THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
At COP30, Türkiye as one of the pilot countries, presented its experience in the Convergence Initiative, integrating global agenda of food systems transformation with climate action. The panel event underscored Türkiye’s pioneering role in advancing policy coherence and multi-stakeholder collaboration on a global scale.
21 November 2025,Belém –The panel titled “Türkiye’s Experience in the Convergence Initiative”, held at the Türkiye Pavilion during 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30), spotlighted innovative approaches to bridging food systems transformation and climate action. The event emphasized Türkiye’s pioneering role and its contribution to global policy coherence.
The Convergence Initiative was launched by the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and announced by the UN Deputy Secretary-General at COP28. It aims to link the UN Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Accelerated Food Systems Transformation (UNFSS+2) with the COP28 UAE Declaration, creating synergies between food systems transformation and climate policies.
Türkiye, as one of the pilot countries, has led this process through the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MoAF) and the Directorate of Climate Change (DoCC), with FAO Türkiye as the coordinating UN agency and close engagement of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office. Key milestones include the development of the Convergence Action Blueprint (CAB) and the establishment of the Convergence Group, a multi-stakeholder governance mechanism. Opening remarks were delivered by Khaled Eltaweel, Senior Coordinator at the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.
Following the opening, the panel featured representatives from UNRC Türkiye, MoAF, DoCC, FAO Türkiye Representation, and the private sector, focusing on policy alignment and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
UN Resident Coordinator in Türkiye, Babatunde Ahonsi, emphasized that food systems transformation is one of the UN’s six critical transitions needed to rescue the SDGs. Drawing on Türkiye’s experience, he highlighted that transforming the way food is produced, processed, and consumed generates simultaneous gains across multiple SDGs—from poverty reduction and healthier diets to climate mitigation, biodiversity restoration, and green jobs. Ahonsi noted that Türkiye’s Convergence Initiative operationalizes a truly integrated model, aligning the country’s National Food Systems Pathway with climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, and rural development priorities. He also underlined the UN system’s commitment to supporting Türkiye through strengthened policy coherence, integrated financing, evidence-based planning, and whole-of-society partnerships grounded in the UN Food Systems Summit +4 outcomes.Ayşegül Selışık, Assistant FAO Representative in Türkiye, emphasized that Türkiye’s progress under the Convergence Initiative was made possible thanks to strong ownership from its government institutions — particularly the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as National Convenor, and the Directorate of Climate Change as the country’s climate authority. She highlighted FAO’s role as convener and technical facilitator, supporting analysis for the Convergence Action Blueprint and helping establish the national multi-stakeholder Convergence Group. Selışık noted the valuable support of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, as well as the engagement of several UN agencies, underlining that food systems transformation is a whole-of-government and whole-of-UN agenda. She stressed that Türkiye’s experience demonstrates how national leadership and inclusive governance can accelerate coherence between food systems transformation and climate action.
