The Coalition at the 25th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, United Nations Headquarters, New York, April 21, 2026.

Featuring contributions from Geoffrey Roth (Moderator, Chair of Indigenous Determinants of Health Alliance, former Permanent Forum expert member & Coalition Steering Committee member ), Alejandra Pero (Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems Coalition Secretariat), Mariam Wallet (Ărramăt Project), Valentina Sovkina (UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues), Phrang Roy (TIP), Hannele Tikkanen (Finland Permanent Representation), John de la Parra (Rockefeller Foundation), Tania Martinez (Global Environment Facility), and Ilaria Firmian (IFAD)

The Coalition at the 25th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

The Power of Indigenous Peoples' Food System: A Call to Action

Side Event Details: UN Headquarters, New York, 21 April 2026

The Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems Coalition is hosting a side event at the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN Headquarters in New York. Together with global partners like IFAD, the GEF, the Indigenous Determinants of Health Alliance, the Indigenous Peoples' Partnership on Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty, the Universidad Intercultural Maya de Quintana Roo and the School Meals Coalition, we are coming together to show how traditional food systems can lead the way toward a better future.

Why This Matters

We are exploring how Indigenous knowledge can solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. By putting Indigenous voices at the center of food security and nutrition, we can:

Strengthen School Meals: Use traditional, home-grown foods to make school meals healthier.
Protect the Planet: Use ancestral farming to boost biodiversity and fight climate change.
Build Stronger Communities: Improve food security, nutrition and well-being for everyone

Agroecology Learning Circles (ALCs) || Indigenous Peoples-led Innovation

Introducing the Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems Coalition

Pathways of Nourishment and Resilience: Advancing Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems in School Meals

This video identifies barriers to Indigenous Peoples' participation in school feeding supply chains and the actions to take to break them down.

Por: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp2fk-5WN1I

Fr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWhqIPRQU8s

Spa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9jLxe3nROw

Eng: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZHWadFlXg4

infographic_final.pdf

Pathways of nourishment and resilience

Advancing Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems in School Meals

Statement on behalf of the Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems Coalition

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

9 August 2025

About us

The Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems Coalition, formed in 2021 as an outcome of the UN Food Systems Summit, is an Indigenous Peoples-led collaborative initiative that brings together Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, UN Member States, UN agencies, and other key stakeholders to build healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems that respect and incorporate Indigenous Peoples' knowledge and practices. The coalition provides opportunities for members to work together to influence policy and promote action on the ground with the potential to transform global food systems.

FAO held the role of the Secretariat from 2021-2024 during which time a governance structure and a set of nine working lines for action were established in consultation with Indigenous Peoples representative organizations that were active during the Food Systems Summit. In the spirit of rotation, the Secretariat function moved to the UN World Food Programme in May 2024.

The Coalition at the 25th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Agroecology Learning Circles (ALCs) || Indigenous Peoples-led Innovation

Introducing the Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems Coalition

Pathways of nourishment and resilience

Advancing Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems in School Meals

Hanieh Moghani, Steering Committee Member

Tania Martinez, Steering Committee Member