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Aware that the world is not on track to achieve SDG 2 “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture" because more than 690 million people are still facing hunger, and 2 billion people do not have access to adequate, safe and nutritious food. Recognizing that agriculture plays a fundamental role in ensuring the right to food to all, mitigating climate change, and promoting employment and social stability. However, industrial agriculture with its narrative centred on increasing productivity to feed the growing population and solving the problem o... Leer másf hunger in the poorest countries is responsible for biodiversity loss, environmental pollution, and grabbing of natural resources, including more and more land for non-food production (biofuel, feed for intensive livestock, carbon sequestration). Concerned that the corporate sector is using its economic power to influence the public policy sphere to see its vision endorsed and supported by public policies. They promote business-led solutions to hunger (patents, hybrid seeds, GMOs, pesticides and fertilizers, the inclusion of farmers into the global value chain, climate-smart agriculture and sustainable intensification, food fortification, precision agriculture). While they are part of the problem, they offer false solutions they mask with a new face maybe mention one or two strategies pushed forward in this masked mode Conscious that the food systems transformation agenda is long overdue, and many social movements have been fighting for systemic and structural transformation of food systems, stressing the urgent need for a radical shift from fossil fuel-based industrial agriculture and corporate monopolies of food and agriculture to food sovereignty and agroecology. UNFSS should acknowledge that the potential of agroecology as the basis for sustainability is now widely recognized alongside the role that small scale farmers play in food security and indigenous knowledge systems Leer menos

1. The urgency to increase in budgeting and focus on agroecology at all levels of governance including donor funding and government funding 2. Sustainable agriculture practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation 3. Seeds and genetic resources ;the critical role that indigenous seeds play in promoting and conserving our genetic resources 4. Participatort research and dissemination and embrace the idea and practice of Farmer Research Networks (FRNs), where adaptive learning, diverse evidence such as farmer’s traditional and Indigenous knowledge, and the recognition that holistic unde... Leer másrstanding of food systems impacts are all essential 5. Water governance : concerted efforts towards conserving and maintaining our water resources through a participatory ecosystem-based approach 6. Participation and Local ownership of farmers need as the centre of Food Systems Transformation In the spirit of “leave no one behind”, and localization, it is key to have local ownership of food system transformation 7.Promotion of nutrient-dense, whole-food diets underpinned by diversified food production adapted to different microclimates and sociocultural contexts 8. integration, participatory and rights-based approaches to governance and policymaking at all levels to address the structural inequities and power imbalances in food systems. 9. Global food trade and its implications to the principles of food sovereignty and local sustainability 10. COVID 19 pandemic implications to Regional and National Food Security and Food supply chains are Leer menos

Some participants felt that the agriculture sector is mainstreaming nutrition at a slow pace and that there was need to improve synergies so that the sector plans with a nutrition lens. Other participants highlighted that farmers choices to plant food crops is normally guided by demand and market prices. They felt that prices for nutritious foods are usually associated with low demand and very high prices which many of the citizens cannot afford resulting in farmers not preferring to plant them. Some stressed out that food preparation methods influence food prices, methods used in preparing ju... Leer másnk foods lead to them fetching low prices and the unregulated marketing of junk food is greatly influencing their food preferences On domestic investments in agriculture most of the participants felt that government investment in the agriculture sector is more than enough for the country to produce sufficient food for the nation. Previous experience has shown that the ministry of finance invested a significant amount of the national budget in agriculture but the sector failed to produce sufficient nutritious food. Other participants hinted that the investment is being placed in old agriculture models and that there was need to conduct more research and ensure agriculture models have more benefits compared to investment being made by the government Some participants felt that women with ownership and control over agriculture assets including land are not as productive as their male counterparts. Others felt that lines of credit mainly favor males hence it may seem as if they are productive when in fact it is because of the support they receive from government and other lines of credit. It was agreed that there is need for the government to continue mainstreaming gender in the agriculture sector. Leer menos

Most of the participants felt that there was urgent need for the adoption of new technologies in agriculture, the new technologies will help in improving crop management, pest control and disease management and may include farm automation, livestock technology, artificial intelligence, precision agriculture, block chain, vertical farms and modern green houses. This will contribute greatly to the consumption of diversified diets by the general populace. Some participants felt that the nation has the capacity to produce sufficient and diverse nutritious food to meet national consumption and indi... Leer másvidual food preferences but new models to support farmers need to be employed. In addition the size of livestock herd should increase and meet export needs as was before if the nation is to return its status as the bread basket for southern Africa. Other participants underscored the need to inform citizens on the need to consume nutritious diets and make nutritious food desirable. Citizen’s food choices need to be informed and individuals should make food choices basing on general knowledge on nutritional value. Food manufactures need also to improve quality of food products such that they provide consumers with diverse nutrients they require for growth and development. Participants views on areas that need urgent action. 1) In this era of climate change innovation in technology systems in the fields of agronomic and animal husbandry is key in ensuring that the nation produces adequate, safe and nutritious food. Innovation in information management through modern equipment such as ICT also plays a critical role in predicting future weather patterns and climatic conditions later on in future. Investing in early warning systems reduces the risk of crop and animal losses as a result of disasters. Lastly the nation needs to ensure that there is value addition to food produced as a way of reducing post-harvest food losses and there is an urgent need to build infrastructure for easy transportation of food products. Lastly the government was urged to ensure that modern methods of food storage are adopted compared to traditional ones which are commonly used in the country. 2) The nation needs to widely adopt modern methods of agriculture such as climate smart agriculture as a means of increasing productivity, enhancing yields and reducing carbon emissions. 3) There is need to enhance nutrition information sharing between professionals and the general public. Devise information sharing tactics that will influence people to make healthy food choices, preserve and prepare foods in ways that will preserve their nutritional value and yet meet food preferences of many people. Leer menos

1) Promote the export of value-added food products in order to reduce post-harvest losses and raise export earnings 2) Implement measures that minimize post harvest and storage losses 3) Ensure that there is efficient infrastructure (road network) and temperature controlled vehicles to transport perishable/ nonperishable food after harvest 4) Prioritize exportation or importation of nutritious food, reduce/increase taxes as a way of incentives/disincentives 5) Mitigate against huge post-harvest losses by adopting modern methods of food preservation 6) Farmers are the foundation of our food sys... Leer mástems and have demonstrated time and again that they can rise to the challenge if they are equipped and supported to do so. 7) Processes such as bio fortification are key in contributing to nutrition and farmers are key in implementing this 8) Devise innovative ways of ensuring that left over food is not thrown away 9) Several factors influences consumption patterns and these include culture, economy, social construction, availability, affordability and desirability of certain foods. There is need to develop nutrition interventions that address behavior change targeting the above factors. 10) Advertising has a significant effect on food choices and so it is important for healthy foods to be advertised. There is also great need to make nutritious food desirable. 11) Recycle food packages in order to reduce or prevent land degradation and emission of toxic gasses to the atmosphere Leer menos

The theme of this dialogue was “Unleashing Innovation towards sustainable consumption patterns and reduction of post-harvest food waste. Major focus of the discussion was on mainstreaming nutrition in agriculture to ensure that farmers and markets reduce the quantities of food that are lost after harvesting. Also, the discussion was focused on determining the factors that influence consumption patterns and how those factors could be used to influence healthier consumption patterns. Though the main focus on actions targeted action track 1 to 3, some opinions that emerged also addressed action... Leer más tracks 4 and 5. Leer menos

Areas of divergence documented within breakout rooms as to what are the main variables and factors influencing some stakeholder's decisions have been approached as assumptions and hypothesis and we thing we should interview stakeholder before such an event, include them in the mapping, and review with them after the event.

The main outcome was the need for more scaled awareness on the contexts of respective stakeholders and what drives their decision-making. Causal Loop mapping has been tested and through this exercise identified as a useful tool. Results ar visible here in the bottom section of the board: https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_lTysA9Q=/ Our main question post event: How might we scale the awareness raising effect of cross stakeholder causal loop mapping and be more inclusive?

- There is a need to scale such exercises to help more SHs from the food system to develop this understanding and gain clarity on the gaps that exist - Strategy-making that is preceded by an empathy exercise becomes more straightforward and relevant. - We need more empathy facilitating institutions - Gaps have been identified as related to a lack of knowledge of 'Other' stakeholders' context for short and long term decision making, as well as representation, and we need to think of additional formats and approaches to bridge them (Causal Loop Mapping and collaborative Miro events are the not t... Leer máshe only way and not always easily inclusive) - Leer menos

The focus of the dialogue was about exploring the impact of different role identities on empathy in the food system and attitudes towards food systems transformation. We designed the dialogue to create climate conducive of collective action so that participants can, identify shared intentions and understand constraints for different stakeholders, appreciate the potential of Causal Loop Mapping to recognise complexity and use that to create roadmaps for future action.

nclusion: It was observed that most people in rural settings do not have access to digital technology, the cost of technology is prohibitive and the youth are not involved in processes of policy making. Further, the youth and women are often left out of discussions affecting land distribution or matters touching on agriculture yet they are critical players. It was suggested that, in order to overcome such challenges, there is need to include youth in policy making, it is imperative to look at the cost of emerging technology and subsidise the same for the youth and also improve on distribution ... Leer másof digital infrastructure throughout the region not just in urban settings. There is also need to mainstream gender issues into agricultural discussions so that women’s role in agricultural processes can be recognised and rewarded. Leer menos

Agricultural finance: Several issues were considered as constraints to farming in the region in connection to agricultural finance. These include lack of sensitisation on interest 32 | P a g e rates for lending to youth, lack of awareness on the issues on the loans or allowing for negotiations for youth to be able to access funds, failure for concessions or grace period for agricultural borrowers, and not allowing youth and farmers access to loans at the rates the National bank allows for them thus hindering them from progressing in agricultural pursuits. Also, the agricultural products most b... Leer másanks are offering have a very high insurance rates and when farmers face challenges they are not compensated, this is coupled with interest rates for agricultural products being very high. In terms of recommendations, the young farmers suggested the need for microfinance organisations to improve on their products and tailor make them for youth, the need to revise interest rates and insurances and also to consider concessions or grace period for loan repayment. Leer menos

Agricultural land: The youth noted that land is inaccessible to them, there is poor land documentation especially regarding issues of succession in the case of death of old parents, conflicts have become common for example in Uganda due to increased population density, there is shortage of agricultural land in most countries coupled with issues of fragmentation among others. The members proposed that there is need to break cultural barriers regarding land ownership, there is need to have proper documentation and laws regarding land ownership and succession, idle land should be made accessible ... Leer másto youth for farming purposes, and there is need to look into ways of managing human conflicts occasioned by population explosions. In addition, farmers should be encouraged to adopt new technologies such as hydroponic farming and the governments to improve on data management especially concerning households to improve on planning. Leer menos

Resilience: The participants noted that in terms of constraints, there was a challenge of unpredictable weather patterns, issues of deforestation, lack of proper research on seed varieties and a disconnect between research findings and the actual data on the ground. Further, the adoption of GMOs has led to altered production rates and in other cases there is growing cases of pollution that has led to making land unproductive. In terms of solutions, it was proposed that there is need to invest in regenerative agriculture concerning organic farming to cushion farmers in relation to unhealthy foo... Leer másd production, there is need for proper dissemination of research data and statistics, it is important to involve young farmers in feasibility studies and the need for reliable and accurate information regarding weather patterns among others. Further, there is need for more capacity building for young farmers, need to begin conserving the indigenous seeds for better productivity, we should adopt proper disposal/ reuse/ recycling of plastic waste and push for reforestation and tree planting for improved ecosystems. Leer menos

Access to inputs and means of production: On this particular subject, the young farmers identified corruption, lack of awareness regarding agricultural inputs, limited implementation of quality control, and limited access of technical people as constraints 31 | P a g e to means of production. Others include COVID-19 restrictions leading to inaccessibility such as limitation in movement due to lockdowns, knowledge barrier for young farmers in terms of quality inputs, and the high cost of inputs in general. On this issue, the youth suggested the need for government to do restructuring of service... Leer más providers, the need to decentralise agricultural institutions, to do capacity building of agricultural personnel, to be more vigilant on counterfeit goods and to have increased awareness and education on agricultural products and services as part of the solutions or suggestions for way forward. Leer menos

Agricultural policy: In relation to policies affecting agriculture, the youth mentioned that there is poor dissemination of information to users, that is, the government makes very good policies but unfortunately they are not shared with the beneficiaries or end users thus farmers are always caught off guard, that there is lack of a forum to report to government about youth influence or impact by the policies made, there is lack of access to information to understand or be able to respond to the opportunities available thereby hindering youth access among others. In terms of proposed solutions... Leer más, the youth suggested the need for governments to openly share information with the young farmers, to sensitize young farmers on available policies, the need to gather feedback from youth on effectiveness of provided policies and for the governments to prioritise youth inclusion in policy making and implementation. Also, agriculture should be budgeted for appropriately, there is need to streamline the mandate of government bodies on implementation of the budget and last but not least to create awareness and education for the political class regarding agricultural policies. Leer menos

See section below on outcomes per topic of discussion

The dialogue focused the discussions on the following subjects: Subject 1: Are agricultural policies favorable to the development of sustainable and innovative food systems? Subject 2: What are the challenges in terms of access to quality inputs and means of production to ensure a sustainable and innovative food system Subject 3: What are the main levers able to promote productivity in the face of the challenges of climate change and various shocks and stresses? What are the measures to be taken for a post-Covid 19 recovery? Subject 4: How to ensure better access and security to / of agricultu... Leer másral land? Subject 5: What are the challenges of agricultural financing and what measures should be put in place to improve the situation? Subject 6: How to ensure better inclusion of women and young people in agriculture? Leer menos

Inclusion: On the subject of inclusion, the members highlighted the lack of access for women and youth to land, preponderant land grabbing and retrogressive cultural practices as some of the constraints. However, the members suggested that this can be remedied by proper policies that make access to land, credit facilities and training opportunities possible for women and youth, making it possible for smallholder farmers to have access to agricultural land through favourable concessions, and reducing or eliminating prohibitive cultural practices that discriminate against women and youth regardi... Leer másng land matters. Leer menos

Agricultural Financing: It was mentioned that there is lack of access to Agricultural financing, there are high interest rate products on agricultural financing, unfavourable collaterals, lack of insurance, and weak infrastructure for agricultural value chains among others as constraints. Some of the solutions suggested by the members include the need to secure farming areas, establishing proper systems for insuring farm products, sensitising farmers on existing financial services, providing affordable collaterals and governments supporting agricultural value chains for sustainability