استكشاف الملاحظات الرسمية للحوار

Priorities for the food system to build back/forward better include ensuring a stronger foundation for the economy and building more resilient systems. It will be necessary to introduce reform measure to respond to compounding vulnerabilities and build these lessons learned into building stronger systems going forward. These include measures to soften impacts on businesses and encourage innovation, vertical and horizontal expansion of social assistance mechanisms, food flows and trade are facilitated, and health systems are more inclusive and prepared for other global threats like the rise of ... قراءة المزيدnon-communicable diseases. Digitalization is a key avenue for building back better and for being better prepared for a similar situation in the future. Five key areas providing opportunities for game changing actions include: the promotion of healthy diets; community and value chain approaches to market strengthening in the food system; ongoing development of the social assistance framework to provide a safety net for the most vulnerable and soften future shocks; and ensuring better coordination of efforts between the humanitarian response phase and the ongoing development work. قراءة القليل

The focus of the dialogue was on building food systems back/forward better in the context of COVID-19 recovery. No country in the world in 2020 was spared the direct (health) and indirect (socio-economic) impacts of COVID-19; the impacts have amplified vulnerabilities including malnutrition and poverty, but also shed light on opportunities within the food system. Learnings from any crisis can be harnessed to improve systems and prepare for future shocks and stresses. Prior to the onset of COVID-19, Cambodia already suffered from high rates of malnutrition and poverty; one in three children are... قراءة المزيد stunted (low height for age) and one in ten are wasted (low weight for height). Looking forward, what does recovery and building back better from COVID-19 mean for Cambodia’s food system? According to FAO’s Chief Economist Máximo Torero, "we need to link recovery plans with catalytic investments and investment with significant returns on reduction of undernourishment to achieve SDG 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities)." So what are game changing solutions to ensure that the food system nourishes all, offers resilient livelihoods, and stewards the environment? This is the topic of today’s Food Systems Dialogue. Our task is now to prioritize and phase our support going forward. In the work leading up to the Global Food Systems Summit in September and the pre-summit in July, we have the opportunity to conduct a ‘health check’ on the food system. COVID-19 has simply accelerated the need for transformation. This dialogue is an opportunity to explore the actions and the levers for change that will be most likely lead recovery efforts in the direction of improving the food system. A simple tool to guide the discussion is the principle of triple wins: economic, social, and environmental. Game changing solutions touch upon all three of these and offer solutions to build upon the past to create a more prosperous future. قراءة القليل

During the meeting, several disagreements were observed that are summarised below: • Representatives of the non-governmental institution reported that rural women are unaware of sustainable food systems and sustainable development goals in general as well as government adopted support measures directed to the woman entrepreneurs who are producing food. Government officials as well as FAO Azerbaijan office mentioned that they have conducted several projects directed to improve live of rural woman who are engaged in agricultural production and are part of the food system. It was recommended to... قراءة المزيد take concrete steps to define the role of women's entrepreneurship in the formation of sustainable food systems. • Another interesting opinion stated during the meeting were related to production of health food. It was mentioned that there is an abundance of food products in the market, but insufficient attention is paid to the impact of products on human health, as well as weak control over the use of pesticides. While acknowledging the existence of problems and the need to take appropriate measures to improve the situation, government officials have already noted that the government has already taken steps to establish a mechanism for initial control over the use of pesticides (Electronic Agricultural Information System - EKTIS). • One of the main stakeholders raised his concern regarding to the unified translation of food into Azerbaijani language in order to avoid disagreements and misunderstandings. قراءة القليل

Resilience and sustainability were two important keywords that initiated the discussions. Participants emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic and the escalation of the conflict situation in the country have caused the need to accelerate the transformation of food and agricultural systems to make them more resilient in the face of potential challenges and stresses, including climate change. There was a consensus among the participants that there is a need to introduce new measures and strategies in the “Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development”. Discussants also sh... قراءة المزيدared some pilot ideas such as: (i) strengthening business development services in rural areas with a focus on promoting agricultural technology start-ups; (ii) strengthening digital extension services to help farmers easily adapt to systems transformation; (iii) stimulating climate-smart agriculture through the introduction of agriculture-specific input subsidy programs and policies; (iv) introducing innovative agricultural practices and green biotechnologies; (v) and promoting the use of sustainable food production and climate resilient farming practices. Participants raised the key challenges and proposed solutions for ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all. Actions were discussed in three broad areas: (i) improving access to nutritious foods for subsistent farmers as well as vulnerable groups such as IDPs and people living in remote rural areas, with a particular focus on women and children; (ii) the importance of enhancing the role of women in rural and agricultural areas through the promotion of women's entrepreneurship; and (iv) the need for enhancing of national food safety systems; as well as raising awareness on food security and nutrition concepts. The discussions also centered on the question of what measures should be taken towards transitioning to nature-positive sustainable production practices. Participants generally agreed on the need for improving monitoring and control systems for the use of agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides to ensure sustainable food production systems; and the possibility of introducing additional measures for incentivizing and subsidizing natural farming (for example, payments for ecosystem services) instead of chemically intensive agriculture. Participants conveyed the need to emphasize, promote, replicate, and scale up existing models that increase women's role in the food systems, as well as generate livelihood opportunities to attract more rural women to the sector. Discussants highlighted the critical importance of empowering women in the agricultural sector by improving their access to extension and business support services. The idea of organizing a forum of rural women at the country level was also proposed to demonstrate the key role that rural women play in food production and security. The need to strengthen digital agriculture was also underlined, with a focus on improving access to agricultural and rural data such as the agri-food supply chain and its stock levels as well as data on landless farmers who therefore cannot register in the electronic agricultural information system. قراءة القليل

Main findings can be summarised as follows: • Some participants stated that there is a need for new approach in terms of ensuring sustainability in agriculture. Currently, the main role in the digitalization of agriculture in Azerbaijan belongs to the state, there is a need to expand the role of the private sector, the system of agricultural subsidies should include issues related to sustainability (for example, climate-smart subsidies), as well as, expand the use of biotechnology. In this regard, the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture accepted the need for improvement measures in... قراءة المزيد these areas and noted that the issue will be discussed. • The dialogue was welcomed by the participants in terms of achieving the sustainability goals. It was recommended to achieve consistency in the organization of such meetings, at the same time, the participants expressed their readiness to cooperate in this direction. • It was suggested that the Center for Agrarian Research under the Ministry of Agriculture be identified as a coordinating body in terms of coordinating dialogue discussions. • It was decided to have discussions on conducting a Rural Women's Forum to educate women on the sustainability of food systems and raise awareness campaigns. • Although farmers who receive subsidies are registered by the state, there is no registration of farmers who have small arable land and produce mainly for their own consumption – namely so-called subsistence farmers. The representative of the Ministry of Agriculture stated the urgency of this issue and said that discussions would be held to take appropriate measures. • In comparison to the previous periods, the urgency of food systems including the food security issues in the country is fully recognised. Although a superficial approach to food security issues was demonstrated during the development of the Strategic Roadmap for Agricultural Production and Processing, representatives of both governmental and non-governmental organizations have now acknowledged the urgency of this issue and have expanded included activities related inclusion of food security issues in state strategic documents. قراءة القليل

The main objective of the first meeting was to reach a common understanding among the participated stakeholders on the following areas: (i) the 2021 UN Food System Summit, (ii) the national dialogue process and (iii) the “sustainable food systems approach”. By bringing together key stakeholders contributing to the food systems of Azerbaijan, the Dialogue has become a starting point for an inclusive and collaborative exchange of views on the path to sustainable national food system; as well as for identifying challenges and sharing best practices for improving food systems and ensuring thei... قراءة المزيدr sustainability in the future. The major focus of the dialogue meeting are: • To provide information to the participants on the importance of dialogue meetings held in preparation for the UN 2021 Food Systems Summit to be held in September this year. In this regard, materials on the topic (also relevant guidelines) were introduced to the participants by both local and international representatives. • Providing participants with general information on food systems. Also, participants were provided with information on sustainability in food systems within the SDG 2030 Agenda, as well as the transformation of food systems to achieve sustainability. • Expected results from the national dialogues carried out by the member countries within the framework of the Food Systems Summit. Some of the participants of the Dialogue raised questions about the expected results of these dialogues, and representatives of relevant governmental bodies answered these questions. • Discussion of issues related to the role of women in the establishment and operation of sustainable food systems in the country, especially in rural areas. Discussions focused on the role of women, including rural women, in agricultural and food production, and agreed that appropriate measures should be taken to assess the role of women and achieve gender equality in these activities. • The discussions also centered on the question of what measures should be taken towards transitioning to nature-positive sustainable production practices. Participants generally agreed on the need for improving monitoring and control systems for the use of agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides to ensure sustainable food production systems; and the possibility of introducing additional measures for incentivizing and subsidizing natural farming (for example, payments for ecosystem services) instead of chemically intensive agriculture. قراءة القليل

The meeting with the Japan Business Federation Committee on Agriculture was held to exchange opinions related to SDGs and sustainable food systems. The main remarks of the participants are as follows: -The Government of Japan expressed carbon neutralization by 2050 and I hope how to reduce carbon emission by 41.1 billion tons will be discussed at the summit. -In the industry of agricultural pesticides, while we continue to work on developing safer and more eco-friendly pesticides, we also need materials for biological pesticides and natural-derived ones to complement chemical ones and, therefo... قراءة المزيدre, we would like the government to consider policies to promote the development of such materials. - For making Japanese agriculture an export industry, besides enhancement of productivity through digital transformation, capture of demand-side changes, response to international trends such as carbon neutral or economic security, individual issues have been identified including acquisition of certification, quarantine consultation with the other country and protection of intellectual property. Whereas expanding exports of agricultural produces is one of the pillars to make Japanese agriculture a growth industry, it is also an important theme in terms of attracting young people. - Since environmental changes around domestic and foreign agriculture has been getting dynamic recently, exchange of opinions between private sector and administrative organizations is meaningful. قراءة القليل

In this dialogue, we discussed challenges and opportunities especially related to Action Track 3.

The meeting with the Japan Food Industry Center Environment Committee was held to exchange opinions related to SDGs and sustainable food systems. The main remarks of the participants are as follows: - Regarding food loss and waste, besides working on the reduction at food manufacturing and processing site, we need to pay attention to the actual situation about how much raw materials are discarded at agricultural production site. It is necessary to visualize reality of food loss and waste across the entire value chain and what action is needed by each stakeholder. - For the Food Systems Summit,... قراءة المزيد considering the Recommendations of the TCED(Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures), discussion should be proceeded after outlining the future image of food systems from various world views including 4 degree temperature rise and less than 2 degree temperature rise scenarios. - As an effort to reduce food loss and waste, it is halfway through to review business customaries across food supply chain, including the extension of delivery deadline by food retailers, and more efforts are needed. قراءة القليل

In this dialogue, we discussed challenges and opportunities especially related to Action Track 2 and 3.

● Post-Harvest losses: Surveys show that over 40% of harvested food produce is left to rot due to inadequate storage facilities, poor logistics, and lack of infrastructure. Proposed solutions to mobilise the private sector to invest in transportation of food across the country using specialized storage vehicles. ● Insecurity: the inadequate capacity of security agencies to provide security and the poor state of Nigeria’s transport infrastructure discourages investment into the logistics sector of the food value chain. In the last few years, the farming community in Northern Nigeria has s... قراءة المزيدuffered displacement ● Poor quality Input: The unavailability and unaffordability of quality agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and seeds militate against the production of quality foods. ● The duplicity of standards enforcement: Nigeria has consistently failed to meet global food safety standards. This is a testament to poor adherence to food safety rules and best practices in food production in the country. Also, the duplication of food standard enforcement and regulatory mandates in government (SON & NAFDAC) constitute a hindrance to the effective management of food safety ● Market distortion activities such as bans on food e.g., Rice. There should be a plan to Improve local domestic infrastructure from planned food bans before implementation ● Several data sources on the status of food systems in Nigeria need to be harmonized ● Ambiguity in the certification and accreditation regimes. Integrate the regimes for the competitiveness of the stakeholders and operators of the value chains. ● Operation of logistics: Low-cost modular energy sources and technology for farmers and agri-businesses by the private sector. قراءة القليل

Track 5: Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stress ● The implementation and renewal of the National agriculture resilience framework (NARF) should be made a priority. ● Establishment of sustainable food system policy for national development and the review of existing frameworks for better implementation and productivity. ● Within CGRI, take on climate risk profiles to map out opportunities to build resilience and quantify investments at the national and sub-national level ● Farmers should have access to climate information – information about impending climate problems... قراءة المزيد should be communicated ● Get insurance companies involved in protecting informal farmers ● Engage state and local government actors in policy agenda ● Help farmers increase their yields – e.g. support for higher-yielding seeds, invest in seed systems, speed up the release process. Who should take the actions? ● Flour Milling Association of Nigeria is funding a survey with NBS on local wheat production. ● Water Life Systems Africa is looking to roll out national programs on wastewater treatment using PPP and grants in Nigeria. Ways the actions will be measured ● Build a measuring mechanism around policy and set key performance indicators ● Measuring mechanism which gathers feedback and information from private sector stakeholder – such as Nigerian export council working with NBS. ● There is a need to create a one-stop forum to monitor and collate the status of information in the agricultural sector: baselines for production, available seed variety, irrigation and extension services. قراءة القليل

Track 4: Advanced Equitable Livelihoods What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion topic? ● Availability and adequacy of capital and data at all levels to stimulate broad-based incentive growth. ● Leveraging government, donors, and private sector resources for coordinated investments in infrastructure, and service delivery in the value chains. ● Mechanism and framework development in transparency and accountability among institutions, systems, and stakeholders. ● System automation to identify and track primary producers, buyers, and regulators in the value... قراءة المزيد chains. ● Intermittent stakeholders’ meetings and agricultural programs to advance an impartial livelihood and emerge the food system in Nigeria. ● The education and coordination of farmers in addressing issues of standards, quality, quantity, marketing, and involving them in incentive-based training through extension agents. ● Synthesis of service centers (registration and documentation of operators in the value chain, mechanization, irrigation, and agro-allied) with the local government and communities. Ways the actions will be measure ● Development of a Policy framework that sensitizes Nigerian especially those in the manufacturing sector to increase the quality of their bags who in turn sensitizes customers to reuse them. ● Post-harvest loss- Develop a policy to synergise the private sector and government to preserve agricultural products in Nigeria. ● Organised private sector should collaborate with small holder farmers to come up with a framework for engaging the government to improve the transport infrastructure for ease of transportation of agricultural products. ● The private sector should present a position paper on some of the issues plaguing farmers to the government to exert pressure on them to ensure a good ecosystem for agricultural practices in Nigeria. ● Private sector and government should educate farmers and sensitize them on Policies currently in place that they can take advantage of for agricultural benefit. قراءة القليل