Lawmakers Sign Food First Pact

More than 120 lawmakers from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, and Portugal reaffirmed their political commitment to ending hunger and malnutrition by signing the Food First Pact during the Ibero-American and Caribbean Parliamentary Forum on Food Security, held in Mexico City last week.

The pact is a political instrument designed to strengthen interparliamentary cooperation in the region, advancing legislative and budgetary frameworks to ensure adequate food for all, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger.

“With this pact, the parliaments of Ibero-America and the Caribbean reinforce their commitment to eradicating hunger. Food security is a right, and from Mexico we reaffirm that legislating for food is legislating for life,” said Deputy Soraya Suarez, Regional Coordinator of the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger.

The forum was convened by the Ibero-American and Caribbean Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and the Mexican Senate, with technical support from FAO, the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

“I want to recognize everyone who has worked to prioritize food security on the agendas. This forum allows us to unify efforts and leave with a commitment to turn our countries’ laws into a beacon of hope for the world,” said Senator Ana Lilia Rivera, Coordinator, Mexico’s Parliamentary Front Against Hunger, who led the forum’s organization.

Lina Pohl, FAO Representative, emphasized the value of parliamentary leadership. “On FAO’s 80th anniversary, we celebrate the strength of our alliances: Ibero-American cooperation, parliamentary leadership, and collective action have taken concrete steps toward a Zero Hunger world over eight decades,” she said.

The forum reviewed progress made by Parliamentary Fronts Against Hunger (FPH), which since 2009 have promoted more than 100 laws related to food security, sustainable agriculture, and social protection in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Mexican and Spanish development agencies reaffirmed their support for parliamentary work as a pillar of food governance in the region. “Food security is a main focus of the Mexican government, and we know it is a shared responsibility. This forum marks a turning point in how we view interparliamentary cooperation in this challenge, ” said Alejandra del Moral, Executive Director, AMEXCID. 

Eva Granados, Spain’s Secretary of State for International Cooperation, emphasized Spain’s commitment to fighting hunger and poverty, highlighting the role of women in these efforts. “Spain promotes a feminist cooperation strategy: if women are not reached, humanity is not reached. This challenge can be met if all of us assume this commitment,” she stated. 

The forum also benefited from support by the Foundation for the Internationalization of Public Administrations (FIAP) through the EU4SUN initiative, funded by the European Union, as well as Fundación Carolina and the Ibero-American Secretariat (Segib).