UN Food Systems Coordination Hub 38d ago

This webinar will explore the role of farmer cooperatives as key drivers of food systems transformation. It will build on the Food Producers’ Declaration For the United Nations 2021 Food Systems Summit, which recognizes food producers as the backbone of society and calls for their inclusion as equal partners in food systems transformation, bringing forward solutions developed through collective global engagement and dialogue among producers. In this context, farmer cooperatives play a critical role in strengthening inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food systems by organizing smallholder producers and enhancing access to markets, finance, technology, and knowledge, while increasing farmers’ bargaining power and income security and supporting local value chain development. The session will bring together practitioners, policymakers, development partners, and cooperative leaders to share practical experiences and lessons learned from cooperative-led initiatives, examine how cooperatives enhance smallholder inclusion in food systems, and identify policy, institutional, and investment pathways to strengthen cooperative models, as well as opportunities to scale cooperative-driven solutions across diverse contexts, ultimately generating actionable insights on how to effectively support cooperatives in accelerating food systems transformation at both national and global levels.