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Corporate Takeover of the UNFSS: The UNFSS claims to be a milestone event to transform food systems worldwide. Their vision of the future is one with equity and health for all, and the goal is to get there by giving voice to civil society in every country of the world. However, many concerns have been raised about the approach the Summit has taken. Criticisms include: 1)The high-level of corporate influence 2)The lack of grounding in human rights 3)The treatment of diverse stakeholders as equals without recognition of power imbalances or legitimacy on any given issue 4) Lack of transformative ... Read morevision or policies Hundreds of civil society organizations are boycotting the summit arguing that while the UNFSS claims to be a "people's summit," the approach the Summit has taken undermines democratic institutions and inclusive multilateralism. These dissenting civil society groups are planning their own People's Summit prior to the UNFSS. The UNFSS has sought to encourage public, global conversations through independent dialogues like this one. The dialogues are meant to yield system insights and priority concerns that participants hope the Summit will address leading to solutions. We must make sure that the independent dialogues actually influence the agenda and the concerns of smallholder farming groups are represented at the table come September. In order to do so, we must listen to this global call and understand that local realities need to be reflected in a global agenda. Innovation must come from people coming together, both in an international multi stakeholder setting as well as at the grassroots level. We have to acknowledge the intricacies of each of these issues. Why are we, as a global society, allowing for the continuous oppression and execution of indigenous communities and cultures? Around the world these communities are denied of a voice- whether that be because of a lack of access to technology, visibility, or because of more violent systems of oppression. In the Amazon and Andes, indigenous communities are disenfranchised and displaced. In many of the regions where human rights are violated, it is the state and private companies denying that are denying these communities of what is inalienable. We must enforce a system of accountability to ensure that people are given the right to their land- allowing for ancestral and nature positive production to flourish. In light of the boycott coming from indigenous and peasant farming, we need to make sure that their message is heard at the upcoming Summit. We need to propose to the UNFSS a simple message: everyone must see their role in food systems transformation, not just multi-national corporations and neoliberal civil society organizations. It is crucial that everyone, no matter their political or economic clout, can see their role in food systems change because urban communities and consumers hold power in demanding food systems change with their actions. Reciprocity between producers and consumers; land and mouth; rural and urban connection is crucial. We must build networks of relationships. We must move forward in a way that food- good food, is a commons, land is protected, and small farmers are empowered. We need to be open and optimistic and co-create; we need to be together, unite in the fight. There are so many communities working towards a change, predominantly indigenous populations, if we talk about the future, let's make sure they are included, and their knowledge- amplified. Read less

Engaging youth in farming, Embracing technology, & Preserving Culture: Farmers are aging, and it's a problem. In order to move forward with agriculture and allow for more innovation, we must engage youth in farming. In doing so we can embrace technology and promote cultural and ancestral knowledge- blending the old and the new. As a global society, we need more farmers' markets to close the gap between the producers and consumers. Doing so, we have to make nature-positive production something that is attractive for the younger generations. We need more chefs cooking in the farmer markets t... Read moreo create awareness of how we eat, farm, and celebrate the colors and biodiversity. We are also at a turning point where farmers are getting older, but at the same time the new generations are looking to escape cities. People are now recognizing the value of local produce and supporting small farmers, but prices are still a problem. It is essential that we democratize access to good, local food. By connecting farmers with youth entrepreneurs we can empower farmers in ways that we haven't done yet. By doing so, we simultaneously help the aging population of farmers who are often heavily impacted by the digital divide and we are engaging youth in agriculture and innovation. Ecological illiteracy is a huge mindset problem for a generation. Therefore, projects like rural agricultural schools to train future farmers are essential. Bringing value to the farm. Until the farmer only provides ingredients, we will never get out of this broken system. However, youth can engage in intelligent commercial relations and partnerships with farmers to disrupt the system. Regional Education - value what is local. Use technology to spark curiosity amongst youth and make it growing food cool again. Read less

Decolonizing our Plates What does decolonizing our plates mean? 1. preserving local farmer's and ancestral practices, beliefs, and more 2. breaking the rural/urban divide and making sure these ingredients become available to everyone, especially those who have lost accessibility along the lines of poverty and disaster, lost cultures 3. adopting a culture that values nutritious food, accountability for people who are complicit in action, asking how we can remove colonial practices from the workplace, what traditional foods can we provide that honors the people we are serving? calling out the 'b... Read moreullshit' of everyone and constantly asking how we can all do better. Qguring out how to coexist with indigenous cultures 4. the theft of land, opportunity, and traditions. thinking about competition in LATAM to consume colonized products as a sign of social progress 5. all the processed foods found in communities where indigenous communities work make traditional ingredients Questions that emerged: How do we bring traditions back that's not stealing/appropriation? What do we meanwhile while we are trying to keep systems accountable? How do we activate pride? 1. as chefs, creating nutritious dishes and empower the people who create the plate along the way 2. adding value to food through the way we interact/price it. what are we valuing? nutrition? externalities? how do we measure these things? 3. through the education process we can change the conversation Main Takeaways superfoods are being used as a marketing strategy while making products less accessible to indigenous populations. We must implement alternative systems that challenge our capitalist model by consulting local communities and creating resiliency to truly decolonize our plates. Create a system of accountability for appropriation and cultural theft that can make traditional foods accessible to everyone We can shift our narratives on food through education about our histories and by revaluing ingredients in a way that reflects the actual price of food. Communication that brings sensitivity to the consumer. How effective is the use of seals? How can the industry take advantage of this, even restaurants? Education in the industry, education for kids. How do we change our mindset from the way we consume to the industry. Action. Better networks between producers and chefs: Accessibility to local products and income to producers. Better traceability of the products. Governments that value more the work of producers. Read less

**Stakeholders whose interests should be prioritized.** The UN FSS claims to be an inclusive space where all voices will be heard; however, the active participation of large corporations in its agenda and the heavy involvement of the 'Green Revolution' questions the prioritization of civil society's efforts and perspective and, therefore, the possibility of changing power dynamics that perpetuate systems of oppression in the food systems. **Areas that need further exploration** - There was contention on how a capitalist economic model can be used to foster Food Systems Change. Some participant... Read mores believed that our system could shift the current power dynamics, which create inequity if utilized in the right way. Others believe that a radical transformation in our system is necessary for true, sustainable change. **Practices that are needed for food system sustainability** - Many participants agreed that we must revalue the role of food in our daily lives and create healthier relationships with the food system. However, there was divergence on which actors create the value we place on food. Some participants agreed that it is the way we price food that determines its value. They asked questions such as "which externalities are considered in the price of food?" and "can we start valuing food by its nutritional value?" Other participants believed it is the influence of chefs and food systems leaders that create the standards people use to value food in their daily lives and the global system **Practices that are needed for food system sustainability** - Restaurants can be a platform for food education and behavioral change by promoting local produce and culinary traditions, closing the gap between the producers and the final consumer. Still, some participants believe this is not enough to create radical change. Public policies that foster an agriculture of peace are essential to building a fair food system. Divergence over terms "Sustainable" and "Regenerative" - Regenerative is being co-opted by multinational corporations --- (agroecological? there is a social movement aspect to agroecology- where **food sovereignty is central**) comes down to the question of where power lies within the food system. - Indigenous food practices aren't adopted by society as a whole, because of incorporation of the food system - Over subsidized farming in the Global North has caused the loss of crop-based resources in the Global South. Modern agriculture has had a drastic impact on local economies and threatened age-old agricultural practices and family farming which, for the most part, is characterized by a symbiotic relationship between people and planet. Read less

Faith Based Action -Religious Tradition’s Spiritual Technologies to create change within and around using our spiritual technologies of psalm, how we approach grief, scriptures, and sacred time, reimagine these to meet needs of current time. -Food creates a feeling of“I am embraced” that feeling connects to everyone. ]go beyond human centered. These sacred forests are temples for everyone. Pollinators, birds, bumblebees are given shelter and food in these forests. Beyond human centric. -Use faith based and work with faith based communities, work with large churches and temples, hold reli... Read moregion accountable. -Utilize existing infrastructure within faith institutions to create change. See programs by Black Church Food Security Network, the Dine Advocacy Alliance, Hazon, EcoSikh, etc. -Within the Jewish tradition, there is no understanding of Nature separate from divine reality. We are all one and connected in a divine reality of oneness. Best resilience is when we recognize this and work together to ensure we are all supported. Contributing to each other’s liberation, humans and non humans. -Empower our community thru black church food sec network to build our own community based food systems that leverage our community resources. -Transform vacant land into community garden. -Transform parking lots into food markets. -Buy bulk and sell to churches that are doing food distributions. -Working through the back church to engage the black community. Always been a hub and resource support. banks, colleges, universities. -Assets found in community structures already supporting community resilience can be leveraged to support local food economies, access, and inclusion -Langar - a community based food system. Organic, veg, sustainable Sikh temples all have kitchens and everyone can eat no matter who they are -Sacred forests - temples for everything. Reimagine the utility of forests and other natural areas beyond their function as commodities for the economy -Resilient and healthy food system require a resilience and rooted tradition in the earth -Community rituals are important for reorienting behavior -Carrying the wisdom of traditional communities. Every step of life is focused on how God made us in nature and the holy way of life. -Build on the networks created by women, create opportunities for the youth to learn from their elders and traditions Read less

Community based food system -Sustainability starter kit -> help them engage with sustainable practices. Food based solutions -> plant rich diets. Recipes and food products and local initiatives and education. -Working with policymakers to ensure those who are marginalized have access to food and prosperity. -We also need to ask the question of why do we have to be resilient? What is driving the need to change? Food apartheid: the systematic destruction of black self determination for control of our food. Inequity marked by segregation and lower rates of land ownership. Resiliency lies on... Read more people organizing to create just equitable community centered food systems -Creating niche markets for black farmers. Co op economics -Amplifying our collective buying power. Create niche markets for farmers to sell directly through the community. -Resilience and sustainability cannot solely be found in large institutions that are not grounded in the communities they serve. The small assets to build these systems are found within communities and must be supported. -Food is the thing that brings everyone together -Governments and International bodies must regulate agro-corporate practices to guard against unsustainable, unjust practices -Development incentives need to promote localization, resilience, and climate mitigation -Explore how institution’s like the WHO and UN Nutrition can help us scale local pathways to resilience and community empowerment Read less

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We focused the conversation on the following question: Where Does Resilience Lie and Who is Responsible for Upholding it? Resilience looks at the whole food system. Resilience must be felt throughout all levels of society and built through various initiatives. It has to be felt through all pockets of the community, individuals, the household community, etc. by scaling up agroecology, regenerative agriculture to build resilience. The more we do this work, needs to Resilience is holistic. It must be integrative, rights based, context specific, take in territorial needs of the urban + rural, and ... Read morediversify the value chain. In the Massai language, the word “ resilience” is not recognized as resilience is interwoven into how we live. We must deepen our understanding of what adds value to our lives in the land, from the food we eat, to why we find particular food in a particular season. Everything is connected. Resilience lies within ourselves. Then translates into resilience of the community. Humanization of food relationship with environment. We must accept as humans, food systems rely on a healthy environment. If we are harming the environment, we are harming ourselves. Read less

In order to build resilience within our food systems, we must: Strengthen Farmer Relations - Amplify collective buying power to create niche, local markets for farmers so they aren't at the whim of the global market. - Incentivize localization so that farmers are able to grow bioreigonally appropriate foods that serve the community as well as larger markets. - Work with farmers to diversify crop productions and yields to fortify healthy diets -Sit together with big farmers, and private sector and public sector, and small farmers, and experts, and civil society to come together and have convers... Read moreation not in opposition, but find the causes that bind us together, not issues that drive us apart. Create Education Based Action - Amplify the best science, technology and wisdom of past traditions - religious, indigenous, community based, and other traditional insights. -Create community education projects for homes and community spaces on the importance of small gardens, water storage and management and regenerative techniques that strengthen food resilience + nutrition. -Utilize religious institutions and houses of worship to inspire community action; to transform lands, buildings and lifestyles to be green and more engaged with local food systems. Work With Faith Based Organizations To Change Behavior - Use ritual and practice to deal with impacts of climate change to people's mental health, climate anxiety. - Use teachings and moral education to galvanize change in behavior to be more environmentally friendly, aligning ethical and values based approaches with a just transition towards healthier and more sustainable local food systems. Create Food Sovereignty and Independence - Empower the local bycrafting regulations and focus development funds towards small holder farmers and community development projects. - Build movements detached from global food systems so that there is local resilience. - Improve community based food systems that are able to feed those in need and produce locally to supplement global food supplies. Include Local Communities In Policymaking - Communities being impacted by policy decisions must be at the table where policy is being written and decided. -Policymakers must ensure that every plan created prioritizes access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food. Strengthen Accountability - There must be regulations on governments and agro-corporations to make food systems secure and just. - Strengthen oversight over the entire value chain to mitigate waste, pollution, corruption, etc - Improve community and industry education to train towards regenerative practices and bicultural foods systems. - Institute regulations on agro-corporations to mandate climate mitigating practices and resilience building in their value chain to account for the environmental, social, and economic implications of our food systems. Read less

End Extractive Food Practices -Commodification of food systems dehumanizes the food system. We must get back to a food system that services people, that lives within planetary boundaries, and ensures access to healthy food for all people. -Our food systems need to be reoriented towards a zero hunger, universal access to food model no driven by profits Increased study needs to be give to look at the environmental, economic, and social implications of our food systems so that they can be tailored towards access and equity -Commodified, globalized food systems create conditions of demand for anim... Read moreal proteins, which is directly tied to the deforestation of the Bolivian Amazon. In order to live within the planet's boundaries we must augment and regulate demands placed on our food systems. -The intrusion of processed and ultra-processed foods into emerging markets disrupts local food economies and ecosystems while simultaneously driving unhealthy diets and a proliferation of NCDs. -Globalization has disrupted the lives of people, what they grow, and what they eat. Food as a commodity automatically devalues its worth and removes cultural traditions that respected and honored food grown by and for the community Read less

Community Models for Change -Collaboration, conversation, and trade-offs must enter every level of our actions, from the cattle ranchers to the personal work we do with the land, as it all has an impact on the environment and on our food systems. -Create a sense of community by working together while cooking together creating a complex web of community connections and trust of each other. -Communities need to know and be part of writing policies that impact them. -Utilizing existing resources to create change within our communities. Leveraging what we have and collecting power together. -In pa... Read morestoral communities, women are key agents of change, meeting with other women, at markets, sharing expertise, seeds, and insights. Community models must include women in positions of power and expertise to create lasting and rippling waves of change. Read less

The main objective of convening the CSO-led independent food Systems Dialogues was to unearth challenges, actions and opportunities related to the food systems chain in Malawi, from the production side to the consumption side. The discussions from the dialogues are important in informing policymakers at every level of government as well as the UN food Systems Summit outcomes. These Independent Dialogues provided a forum for more people, who are otherwise unheard in the communities, to identify sustainable solutions that are locally based, locally-led and fully adaptable to the different contex... Read moret within Malawi to strengthen local and global food systems. The dialogue was a comprehensive exploration of the districts’ Food Systems along the five UN Food Systems action tracks and crosscutting levers of the UN Food Systems Summit. Participants conducted a thorough diagnosis of the food systems, including its functionality, major stakeholders, potentials, vulnerabilities, as well as opportunities for its transformation so that it can deliver high-quality diet that is affordable, healthy, nutritious, inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable; as well as able to meet the need of all actors of the food system. It placed particular emphasis on ways to increase agricultural production, proposing ways to facilitate investments in agricultural inputs, sustainable technologies, and extension services, leveraging the roles of each stakeholder in the district (Chiefs, Lead farmer, extension workers) to accelerate progress. Read less

The districts recognize the need to rebuild and strengthen food systems driven by radical thinking, smart partnerships, backed by strong political will and courage to advance the food systems transformation need of the districts. The suggested steps were food diversification with a particular focus on drought resistance varieties, adoption of Agri technologies that increase productivity with less impact on climate, support and promotion of Agri extension workers to reach farmers with new skills and models, the role of agro-dealers in local markets, reduction of tax for Agri inputs, promotion o... Read moref livestock farming in drought-affected regions and the use of farmers cooperatives if commercial farming in not exploited. The challenges that were observed are, limited agriculture extension workers, climate change, outbreaks of pest and diseases, high prices of inputs and poor markets for buying and selling produce. Participant envisaged a food system that will be development focused that prioritizes healthy diets and affordable nutrition that is inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable while working for everyone, especially the government. To achieve this Potential opportunities identified were the availability of fertile land in many parts of the districts, availability of local CSO to offer advocacy support and bridging the gap between farmers and governments, availability of farmers groups that are working through cooperatives and accessibility of indigenous knowledge on pests and droughts passed from generation to generation Read less

Each district had a total of 4 breakout sessions. The groups discussed key food systems issues affecting their livelihoods and propose solutions to barriers that have identified. These recommendations will be shared and discuss in the plenary session which will be moderated by the facilitator. Two groups focused on one topic and these were; 1) How to maintain a vibrant food system amidst climate and COVID-19 Challenges and 2) To promote community food accessibility and sustained mechanisms for preservations. Key actions for discussion topic 1 were the promotion of farmers village saving loans ... Read moreduring a crisis like COVI-19, enhancing food preservation like mangoes and fruits, reducing food wastage, promotion information sharing and collaboration and use of technologies, Strengthening agricultural extension services, improve roads networks and irrigation. The outcomes for discussion topic 2 were increased farming cooperatives to share knowledge on preservation, tree planting to protect soil and water, planting bananas along with water reservoirs, NGO and government to invest in training farmers about preservation and management of farmland, promote sustainable prices that can benefit farmers to sell producing should promote technology farming and innovation, farmers access to loans, agro dealer should provide new varieties in time and more awareness on food preservation. All discussion groups envision that by Read less

The National Independent Dialogue on Food Systems Summit mainly focused on identifying priority issues from the solution clusters of the action tracks which are well-matched for the context of our country and to share any additional recommendation for the improvement of the overall food system. By organizing this Dialogue also was given a chance to participants to deliver their voice and share their thoughts on improving food systems from local to the national level in a country, more importantly, encouraged them that they will play the main role in order to the success of Summit and to reach ... Read moreall goals of SDGs. Read less

• Strengthening small scale farmers and primary producers • Establish cold chain and use natural energy for cellars • Promote quality competition for the introduction of a classification system • Food cluster development • Creating sustainable food consumption • Improving consumers’ knowledge • Promote youth and women decent employment and income in the crop and livestock value chains • Reconsider the network system of food safety laboratories in the import of food products which directly related to food sovereignty. Also, it is very important to take issues of food safety la... Read moreboratories to the next level at the national and regional levels in case of the export of food that can meet international standards • Introduce good agricultural practices • Provide knowledge on food waste and establish waste processing plants in every region • Protect groundwater • Technological innovation to increase the output of farming • Improving the quality of livestock breeds and developing intensive livestock • Protect pastureland • Conduct soil monitoring and evaluation, and develop a database • Commodity management and soil nutrient balance calculation • For small scale farmers, to develop a model to increase productivity and reduce costs Read less

Group 1: Action Track 1: Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all • Strengthening small scale farmers and primary producers • Establish cold chain and use natural energy for cellars • Food cluster development • Creating sustainable food consumption • Improving consumers’ knowledge • Reconsider the network system of food safety laboratories in the import of food products which directly related to food sovereignty. Also, it is very important to take issues of food safety laboratories to the next level at the national and regional levels in case of the export of food that c... Read morean meet international standards • Improve food control system • Implement a national policy to support primary small scall farmers in providing nutritious food • Focus on the implementation of approved programs related to food Group 2: Action Track 2 and 3: Shift to sustainable consumption patterns and Boost nature-positive production • Introduce good agricultural practices • Promote organic farming • Provide knowledge on food waste and establish waste processing plants in every region • Protect groundwater • Technological innovation to increase the output of farming • Improving the quality of livestock breeds and developing intensive livestock • Protect pastureland • Conduct soil monitoring and evaluation, and develop a database • Commodity management and soil nutrient balance calculation Group 3: Action Track 4 and 5: Advance equitable livelihoods and Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress • For small scale farmers, to develop a model to increase productivity and reduce costs • Promote youth and women decent employment and income in the crop and livestock value chains • Promote organic farming • Improve farmers’ social protection scheme • Integrated cultivation policy, especially in the vegetable sector • Support building competitive Mongolian food brands that meet national and international quality/food safety standards • Local communities and local decision-makers are capacitated to apply sustainable management and restoration of productive landscapes • Promote community and ecosystem-based disaster risk management and climate change mitigation and adaptation Read less

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The UN Environment Programme estimates that 931 million tonnes of food waste were generated in 2019, 61% of which came from households, 26% from foodservice and 13% from retail. That means that as much as 17% of total global food production is never consumed. Household per capita food waste generation is found to be broadly similar across country income groups, suggesting that actions to tackle food waste are equally relevant in higher, upper and lower-middle-income countries. The lack of education in this field generates confusion among consumers regarding recycling and resource circulation c... Read moreoncepts. Other impacts on sustainability derive from agricultural production systems, causing deforestation, pollution, contamination and loss of biodiversity. Innovation also plays an essential role in the AgriFood production chain, bringing new solutions to sustainability from farming to restaurants and consumers' homes. Education and innovation are the keys to building a resource circulating society. This independent dialogue aimed to inspire solutions oriented to grow awareness, modify consumers’ behavior and propose new practices for a transition to a more sustainable production and consumption. Dots between Brazil, South Korea and Switzerland were connected by sharing current initiatives and discussing how they could vehicle the transformation in different cultural and social contexts. Our dialogue focused on topics of high importance for our network, whose goal is to establish cooperation in education, research and innovation between Switzerland the world. ● Collaborative approach: The power of collaboration across the Private Sector, Government, Media and NGOs is key to systematically addressing this issue, creating shared value and convincing stakeholders that they can be part of this change. What are the current status and leading sectors in the specific countries? ● Current initiatives: what are the current initiatives in place at the interface between sectors? How to shift consumers’ behavior, market and industry practices and transform initiatives from exception to standard at local level? ● Cross-borders approach: food waste prevention and reduction is an issue to be tackled by joining forces worldwide. Initiatives aimed at reaching this goal are effective if independent or adaptable to geolocations and wealth conditions. What is still missing? How to build this bridge? ● Role of technology: when does technology start playing a fundamental role? Can innovative food provide viable alternatives to industry standards? How can it be involved in the education of consumers considering different age ranges, cultural background, accessibility, etc? Read less

Speakers and participants agreed that steady public policies are essential to support a successful transformation of food systems while providing food security. Different actors should think together and provide solutions that can tackle the challenges of a complex system. Governments, academia, private sector and civil society should take actions together to reduce CO2 emissions, reduce food waste, secure access to healthy food, preserve biodiversity, water and make production more sustainable. Food waste was one of the main discussion topics and it can be addressed by education campaigns or ... Read morethe use of new technologies. In South Korea, education promotion to change consumer’s behaviour has been successful in reducing food waste, also involving a new approach in restaurants. New technologies have been used to monitor and change user behaviour. In Brazil, it’s necessary to implement better monitoring solutions and foster research to generate reliable data and indicators. The country also faces a paradox: while it’s one of the biggest food producers in the world, food insecurity has been increasing again in the last years, after a period of successful public policies to reduce hunger. Switzerland is investing resources to implement solutions developed in the labs. Partnerships between universities and the industry aim at reducing food waste, combating obesity and improving crops, based on international cooperation through a growthing network of specialists. Potential solutions also include plant-based proteins, certifications, alternatives to packaging, recycling and consumer trust building. The efficiency increase of food production must take into account social aspects. Small-scale production, when combined with innovative technologies, may provide positive impact on the quality of food and sustainability. Read less