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There were no particular areas of divergence among stakeholders.

The third interactive session of the OFSD which addressed "Resilience for the Future" heard that: - The impact of disasters disproportionately affects the most vulnerable and the poorest countries, including SIDS who suffer greatly from the impacts of extreme climate, weather and natural hazard risk events due to their unique geographical location. - SIDS challenges of smallness and geographic isolation and dispersion can make food production prohibitive. To mitigate these factors regional approaches are necessary and should be encouraged. - OACPS SIDS are highly dependent on specific economic... Read more sectors (such as tourism and fisheries) and are therefore more vulnerable to economic and exogenous shocks. - The COVID-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on the importance of interconnectivity and integration and the links between natural, biological and human hazards. - Risks are systemic and complex, and therefore require holistic integrated solutions, with better links to all key sectors, regulation, planning, enforcement and good practice. - National and local disaster risk reduction strategies should be well articulated with mutually reinforcing sustainable development plans and climate change adaptation plans. - Industrious coalitions need to be built between member states and groups with geographical similarities - further they would need to identify and prioritise their shared challenges and develop a resilience roadmap that they could collectively pursue. The following bold actions are identified pathways for building resilient food systems in and across the OACPS, for the future:  Increasing the adoption of holistic and climate-friendly production and consumption practices that also limit biodiversity loss, whether in aquatic systems, land, and forests.  Mainstreaming sustainable use and adaptive management of natural resources by ensuring access rights to fisheries and land, and recognizing the value of traditional practices and knowledge systems.  Adopting interdisciplinary approaches to respond to the factors that contribute to the fragility of agri-food systems in OACPS, including but not limited to climate change and variability, epidemics, emerging and re-emerging diseases.  Increasing investments in productivity-enhancing innovations to harness science solutions for the sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth of food systems.  Fostering global partnerships to develop more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems that consider the needs of smallholder farmers and encourage youth to embrace opportunities in being active partners in food systems transformation.  Strengthening agricultural/fisheries/aquaculture value chains and de-risking of the food systems investments in the OACPS from climate risks, and other related hazards.  Reimagining the market-led solutions to green and blue food systems and the corporate takeover of the food systems as potential, systemic risks to the resilience of OACPS’ food systems. Policy decision-making and the food systems governance space should recognise and include the voices of the civil society, women and youth. Empowering local communities to produce traditional and local foods that are climate-friendly and developing technologies for value addition should be a key priority for members and regions of the OACPS Read less

The OFSD “Food Systems for Health and Wellbeing" acknowledged that: - While non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are of global concern, it is at crisis point for many OACPS Small Island Developing States (SIDS). o Seven of Fifteen countries of the Pacific-OACPS have high rates of diabetes and rank in the top ten in the world. Unfortunately, COVID19 has further compounded these metrics. o The single common factor is unhealthy diets, where there is co-existence of under-nutrition and over-nutrition in the same individuals, in the same family and in the same communities – and where too much of th... Read moree wrong foods is being eaten. o Notwithstanding the Pacific region is renowned for using traditional knowledge and traditional science processes; increased investment in building resilience through strengthened, tailored science and traditional knowledge approaches should be encouraged. - A lack of coordination at global and regional levels, and a lack of ownership and commitment at national levels hinder efforts to address the high levels of malnutrition in the members and regions of the OACPS. The following bold actions are identified for food systems transformation, for better health and wellbeing of peoples in the OACPS:  Promoting traditional local diets and preventing the nutritional transition to western unhealthy, unbalanced and unsuitable diets;  Raising awareness about the impacts of trade on diets, health and wellbeing of citizens of OACPS SIDS.  Targeting fiscal policies for healthy and sustainable diets, which are needed to transform food systems and halt the consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks. This could include (i) Placing taxes on foods and beverages that are high in fats, salt and/or sugars. (ii) Providing incentives to encourage healthy options and alternatives by making them more affordable to consumers. (iii) Nutrition labeling providing easy to interpret and understand nutrition information on packaged foods is critical to influencing consumer behaviour and market choice of unhealthy diets.  Food fortification and food product reformulation: Increasing the nutrient value of foods by fortifying them with vitamins and minerals, and reduction of unhealthy sugars, fats, and salts.  Regulation of marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages focusing on advertising and,or targeted campaigns that negatively influence or limit choices among children and,or mothers.  Stockpiling of adequate strategic foods to mitigate against the many crises facing the members and regions of the OACPS (such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and disasters from extreme weather and climate events, as well as geohazards such as volcanic eruptions) that impact food production systems.  Investment in food safety infrastructure and legislation to facilitate access of locally produced foods to markets. A combination of improved food governance, education programmes and incentives can help transition to sustainable and healthy diets. It is important that global players do not only push science-based solutions but also recognise and use local and traditional science and knowledge as part of the decision-making systems for production, consumption and resilience building in and across the member countries and regions of the OACPS. Read less

The OFSD “Sustainable production and value chains of blue and green food" discussion realised we need to: - Achieve blue food systems transformation as much as green foods systems transformation if we are to feed the growing OACPS population with nutritious food, for livelihoods, health, and wellbeing. - Deal with increased pressure on our fisheries (in our ocean, lakes and rivers) and particularly as the OACPS-Africa population grows fast, and mindful that fish is important for protein and micronutrients for many OACPS peoples. - Invest in science and innovation, for governance and sustaina... Read moreble management of ocean resources as we face climate change and other exogenous shocks such as the ongoing COVID19 pandemic is needed. - Embrace opportunities that include agriculture, coastal fisheries and aquaculture in nature and ecosystem-based approaches to support local economies is acknowledged and is important. - Include local communities in sea and land innovations and production with all implementation occurring as co-development with communities and users where appropriate and necessary. - Ensure all OACPS workers have access to capacity-building support opportunities that positively respond to real-time data, innovation and technology, and human capital needs and skills required. - Scale-up efforts to conserve biodiversity to address food security needs. - Recognise laudable efforts such as that of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) to maintain genetic diversity of disbursing plant seeds and tissues across the region during the COVID19 pandemic as well as part of response and recovery efforts to disaster risk events – and seek to replicate these as and where appropriate. - Consider sustainable management practices, such as agroecology, regenerative farming and community-based fisheries management as critical to both catalysing and augmenting food systems transformation. And note there are opportunities to further integrate agriculture, coastal fisheries, aquaculture, and water resources management through circular, nature and ecosystem-based approaches to support blue-green economies, at all levels. - Promote coordinated national-level planning to ensure food systems transformation is a critical part of the national sustainable development agenda will involve and require whole of government, whole of country (all stakeholders) and whole of community approaches. - Provide a strong enabling environment for food systems transformation (institutions and instruments) will be key for effective implementation. - Phase-out and/or reorient harmful subsidies that impact the sustainability of the food systems will need to be implemented as soon as practicable. - Explore the utility of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in the transition to more inclusive and sustainable food systems will need to be explored, realised, and made accessible to all. Read less

Absolute, unequivocal confirmation that the promotion and realisation of sustainable food systems is strongly linked to the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals. Solid, concrete multi-stakeholder investments and commitments by members, regions, and key partners of the OACPS to achieve food systems transformations is needed and critical to delivering the manifold results, outcomes and impacts

The dialogue focused on examining the links between three of the five UNFSS Action Tracks, with resilience and building resilient food systems as the strong connector and imperative for the Dialogue. The OFSD sought to explore ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all and shifting to sustainable consumption patterns, while building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress, with a particular focus on the assessment of challenges and solutions for food systems transformation for the 79 members and six regions of the OACPS