Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

The need for a global nature-positive target by 2030: although there is no silver-bullet, the climate movement’s playbook is being applied to nature-related challenges, including calls for a global COP, and standardised and rigorous investment frameworks.

The need for coordinated action across stakeholders and at different scales to achieve multiple goals, and to realise win-win-win scenarios, where outcomes across climate and emissions reduction are achieved alongside nature and broader environmental goals, as well as supporting regional livelihoods and healthy diets.

The focus of our Dialogue was the nexus between climate outcomes and sustainable food and land use system transformation, with discussion on Australia’s role in global efforts and the unique regional challenges we face. Our Dialogue focused on Action Tracks 2 and 3, convening discussion on nature-positive transitions and sustainable consumption through focusing on synergies and shared challenges from the perspectives of: - The Land Use Futures systems change program, a partnership between ClimateWorks Australia, Deakin University and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organi... Read moresation (CSIRO) and part of the global Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU); - The work of advocacy organisations such as Farmers for Climate Action in bringing farmers’ voices to the decision-making table and discussing both the shared and divergent challenges and approaches farmers are taking; and - The role of large-scale financial investment in realising nature-positive solutions, and current trends and headwinds in financial risk and opportunities, represented by Pollination Group. Read less

The major focus of the "High-Level Expert Seminar on North American Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems, towards the UN Food Systems Summit" was to convene a high-level platform of North American experts to present and discuss the critical importance and contributions of North American Indigenous Peoples’ food systems in relation to the primary objectives of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and 5 Action Tracks. Further emphasizing and highlighting the input, leadership and expertise of North American Indigenous Peoples are essential in fulfilling the vision of the Summit. Technical presentations... Read more from experts served to inform the breakout sessions who formulated a statement based upon the Indigenous expertise and input about the five Action Tracks of the Summit. The final statement resulting from the High-Level Expert Seminar was made public and delivered to the Special Envoy for the UN Food Systems Summit. This Seminar was part of the preparatory global processes leading up to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. The Seminar convened 185 participants and speakers from 11 of the 13 Canadian provinces, 30 out of the 50 United States, and was joined by additional people calling in from 25 countries. Participants included North American Indigenous Peoples’ organizations and representative bodies, academic and research institutes, government agencies of Canada and the United States, along with UN agencies, and Indigenous experts from around the world. Read less

Key messages from the expert seminar include: 1. Indigenous Peoples and their knowledge systems are key for all five action tracks of the UNFSS. 2. Indigenous Peoples’ representatives should have a formal role in the UNFSS, and governments should ensure their participation in national dialogues / Indigenous peoples, including women and youth, should have equal opportunities to participate in local, national, and international processes and policy discussions, such as Food System Dialogues, the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 and other decision processes affecting food systems, climate change, an... Read mored biodiversity. 3. Indigenous Peoples’ rights to self-determination need to be respected and actualized worldwide. 4. Indigenous Peoples, Summit stakeholders, and UN Food Systems Summit leadership have tremendous opportunities to continue intense collaborations through bridging systems of knowledge in preparatory dialogues, evidence-based strategic papers, and formal roles for Indigenous peoples at the 2021 Summit. The Seminar convened 185 participants and speakers from 11 of the 13 Canadian provinces, 30 out of the 50 United States, and was joined by additional people calling in from 25 countries; 140 of the participants and speakers were Indigenous. Participants included North American Indigenous peoples’ organizations and representative bodies, academic and research institutes, government agencies of Canada and the United States, along with UN agencies, and Indigenous experts from around the world. The platform allowed for exchange of knowledge and ideas of how systems of knowledge can be complimentary as the world mobilizes towards food system transformation. Indigenous leaders emphasized the importance of relational connections to food, culture, landscape, ways of life, ecological stewardship, health, and the widespread local Indigenous-led initiatives to revitalize and reconnect to their Indigenous Food Systems. Furthermore they emphasized that Indigenous Peoples' food systems can teach the world of systems approach to effect change socially, economically, ecologically, and politically through the models and adaptive models. Indigenous speakers and participants emphasized the points that protection and actualization of Indigenous Peoples' rights must be the basis for all conversation about food systems, as they are inseparable for Indigenous Peoples. Speakers from the technical committees of the UNFSS Action Tracks, UNFSS leadership, and anchor UN Agencies emphasized their commitment to partner with and learn from Indigenous Peoples in the global work towards the goals and visions of the UN Food Systems Summit. “The Food Systems Summit is going to do everything we can to ensure the voices of Indigenous peoples are heard, that we are learning from you and that we are putting the Indigenous peoples’ food systems front and center in the work that we are doing,” said Dr. Agnes Kalibata, Special Envoy for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, in her opening remarks. Dr. Kalibata’s remarks emphasized the Summit’s strong commitment to learning from, listening to and connecting with Indigenous Peoples leading up to and during the Summit. Technical presentations from the action track committee members and UN agency anchors made connections to the importance of working with Indigenous Peoples' leadership, expertise and systems of knowledge to combat the food insecurities and vulnerabilities that many Indigenous Peoples are facing, in addition to the global questions affecting all populations. From Action Track 1 - there was emphasis place on needing to learn from and emulate Indigenous Peoples' inherent approach to "ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all" as a core tenant to their food systems on the global scale. From Action Track 2 - there was acknowledgement that disruption of Indigenous Peoples' food systems has caused for a nutritional crisis and epidemic of malnourishment related diseases for high percentages of Indigenous Peoples, and that returning to traditional foods and diets is a multi-factored and critical solution to reestablish/safeguard sustainable consumption patterns for Indigenous Peoples; further noting the world has much to learn from Indigenous Peoples about "no waste" and using only what we need as central values in Indigenous Peoples' food systems. From Action 3 - it was acknowledged that Indigenous Peoples in their food systems have been the generational masters and experts on "nature-positive" production and food generation, as stewards to 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity on just 25% of the Earth's surface. Indigenous Peoples' natural resource management practices and food system designs have a great deal to show the world on how to create "nature-positive" food generation models and the critical importance of enhancing biodiversity through food generation, and the interconnected, systems approach to natural resource management. From Action 4 - to advance equitable livelihoods, it was agreed that Indigenous Peoples must be leading their own conversations of "advancement" with implementation and practice of international standards like UNDRIP, FPIC, etc. It was agreed that Indigenous Peoples' need to design their "access to market" and education that sustains their ways of life. From Action 5 - As more Indigenous Peoples' food systems are being disrupted by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and increasing external pressures for extraction - it was agreed that Indigenous Peoples need to be at the decision making table in all aspects and crisis management. Read less

Indigenous Peoples' Leadership Critical for the Future of Food The event was opened with high-level remarks from the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, UN Food Systems Summit Leadership and national Government dignitaries from Canada and the United States, who collectively expressed their strong support and appreciation for the Seminar. Government dignitaries, Ambassador Alexandra Bugailiskis, Representative Deb Haaland, and USDA Office of Tribal Relations, Director Diane Cullo also underlined the importance of the deliberation. Canadian Ambassador to the UN Rome-based Agencies and Chair... Read more of the Group of Friends of Indigenous Peoples in Rome, Alexandra Bugailiskis, set the tone for the seminar to be an open, sincere, and enriching day centering North American Indigenous peoples’ food systems. She emphasized that as a co-convener of the Group of Friends of the UN Food Systems Summit, they have stressed the importance of ensuring that indigenous peoples' traditions, knowledge, and views from the seven-socio cultural regions are taken into account and well placed in all mechanisms of the UN Food Systems summit. Ambassador Bugailiskis shared examples of Indigenous-government collaborations, such as the new Food Policy in Canada, which acknowledges how historic government policies disrupted the food systems of Indigenous peoples. It ensures, she explained, "that the unique rights, interest and circumstances of the First Nations, the Métis Nations and Inuit are acknowledged, affirmed and implemented. It supports Indigenous food self-determination, meaning the ability of Indigenous peoples to define their own food systems and it takes a holistic approach that acknowledges that food is more than a product for Indigenous peoples." Congresswoman Deb Haaland [NM-1], who a few days later was nominated by President-elect Joe Biden as the first Native American Secretary of the Interior in the United States’ history and one of two Indigenous women ever elected the U.S. Congress, spoke from her experience as a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and as a lead policy-maker in the country. "The wealth of contributions of Indigenous People to global food security, their land and resource management strategies, their safeguarding of the vast majority of the world's food crops, must be recognized in our approach to policy-making," said Representative Deb Haaland. Further emphasizing that food systems are an integral piece of who they are, a fundamental part of their Indigenous identity and central to their relational existence with regenerative practices. Professor Joachim von Braun, Chair of the UNFSS Scientific Group, noted that “We in the Scientific Group, acknowledge the deep knowledge of Indigenous Peoples about their food systems. Scientific and local knowledge communities can learn from each other." Dr. von Braun underscored his strong interest in collaborating "Our endeavor is to host a platform for Indigenous peoples of North America, UN agency experts and leaders in the field to exchange ideas and expertise, to strengthen Indigenous peoples' voice and leadership as we approach the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit," said Vimlendra Sharan, Director of FAO North America, as he welcomed the “galaxy of distinguished” guests and speakers. Geoffrey Roth, the North American expert of the UNPFII and member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, emphasized in his welcoming remarks the timeliness of the Seminar. “To have these conversations and be able to provide these recommendations is very important, especially about food. It is the building block of life. When we are not able to take care of ourselves it is what causes the health disparities and the devastation we are seeing in our communities [during the COVID-19 health crisis].” Roth challenged all participants to go beyond the inclusion of Indigenous peoples at the UNFSS and further “conceptualize provocative recommendations to our UN partners.” Read less

Indigenous knowledge systems not about the past, but the future Following the high-level remarks, a panel of seven Indigenous experts set the stage moving into the technical presentations of the Seminar exemplifying how systems of knowledge come together and complement each other., “Indigenous knowledge is not about the past. Indigenous knowledge is about the future. Our knowledge systems must inform the future of food in the world, knowing it is still operable,” stated Dr. Kamanamaikailani Beamer, Professor at the Center for Hawaiian Studies in the Hui ‘Āina Momona Program at the Unive... Read morersity of Hawai‘i. “The true way to food freedom is through empowerment. Solutions without Indigenous voices are no solutions at all,” stated Marlene Wakefield, member of the Seneca Nation and Research and Resources Director for the Tribal Food Sovereignty Advancement Initiative at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). Panelists spoke to the central importance of Indigenous peoples’ rights and essential practices for building the capacity of Indigenous-led research across fields and bridging systems of knowledge in complementary ways. Further recognizing the accelerating impacts of climate change and environmental degradation of homeland ecosystems pose existential threats for all inhabitants and thus require a cooperative commitment to bold action steps. As emphasized by Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough, International Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, “Our health is intimately tied to the health of the animals and the overall Arctic environment. However, we are seeing rapid and dramatic changes that threaten our food security.” This panel was co-facilitated by Jane Lokomaika’ikeakua Au, Program Director of ‘Āina Momona and Pacific Representative and vice Co-Chair of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples’ Platform (LCIPP) Facilitative Working Group, and Yon Fernández de Larrinoa, Chief of the FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit. From the First Nations fisheries of the Atlantic coastal waters to the confluence of rivers in British Columbia, to the Inuit homelands of the circumpolar region to the Islands of Hawai’i and reaching to international Indigenous researchers in New Zealand and Jakarta, speakers gave a strong voice to the vast knowledge systems and Indigenous leaders who are essential in the transformational work for the future of sustainable, equitable, nutritious, diverse and resilient food systems. As emphasized by Chief of the FAO’s Indigenous Peoples Unit, Yon Fernández de Larrinoa, “In the context of the UN Food Systems Summit and in the spirit of leaving no one behind, it is critical we engage with, listen to, respect the expertise and collaborate with the Indigenous peoples of North America. Their regional leadership is fundamental in achieving the objectives of the Summit and Sustainable Development Goals.” Read less

Indigenizing Actions Tracks of the UN Food Systems Summit Marlene Wakefield and Ken Paul, Lead Negotiator and Research Director of Fisheries for the Wolastoqey Nation, led guests and speakers through a series of technical presentations on each of the five action tracks of the UN Food Systems Summit with an Indigenous lens towards each track. The action track segments included a speaker from the leadership of the UNFSS Action Track technical committees, an Indigenous expert on the subject, followed by an expert from the UN anchoring agency for that action track. Leadership from the Action Track... Read more technical committees spoke from Concern Worldwide, EAT Forum, World Wildlife Fund International, and CARE USA. Indigenous experts from McGill University, University of Hawai’i Mānoa, Mi’kmaq Fisheries, the Intertribal Agriculture Council and the Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. presented their expertise and perspectives on one of each of the five action tracks. UN agency experts from FAO, the World Health Organization, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the World Food Programme, spoke to the action track their agency is anchoring. The five UNFSS action tracks with Indigenous lens included: 1. Ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all: Traditional Economies of Indigenous Peoples – The Interrelated Dimensions of Healthy Food. Participants 2. Shifting to sustainable consumption patterns: Indigenous Management of Resources to Sustain Indigenous Food Security. 3. Boosting nature-positive production at scale: Sacred Relationship to Environment and the Critical Role of Lands, Territories, and Resources of Indigenous Peoples. 4. Advancing equitable livelihoods: Recognition of Indigenous Human Rights to Maintain Equitable and Culturally Relevant Food Systems. 5. Building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses: Empowerment of Indigenous Peoples, Nations, and Communities to Ensure Adaptation and Resilience. The highly informative technical presentations generated an abundance of content and questions to delve deeper into during the five breakout groups facilitated by members of the Seminar’s Indigenous technical committee. Professor Airini, Dean, Faculty of Education and Social Work, Thompson Rivers University, BC, and Brian Keane, Board Chair, Land is Life, opened the afternoon session by explaining the process and importance of the break-out groups. They then received extensive feedback and inputs shared by facilitators, notetakers, and participants in the subsequent plenary discussion. Read less

Towards the UN Food Systems Summit Martin Frick, Deputy to the Special Envoy for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, provided in the closing session an explanation of the real significance of the Summit beyond the event itself and he issued a strong invitation for Indigenous peoples to engage in all the processes and events. He stated that “The 2021 UN Food Systems Summit is not just a point in time, it is a year-long engagement process. We have indigenous champions and focal points, and Indigenous peoples can also organize independent dialogues to make sure their voices are heard.” Marcela V... Read moreillarreal, Director, Partnerships & UN Collaboration, FAO reiterated in her closing remarks, “The important part is that we work together to ensure that the voices of indigenous peoples are effectively heard, which means taken into account. Not only heard, not only participation in dialogues but really taken into account in what we expect is a discussion on the future of food systems for the world.” Geoffrey Roth in reading out a draft version of the final statement stated that “As we prepare for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, we share our distinct perspectives, knowledge, research recommendations in relation to the action tracks and objectives of the Summit. We do so with humility and, also, with an expectation to be heard.” Read less

The structure of the action tracks, language used to describe and explain "food systems" all brought up points of difference between UNFSS frameworks and Indigenous Peoples' world views, understandings, systems of knowledge and cultural relations to their food systems. While there were points of difference the technical discussions and break out sessions dialogues allowed for these questions and areas of difference to be expanded on and explored in more depth.

Discussion among SMEs diverged when the topic of profit vs non-profit emerged. Some believed that companies should do good without seeking profit, while others insisted that in order to make business sustainable financially there must be a profit.

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? Wasa�ri here offers six promising pathways to boost the impact of food SMEs. Whi... Read morech 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 in�uence 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 �nance also improves as lenders and investors have more con�dence. 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 certi�cation 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 bene�ts, 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 �ows 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 e�ciency in feeding billions of additional mouths. This era witnessed the rise of industrial agriculture. The Summit marks an in�ection 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

Discussion groups found innovators (who are normally SMEs) need to be at the decision-making table to drive policy towards ambitious climate targets. Currently SME voices are drowned out by large corporations who maintain the status-quo. One method of success has been SMEs using their large corporate partners, as well as joing together with other SMEs, to raise their profile and gain influence. Groups like EIT food and drink can help facilitate these relationships. • SMEs have also found that consortiums made of different sized similar businesses have been useful. It enabled one SME to set u... Read morep a pilot program for their packaging, and they were able to work productivly with multiple larger businesses who were competitors. Read less

The way to boost the role of SMEs in food system transformation is by: Rewarding positive outcomes. • SMEs felt that there needs to be way to reward consumers as well as businesses for positive behaviors. This could be reducing the price of food products that are close to their sell by date in order to reduce food waste or choosing products with smart/eco packaging. Carbon taxing will be important going forward. • For any of these schemes to be possible, a more advanced measurement system needs to be developed that looks at net impacts. For example, it must be able to identify the differen... Read morece of the environmental impact between a kg of ‘real’ beef compared to 1 kg of ‘cultured’ meat. Tailoring Support for Food SMEs • A common problem was that grants available to SMEs are incredibly laborious and extensive to apply for. The bar for acceptance is also rising, and reporting/auditing once a grant has been secured is also extremely extensive. Therefore, some SMEs will not try to apply for certain funding they really need as they do not have the resources. The ‘middle level’ (£20-100k) of funding must be made more accessible to SMEs. • One SME felt that although the barriers to access funding should be reduced to stimulate innovation, it may be beneficial to structure them as loans rather than grants. The commitment to pay all, or at least some money back will encourage businesses to think sustainability and will ensure that business models are profitable. They believe that profitable, sustainable SMEs will be able to scale and bring their innovative solutions to mainstream consumers. • SMEs could be brought together to educate them about the Sustainable Development Goals. Once SMEs understand them, there may be opportunities that SMEs spot where they can innovate to meet goals. SMEs will be able to innovate in ways that large corporations cannot. Making Good Food Matter. • An SME from Bulgaria has set up a successful nationwide campaign that focusses on public attitudes to food, and food literacy. It is a good example of how public attitudes towards food can be changed. The campaign involves kindergartens, schools and professionals, and also includes awards for those who make positive contributions to the food systems. This campaign brings together government, NGOs, universities and farmers, and so ensures link-up across all areas of the food system. This system could be replicated. Read less

The focus was: How to boost the role of SMEs in providing Good Food for All? Discussion groups shared positive experiences of contributions to the food systems and detailed challenges. A second group breakout considered actions within de�ned pathways in line with the Action Tracks.

1. All participants were requested to share which pathway, was most important to them, and responses varied widely. 6 responses covered the following pathways: 2, 4, 4, 5 and 6 2. Focused discussions on what solutions to focus on going forward highlighted the following areas to address: a. Improving the enabling environment, particularly from the policy perspective b. Providing further support to SMEs, specifically though tailored subsidies to address significant costs that prevent SMEs from moving to the next level (e.g. capex for technology, equipment or infrastructure) c. Developing opportu... Read morenities for collaborative efforts, either between SMEs (e.g. co-manufacturing), between SMEs and larger corporations (e.g. sharing lessons learned and technology), or between SMEs, financial service providers, insurance providers and the government (i.e. public-private partnerships) Read less

• Pathway: Make good food matter o cancer is spreading across India - need good food without use of fertilizers, pesticides - train people to use alternatives, people need to be more aware and invest - and make it affordable o low immunity due to covid - we need more nutritional food such as millets, and increase awareness of other traditional food o educational program to farmers: increase food production according to seasons, now covid we need foods with high zinc, vitamin index. First we can do this, and then you can handle business aspects such as packaging and selling. Govt, people and ... Read moreNGO need to support - as food is medicine o protein from plants - jackfruit is going waste - because SMEs are not utilising well. use forums to make people aware of such technology to turn them into leather products, etc • Pathway: Reduce cost of doing business o NGOs and investors thinking only of tech not agriculture - we need their support as well o farmers don't have cash - need upfront money to purchase the starter materials, else it puts huge stress due to loans and interests o consumers should invest in farmers o soil testing is required, should be made a must - using fertilizer without knowing how much they require - unknowingly use more and thus spend more o collaborate with organizations like croppin to reduce production costs Read less

Lively discussion about alternative proteins, while some businesses focused on traditional animal products (eg. eggs and milk). However, all were able to come to the same conclusion that regardless of whether it is meat or an alternative, systems must be equitable and sustainable.

The focus was: How to boost the role of SMEs in providing Good Food for All? Discussion groups shared positive experiences of contributions to the food systems and detailed challenges. A second group breakout considered actions within de�ned pathways in line with the Action Tracks.

Challenges around unfavourable regulatory/business environment for SMEs – access to finance, technology, weak markets, infrastructure deficits (especially in rural areas), etc. Also, lack of mentoring opportunities for SMEs. Technology emerged as a major issue of constraint for SMEs, especially those trying to add value beyond production.