FAO Hosts Sustainability E-Forum on Food and Agriculture Systems

1 February 2012: As part of preparations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) is hosting an E-forum, from 23 January-17 February 2012, on the Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems (SAFA). The E-Forum is part of the FAO's efforts to develop a Sustainability Framework.

While over 100 countries have established strategies for sustainable development with various guidelines, tools and assessment products emerging, no international benchmarks yet exist for defining "sustainable production." A conceptual framework for sustainability was developed in 2009, followed by the compilation of a list of performance indicators. In February-March 2011, the FAO held its first E-forum on SAFA, with participation of over 240 people. This was complemented by a stakeholders' survey conducted from April-August 2011.

The current E-forum is seeking input on the draft SAFA Guidelines, from food producers, retailers, experts, consumers and civil society. Weekly updates are being prepared. The outcomes will guide the finalization of the SAFA Guidelines and the development of a SAFA prototype. [E-forum Webpage]