Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

Some of the government representatives present held a view that they were implementing programs that were sufficient enough to address hunger in their cities. They shared some initiatives they were leading which aligned with what was shared by the speakers. However, this is contrary to the statistics that we shared at the beginning of the dialogue where 1/5 Filipinos in Metro manila are hungry.

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The major focus of the dialogue is on Food Loss and Waste (FLW) in lines with the national focus of China in regards to the Food System Summit and the International Conference on Food Waste and loss, to be organised later in 2021. Food systems touch every aspect of human existence and Food Loss and Waste (FLW) is identified as the focus of this joint webinar by the RBAs (FAO, WFP, and IFAD) and ESCAP-CSAM in China, for two-fold considerations: Firstly, out of the five Action Tracks (AT), FAO is the UN Anchor Agency of AT 1: Ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all; IFAD is for AT 4:... Read more Advancing equitable livelihoods and value distribution; WFP is for AT 5: Building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress. Reducing FLW through the whole value chain contributes to all these three ATs, as well as AT 2: Shifting to sustainable consumption patterns, and AT 3: Boosting nature-positive production at sufficient scale. Moreover, sustainable agricultural mechanization and related technologies, which are the focus of CSAM’s work, can offer key solutions to address FLW in support of all five ATs. Secondly: globally, around 14 percent of food produced is lost between harvest and retail. Significant quantities are also wasted in retail and at the consumption level. That is why, in 2019, the 74th United Nations General Assembly designated 29 September as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. In the context of China, this April, Chinese government adopted a law against food waste. Prior to this law, a "Clear Your Plate" campaign gained steam across the country. Therefore, reducing food loss and waste contributes to building pathways towards resilient, robust and sustainable food systems. The objective of the dialogue was to showcase experiences and exchange lessons learned from China’s domestic accomplishments as well as some international practices, with a specific focus on reducing FLW, which could be further upscaled in the context of the food waste law in China and in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The dialogue included deliberations to outline inputs and recommendations to inform the UN Food Systems Summit as well as the International Conference on Food Loss and Waste. Read less

Globally, around 14 percent of food produced is lost between harvest and retail. Reducing food loss and waste contributes to building pathways towards resilient, robust and sustainable food systems, aligned with target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals, halving per capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels by 2030, as well as reducing food losses and waste along the production and supply chains. Drawing upon practices and lessons learned from China’s domestic accomplishments as well as some international practices, this independent dialogue provided many illustrative exa... Read moremples of what it takes, in practical and innovative ways, to transform food systems at local and country levels to become more resilient. The effective and efficient implementation requires an enabling environment of governance mechanisms and technical innovations that facilitate consultation across sectors and all key stakeholders, such as Chinese governments, development financial institutions, private sectors, academia, grass-roots level farmers’ cooperatives, United Nations agencies, as well as scientific research institutions. Reducing food loss and waste in food systems requires systematic thinking and approaches, with additional policy attention to developing effective market systems, especially for perishables. The market access could be improved by supporting the formation through farmer groups, cooperatives, associations and link them to markets, encourage contractual farming and long-term contractual agreements between growers and processors. Improve infrastructure for roads, energy and markets especially in rural areas where most of the production occurs, is critical in facilitating the transformation of local food systems. China has established a legal and policy system to promote food saving from the government level. Major measures include cultivating consciousness for saving food, developing laws and regulations, as well as monitoring and evaluating the implementations. Innovative technologies, such as green grain storage technology, cleaning drying technology and equipment, as well as grain logistics technology, play a key role in post-harvest loss practices. The standardization and efficiency of field management could facilitate addressing the food loss in harvesting, which can be achieved by implementing quality standards for harvesting machinery, as well as operational norms for harvesting operations, planting and agronomic norms, with attention to promote land merging and appropriate grain varieties. Technological improvements in drying equipment could maintain moisture and nutrients of thermal-sensitive grains to minimizing deterioration and preserving higher economic value. Scaling up the availability of technologies, information and innovative solutions is significant to accelerating the transformation of food systems, while ensuring that possible trade-offs are minimized as a consequence of the transformative process. E-commerce could build a bridge between small farmers and consumers to reduce food loss in the process, transferring the demand from the consumer side to the production side to short the supply chain of agricultural products. Establishing the supply chain system suitable for fresh agricultural products could further improve the efficiency of agricultural products circulation and reduce food loss and waste. Based on digitalization, investment in the construction of cold storage, fresh cold chain logistics system and other related infrastructure nationwide will promote the development of transformative food system. Financial innovation and incentive mechanisms is one of the key actions in the food system to reduce food loss and facilitate the transformation of food system. With a loan system designed by policy banks to cover all segments of the food supply chain, a series of credit products could be harnessed to benefit small farmers and serve the whole industry of grains and oil in the processes of production, storage, purchase and sales, circulation, processing, supply etc. Within food systems, interaction is needed among smallholders and agribusinesses. Through collaboration with farmer cooperatives in the operations, local “grain banks” could prevent food losses and increase farmers’ income by providing storage, credit and exchange solutions of agricultural products. Machinery Professional Cooperative Association could empower member farmers to gain access to heavy agricultural machinery with multiple ways of reducing food loss at various stages of the production cycle and storage, as a lever in transformative change of food system. During the dialogue, all stakeholders stressed the importance of, and are commitment to, disseminating game-changing solutions centered around reducing food loss and waste; pioneering actions to facilitate the transformation of food system and enhance food security; increasing sustainability through the food value chains; and promoting the efficiency, inclusiveness and resilience of food systems within the context of SDGs. Read less

1: Reducing food loss in production, and processing Assistant Prof. Huang Jiaqi, Agricultural Information Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS): • Reducing FLW in food systems with systematic approaches from pre-harvest farm-level losses to post-harvest losses, where additional policy concerns are given to vegetables, fruits and the perishables wastes which accounting for 20-30% of total FLW, not merely the grain losses. 2. Mr. Zhang Chengzhi, National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (NAFRA) • Whole value chain approach for FLW reduction and increase of grai... Read moren production while aiming at carbon neutrality approach. • Develop anti-food loss regulations and rules to cultivate consciousness of saving food and supervise the implementation of laws from the government level. 3. Mr. Cao Guangqiao, Deputy Director General, Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs China • Implement harvesting machinery quality standards reducing waste, as well as operational norms for harvesting operations, planting and agronomic norms with attention to promote land merging and appropriate grain varieties for field management standardization and efficiency. • Strengthen professional qualification management for agricultural machinery operators, develop specialized and socialized service organizations and carry out regular technical exchanges and trainings, as well as provide weather warning notices, operation market conditions and other early warning information to farmers. 4. Mr. Liu Dan, Executive General Manager, Debont (Wuhu) Agricultural Machinery Co., Limited. • Promote energy-efficient drying equipment to maintain moisture and nutrients of thermal-sensitive grains to minimizing deterioration and preserving higher economic value. Read less

2: Reducing food loss and waste in supply chain Prof. Cao Baoming, Dean, Institute of Food Economics, Nanjing University of Finance & Economics Intangible Croplands from Sustainable Food Supply Chain • Cropland protection could well facilitate farmland development and food loss reduction virtually protects cropland resource. As one of key objectives of FSS, building Sustainable Food Supply Chain could contribute to the food loss reduction in supply chain as well as carbon emission reduction, which aims to achieve a sustainable food chain with resource efficient use upon less investment f... Read moreor ecological environment while producing quality and nutritious food. • The cooperation and engagement among international community, national governments, private sectors, and social organizations are critical for reducing food loss and waste. More efforts could be focused on 1. Enhancing food supply chain with efficient inputs 2. Building systemic technologies achieving food loss and waste reduction through food chain covering post-harvest, storage and warehousing, processing, transportation and distribution, and consuming section. 3. Strengthening advocacy for food loss and waste reduction (e.g. global initiative) with more active engagement of UN agencies, NGOs, and private sectors Mr. Shao Hui, General Manager, Food and Agriculture Department, Inspur Group ICT for sustainable supply chain: • Based on Cloud Computing, Cloud Services, Big Data, IoT and other digitalized tools with integration of information and communication technologies, packaged service aiming food loss and waste could benefit the whole food value chain. • The ICT-based toolkit remarkably improves the efficiency of grain purchasing and marketing to reduce the post-harvest loss, which provides space to attain digitalization, visualization, standardization of grain supply chain, traceability and reduce the risk of grain reserves management. • The smart grain warehouse management system enables surveillance, temperature control, nitrogen conditioning, risk monitoring and alarming to prolong grain shelf life, lower the management cost, and maintain grain quality in grain warehouse, so as to reduce the food loss and waste. Ms. Hou Kaidi, Vice President, Pinduoduo E-commerce to reduce the loss of agricultural products • E-commerce platform focusing on agricultural production with cold-chain logistics network could improve procurement efficiency from smallholder farmers to consumers, well connecting transportation and retailing, contributing to food loss and waste reduction. Mr. Alexey Kravchenko, Economic Affairs Officer, Trade, Investment and Innovation Division, ESCAP Reducing food loss in international trade: • One measurable aspect of food loss is through border rejections due to non-compliance with regulations, including unnecessary delays and inconsistent decision making by border officials. Addressing unnecessary delays can also reduce food waste at retail and consumption level by prolonging shelf lives of food products. Streamlining boarder procedures both outward and inwards is crucial, however careful balance must be ensured because poor sanitary and phytosanitary measure implementation can spread diseases and pests. • Four ongoing studies have been started in the region trying to estimate the extent, causes and propose solutions for food loss due to international trade, and pilot countries includes India, Sri-Lanka, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. Read less

3. Inclusive access to finance and use of digitization in market estimates to enable food loss reduction Ms. Yan Ruoru, Deputy General Manager, Grain, Cotton, and Edible Oil Department, Agricultural Development Bank of China For many farmers, particularly smallholders, lacking financial means to implement food loss-reducing investments such as better storage solutions is a major impediment. One of the key actions needed in the food system to reduce food loss is therefore to financial innovation and incentive mechanisms. Since 1994, the Agriculture Development Bank of China (ADBC) was set up as... Read more one of China’s Policy Banks with a set mandate to contribute to agricultural development and poverty alleviation. ADBC has introduced a loan system that covers every segment of the food supply chain, which includes a series of credit products to serve the whole industry of grains and oil in the processes of production, storage, purchase and sales, circulation, processing, supply etc. All these advancements have the potential to reduce food waste through making processes more efficient and streamlined. Furthermore, ADBC implement preferential credit policies to support and further incentivize reduction of grain waste and losses. Mr. Bai Chengyu, Director of UN Project Division III, the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), Ministry of Commerce, China: To transform the food system, a better understanding of the food market will be needed to identify the causes of food loss and possible solutions. This will include how inefficient relations between supply and demand contributes to food loss. From the demand side, awareness raising is needed and the making of accurate consumption plans in advance can reduce food loss. From the supply side, in case food prices are undervalued, price adjustments are required; mismatch of demand and supply leads to loss and waste, which can be addressed by promoting more closely demand-drive production, including by using digital platforms to make agricultural product sales efficient and to mitigate asymmetric supply and demand information. Recent innovations in this area provide information to be used in big data calculations and AI-based food demand analysis to better predict demand and adjust production accordingly. Financial policy should be designed to support an efficient management mechanism between demand and supply side and establish direct links between the two sides. Furthermore, the supply chain system should be built on proximity to support locally produced commodities and avoid unnecessarily long transport, thus minimizing gaps in timing and distance. Read less

4. The “Grain Bank” solution to prevent food loss Mr. Zhang Chengzhu, General Manager, Gansu Huanxian County Xinliyuan Supply and Marketing Co. Ltd., Chairperson of Gansu Zefengxingcheng Agro-Products Farmer Cooperative: The Gansu Huanxian Xinliyuan Grain Bank operates a business model that has been proven to prevents loss of food and farmer’s income in several ways; by providing storage, credit and exchange solutions of agricultural products. Gansu Huanxian Xinliyuan Grain Bank" is a subsidiary of Gansu Huanxian Xinliyuan Supply and Marketing Co., Ltd. which does grain trade and process... Read moreing business. The Company collaborates with Zefengxingcheng Farmer Cooperatives in this grain banking business. The business model was developed based on the basic function of regular banking and related management concepts but transformed into an agricultural operating method, which incorporates aspects of digital agriculture, finance, quality control, logistics, and safe, efficient storage. The basic idea is to provide cooperative member farmers with “banking” of physical products which allows deposit and exchange of grain such as flax, wheat, corn and also for fertilizers etc. Farmers can at any time go to any of the branches of the Bank to do an account withdrawal of the same product, or exchange them for other products and goods. The framework structure of the Grain Bank includes one head office and multiple branches; the head office is responsible for the county's general database, and is responsible for the settlement of many branches and depositors throughout the county. The branch is responsible for the collection and storage of wheat, flax, corn and other crops. It is also responsible for food banking services such as printing passbooks and exchanging goods. Since the establishment of this model in 2018, the number of depositors has grown with a net increase of more than 100 each year, and the present number of depositors in the Grain Bank has reached 832. The members store an average of 15 tons of grain per household per year and an annual storage volume of 12,000 tons; the cumulative grain storage is around 40,000 Tons, of which 30,000 tons are exchanged. The specific operation process of the bank looks as follows: Process 1: Determine the prices of product according to market prices. Process 2: Deposite the grain and issue passbook, Process 3: Exchange business. According to their needs, the farmers can go to any branch of the Grain Bank to extract rice noodle oil, fertilizers, seeds, etc. with their passbook, according to the balance of their account. The operation characteristics of food banks are 1. free deposits and withdrawals. Farmers can choose the type of grain storage according to their personal preferences. 2. Preserve and increase the value during downturns in market prices, and save the grain with interest. 3. The exchange is convenient, and the head office is connected to the convenience chain stores. Farmers can exchange different varieties of grain and oil or other daily necessities at the “grain and oil supermarket” opened by the grain bank system with their “passbook”. 3. Three advantages of the “Grain Bank” solution: (1) Advantages for farmers: 1.Increase farmers' income: Grain stored bears interest at a higher rate than commercial bank desopit rate. 2. Reduce grain loss: Grain Bank has advanced storage facilities thus prevented losses from storage by farmers themselves. 3.Guarantee of supply of commodities: The bank offers exchanges for daily necessities at the grain bank business point to meet the basic needs of farmers' daily life. (2) Advantages for food processing actors: low-cost access to raw materials for grain processing enterprises, reducing the financial pressure of purchasing raw materials; reducing raw material inventory and transportation costs. (3) For the government's advantages: the model can stabilize grain supply and demand, reduce risk, improve farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain, and maintain rural economic and social stability and national food security. Read less

5: Enabling access to harvest loss-reducing machinery through Machinery Cooperatives Mr. Wang Haibin, President, Haibin Agricultural Machinery Specialized Cooperative, Liyang City, Jiangsu Province: Li Yang County Haibin Farm Machinery Professional Cooperative Association was one of the first cooperatives of its kind in China. The model allows member farmers to gain access to heavy agricultural machinery with multiple ways of reducing food loss at various stages of the production cycle and storage. By the end of 2020, the cooperative owned 85 pieces of agricultural machinery, including large a... Read morend medium size tractors, rice transplanter, high-performance sprayers, rice harvester etc. The area covered by the cooperative includes 10 administrative villages in two towns. The annual production of processed rice is about 15,000 tons, with sales revenue of more than 90 million yuan and the agricultural machinery service income of 10 million yuan. To reach this point of their operations, the cooperative has benefited from a multi-channel approach of financing, including maximizing the use of subsidy policy for agricultural machinery and by making use of the loan policy issued by "Jiangsu Agricultural Financial Support Center" of the provincial Agricultural and Rural Affairs Department and loans from local financial institutions (commercial banks). The financing allowed adequate equipment of various types of machineries and improved ways of operation by the machinery cooperative, thus contributing to reducing food loss: In planting: 1. The cooperative gives members guidance on selection of suitable varieties of products. The grain varieties suits to local conditions, with high yield, consistency of maturity, lodging resistance to ensure good harvest and minimum loss before and after harvesting. 2. Support on scientifically proven efficient planting and mechanized transplanting etc., which are suitable to the specific crop varieties and soil conditions. Field Management 1. Selection of the right type of machinery, based on crops yield, height, maturity etc., and conduct a comprehensive inspection and maintenance of the machines. 2. Reasonable on-site adaptation of machinery. The machines and tools should be adjusted to make each part of the machine works to its best when cutting; 3. The cooperative supports sustainable use of fertilizer and water. In order to ensure the better growing of roots, and realize better harvesting conditions after operation in the later stage. 4. Choice of a suitable harvest time, based on weather, crop maturity and soil moisture content etc. Harvesting 1. Choose the right procedure and patch for harvesting. Adjust the cutting path to the situation of field and ridge; Adjust the operation route to the field shape and size of the field. 2. Standardize operation of machinery. Select suitable operation speed based on the conditions of crop and soil. Transportation and drying 1. Select the appropriate transport machinery, reduce transport frequency, standardize the transport operation, and prevent leakage. 2. Standardize management of drying room. Standardize drying operation, enhance moisture control, avoid food loss caused by management disorder or improper operation (such as fire). 3. Reduce the times of grain transportation after drying. Processing and storage 1. It is necessary to carry out comprehensive inspection and maintenance of the processing and packaging machinery on a regular basis to avoid the loss from broken or leaked rice. 2. Standardize the process of milling rice and grain storage. Eliminate the loss from comminution, damp and mildew of grain caused by mismanagement. Read less

Need to redefine food. "Good food" is more than quality or nutrition alone or affordable access. It entails so much more - ESGs , relationship to the local culture and context, ethical production, traceability.. Increased consumer awareness regarding their food choices. Storytelling. Dedicated policy/private support to increase awareness and to connect consumers to food; strong food and nutrition policies. How to change consumer habits? Agriculture in the classroom Mobile education displays Open farm days Incentives for local production/regional food systems. Supply chains and technology aren'... Read moret always geared to supply or support local production. Local Food Hubs. Closes the gap between farmer access and urban demand. Promotes local ecosystem; addresses barriers farmers face in finding markets. Aggregate supply - institutional buyers, school lunch programs, urban food security. Local food movement - promoting awareness, more targeted to local context. Needs to be institutionalized. Rewards for farmers. Structures that allow famer trust and participation in the market - cooperatives, marketing mechanisms, ownership shares, payment schemes. Ultimately pressures are passed back. More collaboration, more opportunity for involvement. Connections across borders. "How do we fit into the puzzle?" Recognize value of SMEs, but also resource. Read less

The outcomes of actions focused around rewarding ecosystem services. 1. Cannot deliver kinds of outcomes on environment, linking to consumers, without rural bandwidth and connectivity. 2. Need access to technology that incentivizes beneficial practices. Producing green energy on dairy farm, could reduce the cost of doing business. In PA, been working very diligently to change the regulations that would require a fair pay rate for electricity that is generated. However many states won’t pay a premium for this, makes it not profitable and disincentivizes. If we could reward that type of techno... Read morelogy, it can become accessible to smaller farms. Would be awesome to see 50% of them providing electricity to neighboring homes and business - rewarding good practices. b. Another way of rewarding good practices – make grants / funding accessible as a reward for “doing the right thing.” 3. Access to capital or proactively accessing grants if you’re doing beneficial things, help value chains have access to consumer data. Upcycling groups and consumer oriented groups said there has to be a level playing field to get data and educate consumers. a. Hu Kitchen example of difficulty getting away from slavery in cocoa supply chain. Needs UN to come in to articulate and provide broader awareness to put theeth behind local/domestic/international work b. What to prioritize highest in terms of what to spend money on? What technology is most needed/relevant? This is a challenge to identify. c. The smaller your business, the more difficult it is to access that capital. 4. Need cohesive certifications and terms. Certifications play a large role in consumer education. Many companies are creating and selling a product while also educating and setting a new standard/certification for that product category. Need to alleviate this burden to educate consumers. a. In the dairy industry, we have taken it upon ourselves to create our own certification for animal welfare. We are now looking at creating certification for environmental stewardship 5. Agriculture should be without borders – “When it comes to small farmers doing a better job for the planet, my opinion is that agriculture should be without borders.” Farmers across Canada, US, etc shouldn’t be treated different. This influences what farmers choose to do on their farms. a. Need ecozone specific regulations, push for greater international cooperation. Farmer south of border of Saskatchewan are getting propped up by subsidies not everyone in the US agrees with – subsidies must be transparent. Read less

How to boost the role of SMEs in providing good food for all? Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are vital to our food economies. Each country is different, but SMEs are often over 90% of businesses in the agri-food sector, creating half the economic value, providing more than half the sector’s jobs, and handling more than half the food consumed. Their tenacity and agility sustain food supplies and access through the COVID pandemic. What pathways will enhance the contribution of SMEs to the food system? Wasafiri here offers six promising pathways to boost the impact of food SMEs. Whic... Read moreh are most important in your context? What is missing? What actions will advance them? How are they interdependent? 1. Elevate the Voice of SMEs Food entrepreneurs are incredibly diverse. Hence, collectively they neither easily infuence nor hear the policy decisions that determine their future. Policymakers are often simply unaware of this quiet majority and are instead swayed by more powerful voices that are easier to engage. Positive examples exist of institutions and processes that elevate the voice of SMEs. The best of these also manage to amplify more marginalised entrepreneurs such as women, youth and indigenous people. Replicating these efforts around the world will ensure our food systems are designed and managed in ways that realise the positive contribution of SMEs. 2. Reduce the Cost of Doing Business In emerging economies, many basic challenges undermine the commercial viability of food SMEs, for example poor roads, intermittent power, red tape, corruption, unpredictable trade policy, and internet access. Wherever these improve, SMEs grow and proliferate. Access to finance also improves as lenders and investors have more confidence. Cross-sector collaboration can strengthen this basic enabling environment, reducing the risks and costs of doing business in the agri-food sector, and accelerating the “quiet revolution” through which SMEs are already transforming food systems. 3. Reward Positive Outcomes Our food systems are currently designed to reward the mass production of cheap calories. Different incentives are needed for markets to produce food that is more sustainable, nourishing and equitable. From impact investing to carbon credits, from product certification to sugar taxes, there are diverse mechanisms to reward positive outcomes and disincentivise negative ones. These must be designed and scaled in ways that work for SMEs, rather than adding complexity and cost. 4. Target Support at Food SMEs Well-resourced business development support for SMEs is a proven driver of inclusive economic growth. Targeting such support at food SMEs offers additional benefits, due to the importance of the sector to public goods such as health, the environment, and livelihoods. Youth, women and other groups face additional barriers to starting and growing a business. Support to them unlocks fresh entrepreneurial energy into the sector and addresses equity gaps. 5. Democratise the Digital Food Revolution COVID has accelerated a long-term trend towards digitisation of the food system. Whether it is digital farming, block chain for supply chain management, or virtual marketplaces, the food system is undergoing a tech revolution. The vast flows of data could serve the common good or entrench control within a few powerful actors. By design and policy, the data services and digital markets must be accessible to SMEs. This could unlock myriad innovations from payment for ecosystem services, to direct farm-to-consumer sales. 6. Make Good Food Matter For decades, the food system has been valued for its efficiency in feeding billions of additional mouths. This era witnessed the rise of industrial agriculture. The Summit marks an inflection point. Food systems must now also be valued for nourishing people, regenerating nature, improving equity and resilience to shocks. In this new paradigm, SMEs are in a stronger position with their closer, more nuanced relationships with communities and landscapes. Read less

How to boost the role of SMEs in providing good food for all? Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are vital to our food economies. Each country is different, but SMEs are often over 90% of businesses in the agri-food sector, creating half the economic value, providing more than half the sector’s jobs, and handling more than half the food consumed. Their tenacity and agility sustain food supplies and access through the COVID pandemic. What pathways will enhance the contribution of SMEs to the food system? Wasafiri here offers six promising pathways to boost the impact of food SMEs. Whic... Read moreh are most important in your context? What is missing? What actions will advance them? How are they interdependent? 1. Elevate the Voice of SMEs Food entrepreneurs are incredibly diverse. Hence, collectively they neither easily infuence nor hear the policy decisions that determine their future. Policymakers are often simply unaware of this quiet majority and are instead swayed by more powerful voices that are easier to engage. Positive examples exist of institutions and processes that elevate the voice of SMEs. The best of these also manage to amplify more marginalised entrepreneurs such as women, youth and indigenous people. Replicating these efforts around the world will ensure our food systems are designed and managed in ways that realise the positive contribution of SMEs. 2. Reduce the Cost of Doing Business In emerging economies, many basic challenges undermine the commercial viability of food SMEs, for example poor roads, intermittent power, red tape, corruption, unpredictable trade policy, and internet access. Wherever these improve, SMEs grow and proliferate. Access to finance also improves as lenders and investors have more confidence. Cross-sector collaboration can strengthen this basic enabling environment, reducing the risks and costs of doing business in the agri-food sector, and accelerating the “quiet revolution” through which SMEs are already transforming food systems. 3. Reward Positive Outcomes Our food systems are currently designed to reward the mass production of cheap calories. Different incentives are needed for markets to produce food that is more sustainable, nourishing and equitable. From impact investing to carbon credits, from product certification to sugar taxes, there are diverse mechanisms to reward positive outcomes and disincentivise negative ones. These must be designed and scaled in ways that work for SMEs, rather than adding complexity and cost. 4. Target Support at Food SMEs Well-resourced business development support for SMEs is a proven driver of inclusive economic growth. Targeting such support at food SMEs offers additional benefits, due to the importance of the sector to public goods such as health, the environment, and livelihoods. Youth, women and other groups face additional barriers to starting and growing a business. Support to them unlocks fresh entrepreneurial energy into the sector and addresses equity gaps. 5. Democratise the Digital Food Revolution COVID has accelerated a long-term trend towards digitisation of the food system. Whether it is digital farming, block chain for supply chain management, or virtual marketplaces, the food system is undergoing a tech revolution. The vast flows of data could serve the common good or entrench control within a few powerful actors. By design and policy, the data services and digital markets must be accessible to SMEs. This could unlock myriad innovations from payment for ecosystem services, to direct farm-to-consumer sales. 6. Make Good Food Matter For decades, the food system has been valued for its efficiency in feeding billions of additional mouths. This era witnessed the rise of industrial agriculture. The Summit marks an inflection point. Food systems must now also be valued for nourishing people, regenerating nature, improving equity and resilience to shocks. In this new paradigm, SMEs are in a stronger position with their closer, more nuanced relationships with communities and landscapes. Read less

Classification of SMEs, it is not the reality as such, to consolidate effective information to achieve impact interventions through the development of programs that can promote the capacities of SMEs to overcome the subsistence economy. Some points that emerged: • The importance of revaluing native diets, forgotten species, and underutilized crops (such as amaranth and quinoa) is recognized to promote the consumption of healthy foods and good eating habits. For the above, education and communication play a very important role in re-teaching people to consume and produce in a healthy way, cha... Read morenge the cultural perception of overvaluing foreign products, fried foods, highly processed products and rather promoting crops. healthy by publicizing their history, nutrition and presenting them with attractive packaging. • It is important to consider that the value that the consumer places on food is based on perceptions. In this sense, it is important to support the producer of healthy products so that he can have brand registrations, good marketing campaigns and intellectual property for small producers. • Another relevant aspect is the role of the State to promote the design and implementation of public policies that promote the consumption of healthy and fresh food. Likewise, the government must support SMEs in matters of human rights, environmental sustainability and provide tax incentives. • It is important to manage knowledge and strengthen skills from cultural aspects, that is, to promote knowledge and information on indigenous products. It is important that consumers know what they are consuming. • Return the focus to the entire supply chain, not just the primary production stages, and provide training. Alejandra Montal placeholder image • Consider young people and their initiatives to generate companies with a different perspective. • Promote digitization, digital inclusion. Read less

Unique platforms of associations, chambers of commerce do not achieve local impact as they are oriented to large private or government interests, they are not collecting local interests. A concrete action could be to insert small and medium-sized companies and their interests in these groups of influence. Other actions: Create local contact networks that can strengthen food chains, specialized people united, coordinating role of external or international organizations to create contact networks of entrepreneurs and suppliers. It is difficult for small and medium entrepreneurs to access informa... Read moretion, exchange of experiences, markets. Networks could focus on strengthening and promoting an entrepreneurial fabric and culture that would help create production with value. Self-consumption and education, shorter value chains. Difficult to compete with elements strongly established in large agroindustrial industries: 1. Lobby internalized in large chains, strengthen the technical capacity of small and medium-sized companies to lobby. 2. Advertising and markets, strengthen the capacities to show what is being done in the SME sector, more local and national advertising, access to television or electronic strips to make visible what is being done and access new markets. Differentiate itself as an SME sector through components such as decent employment, sustainability, added value, cooperation. Make visible the positive and sustainable impacts of SMEs on food systems. SMEs must reach the final consumer, shortening supply chains and circuits. Connecting producers with who will ultimately be consumers, through technology they can connect, but considering access gaps is an important step. Promotion of projects to raise awareness of products that have a healthy and healthy diet. Information and educate consumers. 2. Reduce the cost of doing business Automating activities that do not add value, not having productivity indicators, makes it more distant to increase productivity, to strengthen these capacities, either through technologies or technical assistance. Modernize the transformation of surpluses, avoid food loss and waste, generate new markets through surpluses, exchange with other SMEs. Networks of contact and help again needed, an articulator of these instances is needed. Little differentiation for regulations, regulations generate restrictions by not being differentiated between small, medium and giant, increasing costs. Invite the government to differentiate regulations. Changes in consumption and habits driven from the local, local consumer education. Form work networks so that they can have representation in politics, specific networks to promote from the local. Indigenous, marginalized community, train and educate peasants and how to convince them to network with them. Deliver a business vision. Reduce implementation costs. change the culture to do business. Support for small and medium non-formalized producers, focus on the informal economy. Many times you cannot do business with them due to billing and administrative issues, segregating acroecological and local products, making it impossible to open businesses for this group. 3. Rewarding positive results Government incentives to help the small ones formalize, impulse and local and national impact. Make visible what is done and what SMEs achieve, because if they represent more than 99% of the companies they do not appear in any media (?), Breaking the broadcast oligopoly could generate impacts on SMEs to join the chains of value. Read less

There was a slight divergence of opinions regarding how much to engage with governments to demand change. Some participants felt that governments are critical in the actions that are needed to transform the food system, while others thought SMEs should just forge forward their own change, and not wait for governments to mandate or facilitate.

The dialogue came up with the following solutions: a. Invest heavily in education about how food is produced, the quality of the food available in our market, and what consuming different types of food does to us as consumers but also to others in the system b. Work to make good food no longer necessarily sinonimous with unaffordable food, by redirecting financial resources and government support from large-scale, calorie-focused production models to more sustainable, ethical, and healthier types and combinations of foods c. Build up the value chain infrastructure that “good food” requires... Read more, rather than assuming that the existing infrastructure can be used to channel both unsustainable/unhealthy and “good” food at the same time without affecting or penalizing the latter d. Bridge the digital divide across rural/urban, income levels, and gender, both in terms of infrastructure coverage and in terms of literacy e. Localize e-commerce platforms, building integrated (input, service, and product) market solutions designed for the local level rather than for export, building on trends emerging around the recent pandemic in a number of countries f. Digitize the innovation finance ecosystem to make access to opportunities to obtain seed or innovation testing funding easier for farmers and small entrepreneurs who would otherwise either not know about these opportunities or find the processes associated with them too costly/long g. Make innovation labs available to small entrepreneurs to test their products or technologies, considering that for most of them it is impossible to develop internally or at their own expense this type of infrastructure Read less

There was one area of debate, if not such divergence, which related to the role of governments in providing support to SMEs. Participants felt that there is a need to foster financial support not just from the government but also banks and other financial institutions in the process of capacity building of SMEs, especially during start up phase.

There was a heavy emphasis on (a) making providing “Good Food for All” rewarding for SMEs today, and in the future (pathway 1); (b) creating a conducive framework for them to do so durably (pathway 5); and (c) getting the wider public to understand the value that they are creating (pathway 6). Underpinning all of this is that is the need for governments to create a supportive framework for SMEs in a sector where producers (i.e., smallholder farmers) tended to be in the informal economy and therefore invisible and unaccounted for. Governments have to also create legal frameworks that make i... Read moret easier for them to operate, transact, and access credit. There are peculiar legacy issues that could make it hard for SMEs to operate, like inability to collateralize leases on land. Governments should also make it easy for them to get themselves heard. All of this is fundamental to retain people in rural areas and reverse urban-rural migration that is depleting the sector. Going beyond, it is important to help bridge the digital divide and look at it in terms of arresting the lack of digital literacy in general and making stakeholders aware of the resources available. The next step would be to localize and maintain the data, and then rationalize and link multidisciplinary data together to make them understood. SMEs do not have the resources to do these alone, so they would need external help on this coordination. These will help SMEs operate better. Finally, it is important for consumers to appreciate what SMEs are doing, particularly as they make quality improvements. They should be educated to accept higher prices for better quality products. Read less

Key points from SMEs in Agriculture and Hospitality: 1.Support from a wide range of institutions and sectors is important a.from the top down: policy support and the development of regulations in the relevant markets are important b.from the bottom up: the promotion of food-related education and advocacy at a societal level is also important c.In addition, financial support is also needed in some cases * Although the focus of each SME is different within the framework of the food system; it is possible that through various forms of collaboration and the flow/exchange/sharing of resources acros... Read mores regions and sectors, SMEs may have a greater impact and also have the opportunity to have their voices heard by a wide range of authoritative and influential groups, government agencies, etc. Read less