Governments, international organizations, and major groups are meeting in Rio de Janeiro to agree on a set of global sustainable development goals.

IFPRI, which has been committed to finding sustainable solutions for ending hunger since 1975, has contributed to the Rio+20 dialogue, especially as it relates to food security and agriculture. In addition to seeking evidence-based policy solutions for a wide range of sustainable development challenges—from preserving water resources to determining the most sustainable energy sources—IFPRI researchers are participating in three official side events and a number of related activities in the lead-up to Rio+20.

Official Rio+20 Side Events

• Feeding the World: Sustainable Agriculture & Innovation. June 16.
• Launch of the Report “Sustainable Development for the 21st Century”. June 17.
• Biotechnology and Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security. June 19.
• The Way Forward to a Sustainable Future: This German government event will refer to findings from the Bonn2011 Nexus Conference on water, energy, and food security, in which IFPRI served as partner. June 20.

Other Rio+20 Events

• Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum: Claudia Ringler will participate in the Croplife and World Farmer Organization Session on Technology and Knowledge Sharing for Sustainable Agriculture. June 17.
• Agriculture and Rural Development Day: Claudia Ringler will participate in the Farming First Learning Event Achieving and Measuring Sustainable Intensification: The Role of Technology, Best Practices and Partnerships. Kristin Davis will participate in the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) Learning Event Agriculture Knowledge Systems – How Can the Potential of Rural Advisory Services be Mobilized? June 18.

Past Rio+20 Events

• The Pillars of a New Knowledge System for Agriculture. Video. Kristin Davis, an IFPRI Research Fellow and the Executive Secretary of Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services, participated in this official side event. June 15.
• Technological Solutions to Ensure Sustainable Food Production: Shenggen Fan participated in this event, which was hosted by the Center for Strategic Studies and Management Science, Technology, and Innovation (CGEE) at the Brazilian Development Bank in Rio de Janeiro. June 12.
• Sustainable Food Security and Climate Change: Post-Bonn and Pre-Rio: IFPRI Policy Seminar looks at outcomes for agriculture at the UNFCCC negotiations in Bonn and prorgress towards sustainable development goals at Rio. May 31, 2012.
• Rio+20 Intersessional side event on Technology and Knowledge Sharing for Sustainable Agriculture: IFPRI’s Mark Rosegrant presented initial findings from an on-going study that will determine which agricultural technologies can best aid sustainable development goals. December 2011.
• Bonn2011 Nexus Conference This international conference, in which IFPRI was a partner, was organized by the German government to serve as its contribution to Rio+20. November 2011.
• Unleashing Agriculture’s Potential for Improved Nutrition and Health in Malawi: IFPRI-hosted conference focused on ways in which the country can achieve sustainable, nutritious, and diversified food security. April 2011.
• Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development’s annual conference: IFPRI researchers Suresh Babu and John Ulimwengu joined representatives of USAID, FAO, and the Meridian Institute to discuss building capacity for food security. June 2011.