This July, Shumei International joined governments, civil society organizations, and community leaders from around the world at the 2026 United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York to discuss progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Across plenaries, side events, and conversations, speakers emphasized that achieving the 2030 Agenda will depend not only on international agreements, but on empowering communities to create solutions rooted in their own landscapes, cultures, and lived experiences.

At the launch of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026, speakers highlighted a sobering reality: nearly one in three people around the world cannot afford a healthy diet. Participants discussed how transportation, infrastructure, storage, food loss, and agricultural policy all contribute to the rising cost of nutritious food. They also warned that degrading soils and relying on unsustainable farming practices creates what one speaker described as “today’s cost for tomorrow’s crisis.”

For Shumei International, these conversations reflected sentiments at the heart of Natural Agriculture: strong communities, culturally-resonant approaches, and connection to the land can help foster solutions that are both locally meaningful and globally relevant.