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This Dialogue focused on offering a space for a wide array of participants to become more familiar with the centrality of agri-food systems and the importance of their transformation in contributing to an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework. It aimed at shedding light on the convergence between agri-food systems and biodiversity agendas, and highlighted the role of a mutually-beneficial dialogue between both sectors, supporting informal conversations between negotiators, stakeholders and experts. The online session was divided in two sequences. The first one was focused on (1) in... Read moretroducing a state-of- play as to recent reports, initiatives and discussions on fostering mutually supportive goals and agendas within agri-food systems and biodiversity communities and (2) providing an overview of enablers for aligned ambitions and implementation, taking into account the contributions by all levels of government and all stakeholders. The second part highlighted opportunities and challenges to move this agenda forward, as well as triggers for transformative change. Read less

From the discussion, various conclusions emerged, pointing towards a need to establish closer coordination and mutual support between the biodiversity and food systems communities, to reach all their objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals. It showed that the co-benefits arising from the sustainable use of biodiversity were key to ensuring food quality, access to nutrition and livelihoods, while also being a cornerstone to a nature-positive, carbon-neutral and equitable future. More particularly, participants suggested the need to: - Further enhance convergence and cooperation, and ta... Read moreke a holistic approach to food, nutrition and nature; - Create science-based, actionable knowledge that can be applied both in the environmental and food production and consumption sector (metrics, models, levers, science-policy interface), using existing, traditional and new tools. - Support multi-level and multi-governance intervention, and win-win development programmes, from a common understading of the drivers of negative change, and the opportunities for positive action; - Foster positive financial flows, and tackle environmentally harmful subsidies, to direct resources towards nature- and food-positive activities; - Promote a paradigm shift by coming together beyond egos, interests and sectors for an equitable future un harmony with Nature Read less

Diseñar políticas públicas que promuevan las compras públicas a la agricultura familiar, fortalezcan el Tejido social y la cohesión comunitaria, otorguen financiamiento viable para los pequeños productores, estén dirigidas a la productividad y no solo a la sobrevivencia de los productores/as.

Diseñar políticas públicas dirigidas a vincular a los productores con los consumidores disminuyendo la brecha a través de la organización y formación de colectivos (cooperativas), además de generar un marco legal específico para desarrollar las capacidades de los productores e incrementar su producción. Llevar a cabo campañas de comunicación para conocer a productores y sus necesidades para poder establecerse en espacios físicos focalizados como exhibidores o haciendo uso de espacios existentes (mercados, restaurantes, tiendas, etc.)

Diseñar Políticas Públicas a partir de las alianzas entre el sector rural, académico y gubernamental que impulsen el uso de tecnologías innovadoras y una producción socialmente sustentable. Mejorar la transferencia tecnológica al campo para incrementar la capacidad de producción, almacenamiento de los alimentos. Así mismo, es necesario regular las producciones y procesos en la industria alimentaria a través de sanciones o medidas para fomentar el cambio en la producción de alimentos por parte de las industrias

Implementación de políticas públicas locales en materia de agricultura con perspectiva de género, generando espacios entre mujeres donde puedan compartir saberes para que ellas mismas se reconozcan como fundamentales en la producción alimentaria, se capaciten y tengan acceso a tecnologías de transformación alimentaria.

Las mesas de trabajo se llevaron a cabo con un gran nivel de discusión y puntos de vista sobre los temas planteados, no encontramos grandes áreas de divergencia, por el contrario, hubo consenso en la mayoría de las conclusiones. En general las divergencias encontradas fueron sobre cómo dar un enfoque más social a las acciones y políticas públicas para mejorar los sistemas alimentarios locales. Cómo la heterogeneidad del territorio y de las condiciones de las y los campesinos complican el diseño de acciones y políticas para su atención. Cómo atender los problemas de forma específic... Read morea o ver el problema de forma sistémico. Cómo el sistema alimentario es un reflejo de las disparidades existentes en el sistema social o solo consecuencia de acciones en la política pública. Read less

Nuestro segundo diálogo lleva el nombre de “Hacia la sostenibilidad de los Sistemas Alimentarios locales y el diseño de políticas públicas en México” e intenta analizar cómo podemos impulsar acciones sostenibles e inclusivas que aminoren los problemas identificados en cada una de las cinco vías de acción planteadas dentro del primer Diálogo. En este sentido, se busca encontrar acciones, mecanismos y políticas públicas que mejoren los sistemas alimentarios locales en beneficio de la población más vulnerable en nuestro país. Los temas con los que esperamos abordar y discutir so... Read moreluciones viables y sostenibles son: 1) Educación sobre alimentos nutritivos y salud. 2) Las y los campesinos y productores de alimentos como eslabón fundamental de los sistemas alimentarios. 3) La oferta, demanda y distribución de alimentos locales. 4) Los procesos de innovación en la producción de alimentos 5) Diversidad y perspectiva de género en los sistemas alimentos. Read less

En la mesa 1 “Educación sobre alimentos nutritivos y salud” se plantearon como principales acciones sostenibles que permiten aminorar el desconocimiento sobre visión integral y multifactorial de los sistemas alimentarios, la falta de accesibilidad al conocimiento holístico, la desconexión, descontextualización y trastornos alimenticios y el deterioro ambiental, las siguientes: Colaborar desde la horizontalidad para generar espacios de escucha activa, afectiva y efectiva con las niñeces, las juventudes, las mujeres, los hombres y adultos mayores para mejorar los hábitos de consumo; d... Read moreifundir la importancia de adoptar modelos de alimentación sostenible tanto en medios de educación formal como informal, en medios de comunicación pública, recomendaciones institucionales de salud pública etc.; realizar cambios en los contextos que promuevan el acceso y deseo a otros modelos de alimentación (desde lo que se muestra en publicidad hasta las alternativas en mercados, comercios, restaurantes etc.), atendiendo a la ética, el arte y la dimensión emocional como elementos clave para promover otros modelos de alimentación justa y sostenible; promover la reflexión bioética que concientice sobre los impactos de los patrones alimentarios actuales, con especial énfasis en la crítica al antropocentrismo. En la mesa 2 “Los campesinos y productores de alimentos como eslabón fundamental de los sistemas alimentarios”, se proyectaron como principales acciones sostenibles que permiten aminorar el problema estructural de los sistemas de producción y consumo (la producción con un objetivo económico dejando del lado el objetivo social), las siguientes: diseñar políticas que promuevan las compras públicas a la agricultura familiar, así como la creación de políticas públicas dirigidas a la productividad y no solo a la sobrevivencia de los productores/as; mejorar el financiamiento al sector agrícola, disminuyendo las tasas de interés; Incluir a las y los campesinos en los marcos internacionales que les competen e impactan; En la mesa 3 “La oferta, demanda y distribución de alimentos locales”, se identificaron como principales acciones sostenibles que permiten aminorar la falta de espacios adecuados en cantidad y características para vender productos agrícolas locales, las siguientes: crear colectivos (cooperativas) de pequeños productores; generar un catálogo de proveedores (fechas, ubicaciones, datos) para poder contactar a los productores; promover acciones de responsabilidad social encaminadas hacia el consumo de productos locales; crear iniciativas de ley para que las cadenas comerciales tengan un % mínimo de producciones locales y sostenibles; desarrollar una plataforma digital para vincular a los productores con los consumidores y así evitar intermediarios; crear y fomentar los mercados alternativos. En la mesa 4 “Los procesos de innovación en la producción de alimentos”, se expusieron como principales acciones sostenibles que permiten aminorar la falta de innovación adaptada a las necesidades específicas locales de los pueblos y regiones de México y que se traducen en la ausencia de alimentos locales nutritivos y de calidad, las siguientes: aumentar la capacidad productiva agrícola de zonas urbanas y/o rurales mediante un sistema de cultivo altamente eficiente y libre de agroquímicos; operar un sistema de producción agroalimentaria adaptable a cualquier zona geográfica que permita obtener productos agroalimentarios inocuos con la más alta calidad nutricional; hacer uso de tecnologías innovadoras y una producción socialmente sustentable; reformular la producción de alimentos con base a normativas implementadas a nivel nacional. Y finalmente, en la mesa 5 “Diversidad y perspectiva de género en los sistemas alimentarios”, se encontraron como principales acciones sostenibles que permiten aminorar que la producción agrícola comercial sea una tarea principalmente masculina debido a que no se reconocen debidamente las aportaciones de las mujeres en la producción, alimentación y nutrición y no se cree en el potencial/capacidad de las mujeres de producir alimentos de calidad, y a que tienen mucho menos acceso que los hombres a la propiedad de la tierra, las siguientes: Implementar políticas públicas locales en materia de agricultura con perspectiva de género; Realizar conversatorios entre mujeres con el objetivo de compartir saberes para que ellas mismas se reconozcan como fundamentales en la producción alimentaria; Capacitar y brindar acceso a tecnologías de transformación alimentaria enfocado a mujeres; Diseñar e implementar programas de apoyo financiero para mujeres productoras; Involucrar a las instituciones educativas en los talleres y capacitaciones (respetando la cultura de cada comunidad); Impulsar el acompañamiento comunitario: nuevas formas de convivencia desde las escuelas, brindar herramientas a las escuelas para la resolución de conflictos, enseñar otras formas de relacionarse, un enfoque y perspectiva de género; y reforzar los derechos de las mujeres y niñas con el objetivo de reducir las desigualdades existentes en el campo. 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Impulsar políticas públicas en seguridad alimentaria que tomen en cuenta los contextos y diferencias culturales, así como las relaciones de poder y desigualdades a transformar, no solo entre humanos (por clase, raza, género etc.) sino también hacia actores no humanos como los animales de otras especies que padecen de la discriminación y opresión especifica. Así mismo, se necesitan políticas públicas que difundan la importancia de adoptar modelos de alimentación sostenible tanto en medios de educación formal como informal, en medios de comunicación pública, recomendaciones institu... Read morecionales de salud pública etc. Pero a su vez que se realicen cambios en los contextos que promuevan el acceso y deseo a otros modelos de alimentación (desde lo que se muestra en publicidad hasta las alternativas en mercados, comercios, restaurantes etc.), atendiendo a la ética, el arte y la dimensión emocional como elementos clave para promover otros modelos de alimentación justa y sostenible. Read less

urgent action education at every level from schools to communities to businesses focus on addressing food waste and creating circularity through composting systems within the city facilitation of growing in the city primarily through urban planning and integration into developments looking at financial levers sustainability including carbon and packaging nurturing a greater connection between local producers and the city the need for a systemic approach and a recognition of the multiple levels involved throughout, from individual behavior to population level, from the role of communities to th... Read moree role of local and national governments, as well as mention of international activity multiple factors at play working in synergy and that actions and solutions were interdependent requires effort from multiple partners across every sector clear call for leadership and coordination, recognizing the roll that government has to play in facilitating and financing interventions. Roles of organisations and individuals: facility sharing sharing of expertise cross sector engagement essentially, a more joined up collaborative approach a shifting of mindsets and an establishment of a new norm. Time scales: impatience of those passionate about transformation was clear a time frame of 10 years and three years, many commented that this was not soon enough frustration that there was not support for existing initiatives and focus on scaling up their good work, and in some cases a sense of powerlessness to drive the change needed. Read less

The title of our dialogue was 'How do we co-create a city with healthy citizens, a healthy food economy and a healthy environment?' We focused primarily on Action Track 2: Shift to healthy and sustainable consumption patterns We aimed to explore the holistic nature of our city food system. In our introductory session our speaker framed the issue with the following narrative, aiming to highlight the broad and inter-dependent definitions of 'healthy' and 'sustainable': What is a healthy food system? Healthy is not just about physical health, but the health of our environment, our communities and... Read more our economy. The pandemic has thrown issues of access, health and supply into the spotlight. Showing strengths and weaknesses. A lot of conversation around food in Birmingham is about health and access. We also have a climate and ecological emergency. What is a sustainable food system? Sustainability is not just about environment sustainability, but about sustaining our health, our communities and our economy. Furthermore, our health and the future of our businesses depend on a functioning environment – climate, soil, pollinators etc. Health and sustainability are hand in hand. We can’t have one without the other. We live in a world of interconnectivity and we can’t solve any of these issues in isolation. We need to work together and to do this we need to understand where we are all coming from. We are bringing together citizens, farmers, business owners, local policy makers and more. In our breakout groups we discussed the following questions, before consolidating the conversations around the 3 questions on the facilitator feedback sheets: Thinking about both yourself and the sector or groups you are representing today, what are your priorities for change in the city? What can you do and what do you need other groups to do to help you achieve these goals? Does sustainability feel relevant to you? If not, why not? What do you think could change this? If yes, why? Read less

How can gene editing help ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all in low- and middle-income countries? Genome editing can help those working to improve nutritional security in low- and middle-income countries through research into and development of more nutritious and healthy staples. In addition to developing healthier fruits and vegetables through genome editing, it’s important to also improve staple crops, which tend to comprise the bulk of the diets eaten in low- and middle-income countries. Additionally, the agricultural sectors in most low- and middle-income countries are ce... Read morentered around the production of staples. While it’s true that even in rural communities, most of the food consumed is bought, it is important to consider that much of what is produced is also consumed by those who produce it. Such is the case in the Philippines, where the cost of a nutritious diet can be lowered by a third or a half if people are able to produce their own food. And if they produce enough to sell the extra, then the cost of a nutritious diet is reduced even more. So, one clear value of genome editing is supporting the development of healthier staples in low- and middle-income countries. Ultimately, the prioritization of genome-edited crops depends very much on the country context, weather considerations, and other factors. For countries like the Philippines, discussants considered it important to start with genome-edited staples like rice and corn, which are widely consumed by the population. Read less

How can we keep genome editing technology available and give innovation a chance to help us achieve nutritional security? Genome editing is an efficiency-increasing technology that has the potential to boost nature-positive production. We have a huge opportunity to apply genome editing technology to the genetic information about crops accumulated to date. Currently, we can determine the genome sequence of any crop, whereas ten years ago only a big corporations and institutions could access this information. Today, these sequences are relatively inexpensive and widely accessible, speaking to th... Read moree ability of genome editing to democratize the process of plant breeding. Now that smaller institutions and companies are widely using the tools of genome editing, it will remain accessible and foster innovation in nutritional security. Now, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, low- and middle-income countries have ramped up their capacities in molecular biology, thus expanding their ability to employ the tools of genome editing. Scientists may not be currently engaged in genome editing, but they have the basic equipment and manpower to do so. With a little more training, it will be possible for low- and middle-income countries to perform genome editing and apply these innovations to their country-specific challenges of providing safe and nutritious food for all. Discussants agreed it is important to take a context-specific approach to all activities launched to address the key issues of trust, desire, and access. It is imperative that all local experts, and not just scientists, participate in determining how to meet their nation’s unique needs and the role that genome editing can play in addressing these challenges. We have a tremendous opportunity to get it right and use genome editing to address the global challenges of nutritional insecurity. Further, the needs of the people, not economic gain or profit motivations, should guide research priorities to meet the basic human right to safe and nutritious food. Read less

One area of divergence is that some participants think genome editing research should begin with fruits and vegetables, while others support an initial emphasis on staple crops. Both are important. However, the approach should be determined by country-specific context. Participants from Nigeria said that since genome editing has the potential to produce crops that are nitrogen use-efficient and higher yielding, research should begin speedily in those areas. In Nigeria, linking production to nutrition is key because many people suffer from food scarcity and malnutrition. So, if genome editing c... Read morean enhance Nigeria’s crops and overall production, while fortifying foods with additional nutrients, then research and production should focus on crops that Nigerians consume. For instance, many Nigerians make a meal only of sweet potato. Their overall nutrition could be improved, and stunting reduced, if genome editing is used to fortify sweet potatoes with protein and/or vitamins. Participants from the Philippines noted that genome editing could be useful in improving the nutrient content of rice. The IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) is trying to ascertain the nutritional benefits that can be derived from rice varieties available in its gene bank. With genome editing, these new beneficial rice varieties could reach farmers and consumers much faster. Participants commented that malnutrition is a pervasive problem in the Philippines and while existing interventions exist, we need additional tools to improve the health of Filipinos. They stated their belief in the value of working together to improve the nutritional status of those at risk. Genome editing has the potential to improve the nutritional value of food crops that can be made available and accessible to many in a sustainable way, some participants said. Participants from Guatemala commented that record numbers of subsistence farming families are going hungry in their country. Health officials registered more than 15,300 cases of acute malnutrition in children under age five last year – up nearly 24% from 2018. It’s the highest number of acute malnutrition cases since 2015, when a severe drought destroyed harvests across Central America. In Central America, genome editing might be the banana’s only hope against a deadly fungus. Researchers are using the tool to naturally boost the fruit’s defenses and prevent the extinction of a major commercial variety. However, in terms of supporting nutritional security, participants commented that researchers should focus on staple foods like corn. Participants from the US wanted genome editing to focus on convenience and quality in fruits and vegetables, including pit-less cherries and non-browning apple. They noted the need to boost consumption of fruits and vegetables in the US to keep the population healthy, hence the push to prioritize those crops. Participants from Mexico commented that genome editing, coupled with traditional knowledge, can help strengthen native corn varieties (landraces) and their ability to adaptat to climate change, while reducing the nation’s dependence on corn imports. The indigenous people of Mexico have provided the guiding principles for research that can improve traditional varieties. They worked tirelessly to harness the power of nature to ensure the prosperity of their communities and Mexicans are proud to see modern scientists follow in their footsteps. Participants from Ghana wanted genome editing research to focus on popular crops like sweet potato. It is estimated that thousands of children in Ghana and Africa go blind every year due to vitamin A deficiency, making it the world’s leading preventable cause of childhood blindness. Some 50% of the afflicted children die within a year of losing their sight. Respiratory illnesses and infectious and diarrheal diseases in children also have been linked to vitamin A deficiency. Participants from Ghana noted that if sweet potato is improved with increased beta carotene (a precursor for vitamin A) content, it will help save the lives of millions of children. Another area of divergence was on how the technology should be introduced in various countries. Some participants noted that genome editing will succeed when introduced in large parts of the developing world and most countries. Others opined that genome editing will have only limited impacts on efforts to ensure access to healthy foods unless other socioeconomic and political issues are simultaneously resolved. Read less

What needs to happen for genome editing to ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all? Genome editing is a process that borrows Nature’s tools. By following Nature's lead, we can empower farmers to feed their communities. However, enhanced nutrition is often the least important reason motivating food choices; people generally take a long list of other considerations into account, including cost, availability, cultural issues, impacts on nature, etc. Experiences in the summit action tracks shows that bold actions, which could be clustered under the three headings of a) desire; b) trust... Read more and c) access, are needed to confer gene editing with the social license to successfully integrate into the world’s food supply. In terms of desire, there is a need to communicate how consumers can benefit from genome editing, such as highlighting how these tools can produce fruits and vegetables with better taste, more stability, longer shelf life, lower price, etc. Consumers must want these products if they are to be successful. While farmer buy-in is critical to the widespread adoption of the technology, consumer acceptance is equally important. So, we must meet consumers where they are and communicate how this technology is linked to health and nutrition, as well as environmental benefits. Consumer desire is critical. In terms of trust, based on observations of the food systems processes, many people are positively influenced by genome editing’s potential to reduce agriculture’s environmental footprint. They want to be assured that genome editing can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote biodiversity, improve the nitrogen-carbon-phosphorous cycles, take the pressure off expanding into wild lands, reduce water and energy use, and empower smallholder farmers and local food systems. Showing how genome editing can address these issues will help drive widespread social acceptance. There is a particular need to communicate how gene-edited foods are nature-positive. It is important to highlight how gene editing is essentially speeding up a natural process. In terms of language, the term “nutritionally-dense crops” or similar language appears to resonate more effectively with consumers than “biofortified crops.” In terms of access, it is important to address the issue of intellectually property. Seeds must be affordable to smallholder farmers and for small- and medium-sized enterprises, as they are the backbone of global food systems. In low- and middle-income homes, much of the food consumed is purchased, according to World Bank data. Low- and middle-income homes buy at least two-thirds of what they eat. If they are purchasing food, they are interacting with small- and medium-sized enterprises in the value chain. Those are being supplied with food by small- and medium-sized producers. To support this existing system, the products produced through genome editing must be accessible to small- and medium-sized enterprises, producers, marketers, distributers, suppliers, cold storage operators and others across the food value chain. Moreover, public-private models of operation should be encouraged wherever possible, so long as they are well-designed, governed justly, and acting in the interest of the public good. It is also advisable to work with the United Nations and its programs. For example, the World Food Program could be a great incentive for the advancement of genome editing because it is already procuring biofortified foods. While private sector and industry participation is good, public–private partnerships tend to work better. Read less

The major focus of our Dialogue, “What Role Will Gene Edited Foods Play in Addressing Nutritional Insecurity?” was an exploration of action track one, which addresses “ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all” and how to achieve this goal through innovation as a lever of change. The Dialogue explored how to use innovations in crop and livestock breeding, such as CRISPR/Cas9 and other genome editing techniques, in ways that can add value to every process and person involved in growing, processing, and consuming food. Discussants presented and commented on the potential of gen... Read moreome editing and then looked at gaps and new approaches in the use of the technology to help us achieve SDG’s Target 2.1 and 2.2; “Safe and universal access to safe and nutritious food” and “End all forms of malnutrition,” respectively, in accordance with the general targets of action track one. Discussants also recognized that while genome editing and other new plant breeding technologies are an important component of food systems, there are many other aspects of food production and distribution, which must all work together to provide nutritional security. Nutritional insecurity is a pressing topic around the globe. Some nations struggle with widespread lack of access to nutritious foods and related hunger, while other nations are facing significant challenges related to increasing levels of obesity due to diets high in fats, sugars, and processed carbohydrates. Data from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) show that 1 out of every 3 people in the world suffer from some type of malnutrition. An estimated 821 million people are unable to access enough calories to avoid chronic hunger. About 2 billion people globally do not consume enough of the vitamins and minerals they need to grow healthily. It is estimated that 1 out of every in 5 deaths globally are linked to poor diets. Every year, about 11% of the gross domestic product in Africa and Asia is lost to malnutrition. Also, overweight and obesity affect 2 billion people globally and the numbers are rising in virtually every country in the world. The reason we need genome editing is because 3 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet, according to the United Nations State of Food Insecurity Report, and 1.5 billion cannot afford a diet that is minimally nutritious. Genome editing eliminates the randomness of breeding, making rapid advances in plant breeding possible. For example, it would take more than 100 years to develop pit-less cherries through traditional breeding, but less than five years with genome editing. A lot of ongoing research could be scaled up to make these rapid advancements a reality. For example, IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) is trying to ascertain the nutritional benefits that can be derived from rice varieties that are available in the gene bank. This research could help make the nutritional benefits of genome editing reach the general population sooner. The upcoming Summit’s goal is to produce concrete measures on how to deal with food and nutritional insecurity. Accordingly, it should be ready to acknowledge genome editing technology as one of the tools that can help improve agriculture. The Food Systems Summit is an opportunity for us all to voice the belief that genome editing has great potential to benefit the world, and Africa in particular. We can link production to nutrition because food scarcity typically contributes to malnutrition. Genome editing has the potential to produce crops that are nitrogen use-efficient, more successful at photosynthesis, climate-resilient, resistant to insect pests and plant diseases, more nutritionally robust, and higher-yielding. We need to assess and develop concrete actions to harness the power of the technology to help us ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all. Read less

The potential seems limitless for what can be done to improve nutritional security using genome editing and CRISPR. Genome editing is an emerging technology that gives geneticists power in to take specific actions within the genome. It is an area of work that has the potential to deliver wide-ranging positive change beyond its immediate focus. It can be used to create healthier diets by boosting nutrient content, improve or ensure consistent flavor in fruits and vegetables, and remove seeds and pits, making healthy food more convenient and nutritious to eat. This technology can also be used fo... Read morer climate resilience by rapidly adapting crops to changing environments and increasing carbon sequestration. The technology can also benefit the agricultural value chain by extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, reducing food waste, and adapting varieties to enable year-round production and thus increase availability in all our food systems. It can also enable safer working conditions by helping breed to crops that can be picked and processed more easily. Genome editing has important applications in fruits, vegetables, pulses, and whole grains, which are the foundation of nutritious diet. People in all countries do not consume enough of these foods, which can help to mitigate micronutrient deficiencies, non-communicable diseases, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Though these foods are potentially very affordable for everyone, they face challenges in terms of extended storage, wastage, palatability, and multi-season availability. Genome editing can improve crops to extend their shelf life, enable year-round production, and adapt to changing environments, among other benefits. Genome editing can arguably be used to improve the foods that people in all countries consume as part of a healthy diet. Overall, genome editing offers an accelerated pathway to more nutritious, safer, tastier, and more affordable fruits, vegetables, pulses, and grains. It’s going to take brave, bold, activist government actions for genome editing to reach its potential. Specifically, these actions should address the delays that hamper research progress and product development, such as an excessively stringent regulatory environment. Actions that promote science-based regulatory processes will support research and development of biofortified products. A regulatory environment that creates undue hurdles for biofortified products has impeded research on products that could really help deal with nutritional insecurity, such as a nutrient-dense eggplant. We need to act with urgency to remove regulatory barriers hindering the development of genome-edited crops. If we fail to support genome editing and instead rely upon conventional breeding, it will take us many more years to improve the nutritional value of our crops. Genome editing can ensure that healthy foods quickly reach consumers. Further, to allow genome editing to fulfill its potential, we also need to strengthen institutions, policies, and processes. We need to foster accountability and transparency among all actors. We also need to look at priorities that are emerging from the national and independent dialogues. For example, a country may wish to prioritize doubling vegetable production over the next five years. We need to consider what genome editing can do to help them achieve this target. Countries are very pragmatic. They will do whatever it takes to make safe and nutritious food available to all their population. They don’t have the luxury of choosing to eat organic or not organic, GMO or non-GMO, genome-edited or non-genome-edited. Their choice is to eat or not eat. So, we need to show how genome editing can efficiently and effectively respond to the needs and priorities of nations across the globe. Read less

While it is not possible to cover all points raised in the rich discussion, it is important to highlight some of the salient topics that have particular relevance for the Caribbean Region. These include: 1. the importance of market integration and reaching the target of lowering the Region’s food import bill by 25 percent by 2025; 2. the recognition that most Members have limited land availability, ample marine resources and the need for greater productivity and income from green and blue economies; 3. the need for a societal shift to healthier diets through incentives, regulations and educa... Read moretion; and 4. the urgency of making a strategic pivot in transforming food value chains to become more sustainable, increase value addition and move up the production chain for job creation and higher incomes. All of these are underpinned by: 5. concerns about equity and special attention to the needs of the most vulnerable so that all have access to the resources needed for food security and healthy lives. The input provided under the Regional Dialogue’s Food Security Thematic Area dovetail very well with the first four Food System Summit Action Tracks. In addition to more general comments reflecting the need to accelerate progress towards meeting the targets of SDG 2 and other SDGs, the more regionally focused issues raised during the Dialogue can be grouped under five points of regional consensus mentioned above. Furthermore, the Caribbean is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events, with recurring tropical storms that cause enormous damage to Member States’ economies. With the increasing threat of even more severe impact due to climate change, CARICOM Members are acutely aware of increasing climate-related threats and are committed to the transformation to a low-carbon development pathway. Speakers at the Regional Dialogue highlighted how farmers and fishers in the Caribbean are struggling to overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 global health crisis, the related economic slowdown and unprecedented weather shocks. The Region must confront these risks, which threaten the development of crops, agricultural systems and food and nutrition security. There was a clear consensus that the Region must make its food systems climate resilient to ensure sustained supply of food to all its people. In addition, CARICOM Member States recognize their obligation to safeguard the unique terrestrial and marine environments of the Region. This in turn leads to the urgency of enhancing biodiversity, including the revitalization of traditional crops, linked to the objective of healthy diets discussed above. Finally, Caribbean Member States and regional organizations have long recognized the benefits of a transformed food system, including increased incomes and improved livelihoods, job creation and improvements in human and environmental health. Member States have also long advocated the need for fair and predictable access to financing to address the challenges and implement the necessary changes. Transforming the food system will require significantly greater public financing as well as private capital from national, regional and international partners. Participants recognized that at the national level, the negative spiral of increasing indebtedness related, in many cases, to the periodic economic damage caused by hurricanes and other natural disasters that can reach as high as twice the level of annual GDP. At the individual or enterprise level there continue to be very low levels of financing available at acceptable terms for small producers, disadvantaged groups, youth and women, which reinforces inequities and limits the entry of new investors. CARICOM Members acknowledged that unlocking greater investment in a more sustainable food system will require policy reform and public support to encourage investment in regional food production, including both agriculture and blue food, target healthy foods through incentives and regulation as well as the creation of new financing instruments that foster inclusive models of investment. Read less

1. The key points under the objective of market integration and reaching the target of lowering the Region’s food import bill by 25 percent by 2025 are as follows. There is a need to strengthen the food import substitution strategy, address transport and logistics issues across Caribbean states, remove non-tariff barriers for intra-regional trade and update trade legislation and regulations. Likewise, there is a need for increased systematic understanding and monitoring of national, regional and international market demand and increasing access to this information, including the implementati... Read moreon of an E-trade strategy for agriculture. 2. Under the heading of limited land availability, ample marine resources and the need for greater productivity and income from both, the following points were agreed. Greater investment is needed in technology development and innovation in fisheries, forestry and agriculture. This will include innovations in land and water management and the nexus with energy, the use of technology and emerging techniques to tackle issues of access to water (e.g., rainwater harvesting, aquaponics, hydroponics, climate smart greenhouses) and especially for small holder producers. Soil management improvement was highlighted by several speakers as was the opportunity to slash food loss and waste with multiple benefits for food security, the environment and incomes. Capacity development for using these technologies is necessary, including through appropriate communication and training channels, on approaches such as Good Agriculture Practices (GAP), Good Food Practices (GFP) and Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA). 3. Under the heading of the need to shift to healthier diets through incentives, regulations and education, the Prime Minister of Barbados stated that not all food is safe food and too much of the food that the population consumes cannot be considered as healthy eating. It is imperative that the Region set clear standards and policies that discourage importation of cheaper and less-healthy food options and promote the national and regional production and consumption of foods that go into a healthy diet. The Region will address obesity and constraints to reliable access to healthy diets by promoting home grown school feeding programmes to promote improved child nutrition. This is an example of needed incentives to buy locally and intra-regionally and to improve access to healthier foods grown locally, along with new educational and informational campaigns that promote healthy food consumption behaviours and practices. The actions will need to be matched with fiscal disincentives or other policies designed to reduce the production, importation and consumption of unhealthy foods. 4. With regard to the strategic pivot toward more sustainable blue and green food systems while increasing value addition, moving up the production chain for job creation and higher incomes, a number of policy and programmatic actions have been priortised by the Region through the new Agri-Food Strategy. These include fostering cooperation and collaboration involving all actors across the value chain and partnership with external support agencies, along with much greater investment in R&D and technology innovation, and strengthening institutional and regulatory frameworks that support innovation. It also requires efforts to promoting farming as a viable livelihood and income stream through the use of emerging techniques, identifying new markets and linked all this to a value chain approach. This will focus attention on new and emerging industries, including “blue foods”, strengthen linkages across value chain stakeholders and encourage new entrants to invest in the sector. Read less