Dialogue on Investments in Agriculture and Food Systems

Our global food system is in crisis. Global hunger is on the rise. Poor diets result in severe negative health impacts around the world. The food sector is a significant contributor to climate change, while climate change will wreak havoc on agriculture.

We believe that difficult issues require strong dialogue. As debates continue to rage over how best to “feed the world,” now and in the future, CCSI co-hosts critical conversations that improve understanding of food systems challenges and the contributions of investments in agriculture and food systems. We collaborate with a range of partners to ensure that these discussions reach all types of relevant actors, from civil society to governments to the private sector and beyond.

Examples include: 

• Cross-disciplinary dialogue through a series of working group discussions at Columbia University’s Earth Institute on investment in agriculture as viewed through different lenses, including productivity, sustainability, risks, and rights. Though this cross-disciplinary dialogue was not the first effort to grapple with these urgent and interconnected issues, it was grounded in the belief that more sustained interdisciplinary discussion is both beneficial and necessary.
• Co-hosting two Food Systems Dialogues focused on the role of financial investors and companies.
• Co-hosting side events at Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Plenary Sessions, including a multi-stakeholder panel focused on trade, investment, and food security.