 8th, 7:00?am CT/15:00 EET: Tackling Food Loss and Waste to Deliver Food Security and Climate Goals?

Panel includes John Gothungu, co-founder and director of Food Banking Kenya.?Hosted by the Food and Land Use Coalition and EIT Foundation.

Globally we waste ? of all food produced, which equates to 27 percent of our calories. This session explores what a reduction in food loss and waste could mean for food security, health, inclusion, and the environment. A diverse panel will discuss the solutions to achieve this.?

Watch the live stream.??

Tuesday, November 8th, 9:00 am?CT/17:00 EET: Recipe for Sustainable, Healthy, Nutritious Food: Changing our Consumption?

Panel includes Lisa Moon, CEO & president of The Global FoodBanking Network.?Hosted by WRAP.

Almost a third of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the way we produce and consume our food. Tackling these emissions is pivotal to keeping 1.5 degrees alive. A panel will deep dive into the food consumption emissions and how we can all change our food system to be more sustainable, healthy, and nutritious for people and the planet.?

Watch the live stream.??

Saturday, November 12th, 3:00 am CT/10:00 am EET: Official Launch of Beans is How??

GFN is a member of the Beans is How coalition.??

This year at COP27, SDG2 Advocacy Hub will be hosting the official launch of Beans is How, a new campaign with the ambition of doubling the global consumption of beans (as well as peas, pulses, lentils and legumes) by 2028.??

RSVP to attend virtually or in person.?

Wednesday, November 16th, 1:30 am CT/9:30 am EET: Innovative Ways Food Businesses Are Looking at Food Waste?

Panel includes Lisa Moon, CEO & president of The Global FoodBanking Network.?Hosted by FoodTank.

Business leaders understand that food loss and waste is everyone’s problem. That’s why brands are finding new ways to stop it.?

RSVP to attend virtually or in person.

Wednesday, November 16th, 11 am?CT/19:00 EET: A Climate Imperative: Getting 123 Countries and Businesses Committed to Food Loss and Waste Reduction??

Hosted by the Food Is Never Waste Coalition, of which GFN is a member. GFN’s Lisa Moon, CEO & president, and Matthew Eckford, corporate & foundation partnership director, will be attending.?

This event will highlight a global inevitability that we must have commitment from governments and the private sector to set targets and achieve a global reduction of food loss and waste.? The session will include a diverse set of pledges and announcements from governments, businesses, and financial institutions.?

Watch the live stream.?

Thursday, November 17th, 4 am CST/11 am EET: Waste Diversion and Segregation, huge opportunity to methane mitigation, public policy and transparent information challenge?

Including Lisa Moon, CEO & president of The Global FoodBanking Network.?Hosted by the Global Methane Hub.

This panel will discuss the relevance of waste diversion and segregation as an opportunity for methane mitigation and the challenge that we need to work on related with Public Policies and Transparency.?

Watch the live stream.

While we’re thrilled to see that food systems and their impact on climate change is high on the agenda this year, we feel strongly that the following should be prioritized at COP27:

• Including actions to reduce food waste in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): Despite the clear contribution of wasted food to global emissions, only 17 countries currently mention food loss and waste in their NDCs, despite the fact that over 30 percent of all food produced is lost or wasted along the supply chain. Food loss and waste reduction, and the role of food banks in this important work, must be included as part of NDCs to achieve effective climate action.??
• Adopting policies to better support food donations and the frontline role of food banks: The full potential of food banks to recover and equitably distribute food to communities and hence address climate change is hamstrung by inefficient policies that discourage safe food donation and the distribution of that food to people facing hunger. Countries should support a range of policies, from comprehensive liability protections to date labeling schemes and tax incentives, to ensure that this full potential is unlocked.??
• Incorporating food banks into food systems more broadly: Food banks take many shapes and forms, and their role cannot be reduced to emergency assistance alone. Incorporating the key role of food banks – across nutrition, food loss and waste, school feeding programs, and more – into our food systems will be crucial in achieving progress that cuts across all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).?

Leave a comment to let us know which COP27 events you’ll be attending in-person or virtually!???