From 25-28 May, Rome Nutrition Week 2026 takes place at FAO Headquarters in Rome and online, bringing together global stakeholders to strengthen coordination and identify practical pathways to advance nutrition in a rapidly changing world.
As part of the program, on 27 May, ICLEI CityFood together with Brazil’s Ministry of Social Development, Assistance, Family and the Fight Against Hunger are hosting the session “Cities driving nutrition: Linking policy and practice for sustainable diets.”
The session offers a timely and solution-oriented discussion, exploring how national ambition connects with practical change in cities. How do national policies unlock local action? What does it take to scale impact across different contexts? And how can cities learn from each other to move faster and go further?
Participants will hear how national policies are being translated into action, from Brazil aligning food, climate, and social strategies to expand access to healthy food, to Tunisia improving the nutritional quality of subsidized bread as part of broader nutrition policy reforms.
At the local level, Cork City Council works closely with farmers, community growers, students, and residents to support local food production and strengthen community engagement. While Recife, as part of Brazil’s Alimenta Cidades Strategy, shapes the local food agenda through coordination across sectors, the mobilization of local actors, and the development of responses connected to the urban reality. The discussion will also draw on key lessons from the CityFood Market Handbook for Healthy and Resilient Cities, highlighting how integrated solutions, from policy design to on-the-ground delivery, are reshaping urban food environments worldwide.
Speakers include:
- Gisele Ane Bortolini, General Coordinator for the Promotion of Healthy Eating, Ministry of Social Development, Assistance, Family and the Fight Against Hunger, Brazil
- Jalila El Ati, Head of the Studies and Planning Department, Institut National de Nutrition et de Technologie Alimentaire, Tunisia
- Jiwon Lee, Principal Co-Lead, ICLEI Global CityFood Program; Head, Food Systems, ICLEI
- Sandrine Bertin, Food Policy and Development Officer, Cork City Council, Ireland
- Anna Horner, Senior Coordinator, UN-Nutrition
Moderation: Peter Defranceschi, Head of ICLEI Global CityFood Program
27 May | 12:45–13:30 CEST | Ethiopia Room, FAO. Register now to attend in-person or online.
Whether you’re a policymaker, practitioner, or simply interested in the future of food, join the conversation. In-person attendees are invited to stay for a quick end-of-session quiz for a chance to win a surprise.
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