On Friday, CFS 44 participants discussed critical and emerging issues for food security and nutrition, elected the new CFS Chair, and adopted the meeting’s report.

In the morning, Patrick Caron, HLPE Team Leader, presented key findings of the HLPE process to identify critical and emerging issues, lauding the process’ quality and inclusiveness. He outlined priorities, including: feeding cities and addressing changing urban dietary patterns; operating food systems in times of conflict; preventing conflict and mainstreaming gender; studying impacts of trade food security and nutrition; and technology impacts on food security and nutrition. Delegates highlighted, among other issues: inequalities; biodiversity and ecosystem services; impacts of climate change on biodiversity; trade; food safety; antimicrobial resistance; and agricultural mega-mergers.

In the afternoon, in her closing speech, CFS 44 Chair Gornass highlighted progress achieved in the past biennium, including making CFS and its policies better known through her involvement in meeting and outreach activities. She also noted her efforts to establish a sustainable financing mechanism.

Delegates elected Mario Arvelo (Dominican Republic) as Chair for the biennium 2018-2019. Arvelo said CFS can contribute in two areas: placing SDG 2 at the center of the global attention; and providing a platform for proposing concrete solutions to eradicate hunger and malnutrition. Among challenges he underscored: finding innovative sources of financing; reinforcing CFS impact; expansion of collaboration with actors not fully integrated in CFS; and concluding the evaluation.

Delegates then adopted the meeting’s report by acclamation. In their closing statements members thanked Gornass for her outstanding chairmanship and her achievements in raising CFS’s profile.

CFS Chair Gornass closed the meeting at 5:02 pm.