USCIB Represents US Business at FAO Committee on World Food Security

Natalie Bidner-Swehla, Director, International Agriculture at USCIB, was on the ground in Rome for the 54th Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS 54) October 19-23, actively engaging through the Private Sector Mechanism (PSM).

Bidner-Swehla delivered a statement at The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World- Strengthening Coordination and Collaborative Actions, in which she emphasized three policy priorities: strengthening the capacity to invest and manage risk; recognizing the contribution of connected and diversified markets; and enabling access to science, knowledge and innovation.

Bidner-Swehla also participated in the CFS 54 side-event,From Evidence to Action: Strengthening Innovation Intelligence for Resilient and Inclusive Agrifood Systems, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Office of Innovation. The discussion focused on how innovation intelligence and the Agrifood Systems Technologies and Innovations Outlook (ATIO) initiative can help bridge the gap between policy recommendations and implementation by connecting policymakers, researchers, farmers, civil society, and the private sector.

Bidner-Swehla highlighted the enabling conditions needed for innovations to achieve scale, including a strong business case, clear demand signals, science- and risk-based regulatory frameworks, effective routes to market, and metrics that measure durable adoption. The conversation reinforced the importance of private-sector engagement in translating innovation into practical, scalable solutions that support resilient and inclusive agrifood systems and advance the implementation of CFS policy products.