Food systems shape far more than agriculture. They influence nutrition, livelihoods, economic resilience and environmental sustainability. As countries face growing pressures from climate change, market disruptions and evolving development priorities, strengthening food systems has become central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
In Bolivia, this commitment is driving a new phase in the country's food systems transformation.
The Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia has officially launched the process to update its National Sustainable Food Systems Roadmap, bringing together ministries, United Nations agencies and development partners to renew the country's commitments following the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and align them with Bolivia's new national development frameworks.
The multisectoral workshop, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marked the beginning of a collaborative process to strengthen coordination across government while identifying priorities for more resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems.
As Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Paz Ide noted, food systems extend well beyond agriculture.
"Food systems are not simply a technical issue. They are the foundation of our sovereignty, our identity and our future as a nation."
Strengthening resilience through integrated action
The updated roadmap reflects lessons learned from recent challenges that exposed vulnerabilities across food supply chains and distribution systems.
Building on these experiences, Bolivia is expanding its approach to food systems transformation by incorporating logistics, supply chain resilience and risk management alongside agricultural production, nutrition and market access. The updated framework recognizes that food security depends not only on producing food, but also on ensuring it can reach communities reliably, particularly during times of crisis.
This integrated approach also aligns food systems priorities with Bolivia's national planning frameworks, helping embed sustainable food systems within broader development strategies.
A whole-of-government approach
Transforming food systems requires coordinated action across sectors.
The workshop convened representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Rural Development and Lands, Productive Development, Planning, Health, Education, Labour and Defence, highlighting the cross-cutting nature of food systems transformation.
Participants worked across four thematic areas covering production and resilience, market access and logistics, health, nutrition and social protection, and planning, governance and risk management. Together, they identified priorities for updating the roadmap, strengthening institutional coordination and advancing a more integrated approach to food systems governance.
The process reinforces Bolivia's commitment to bringing together institutions with different mandates around a shared national vision for food systems transformation.
As Lara Blanco, Deputy Director of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, emphasized:
"Transforming food systems is not the responsibility of a single sector. It is a whole-of-government effort that requires political leadership, institutional coordination and the active participation of society as a whole."
Partnerships accelerating food systems transformation
The workshop forms part of the AMAS-1 Joint Programme, implemented by the United Nations in Bolivia through WFP, FAO, IFAD and ILO under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office.
Supported by the Joint SDG Fund and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, the programme is helping strengthen governance, foster cross-sector collaboration and mobilize partnerships that accelerate food systems transformation.
As Bolivia updates its National Food Systems Roadmap, the process demonstrates that resilient food systems are built through collaboration. By aligning policies, strengthening institutions and connecting national priorities with local action, the country is laying the foundations for food systems that are more resilient, more inclusive and better equipped to support sustainable development for people and the planet.
Originally published by UN Bolivia.
Note:
This joint programme is supported by the Joint SDG Fund in collaboration with the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub. All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds, and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Arab Gulf Programme for Development for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
