Transformative investments needed in food systems around the world.   Ottawa—The Americas will go into the U.N. Food Summit later this month with a common position on how agrifood could help the global economy recover from Covid-19, says Amina J. Mohammed, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General. The positon of the 34 member countries of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) says investments aimed at transforming global agrifood systems could drive post Covid-19 economic and social recovery and get the world back on track to meeting the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the scheduled 2030 target. Speaking to a conference of the agriculture ministers of the Americas, she said, “There is no one-size-fits-all solution for all the challenges faced by food systems, but in every context, there are opportunities to innovate and to accelerate action together towards the 2030 agenda.” She said joint IICA position to the Food Systems Summit, which will take place in New York on Sept. 23 contains 16 messages on transformative investments in our food systems can drive our economic recovery from the pandemic and get us back on track to achieve the SDGs. “We are now in the final stages of preparation for the Food Systems Summit. These have taken place under the unprecedented pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has stolen lives and livelihoods, reversing progress on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs,” she said. During a Pre-Summit in Rome in July for this month's event it became clear that governments and other stakeholders from 191 countries are ready to work together on reaching the SDGs. “Together, we discussed how we can accelerate action on food systems to benefit people, the planet and prosperity.” The Summit should be an exercise in effective multilateralism in action that should create during this Covid-19 crisis, she said. “The Summit itself will be an opportunity to consolidate the enormous progress that has been made and set the right tone for the decade ahead. As countries and regions define their pathways, it will be essential to create and maintain multi-sectoral and collaborative dialogue.” More than 1,000 pre-summit dialogues were held in 145 countries and they urged “that transformative solutions and actions must be tailored to local realities.” As well small-scale producers and Indigenous peoples must be heard. “Inclusive approaches will complement and broaden scientific evidence-based policies and processes.”