Panama - Stage 2 Consulta Hacia la Cumbre de los Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles – Provincias de Veraguas y Coclé Discussion topic outcome 2. ¿Qué deberían hacer los actores del Sistema Alimentario para reducir o compensar los impactos negativos generados en los procesos productivos, procesamiento, transporte, almacenamiento, intercambio y consumo de los productos alimenticios? • Realizar una campaña para incentivar la agricultura orgánica. • Creación de mercados de acopio regionales. • Apoyar a los productores en el acceso de crédito agropecuario. • Los sistemas de asistencia técnica deben ser eficaces y oportunos para los medianos y pequeños productores. • Promover elementos y herramientas para manejo de suel... Read moreo. • Establecer organizaciones en las bases comunitarias para favorecer a las comunidades rurales. • Realizar estudios socioeconómicos ambientales para mejorar los caminos de acceso y la comercialización. • Contar con información real de las distintas regiones en cuanto al manejo de desechos. Read less Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Keywords: Data & Evidence, Finance, Innovation, Policy, Trade-offs
Panama - Stage 2 Consulta Hacia la Cumbre de los Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles – Provincias de Veraguas y Coclé Discussion topic outcome 3. ¿Cómo son abordados los sistemas alimentarios en las políticas públicas? ¿Cuál considera usted sería el reto principal para su aplicación y cómo afectan a sus actores los conflictos por los regímenes de tenencia y derechos sobre la tierra y el agua? • Aplicar e implementar las leyes que existen para agilizar los procesos y los productores puedan comercializar a tiempo, así como agilizar los trámites de titulación de tierra. • Crear represas para distribuir mejor el agua en los sistemas de riego. • Cambiar las políticas de tenencias de agua desde la propiedad. • Incenti... Read morevar más asesoramiento técnico para los pequeños productores. • Flexibilidad en políticas bancarias para modernizar los sistemas productivos. • Crear políticas para hacer la transición hacia la agricultura resiliente. • Apoyo técnico a redes o agrupaciones comunitarias. Read less Action Track(s): 3, 4 Keywords: Environment and Climate, Governance, Human rights, Innovation, Policy, Women & Youth Empowerment
Panama - Stage 2 Consulta Hacia la Cumbre de los Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles – Provincias de Veraguas y Coclé Discussion topic outcome 4. ¿Cómo pueden las políticas públicas contribuir a mejorar la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional con el propósito de garantizar el derecho a la alimentación, a la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional, el consumo de productos saludables de calidad? ¿Qué mecanismos existen para impulsar la inclusión de las mujeres y jóvenes? • Asignación de recursos para la implementación de las políticas públicas. • Crear políticas e incentivos para que los jóvenes se incorporen al sector agropecuario e incentivar la participación de la mujer. • Incentivar políticas que promuevan mejore... Read mores hábitos de consumo desde la familia, así como la actividad física. • Educar en temas de agricultura desde la infancia hasta la etapa universitaria. • Crear campañas educativas que busquen combatir la obesidad y mejoren los hábitos de alimentación saludable desde la niñez. • Hacer una revisión de todas las políticas públicas existentes e identificar si alguna va en contra de las tendencias actuales de seguridad alimentaria. Read less Action Track(s): 1, 2, 4 Keywords: Data & Evidence, Finance, Policy, Women & Youth Empowerment
Bangladesh - Stage 2 Second National Dialogue for the preparation of UN Food Systems Summit 2021 Area of divergence There were no major areas of divergence among the participants. Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Keywords: Data & Evidence, Environment and Climate, Finance, Governance, Human rights, Policy, Women & Youth Empowerment
Bangladesh - Stage 2 Second National Dialogue for the preparation of UN Food Systems Summit 2021 Major focus The focus and expectations from the Dialogue were outlined in the speeches of the chief guests and key speakers in the inaugural session of the dialogue. The DG, FPMU, Ministry of Food in his welcome remarks said that Bangladesh had been focusing on Action Track1- Access to Safe and nutritious food, and an important objective to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and agenda 2030. The Ministry of Food was coordinating the dialogue process to find out game changing solutions to overcome the existing challenges of food systems in Bangladesh. Dr. Rudaba Khondaker, Country Director, GAIN ... Read morein her introductory remarks said that we had to come up with a pathway that will set the stage for H.E Honourable Prime Minister to showcase Bangladesh at the UN Food Systems Summit, how we can work hand-in-hand with public-private sector, civil society, academia and other stakeholders including the youth and cutting all 5 action tracks. Mr. Robert Simpson, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, traced the evolution in the country from focus on production and food security to improving nutrition and food security and value chain approaches including production, processing, distribution, packaging, transportation etc. We have to work across the entire food system with an inclusive approach, addressing all 5 action tracks, with multi-ministerial and multi-sectoral approaches. Dr. Saleemul Huq, Chair of Action track 5 expressed that addressing climate change is one of the major priorities for Bangladesh. The country had recently developed the draft ‘Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan’ under the guidance of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, which will serve as a guiding document for food system resilience related to climate change. He expressed that, opportunities are open for all ministries to make contributions to the draft of the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan. Mr. Zakir Hossain Akanda, Secretary (PRL), Planning Commission, expressed that it was important to focus on solutions based on our food systems context linked to our culture, diets, nutrition and economic development. Mr. Md. Mesbahul Islam, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture expressed that the country’s vision is to provide eco-friendly, safe, climate resilient, sustainable productive good agricultural practices and sustaining natural resources to ensure food security as well as commercial agriculture, and our mission to provide efficient, effective, decentralized, location specific, demand responsive and integrated extension services to all categories of farmers in accessing and utilizing better knowhow to increase sustainable and profitable crop production. The Honorable Minister, Ministry of Food and Member of Parliament, Mr. Sadhan Chandra Majumder, in his address as Chief Guest declared that ensuring food security for all is a basic human right in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The country had achieved food security under the leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister and the government was working towards ensuring nutrition security. Many aid-based, constructive and development focused initiatives had been undertaken by the government to ensure food and nutrition security. The chair of the session, Dr. Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum, Secretary, Ministry of Food, expressed that when the 1st national dialogue was organised in January, the objective was to use the dialogue process to shape our actions for sustainable food systems by 2030, involving both government, donor community, I/NGO, and private sector. Area focused findings had emerged from the recommendations of the sub-national dialogues highlighting the existing challenges and effective way forward to address them and ensure sustainable and safe food system. Mr. Sheikh Muzibar Rahman, DG, Directorate of Food, stated that the Summit will provide a strong platform for all to analyze our food systems, policies, priorities and drawbacks with other countries. Mr. Khaja Abdul Hannan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Food appreciated the fact that stakeholders from all relevant fields participated in the dialogues and came up with recommendations to overcome the challenges prevailing in food systems. Read less Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Keywords: Data & Evidence, Environment and Climate, Finance, Governance, Human rights, Policy, Women & Youth Empowerment
Bangladesh - Stage 2 Second National Dialogue for the preparation of UN Food Systems Summit 2021 Main findings Agriculture Policy Support: Farmers often do not get fair price for their produce. Access to quality inputs is also a challenge. Agricultural land is getting converted for non-agricultural purposes. There is need for policy support to protect farmers’ interests and ensure fair price for them; buyback guarantee for produce that meets quality standards; cheap food imports should not be allowed to flood the market. Identification as farmers in the National Identity System will facilitate access to necessary inputs. There should be regulation to prevent conversion of agricultural land to non-agr... Read moreicultural use. Policies should also promote fair and ethical business practices by middlemen and private sector. Capacity Development: Lack of awareness on safe production practices and use of technology are challenges; capacity strengthening through training and awareness programmes on good practices to enable safe and sustainable production. Effective Extension: Although Agricultural Extension services is being done very well in Bangladesh, there are still some lacunae (unidentified gaps) in the extension system delaying access to knowledge. There is need for effective implementation of existing policies on Agriculture Extension, Agriculture Mechanisation, Good Agriculture Practices; need for special attention to women and youth. Infrastructure Support: Although government is focusing on mechanization of farming activities (which has been started in the recent years), it needs to be strengthened and scaled up. It reveals that lack of mechanisation is one of the reasons for low productivity and high cost of cultivation; lack of processing and storage facilities leads to food loss. Integrated infrastructure development under the Water Development Board including durable flood and erosion control embankments, efficient management of natural water bodies to balance the supply of water for agriculture between rainy and dry seasons, international collaboration to modulate water flows of the transboundary rivers are required. Finance: Credit for production purposes and insurance to safeguard against risks are necessary requirements; there should be easy access to credit for agriculture and allied activities from commercial banks; both crop and animal insurance have to be promoted. Effective Use of Technology and Data Management: The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for e-commerce and online market platforms. Development of integrated e-commerce platform and online markets will help better manage the food supply chain in the face of pandemics like COVID-19; models for consumers to source directly from producers. Greater Role of Private Sector to Empower Smallholders: There are hindrances to the private sector in playing an active role in investment and enterprise development. Public private partnership models may be promoted and enabling environment created for ease of doing business by private sector in all stages of the food chain from seed production to processing and marketing; tax holiday of 5-10 years for private sector can spur more investments in cold chain, food processing and focus on nutritious and safe food. Institutional Strengthening: GoB has given most priority to ensure the safe food for all the citizens. In this regard, the government enacted Food Safety Act 2013 and established Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) in early 2015. To implement Food Safety Act, GoB is giving efforts on massive awareness and surveillance activities on food safety standards and related issues along with the production and supply chain of food. Important rules and regulations have been prepared in the recent years. Now more focus should be given to expedite the implement process of those rules, regulations, standards aligned with Food Safety Act. Social Protection: Although government is giving more efforts to strengthen the social safety net activities, still there are some areas for improvement in delivery of social safety net programmes; effective delivery of social protection programmes has to be ensured with full coverage of ultra-poor, including those rendered poor by the COVID-19 pandemic; there is need for combination of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive approaches together with SBCC in social safety net programmes. Dietary Diversification: Strategies for promotion of production diversity, nutrition gardens of fruits and vegetables, and consumption diversity through focused social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) across the lifecycle addressing different population groups and engaging in a whole-of society approach on integrated nutrition issues to increase awareness of the importance of healthy diets and good nutrition practices are needed. Attention to Urban Food Systems: Growing urbanisation calls for attention to urban food systems. There is need to strengthen the food supply chain and promote safe food markets; increase awareness about nutritious food, to address problems of obesity and increasing incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Climate Resilient Food Systems: Climate change poses a major challenge to our food systems, affecting lives and livelihoods especially of smallholder farmers. We need to promote climate resilient crop varieties, put in place early warning systems and increase capacity of smallholder farmers to cope with challenge of climate change; building on the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, a group may be formed from this dialogue to examine effective response to threats to food systems posed by climate change. Read less Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Keywords: Data & Evidence, Environment and Climate, Finance, Governance, Human rights, Innovation, Policy, Trade-offs, Women & Youth Empowerment
Bangladesh - Stage 2 Second National Dialogue for the preparation of UN Food Systems Summit 2021 Discussion topic outcome 1. Availability of diversified, safe and nutritious food: Challenges: ensuring safe and sustainable food production is a challenge, Climate change is making our farmers more vulnerable. The indiscriminate use of fertilizers affects soil health. Way Forward: -Agriculture policy: Need for an enabling and inclusive agricultural policy that pulls farmers out of income and resource poverty and makes them efficient producers; Identification of farmers in the National Identity (NID) system; Mchanization of agriculture, Pomotion of smart agriculture technologies -Effective extension system: for instan... Read morece, a lot of stress tolerant and nutrient rich crop varieties are available with the agricultural research system - need effective dissemination through extension; ensure availability of quality seeds; effective land use planning; promote different models of poultry and dairy farming according to space availability.. 2. Transformation, delivery, access and role of private sector: Challenges: -COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragile to supply chain in all over the world which is also revealed to some extent in Bangladesh. Although Govt. has given massive efforts to overcome to those challenges through ensuring uninterrupted transport mobility for food items. Way Forward: -For the next three years efforts should be undertaken to develop risk/ shock sensitive supply chain that protects the produce and ensure proper price for crops produce by smallholders. -Tri-party partnership like farmer-private sector-government can be an effective solution for facilitating access to finance to young entrepreneurs; financing terms should be eased up for small farmers, ease of access to finance will enable farmers to diversify to other crops, dairy, poultry, fishery. -online marketplace like Uber for agricultural products can be developed --Food processing: supply of raw materials should be ensured all around the year through storage facility, proper transportation, and infrastructure. 3. Governance, nutrition and food safety: Challenges: -Lack of dietary diversity; rising double burden of malnutrition: while chronic and acute undernutrition persist, overnutrition leading to obesity and cardiovascular diseases is rising. High salt content as well as trans-fat in diets; Arsenic, heavy metal and faecal contamination and salinity are issues relating to unsafe water. Poor sanitation, hygiene practices and waste management remain challenges for improving WASH. Way Forward: -considering two crucial windows of opportunity during the 1st 1000 days from conception, and adolescence; Enhance nutrition and food safety knowledge and awareness among consumers especially adolescents and youth;Accelerate actions which contribute directly to the reduction of wasting. Promotion of national dietary guidelines; Focus on coordinated governance to implement national nutrition policies and strategies at national and sub-national level; ensure safe food, safe drinking water and improve sanitation and hygiene practices in both rural and urban areas; 4. Inclusion, Vulnerability and Social Protection: Challenges: -Not all poor and vulnerable people are covered by social safety nets. COVID-19 pandemic has increased number of poor and vulnerable people; urban poor – not adequately addressed. Way Forward: Expedite the implementation coverage of existing food based social safety net programs in a better functional and inclusive manner, increasing coverage. Focus of food diversification. 5. Climate, vulnerability and resilience: Challenges: - Conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural use; Flash flood, river erosion and increasing salinity of water levels are key detrimental impacts of climate change on food production. Way Forward: -The importance of soil health should be recognized; Effective river management through construction of embankments, dams, etc. can be undertaken to reduce the impact of erosion; Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, is a plan formulated by the government to counter the threats of climate change on multiple aspects including food systems, agriculture, and the wider economy; focus on climate-resilient food systems. Read less Keywords: Data & Evidence, Environment and Climate, Finance, Governance, Human rights, Innovation, Policy, Women & Youth Empowerment
Gambia (Republic of The) - Stage 2 Food System Summit Dialogues , The Gambia Major focus Describe in under 4,200 characters including spaces In The Gambia, our focus was on all the Action Tracks. We recognized the need to consult stakeholders from around the country and the stakeholders in each of the Action Tracks. We conducted dialogues in all regions, along the Action Tracks and an independent dialogue. i) The Gambia is divided into 7 regions (5 administrative regions and 2 municipalities) and we conducted a dialogue in each region. ii) All 5 Action Tracks of the FSSD were equally treated but we had them regrouped according to common linkages among some of them: Action Tracks 1... Read more&2 were merged into one Thematic Working Group (TWG); Action Tracks 3&4 were merged in a second TWG; Action Track 5 was treated alone in a third TWG. iii) The Independent Dialogue was organized by the apex body of farmer organizations called National Coordination Organization of Farmer Organizations Gambia (NACOFAG). iv) We added Private Sector participation in a fourth TWG. Read less Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Keywords: Environment and Climate, Finance, Governance, Policy, Women & Youth Empowerment
Gambia (Republic of The) - Stage 2 Food System Summit Dialogues , The Gambia Main findings 1) Increase access to land, financing and other productive resources that specifically target women and youth. The women form more than 50% of the farming population and in some regions, they are the major producers of vegetables, rice and groundnuts. Despite their numbers and their key contribution to agricultural production they are seriously disadvantaged in that they lack access to key production factors and inputs, particular land, finance and technical know-how. Women in the Gambia, for social, religious and cultural reasons, do not own land and can only inherit land from their mothers. ... Read moreConsequently, women in the Gambia, lack the opportunity to have land which they can present to the bank as a co-lateral to obtain bank loans. It is therefore imperative to increase their access to land and finance if their production is to increase. 2) Increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of the health delivery system There is a conspicuous inadequate access to quality health services especially in rural Gambia. This has led to high under 5, infant and neo-natal mortalities. This has led to serious ramifications on production and productivity of the nation’s food systems. In 2018, it was estimated that the country lost an equivalent of about GMD3.956 billion due to child undernutrition, which represented 5.1 percent of the GDP (COHA Report, 2020). 3) Sustainable exploitation of the country’s natural resource base. There has been remarkable degradation of the country’s resource base over the years. Deforestation, overfishing in our waters and inappropriate fishing nets, the poisoning of marine life, land degradation, frequent bush fires are some classical examples. Some of the adaptive measures undertaken to mitigate the degradation on the country’s resource base include sensitization on bush fire control measures, encourage agroforestry, regulating fishing and fishing nets, creation of appropriate policies. There is an alarming rate of wanton felling of indigenous and protected tree species. Bad agricultural practices on slopes have seriously aggravated soil and water erosion resulting in loss of topsoil and decline in soil fertility. 4) Increase food production by 100% According to the national statistics the country produces about half of the national annual food needs. There is urgent need to gradually increase food production over the next ten years leading to national food and nutrition self- sufficiency which is in-line with the attainment of SDG 2 target 3. Agricultural production can also be boosted if Gambians consume locally produced, safe and quality foods. Increase in production can also happen if the school feeding program, hospitals and the security services source their food needs from the local farming community. Production can further be increased by reducing vulnerabilities of the livelihoods of the population through building resilience of food systems through climate-resilient agricultural practices and social protection interventions. 5) A harmonized and better coordinated policy environment that directedly or indirectly affect food systems The effective coordination of relevant policies on food systems remains the major issue in the attainment of the SDGs by 2030 in relation to the National Food Systems. Existing policies should be reviewed and dovetailed to ensure and cater for equity, justice, empowerment and sustainability for all. 6) More privates sector involvement in the food systems. The private sector is a key player in ensuring food safety as it underlies the entire food system. The majority of foods are produced, handled, processed, distributed, and sold by the private sector, and thus, their responsibility to ensure that products are nutritious and safe for consumption. In view of the above, increased private sector support and involvement is integral in achieving the set goals in the SDGs in relation to food systems. 7) Government to fulfil its international fiscal obligations. In line with the call for globalization of resources for the enhance of National Food Systems, it is important for The Government to honor its commitments to national and international agreements/treaties such as the Malabo Declaration in committing 10% of public expenditure to agriculture. The Right to Food is a long-standing international human right to which many countries are committed according to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, CESCR, 1999. It is the right to feed oneself in dignity and the right to adequate food. National and Regional Food Reserves is part of building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses which may be caused by natural or manmade disasters. The Economic Community of West African States has adopted a policy requiring regional reserves by ECOWAS and national food reserves by the Member States. Read less Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Keywords: Environment and Climate, Finance, Governance, Innovation, Policy, Women & Youth Empowerment
Gambia (Republic of The) - Stage 2 Food System Summit Dialogues , The Gambia Discussion topic outcome 1) Increase access to land, financing and other productive resources that specifically target women and youth. Actions: a) The government must make specific and deliberate policy decisions (legislative and regulatory) targeting women and youths which grant them ownership of land for cultivation or to conduct agribusiness enterprises. The land can serve as co-lateral to give them access to finance. b) The agricultural loan interest rate in The Gambia is too high. It must be lowered to a single digit and loans should be discounted over multiple years with a minimum of 3 years. A graze period of ... Read more6 months for crops and 12 months for livestock should be given before repayment on the loan capital should start. c) The government should fast-track the establishment of an agri-business bank and a risk support facility, both of which are being formulated. d) Priority needs to be given to projects and programmes that will promote women and youth participation, eg, rice, vegetable and small ruminant projects tend to benefit women and youths. e) Promote gender equity with particular attention paid to youth participation throughout the food value chain. 2) Increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of the health delivery system Actions: a) Government and the private sector should increase access and improve health service delivery including Primary Health Care in the rural areas. b) Government should put in place strategies to systematically train and retain qualified personnel. c) Government should promote and enhance Private Sector investment in health service delivery, especially in the rural areas. d) Mainstream food-based nutrition and household food security into sectoral policies and plans. 3) Sustainable exploitation of the country’s natural resource base. Actions: a) Mainstream conservation agriculture in ANR policies and enact soil and water regulations. b) Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. Review and enforce the fisheries regulations and practice the Maximum Sustainable Yield concept. Re-negotiate all fishing agreements in favour of sustained economic growth. c) Enforce forestry regulations to curb illegal logging and transportation of foreign timber through Gambian territory for export. Promote community forest management concepts and non-timber forest enterprises. 4) Increase food production by 100% Actions: a) Promote climate smart agriculture through the use of i) irrigation (drip and surface) to encourage year-round production and crop production intensification and ii) integrated farming systems cops, livestock and aquaculture). Less than 4% of the cultivable area in The Gambia is irrigated. Tens of thousands of irrigable lands can be made available for lowland production if salt intrusion in the second half of the River Gambia is controlled. The government should consider construction of an anti-salt bridge on the river somewhere ecologically feasible. b) Promote mechanization along the entire food value chain. About 30% of the cultivable land is not cultivated. Mechanization of pre and post-harvest activities will reduce drudgery and time, increase cultivation of larger areas, and will also reduce postharvest losses. c) Promote consumption of safe and nutritious diets, biofortified foods and mineral and vitamin supplements for all d) Promote home grown school feeding (HGSF) program and contract farming. The HGSF increases retention of the girl-child in school which curbs early child marriages and closes the education gap between boys and girls. When all the children are well fed, early child development (ECD) is guaranteed, and the child cognitive development is advanced. e) Promote access to markets for agricultural produce f) Empower agricultural, food and nutrition security research and development g) Strengthen national laboratory capacity for food testing (Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary system strengthening) h) Establish a robust early warning system to natural disasters and strengthen and the National Disaster Management Agency for rapid intervention, saving lives and restoration of lost livelihoods. Read less Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Keywords: Environment and Climate, Finance, Governance, Innovation, Policy, Women & Youth Empowerment
Gambia (Republic of The) - Stage 2 Food System Summit Dialogues , The Gambia Area of divergence 1) a) conflict between forestry and farmlands, 2) conflict between farmers and wildlife (hippopotamus) 3) conflict between farmers and livestock and 4) shifting land use patterns 2) Middlemen role between growers and markets 3) Conflict in policies affecting food systems A few areas of divergence emerged during the Gambian dialogue. The most important divergences were related to conflicts between various uses of land and those who use land. 1) The stakeholders from the forestry and food production value chains could not agree on the expansion of agricultural lands through destruction of forest... Read mores. Also, 2) rice growers in the CRR complain about hippopotamuses invading and destroying their fields. They want the hippos killed but the animals are protected species in The Gambia. So, there is continuous push and pull between the agriculture and wildlife departments. Another 3) controversial area is the rapid take over of real estate developers of agricultural land for residential purposes especially in the 2 regions: namely, Kanifing Municipality and West Coast region. There was a divergence within the horticulture value chain. The growers that are far from the big urban markets sell their produces through middlemen called ‘Gyenda Jai’. These middlemen often shortchange, delay payments to the growers or even disappear with the growers’ money. A final divergence is related to policy conflicts affecting the food systems in the Gambia. The policies adopted by various ministries of agriculture and trade are often in conflict. The Ministry of Trade is responsible for Common External Tariffs and for the Investment Codes. The Ministry of Agriculture often require certain value chains protected to encourage growth and investment. Often, the two ministries do not align their schedules. Read less Action Track(s): 2, 4, 5 Keywords: Environment and Climate, Governance, Policy
Serbia - Stage 2 FIRST NATIONAL DIALOGUE – DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS THROUGH INCLUSIVE VALUE CHAINS Major focus The first two-stage National Dialogue focused on identifying challenges to: (a) ensure the availability of safe nutritious food; (b) shift to sustainable consumption patterns (c) boost nature-positive production at scale; (d) advance equitable livelihoods; (e) strengthen capacities to resist vulnerabilities and the often changing economic environment; thus, building more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable food systems in Serbia. The discussions were broken into six main challenge areas aligned with the UN Food Systems Summit five “action tracks” as outlined below: 1. U... Read moreNDERSTANDING SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2. TRANSFORMATION OF FOOD SYSTEMS 3. ADAPTATION OF FOOD SYSTEMS TO CLIMATE CHANGE 4. STATE PARTICIPATION IN THE VALUE CHAIN OF FOOD SYSTEMS 5. MODERNIZATION OF FOOD SYSTEMS 6. CONSUMER HABITS IN THE FOOD SECTOR Read less Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Serbia - Stage 2 FIRST NATIONAL DIALOGUE – DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS THROUGH INCLUSIVE VALUE CHAINS Main findings Transparency, inclusiveness and ownership were of fundamental importance to guarantee successful outcomes of the first Dialogue of the Republic of Serbia. Different actors across the entire food systems were identified and selected in the preparatory phase. The expertise, past experiences and knowledge of these actors were taken into consideration in order to develop a common vision for a long-term sustainability of Serbian food systems. In total six panel discussion topics were jointly identified in accordance with the dialogue procedures and targeting the challenges that the actors of Serbia... Read moren food systems are currently facing. Each topic was presented by a selected representative of governmental, international or local organization and discussed involving all panel participants for a collective sharing of reflections on each of the topics discussed. Finally, the results and outcomes of discussions were synthesized to incorporate into main findings. The most important output is that within the frames of this Summit a food systems’ transformation action plan shall be developed to stimulate the emergence of new ideas. In addition, the experience and knowledge of the parties involved will enable to unleash hidden opportunities and develop modern food systems with joined efforts. Structural change is necessary to address the socio-economic drivers behind malnutrition, inequalities and the climate and environmental impacts of food. A major finding is the necessity of cooperation especially between the government and private sector actors for finding solutions in developing agriculture, taking into consideration environmental issues to build strong food systems. This is important for building strong agricultural production and healthy diets for the population and building sustainable food systems based on three main pillars: economic, environmental, and social. Modernization and digitalization of primary production was also identified as one of the ways for improvement. Digital solutions in the field of agriculture, which is gaining momentum in recent years, are becoming much more affordable and cheaper and are finding their wider application. In the context of food systems, digital solutions can serve to connect producers and consumers (urban and rural), but they can also ensure that small market players are involved in food systems along the value chain in agriculture. They can also help keep trade channels open in crisis situations such as COVID-19. Nutrition and Food Safety was identified as another major field for intervention, while food safety refers to routines in the preparation, handling and storage of food meant to prevent foodborne illness and injury, proper nutrition means different things in different countries, but it is common to promote a healthy diet, a diet that contains enough nutrients, regardless of age, and it is important to give more attention to these 2 topics in upcoming period. Agribusiness companies’ modernization in order to obtain value added products with standardized quality. Put additional efforts to make more complex cooperative structure, where the modernization and growth of companies will be followed with their respective linkage with venerable groups which may be included as their suppliers or half-processors. As this First National Dialogue had and intention to increase the level of interaction/exploration amongst all participants, detailed Outcomes will be included in the Feedback Form after 2 subnational and 2nd National Dialogue. Read less Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Keywords: Data & Evidence, Environment and Climate, Finance, Governance, Human rights, Innovation, Policy, Trade-offs, Women & Youth Empowerment
Serbia - Stage 2 FIRST NATIONAL DIALOGUE – DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS THROUGH INCLUSIVE VALUE CHAINS Discussion topic outcome ACTION TRACK 1: ENSURE ACCESS TO SAFE AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR ALL Increasing food safety was identified as one of main drive forces for this action track in Serbia, as Serbia already has A Directorate for National Reference Laboratories it is of most importance to keep supporting its further development regarding food safety analyses through education and equipment modernization. It is also very important to educate primary producers about food safety and educate them how to minimize risks in their production. Also, one of the questions regarding food safety was to find modern techniques and s... Read moreolutions for safe extend of products shelf life. Read less Action Track(s): 1
Serbia - Stage 2 FIRST NATIONAL DIALOGUE – DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS THROUGH INCLUSIVE VALUE CHAINS Discussion topic outcome ACTION TRACK 2: SHIFT TO SUSTAINABLE AND HEALTHY CONSUMPTION PATTERNS As the consumer habits are changing and it is noticeable that people are more aware of “healthy food”, this means that production of food in Serbia has to adopt new trends and shift its focus to specialization of high quality and organic production. Participants agreed that there’s a lot of potential for improvement in this area, for instance, in Serbian markets, organic product are represented with less than 1%, while in some EU countries, their share takes in some countries more than 30%. Serbia is also a NON-GMO cou... Read morentry, and all the mentioned gives the opportunity to focus more to production of “healthy food”. It is also important to empower small scale producers to deliver healthy, safe, and affordable diets and support livelihoods and income in rural areas of Serbia. This would especially mean to support and educate marginalized groups to produce food of standardized quality and distribute it locally, but also, to promote cooperation with advanced companies which will create some types of hubs, where smaller producers can act as satellites and thus be included in large scale production. Read less
Serbia - Stage 2 FIRST NATIONAL DIALOGUE – DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS THROUGH INCLUSIVE VALUE CHAINS Discussion topic outcome ACTION TRACK 3: BOOSTING NATURE POSITIVE PRODUCTION Participants agreed that it is necessary to more in the upcoming period on protection, sustainable management and restoration of productive system. Nature positive food system also covers the growing demand for food in a sufficient way and includes sustainable and healthy nutrition. Since land is the most important natural resource and we are witnessing many degrading processes (reduction of organic matter, acidification, classical exploitation...), special attention should be paid to it. It is needed to extend the measures of protection, reg... Read moreulation and more efficient land use. One of the proposed and mostly welcomed measures was to promote regionalization of agriculture production in Serbia, which would mean harmonization of agricultural production with agro-ecological conditions that would include recommendations of certain areas of agriculture in relation to land, climatic conditions and altitude. Read less
Serbia - Stage 2 FIRST NATIONAL DIALOGUE – DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS THROUGH INCLUSIVE VALUE CHAINS Discussion topic outcome ACTION TRACK 4: ADVANCING EQUITABLE LIVELIHOODS Raising the level of knowledge of farmers was identified as of highest importance. The average level of knowledge of farmers in Serbia, especially in relation to their competitors from Western Europe, is at an unacceptably low level. Therefore, the application of adequate agro-technical measures, from crop rotation to technologies of food, milk, meat, storage and processing technologies is insufficient. Serbia has significant scientific and professional institutional and personnel potentials (faculties, institutes, private advisory services…) w... Read morehich can cover most of the modern tendencies in the development of agriculture. These resources should be mobilized more efficiently in future together as well as the promotion of the importance of farmers associations and unions. Some analyzes show that proper local adaptation of foreign technologies at all stages of agriculture production would increase its level by as much as 20% (without any other financial investments). Therefore, agricultural policy should provide quality education for farmers because it is a basic condition for increasing their competitiveness and sustainability of agricultural production in all areas. Participants also suggested that production of value added food products might be a chance to employ more people rather than exporting primary agriculture products from Serbia. This would mean further modernization of food system in Serbia, tracking World trends and adaptation of Serbian production capacities to the world demand. This also means opening of new markets for Serbian products, which should be focused more on “healthy food” as stated in the part of this report regarding AT2. Read less Action Track(s): 4
Serbia - Stage 2 FIRST NATIONAL DIALOGUE – DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS THROUGH INCLUSIVE VALUE CHAINS Discussion topic outcome ACTION TRACK 5: BUILD RESILIENCE TO VULNERABILITIES, SHOCKS AND STRESS While the impacts of COVID-19 are still unfolding, major disruptions of food supply chains due to lockdowns and restrictions triggered by government responses to the pandemic, but also a major global economic slowdown, resulted in lower incomes, and higher prices for some foods, making healthy diets even more unaffordable for many vulnerable groups. Participants agreed that small farmers are key to local and regional food systems, therefore, it is important to keep supporting them in all aspects as mentioned in outcomes for... Read more previous action tracks. Investment in their modernization and digitalization brings more power to Serbia to fight the shocks caused by unexpected pandemic. On the other hand, climate change in Serbia opened a lot of vulnerabilities. Therefore it is needed to continue with adaptation and mitigation programs to provide enough water for the arable land and to keep development of protection packages for other natural disasters. Therefore, climate action, including climate risk reduction and management to prevent, mitigate, transfer and prepare for risks is a critical entry point for action. Read less Action Track(s): 5
Canada - Stage 3 Toward a more sustainable and equitable food system: A call for collective action / Vers un système alimentaire plus durable et plus équitable : appel à l’action collective Discussion topic outcome Barriers and Critical Success Factors • The focus on the near-term harvesting season that food production requires can make it challenging to think about longer-term climate impacts. There is a need for continued engagement and involvement of food producers. • Ineffective communication of best management practices (BMPs) can create barriers to understanding and adoption. There is a need to improve access to information and expertise, and explore how best to share information, e.g., farmer-to-farmer, demonstrations, extension services. • Financial barriers that prevent governments from in... Read morevesting more to ensure that adequate supports and incentives are provided. There is a need for industry to engage governments to determine the extent to which extended support may be needed and where it is going to come from. • Reluctance of some supply chain stakeholders to work collaboratively, at both national and global levels, because sustainability measures may be considered proprietary and not fit to share openly. Establishing a dialogue with stakeholders that communicates the virtue of collaboration and that the environment is a common good may help break down some of these barriers. • Regulatory requirements can create disincentives to action and/or innovation. Examples were given of certain provincial regulations that prevent farmers from putting in a bio-digester or prevent hydro companies from buying electricity from farms. • The large number of UN Sustainable Development Goals may spread efforts too thin and risk achieving very little. There is a need to focus efforts those that have the most significant impacts on sustainability of the work becomes so fragmented there will be the danger of achieving very little. • Sustainable products are not part of our global or bilateral trade “brand”. If Canadian food production is not considered sustainable, it become a trade barrier with more environmentally discerning countries. Read less
Canada - Stage 3 Toward a more sustainable and equitable food system: A call for collective action / Vers un système alimentaire plus durable et plus équitable : appel à l’action collective Area of divergence Theme 1: Food insecurity – root causes, measurement and solutions • Some participants identified that local food production, programs and food systems are assets, noting that local hunting, fishing, and gathering, local farm to school programs, and local economic development all contribute to food security. Others emphasized that local food is not the solution to food insecurity; an expanded local food market does not necessarily resolve the issue of accessibility and affordability for many with low incomes. Theme 2: Inclusive and resilient food systems • While some participants expresse... Read mored support for vision statement and commitments and actions/solutions toward a resilient food system, others expressed the view that the vision statement should be more focussed on local food systems and tightening local “food loops”. One participant proposed the following vision statement: “By 2030, domestic food systems will be resilient and inclusive through protecting and enhancing the right and ability of people and communities to produce food for themselves and for others.” • Investment in agri-food technology, suggested as a solution by some participants, was considered too disruptive by others. Theme 3: Integrated approaches to food systems • No significant areas of divergence were noted for this theme. Theme 4: Sustainable production, consumption and disposal • In the discussion on metrics, some participants focused on the primacy of quality metrics before getting to solutions. Other participants noted that climate change is happening now, and while metrics are important, the absence thereof should not preclude setting ambitious goals and taking action. • Some participants saw the shift to sustainable diets/consumption as a key component of the transition to sustainable food systems. One participant did not see an opportunity to make big sustainability changes with this focus, noting that sustainable consumption really depends on how consumers cook, not the commodity used (e.g., fried chicken). • While some participants advocated for universities as a good source of extension services, one participant raised the risk of conflict-of-interest as university research is often paid for by industry. Read less
