Leading Just Transitions: Leveraging Sustainable Food Systems to Ensure Decent Work and Social Inclusion

Food is central to both life and livelihoods. Nearly half the world’s population – 3.8 billion people – depend on food systems for their income, while 2.6 billion still cannot afford a healthy diet. The challenge is urgent: how do we ensure that food systems provide nutritious food for all, while also creating dignified work and fostering inclusion?

This solutions-focused event will showcase how countries and partners are transforming food systems to drive decent work, social inclusion, and poverty eradication. Through concrete examples, speakers will highlight policies, investments, and partnerships that are putting people at the center of food systems, while also strengthening peace and prosperity.

What to expect

• High-level insights from global leaders, including UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed.
• Country experiences sharing how food system reforms are creating jobs, reducing poverty, and advancing inclusion.
• Perspectives from stakeholders such as youth, women farmers, and Indigenous Peoples on how transformations affect lives on the ground.
• Interactive dialogue with participants to explore lessons learned, enabling conditions, and pathways for scaling solutions.
• Spotlight on coalitions, including the UNFSS Coalition on Decent Work and Living Wages, driving collaboration across agencies and partners.

Why it matters

Transforming food systems is one of the most powerful levers to achieve the 2030 Agenda. This event will demonstrate how rethinking food – from production to consumption – can unlock opportunities for healthier diets, fairer economies, and stronger societies.

In order to join this event, you must be formally registered to the Second World Summit for Social Development, more information here.