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Varios temas y patrones se observaron durante la sesión de recapitulación de las discusiones de los grupos. Con respecto a las vulnerabilidades y fortalezas observadas en el sistema alimentario durante la pandemia, se mencionó que no estuvimos preparados para enfrentar este tipo de crisis, y que a futuro, se debería tener planes nacionales de prevención, respuesta y acción para el funcionamiento de los sistemas alimentarios y salvaguardar la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional de las poblaciones. Un resultado de la crisis fue la adaptación e innovación a varias escalas, en la grande, m... Read moreediana y pequeña empresa. En varios contextos, hubo mucha dependencia en unas pocas y grandes empresas que, al sufrir las consecuencias de las restricciones y los cambios en los mercados, afectaron el sistema alimentario de forma significativa. Esta es una de las razones por la que se recomienda la diversificación dentro del sistema y sus actores. Se recalcó también la necesidad de invertir en la educación y capacitación, con enfoque en los pequeños productores, para que puedan innovar y acceder a las nuevas tecnologías. Un tema muy importante fue la necesidad de mejorar la vinculación entre los varios grupos de interés: productores, academia, sector privado, gobierno y la sociedad civil con vista hacia la creación de sistemas alimentarios resilientes y sostenibles. Read less

El Diálogo se tituló como, “Fomentando la Resiliencia en los Sistemas Alimentarios Latinoamericanos: Lecciones Aprendidas en Crisis y Soluciones Hacia la Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional Sostenible.” El tema principal así fue el fomento de la resiliencia en los sistemas alimentarios a nivel regional y nacional a partir de las lecciones aprendidas durante estos tiempos de crisis y el planteamiento de soluciones y compromisos que nos ayuden a construir sistemas alimentarios más resilientes, equitativos, diversos y sostenibles. Para los grupos se desglosó el tema principal en tres tem... Read moreas de debate: 1) Lecciones Aprendidas en Tiempos de Crisis: Las crisis recientes han probado la resiliencia de nuestros sistemas alimentarios, mostrándonos áreas débiles que necesitan inversión y transformación, áreas fuertes que necesitan protección y crecimiento, y cómo los diversos actores del sistema pueden unir esfuerzos y trabajar hacia la reactivación, la resiliencia, y la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional de todas las poblaciones. Las siguientes fueras las preguntas de discusión del tema #1: a. ¿En qué áreas del sistema alimentario observamos debilidades y/o fortalezas durante la(s) reciente(s) crisis? b. ¿Qué respuestas se pusieron en práctica que funcionaron, o no funcionaron, para la reactivación del sistema y la provisión de alimentos? c. ¿Qué hemos aprendido de las crisis y qué acciones a futuro podemos tomar? 2) Sistemas Alimentarios Robustos, Equitativos y Sostenibles: Todos tenemos un rol y ponemos de nuestra parte para crear sistemas alimentarios robustos, equitativos y sostenibles que provean ingresos justos para los agricultores y trabajadores del sistema, y que aseguren la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional de todos, con atención especial hacia las poblaciones más vulnerables. Las siguientes fueras las preguntas de discusión del tema #2: a. ¿Qué áreas del sistema necesitan más atención en este tema? b. ¿Cuál es nuestro rol y el de las entidades a las que pertenecemos? c. ¿Qué soluciones proponemos y qué acciones nos comprometemos a poner en práctica, tanto a corto y largo plazo? 3) Transformación hacia Sistemas Alimentarios Diversos y Sostenibles: Los sistemas alimentarios transformados hacen posible una producción más diversa y sostenible, que regenere nuestra base de recursos naturales y proteja nuestra biodiversidad, y al mismo tiempo provea una alimentación diversa que supla las necesidades nutricionales de nuestras poblaciones presentes y futuras. Las siguientes fueras las preguntas de discusión del tema #3: a. ¿Qué áreas del sistema alimentario necesitan transformación hacia la sostenibilidad? b. ¿Cómo podemos proteger y regenerar nuestra base de recursos naturales y biodiversidad? c. ¿Qué soluciones proponemos y qué acciones nos comprometemos a poner en práctica, a corto y largo plazo? Read less

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- Need to be conscious of complexities in how individuals interact with food systems and deal with food insecurity- there is heterogeneity of vulnerability, and we need to look at it at different levels (community, household, and individual) - Need to provide farmers with education on managing risk where it be weather, conflict, currency fluctuations, etc- to make systems more resilient there needs to be more understanding of what the risks are and their impacts in the short, medium, and long term. - Real change needs happen at the local level especially in conflict areas- component of basic s... Read moretart up support as well as education - Need to move from basic caloric intake needed to live to providing full/balanced nutrition and diverse diets with fruits and vegetable - Protracted crisis and conflict change food systems fundamentally, but we treat them as temporary; development is possible in areas experiencing protracted conflict, but local leadership is critical - Should adapt weather-related risk management systems to conflict and have financial services that can work where there is a lot of uncertainty. - Need early warning systems for other types of uncertainty than famine and some weather challenges Read less

- Smaller, local farmers lack access to quality seeds/support and markets- need for regulations to ensure small holder farmers have access to the right resources both to consume as well as sell to their communities - Farmers get discouraged because of low prices and exploitation- having access to quality inputs at fair costs would allow them to also sell at appropriate prices (affordable for consumers, profitable for sellers) - High value crops are prioritized at the expense of other crops due to market forces - Western countries dictate what lower income countries receive through food aid, di... Read moresturbs the market system; bulk buying and reliance on WFP exploits local farmers. - In Uganda, we need to organize farmers into unions so that individuals are not selling individually but as farmer unions who can collectively bargain for better prices - In Uganda, young people avoid agriculture because they consider it not profitable and are selling land to move to city- try to connect youth with older generations to show that you can have a farm and an office job - and that profit is possible; use SBCC with having peer to peer conversations that can show success stories and impact - Promoting Technology in agriculture would demonstrate that it is possible to make a profit by saving time and cost and makes it more attractive to the youth - In the US, youth not really involved in farming unless they grew up doing it as part of a family business - certain neighborhoods should start household cultivation. Each member of the community would have 1 type of plant (herb, fruit, vegetable) and then the community members would trade to sustain themselves - Role of government and how they can influence the system - COVID 19 as an opportunity to highlight the importance of local food systems and encouraging households to grow their own foods - Encouraging food sovereignty and the food as a right and not just a commodity Read less

- Concerned about the quality of food (in terms of vitamins and nutrients) being donated and distributed through local food pantries in the US - need more locally sourced food through a compression and decentralization of supply chains - Growth of healthy corner farmers on 1/10 of an acre plots to create food oases in food deserts in the US; step beyond the idea of healthy corner stores selling more fruits and vegetables to grounding production in the community (healthy corner farmers rather than healthy corner stores); use of hydroponic farms for production - In Nigeria, internally displaced ... Read morepersons (IDP) farmers have limited access to farmland, so home gardens and home animal raising is key to surviving offseason produce price spikes, when the community is dependent on transported foods. - Use of Tom Brown, a nutritious porridge made of millet, corn, sorghum, soya, and groundnuts, to feed malnourished children with locally sourced food in Nigeria - Mobile food markets in the US can reduce numbers of those living in food deserts, but the need must be mapped out first - Concerned by the wasted food production in Nigeria fueled by transportation, store, and preservation problems- for tomatoes, for instance, the population faces seasonal price spikes because there is no way to preserve the tomatoes; logistics are the key in avoiding off-season produce price spikes. - Childhood traumas/adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), often influence whether people eat healthily or desire fast foods and often correlates with diet-related disease, given the role of stress-related cortisol in cravings for high-fat foods Read less

- There are politics involved in ending hunger and inequities- leads to trade-offs, such as focusing on scaling up production, using non-organic fertilizers that harm soil health, and large scale producers instead of smallholder farmers - Water scarcity a major issue of hunger - Need to scale up innovative practices, such as the use of wastewater and fecal sludge in the growing system, which could assist in the affordability of fertilizer; could also learn from other regions with water scarcity - We must include the community, as they are the ones impacted by hunger and directly impacted by cl... Read moreimate change- community should be educated on climate change so they can advocate and provide accountability. - We need to replenish indigenous crops and recognize the value of traditional methods of agriculture - How will we incentivize or recognize farmers for using conservation agriculture? - The humanitarian / development communities need to ask themselves if their work is creating cycles of dependency - Women and youth need to be empowered more, especially when it comes to livestock ownership to improve nutrition outcomes and where youth can serve in the value chain - Direct food relief should not be used as a long-term solution, we need to be looking at empowerment models that encourage local self-reliance Read less

- Build agency of local leadership and strengthen local food systems through the promotion of indigenous crops and traditional forms of agriculture - Complement traditional agriculture techniques with conservation and climate-smart agriculture techniques that are accessible to all local communities. - Ensure smallholder farmers have access to quality inputs and resources to grow for their own consumption and sell at prices that allow them to live adequately - Empower women and youth to be directly engaged with agriculture value chains and improve market access for both income generation and nu... Read moretrition outcomes - Ensure that foreign assistance truly supports communities in becoming resilient and self-sufficient rather than perpetually dependent on aid Read less

The focus of our Dialogue was to help elevate the voices of those who are most directly impacted by development and humanitarian initiatives. It was open to development and humanitarian implementers, local leaders, and community members, as well as field and extension officers, national and local governments, and companies interested in providing contextual perspectives for how humanitarian and development strategies impact communities. Our purpose was to encourage a diverse and expansive pool of voices to help improve the representation and empowerment of local leadership in influencing the S... Read moreDG goals. Therefore, the Dialogue was an exploration of food systems in the development and humanitarian context and was intentionally open to discussion topics related to all five Action Tracks to allow people to bring their own interests and individual roles within the food system to the table. Read less

The Innovation track in the UN FSS focused on Building Healthy, Nutritious and Affordable Food Systems for Rwanda through Innovations. The keys discussions were on the Innovations that are needed for smallholder farmers and small and medium enterprises to sustainably nourish Rwanda now and in the future. The participants identified the following innovation gaps in the food system and suggested ways in which they can be addressed. 1. Infrastructure - Nutritious value chains require sophisticated technology to sustain that smallholder farmers cannot afford. There is a need for post-harvest stora... Read morege and process technologies and an effective logistic distribution system. 2. Access to Funds and Investments – Most financing companies are willing to provide either huge funds or nothing. But smallholder farmers need access to small-scale financing as they cannot afford high risks. 3. Knowledge – Farmers should be able to collaborate through one platform or a network such as an innovation hub that enables them to address concerns as well as share resources and knowledge that can add value to their produce.  Read less

Reactions by panel There is a systemic shift in food systems to suit the urban class we are seeing more distance from the farmer to consumers and the middleman is controlling the safety of our food. consumption of aflatoxins, for example, have a big impact on public health responsible for liver cancers and are also linked with negative growth. In March 2021, there were challenges with trade between Uganda and Kenya due to aflatoxins contamination, this means we need entrepreneurs to help solve the commercial challenges. Grain losses due to aflatoxins are between 14 to 35% annually. How can we ... Read morereduce losses and rejects? We need innovation but must be affordable for smallholder farmers otherwise it will not be successful. For example, hermetic storage bags which has been around for about a decade but there has been a low adaptation level by farmers. Probably the key solution will be to engage entrepreneurs who will reach the farmers to educate them and supply them with his packaging at affordable prices. Read less

Innovation What are the key factors that help drive innovation? It takes more than one key factor for innovations to scale in an emerging economy like Rwanda. For innovations to be successful in LMIC’s there needs to be the 3 C’s. They are: 1. Creativity 2. Capacity Building 3. Collaboration Entrepreneurs are extremely creative and market savvy but in emerging economies with the enabling system is so sub-optimal, entrepreneurs have to create the conditions that will enable their venture to operate successfully, and these enablers will often include capacity building with other players alon... Read moreg the value chain that affects their business whether their vendors, customer or retailers. They have to collaborate with the social sector such as NGOs, the government to make sure their venture functions smoothly. Unlike entrepreneurs in high-income countries, the 3Cs are the foundations to be successful in LMIC’s. Read less