Side Event: Women in Sustainable Food Systems and Climate Action

Recording available - “We must create food systems that feed the planet without wrecking the planet. That means aligning climate action and food systems transformation to help secure sustainable development, good livelihoods, and healthy people on a healthy planet.” These were the words of the UN Secretary General in front of the Security Council on February 13. 

While the ECA region is mostly on track to achieve hunger and food security targets, serious challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and regional conflicts, the earthquake in Türkiye alongside adverse weather events stemming from climate change led to higher food prices and increased the vulnerability of the disadvantaged groups, notably lower-income women and children. These challenges underscore the urgent necessity for an inclusive and sustainable transformation of food systems. 

Women contribute significantly to the food security and nutrition both as food producers and often sole caretakers of household members’ nutrition needs. Yet their work remains often unpaid, undervalued, and unrecognized. In the region, women tend to have less financial stability and are often excluded from climate change decision-making processes.  Women, who typically cultivate smaller areas of land with restricted access to agricultural inputs face significant challenges in adapting to the detrimental effects of climate change.