NAT Section debate on the Agenda 2030 on sustainable development

where do we stand and what is the role of sustainable food systems in the implementation of the SDGs?

Location

Brussels
Belgium
Sustainable development
Food sustainability

Scope and objectives

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will host a high-level debate during the meeting of its Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment (NAT) on the 29 January 2025 (10:00-11:30 CET), focusing on the critical role of sustainable food systems in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advancing Agenda 2030.


The debate aims to:

  • Assess the current progress and challenges in implementing Agenda 2030, with a particular focus on sustainable food systems and their role in achieving the SDGs;

  • Launch the 2025 edition of the Europe Sustainable Development Report (ESDR) and its accompanying study Sustainable Food Systems as a Driver for the Implementation of the SDGs: Taking Stock of SDG 2 and Future Perspectives ;

  • Highlight opportunities for enhanced collaboration with civil society organizations and the private sector to accelerate SDG progress in Europe.

The event is webstreamed with interpretation in EN, FR and DE. ✅ No registration required.

Context

SDG2 (Zero Hunger) aims to achieve food security and productive and sustainable agri-food systems. It also underpins the achievement of many other SDGs, including the goals related to health, climate action and biodiversity among others. Yet, according to many international studies, SDG2 is particularly off-track in Europe and globally, and many targets might not be achieved by 2030, including those related to healthy diets and sustainable agri-food systems.

In Europe, multiple crises have impacted food security and the livelihoods of farmers, small-scale food producers, and other stakeholders. The impacts of climate change will only continue to further exacerbate these trends.

A new EESC study prepared by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) assesses the state of SDG2 across the EU and presents new insights to promote the transformation of the EU’s agri-food system. The study builds on three principal instruments and calls for more effective multistakeholder engagement mechanisms at the EU and member states’ level to define long-term pathways and specific policies to advance the sustainability of agri-food systems in Europe. It also emphasizes the importance of concerted international action and demand-side measures, including incentives to move toward healthier diets, to achieve simultaneously several SDGs related to agri-food systems, climate mitigation and biodiversity. The study accompanies the 2025 edition of the Europe Sustainable Development Report, which includes the SDG Index and Dashboards, and assesses SDG progress across the EU.

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