̽̽ is thrilled to announce that Colin Anderson, Co-Director of the ̽̽ Institute for Agroecology and Associate Research Professor in the Department of Agriculture, Landscape and Environment will join the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS). Anderson will serve as part of the drafting team for an upcoming report on "Building Resilient Food Systems."
Colin Anderson remarked, “I’m honored to contribute to this important global process. When we talk about resilience in food systems, it is vital to foreground the root causes that undermine equitable resilience. With a focus on structural change, addressing inequity and by centering the health of people and nature, we can illuminate the pathways towards just transformations in food systems.”
Anderson is one of only two US scientists invited to be on the panel and one of only five North Americans. Meeting this week in Rome, the HLPE is the UN body responsible for providing independent, evidence-based scientific analysis to inform global food security and nutrition policy. The panel’s reports play a pivotal role in shaping the agenda of the CFS, directly influencing global discussions on food security and sustainable agriculture. The upcoming "Building Resilient Food Systems" report will be central to the CFS’s program of work for 2024-2027, and is expected to guide policy development at both global and regional levels.
“We are excited and proud that Colin Anderson has been selected to contribute to this important international endeavor,” said V. Ernesto Mendéz, Executive Director of the Institute for Agroecology. “This invitation speaks to Colin’s exceptional scholarship, expertise, and leadership in agroecology, as well as the significant impact of the Institute’s work. We look forward to seeing the valuable contributions that Colin and the HLPE team will make toward advancing resilient food systems globally.”
The CFS’s inclusive and transparent process for developing HLPE reports ensures broad engagement with stakeholders, including civil society, indigenous peoples, and policymakers from around the world. Past HLPE reports, such as the 2019 flagship publication on “Agroecology and Other Innovative Approaches”, have been instrumental in advancing global discourse on agroecology and influencing policy frameworks aimed at building sustainable and resilient food systems.
̽̽’s IfA has long been committed to advancing transformative agroecology through research, education, outreach, and policy work. As a leading voice in the global agroecology movement, the Institute’s mission aligns closely with the HLPE’s focus on fostering more sustainable, equitable, and resilient food systems worldwide. Anderson’s participation in the HLPE drafting team reinforces the IfA’s commitment to driving change in global food policy and advancing agroecology in key international debates.
Anderson expressed the value of his participation for the State of Vermont, “In the face of growing shocks and stressors from climate change, communities in Vermont and New England are looking for solutions to build equitable resilience. This report will be relevant and linked directly to our work in the region, for example to our Leahy funded work in the Northeast Kingdom where communities are organizing to build resilient food systems to withstand floods and other climate related risks.