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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.

The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.

The main remarks of the participants are as follows. (1) It is most important to change the consciousness of farmers. Making organic products and specially cultivated agricultural products should not be a burden to farmers. Also, policy makers should not make rules that significantly reduce agricultural productivity. (2) It was felt that the reduction of pesticides and fertilizers did not affect the yield as much as farmers expected. These experiences should be shared with others for the further improvement for the future. (3) The challenge of expanding the area of organic farming in paddy fie... Leer máslds is weed control. (4) It is expected to develop the technology which allows farmers to see the state of weeds. (5) Consumers should be able to see producers’ contribution to the reduction of CO2 and the environmental impacts of pesticides. (6) Technological development should not be led by the manufacturer’s capacity. It is necessary to develop technologies which farmers really need from the farmer's perspective. (7) It is important that there is a person at the base of areas who can advise the technologies that suit the area. (8) If there are many uncertainties about profitability, it seems to be difficult to proceed the activities at the production site. (9) The extremely strict regulation is one of the big issues. Therefore, it would be great if the government could introduce something like specified districts more smoothly. Leer menos

The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.

The main remarks of the participants are as follows. (1) It is important to ensure that the global environment remains as good as it can be for the next generation engaging in agriculture. (2) Greenhouse cultivation emits CO₂ by burning fossil fuels during winter heating. It is important to balance in the society as a whole while reducing emissions in agriculture, which is the sink side. Social mechanisms such as emissions credits are also important. (3) The importance of acting from our side is recognized again. It is important to do what we can do by ourselves step by step. (4) In the futu... Leer másre, it will be possible for Japan to demonstrate leadership in the field of greenhouse cultivation with zero emissions. (5) In order to further reduce chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers, it is essential to develop new technologies such as natural enemies available for various crops. (6) To reduce chemical pesticides, technological developments such as resistant varieties, natural enemies, and biostimulants are necessary. (7) There is a need for a policy to promote the carbon capture from local incinerators and their utilization for agriculture. (8) In order to further reduce the use of chemical pesticides, initial control and discovery are important, and surveillance robots and pest detection systems are necessary. (9) It is important to develop infrastructure that enables communication equipment to be used even in rural areas. (10) In order to sustain agriculture, it is necessary to establish a system which evaluates farmers’ efforts as some kind of added value. (11) Production facilities that make use of technology are necessary. However, it is not feasible without a sense of scale to a certain extent in order to set rules and act. Leer menos

The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.

The main remarks of the participants are as follows. (1) It is important to clearly differentiate roles between machines and people and to consolidate farm fields suitable for smart agricultural machinery. On top of that, it is important to use various smart agriculture technologies on the ground. (2) Due to the increase in scale of farming and the increase in size and efficiency of machines, the current agriculture tends to emphasize more on business than the natural environment. However, considering sustainable agriculture and livelihoods, it is urgent to establish policies to focus on the e... Leer másnvironmental aspects. (3) In order to promote environment-friendly agriculture, it is crucial that consumers recognize its value. The request from the actual demand directly motivates the producer's efforts. Leer menos

The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.

The main remarks of the participants are as follows. (1) In order to increase the sustainability of agriculture, it is important to establish sustainable management systems that allow farmers to secure sufficient income while considering the environmental impact. (2) It is crucial that, not only producers, but also consumers change their awareness on the environment. In order to significantly change their way of thinking in producing or purchasing, it is necessary to develop the awareness raising as a part of the national movement. (3) When developing new technologies and varieties, more impor... Leer mástance should be placed on the environmental perspective than ever before. This idea should be more easily conveyed to farmers so that they can change their way of thinking. (4) Given the serious labor shortage, it is necessary to present concrete models such as labor saving and cost reduction. (5) It is necessary to make concreate “green” policies for maintaining agricultural land and paddy field farming including the expansion of direct payments from the viewpoint of demonstrating multifunctionality and conserving environment. (6) Since the impact on the related industries on the ground is large, it is necessary to support the transformation of the business model while sufficiently exchanging opinions on various issues including procurement issues with stakeholders. (7) Specific numerical targets are necessary. Also, it is necessary to set targets that will allow the stakeholders to work enthusiastically for changing themselves. In addition, it is important to set targets for individual regions and items and indicate specific roadmaps along with technological innovation so that stakeholders on the ground can be convinced to work along with the strategy. Leer menos

The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.

The main remarks of the participants are as follows. (1) As other industries will make considerable efforts toward 2050 carbon neutral, agriculture sector should also make same efforts. (2) As the decade to 2030 is crucial, innovation needs to be accelerated. (3) In order to promote policies for creating innovation, it is extremely important to steadily promote existing policies, such as the consolidation of agricultural land and the full utilization of paddy fields. (4) In order to make areas of organic agriculture as production areas widely recognized, it is important to secure a certain amo... Leer másunt of land through the accumulation and consolidation of farmland so that these areas can be clearly distinguished from conventional farm land. It is important to accelerate the consolidation of agricultural land as a prerequisite for the steady implementation of strategies such as the wide use of drones. (5) Although it is difficult for individual farmers to substitute compost for chemical fertilizers, it is technically possible to recycle them locally. Japan is faced with the problem of excessive nitrogen and phosphate input, and therefore, the establishment of a circular economy, including livestock manure, is necessary. (6) In light of the current efforts for specially cultivated rice, it would be possible to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by half for paddy rice without having a sense of resistance. (7) While the reduction of chemical pesticides and fertilizers must be dealt with, human and economic burden on farmers is considerably large. We will listen to farmers' opinions and work together. (8) We should set ambitious high targets for 2050 under the assumption that policy recommendations will be realized. (9) If the target is to be 2050, the share of organic agriculture in the arable land area should be around the EU level (25% of arable land). Leer menos

The focus of this youth dialogue was on the same topics as the first engagement event, which were on elaborating a vision for sustainable food systems in Cambodia in 2030 and identifying actions and levers for moving towards the vision.

The vision is that the food system will provide food security for all Cambodian citizens, ensuring that local markets and local demands are met by local supply. Producing enough food to eat and adequate nutrition for the population, without relying on imports. Food is should be locally produced, following local and cultural practices, and in a sustainable way. People will learn how to eat healthy food and the right amount of food thereby reducing food waste and keeping people healthy. Encourage chemical free, healthy, nutritious, local product by using the efforts of all stakeholders to achiev... Leer máse this vision and to spread these messages. Youth can raise their voices to spread information about the importance of good nutrition and make good use of social media to do so. Mainstream maternal, infant and young children’s needs for food as part of food systems for healthy diets in all circumstances. Target all populations, with more emphasis on women, the elderly, young children, people with disabilities and youth. Leer menos

Topic 1: What is your vision of a sustainable food systems for Cambodia in 2030? Ensure food security for all Cambodian citizens, ensuring that local markets and local demands are met by local supply. Producing enough food to eat and adequate nutrition for the population, without relying on imports. Food is locally produced, following local and cultural practices, and in a sustainable way. People learn how to eat healthy food and the right amount of food. Eating the right amount of food reduces food waste and keeps people healthy. Healthy diets will be included in the school curriculum, especi... Leer másally for young children so they will learn about healthy diets and food systems from a young age. People will continue to raise their own animals and grow their own crops. Farmers are the front line of our food systems, so policy and innovation should benefit their wellbeing. All farmers are affected by climate change and will need support from the government to develop resilience. Improve agricultural production to produce at better standards, improved products and safer and more nutritious food. Protect Cambodian food exports Promote innovation and improved standards for food systems in Cambodia. There should be a chemical free environment for the food system in Cambodia so people can trust food safety. This should be supported by an effective system of Quality Assurance. By 2030, people should be eating more healthy food instead of fast food and junk food. All the food categories (food groups) should be readily available and accessible through markets. Innovation will be an important element of the sustainable food system. Leer menos

Q2. WHAT ACTIONS WILL ALLOW US TO REACH OUR VISION Encourage chemical free, healthy, nutritious, local product; Joint efforts by all stakeholders to achieve the vision and to spread these messages. Mainstream maternal, infant and young children’s needs for food as part of food systems for healthy diets in all circumstances. Government has a key role. Government action is needed to ensure existing laws and standards are enforced and people are made aware of these standards and rules. Importers who are bringing in contaminated foods or time expired food should be punished. Review gaps of exist... Leer másing laws and close the loopholes. Identify if any new regulations and laws on foods are required. Establish a government body to build sustainability and systematically conduct quality assurance, monitoring and control of foods and production at all stages, from farm to table. Government actions required to educate farmers and share information to help them diversify production and to reach markets. Agriculture should be included in education so that there is wider understanding of the issues for the population. NGOs can also help to educate the next generation of producers. Build capacity of provincial, district and commune government agricultural extension workers to deliver quality services to the community, by taking food systems for healthy diets as a central point of agricultural activities. Make a law for controlling imported food from neighboring countries and take the law seriously by inspecting all imports. If people can access cheap imported food they will do so. To promote local produce the Government should introduce tariffs or quotas to limit access for foreign food. Be selective so that some imports are allowed to keep balanced relations with neighbors. Bring the price of exports up so that local produce is preferred. Promote value chains by supporting farmers cooperatives and small business clusters and make linkages between producers, sellers and traders. Provide subsidies for producers to improve food quality and nutritious produce. Employ good agricultural practices through government extension services using improved agricultural technologies. Develop a strategy for responding to climate change and resilience to shocks and disasters to ensure food security at all times. Strengthen the focus on small scale processors and use simple practical guidelines appropriate for them. Expand engagement with the private sector for quality food processing and healthy snack food production in response to the growing need of the population at all age groups. Ensure adequate resources, especially better agricultural inputs, such quality vegetable seeds, fertilizers, fish seeds, and irrigation facilities and systems to optimize production. Work with media outlets to intensify public awareness and conduct SBCC activities for food systems and healthy diets. Education and behaviour change regarding food habits. For long term sustainability of the food system, food system for healthy diets should be mainstreamed in the national school curriculum. Youth can raise their voices to spread information about the importance of good nutrition and use social media. Host public forums at national and sub-national level to discuss the importance of food systems for healthy diets, and how systems can be strengthened. Educate people about the importance of local production and to encourage purchase of chemical free produce. Target all populations, with more emphasis on women, the elderly, young children, people with disabilities and youth. Leer menos

Although the participants were not aware of the consequences, the protectionist views expressed clash with ASEAN trade policies and WTO. Whilst the participants were keen that Cambodia should enjoy trade privileges for export, they wished to restrict food imports and curb free trade agreements in the interests of producers. The consequences for consumers paying higher prices were not considered in the discussion. Protectionist policies supporting farmers are popular whilst there is a large proportion of the population involved in farming. However the trade off lies in the effects on other sect... Leer másors, on consumers and on international relations. Leer menos

Group 5: Building the Resilience of Food Systems in Nigeria to withstand Vulnerabilities, Shocks and Stresses Actions urgently needed for Improved Food availability for resilience a. Put in place structures (such as silos, warehouses, cottage processing facilities, cold chain logistics) to reduce post-harvest losses in order to have increased food reserve that is safe and nutritious. b. Supply of /improve access to quality agricultural inputs to farmers in a timely manner c. Implement the National Agricultural Resilience Framework and Strategy Document d. Improve key agricultural practices to ... Leer máshave all year-round production by having a robust dry season farming/irrigation e. Observation that the Nigerian agricultural sector is quite resilient given its performance during the 2016 and 2020 economic recessions the country experienced. So, the 2 aspects that are challenging now are insecurity and environmental stresses. Need for local solutions. So, Empower/build the capacity of local communities/institutions to be able to address some of the challenges especially security and environmental issues that are militating against agricultural production. f. Engage in environmental extension services with a clear approach to control the norm in the society as against the traditional agricultural extension g. Evaluate or audit interventions that have been done especially those on smart agricultural practices on in the time past and do a modelling of impact and strategize on the way forward h. Improvement in the traditional food systems and indigenous foods to build resilience which have been used by the communities to navigate and cope with shocks i. Employ the services of security men to also check the menace of banditry, kidnaping and farmers/herders’ conflicts. j. Promote access to funds by young and women farmers to increase productivity and also build household food and nutrition security k. Review, update and implement the Nigeria population policy to address the population growth and align with rate of food production to reduce gap as well as proportion of hungry people in Nigeria l. Multisectoral coordination of the Nigeria food system with one plan and one monetary framework by the MB&NP to bring all stakeholders to one table Who should take the actions? • Academia to assist by conducting demand driven researches that will promote resilience • Government to invest more on research activities in various higher institutions of learning, collate research findings that can help in building resilience. ARCN to take the lead • FMARD to lead the key stakeholders in the private, non-governmental and development sectors to review the existing National Agricultural Resilience strategy documents to include the emerging issues of resilience and also ensure their implementation • Use of multi-sectoral approach to achieve sustainable food systems that is inclusive and sustainable to be led by MB&NP Ways in which progress could be assessed • Proportion of households using ecological food production techniques. • Number of soil conservation projects implemented • Records of quantity of food produced within community per season/cycle • Existing cooperatives, available rural credits, and producers with access to credits Leer menos

1. At the core of a lot of divergences is that some stakeholders prefer processes that rely on individual/household level change (demand side actions), while others prefer processes that rely on institutional change (supply-side actions). Both types of actions are necessary. There is a need for institutional actions, such as regulation of the food environment, but there is also a need for individual change that would make consumers demand a better food environment. To manage divergence, there is a need to broker disagreements so that each side accepts that other arguments are valid. It is nece... Leer másssary to ensure that each side will get at least some of their concerns addressed. How do we build resilience around insecurity – need to do a deep dive to find out the root causes and address 2. Reduction of fiscal space: this requires a rational prioritisation of measures within food systems reform that are more likely to succeed in tackling inequality in livelihoods, as well as manging competing priorities beyond food systems that can have the biggest impact on GoN strategy priorities within its various economic and development plans. 3. Lobbying and interference by special interests: to achieve an equitable access to affordable healthy diets, the Government of Nigeria will have to commit to strongly reduce the influence of interest groups within the food systems, such as Big Food multinationals and local industries that have near-oligopolist footprint in food systems. Only with an open market focused on what people really need, rather than what food companies what consumers to buy, there can be a shift to better eating and more affordable health foods. 4. Social norms are difficult to change as a section of society may have vested interests or incentives to ensure that the balances of power (elites vs. poor, men vs. women, urban vs. rural) do not change. Hence the need for deliberate approaches to enforce policies for redistribution and social norm change, especially for the benefit of women and the youth. 5. The assumption that youths would want to work in agriculture or agro-processing / food manufacturing needs to be assessed by asking the question of “what the youth want”: any job? Urban jobs? Safe white-collar jobs? Well-paid jobs? – the assumption that a large proportion of youth is ready to be employed in low-paying, low-tech industries might be misplaced, and the answer to these questions can drive youth and demographic transition policy design. 6. Need to ensure that innovation and technology transfer is fair: “for the common market and the common man”, and not just for businesses and entrepreneurs with the right relations and networks. 7. Stakeholders working in silos - Various organisations have different foci, interests and commitments which sometimes create variances that may hinder collective actions to shift to healthy and sustainable diet and food consumption patterns in Nigeria. This calls for intentional efforts for synergy and coordination of partnerships to reduce overlaps and to help operationalise and coordinate the food system and nutrition in Nigeria. The question then is - who should drive Food systems coordination in Nigeria? As the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning currently coordinates food and nutrition at the national level, there should be drives for food systems capacity strengthening; partners can second food systems experts for technical support. In addition, the role of the SUN movement multi-stakeholder platform can be explored in the coordination of food systems dialogues. The SUN platform can be relevant regarding private sector engagement, which needs to be streamlined and more profitably engaged. It is also suggested that the Governance structure of the National Food and Nutrition policy should be fully operationalised particularly considering the State and LGA levels, as well as the diversity of sectors involved. 8. Preponderant national emphasis on undernutrition: The longstanding emphasis on undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies may lead to a push-back when the issue of shift towards healthy diets is put forward and overnutrition with non-communicable diseases rise to the front burner. In framing discussions on healthy and sustainable food systems, the focus on the role of diet in the control of NCDs is important regarding reformulating products to reduce trans fats, salts, and sugars. This way, the food system approach will target the double burden rather than focus on undernutrition and micronutrient deficiency 9. Trust deficits: Observed trust deficit among various groups (e.g. government and civil society, government and private sector, etc) may also be a hindrance, and should therefore be addressed. Leer menos

The major focus of the Inception dialogue was a comprehensive exploration of the Nigeria Food Systems along the five action tracks and levers of the UN Food Systems Summit. Participants conducted a thorough diagnosis of the food systems, the functioning, major stakeholders, potentials, vulnerabilities, as well as opportunities for its transformation so that it can deliver high quality diet and affordable nutrition; be inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable; and work for everyone. It was clear from discussions that excessive focus on agriculture and food security resulted in an uninte... Leer másnded consequence of creating a less diverse food environment that is unable to provide an adequate variety and affordable, safe, and nutrient dense food. Food systems in Nigeria are vulnerable to shocks, stresses, and disruptions. Our food systems are threatened by climate change and stresses due to the impact of drought, flooding, erosion, inflation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and conflict. Poverty, unemployment, and insufficient food reserves limit the capacity of our food systems to cope with shocks and stresses. The COVID pandemic has amplified the fragility, inequities and suboptimal functionality of our current food systems thus requiring significant transformations in polices, practices and business models that would make our food systems fit for purpose and enable the delivery of the most important functions rooted in robust evidence base, country context and emerging global trends and realities. There are significant food safety challenges across the food systems domain. Most investments in food safety have been for food exports. Because of unsafe food, 1 in 11 Nigerians fall ill yearly, 21 million cases of foodborne diseases are documented and the annual loss of human capital due to foodborne diseases is estimated at about $16 billion. Most times, the vulnerable group are the most affected by the challenge of food safety and also the most nutritious foods have the most complicated challenge around food safety. It is therefore important to note that as Nigeria allows unsafe foods are allowed to pass through the borders to the people, the sovereignty of the nation is surrendered to others. There are huge post-harvest losses within the food systems; we lose more than half of what we produce, and this comes with significant impact on the environment. Inequality and power imbalances at the household, community, national and global levels are consistently constraining the ability of our food systems to ensure poverty reduction and sustainable, equitable livelihoods. Despite many years of investment in policies, programmes, institutions, and the broader enabling environment, we see glaring indications of a broken food system. Leer menos

▪ We have a unique opportunity to build our new national food systems narrative into our key national development plans for 2025, 2030 and 2050. This will require radical thinking, smart partnerships, but strong political will and courage to advance the food systems transformation we need in Nigeria. ▪ We need to find a narrative that brings everyone into a shared space in ways that create the right connectivity across the various subsystems and domains and helps us to align around the most important functions of our food systems and enable us work towards achieving one that is sustainable... Leer más and well-functioning while leveraging the power of our diverse strengths and perspectives. ▪ We need to set up a food systems focused development agenda that prioritizes healthy diets and affordable nutrition, and that is inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable, while working for everyone, will rebuild our economy, create jobs, spur growth across sectors and sustain our ecosystems. ▪ We need to develop a narrative that supports nourishing and goes beyond feeding, that makes human health and nutrition a priority, that emphasizes the primacy of diet quality, that would eliminate hunger while addressing all forms of malnutrition, considers planetary health, and is pro-growth while supporting job creating and livelihoods and sustainable economic development on the long term. ▪ We must counter the prevailing powerful but outmoded narratives that have guided our policy, research and investment priorities and practices to date, which focused on increasing yields, based on export-oriented models, informed by external influencers rather than country contexts and priorities, commodity focused, with no significant considerations for human health and nutrition, planetary health, and sustainable development (Global Alliance Health Narrative, 2020). ▪ While these transformations will be a journey, we must start by taking some strategic and immediate transition steps – the suggested steps include - Transformative policy reviews rooted in a new and common narrative and anchored on philosophy of food as a human right in line with UN conventions. - Operationalize a coordinated Food Systems data transformation agenda - Scale/Democratize proven innovations that considers the common man at the common market - Ramp up investment in Food Systems research & development - Depoliticize, expand, and modernize social protection programs in Nigeria. - Promote optimum breastfeeding practices - Operationalize resilient financing mechanisms by leveraging domestic and international facilities - Ramp up investment in infrastructures that support critical innovations & opportunities with special focus on rural infrastructures - Build critical leadership, technical and human and organizational capacities - Operationalize key guidelines rooted in transformed policies, data & the new narrative - Engage in fair trade, taking relevant country and global contexts into consideration - Foster transformative and smart partnerships - Revise and implement the National Resilience framework - Redirect Policy – aim at getting youths engaged in the agriculture sector using technology and e-commerce. - Implement plans to mechanize agricultural production to enable innovation and increase resilience and productivity with a focus on nutrition - Scale up sustainable technologies including cold chain technologies to tackle post-harvest food losses - Pass the food quality and safety bill into law - Change the culture of adequate food consumption by concentrating on the new generation, e.g., children - Put in place a monitoring framework to ensure implementation of all recommendations for the improvement of food systems by all actors Leer menos