National Pathways for Sustainable Food Systems, ALBANIA Agriculture is one of the main economic pillars of the Albanian economy contributing 19% to the country GDP (INSTAT 2019) and around one-third of employed people (nationwide) are in agriculture. Albania ranks as one of the top ten countries in the world with the highest economic risk from multiple hazards: 88.5% of GDP generated and 86% of total territory is exposed to two or more disasters. The impact of disasters is increasing the vulnerability of Albanian citizens affected by them. Floods of 2015 and 2016, the 2019 earthquake, and lastly COVID 19 pandemic, highlight the need for increased resilience of the private sector and strengthened capacities to mitigate, manage, and recover from shocks. Regarding environmental challenges, the main ones for the country are water and air pollution, land degradation, biodiversity loss and waste management. Rapid urbanization and increasing demand for natural resources have led to increasing depletion and degradation. Caring for the most vulnerable, maintaining and ensuring access to equitable service delivery, addressing the digital divide, experimenting with alternative working options, and providing uninterrupted basic services for the most affected population are among key challenges to overcome for increased resilience to shocks. Considering the high rates of out-migration and farmers ageing, high rate of rural population at risk of poverty and risk of climate change impacts, as well as the prevalence of small farms, the raising the productivity and ensuring the sustainability of family farms (SDG 2.3) and resilient agricultural practices and capacity for adaptation to climate change (SDG 2.4) are key to achieve the Agenda 2030. Yet, from a development perspective, in order to contribute to sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth (SDG 8.1, 8.2. 8.4), there is a strong need to develop the food systems. Our priorities for the next decade are as follows: to ensure a competitive value chain in food systems; to develop agritourism and short value chains as mechanisms of rural development, to establish an effective system of food/feed safety, veterinary and plant protection; to guarantee the sustainable use of natural resources, environmental protection, preservation of ecosystems, and enable climate change mitigation and adaptation; and create effective systems of crisis management. A sustainable food system delivers food security and nutrition for all, and in such a way that the economic, social and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition are firmly established. All the main elements of food systems, such as food supply chain, food environment, and consumer behaviour are of the utmost importance for Albania. Adequate nutrition is essential for the health and well-being of any nation, but food availability is not the only critical factor; the quality of food is also an issue that needs particular attention and efforts from all actors involved in the production, trade, and consumption of food. The development of the rural territories of Albania is important for addressing issues such as food security, environmental protection, economic development, and the establishment of high quality of life and security. 1 Competitive agricultural & non-agricultural production and helping Albania to better adapt to deal with climate change are also essential factors for the development of food systems in Albania. In addition, implementing the EU Association Agreement saw the introduction of complex reforms in all the necessary areas, especially in the field of food safety. A sustainable food system lies at the heart of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As Albania nationalized all the SDGs and the vast majority of SDG targets, the integration of the concept of sustainable food systems into the implementation of SDGs will help Albania ultimately carry out all aspects of the 2030 agenda. In these circumstances, it is vital to implement SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 5, SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 13, SDG 15, and SDG 16. The UN Food Systems Summit will be convened by the UN Secretary-General in September 2021. The summit will bring together government representatives of different countries, as well as key players from the worlds of science, business, environmental activists, youth organizations and other stakeholders who will contribute to transforming the world’s food systems by 2030. The g