This week, at the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake (27 to 29 July) in Addis Ababa, our Global CEO, Philip Lymbery, delivered a clear message: the future of food must feed people first within planetary boundaries, recognising the interconnectedness of the health and welfare of people and animals.

Jointly hosted by the Governments of Ethiopia and Italy, the summit brought together over 3,500 participants to assess progress and renew commitments to food systems transformation. More than 700 non-state actors, including industry, business, civil society, farmers, women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples, attended in person, alongside representatives from 145 Member States, and staff from UN and other regional and international institutions.

Governments Stepping Up

Government after government stepped forward to report on their national progress. According to the Secretary-General’s report launched at the summit, 130 countries have now articulated multisectoral National Pathways for food systems transformation. Food and agriculture are reflected in the climate plans of 168 countries, and over 170 nations have implemented programmes to support child nutrition.

Shaping the Agenda

Philip attended in his capacity as a member of the UN Food Systems Advisory Group and the agenda-setting taskforce for the Stocktake. His presence built on our longstanding engagement with the UN Food Systems Summit process – beginning in 2021, when he served as a UN Food Systems Champion, and continuing through the first Stocktake in 2023.

Philip Lymbery, our Global CEO, said:

The UN Food Systems Summit process has been instrumental in shifting the global narrative on food; moving away from business as usual with a few tweaks, to transformational reform. The food system agenda sits now where it belongs, at the heart of international policy discussions, because it’s clear that only by shifting food systems can we deliver across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals and secure a future for our children.

Compassion CEO champions future of food at UN Stocktake