Virtual seminar: build on knowledge, translate to action with the 2020 global food policy report

IFPRI’s 2020 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) was written before the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Although the world has changed drastically since, the insights shared in the report are still valuable and an important source of knowledge to inform policies and actions currently developed and implemented. A virtual event was organized by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Food & Business Knowledge Platform, and IFPRI on April 28 to launch the report, present and discuss the outcomes and place them in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Paul van de Logt (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) remarked in his opening statement, “the world is suddenly in an uncertain situation with challenges that we have not faced before.”

The event started with three short IFPRI presentations on the need for more inclusive and sustainable food systems, as well as possibilities for addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The presentations revealed how important the outcomes of the report are for the actions and programs being developed to reduce the impact of the pandemic on food systems.