Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

Discussion topic 4/5: Sustainable, resilient, inclusive, and equitable food systems Agroecology as a principle means working with nature to farm effectively. It allows the food system to achieve these four indicators. Education and awareness are needed on the components that drive resilience in farming systems. Household food consumption patterns have been changing, and so have been food markets. Embracing kitchen gardens to add to the household's daily food basket is a great strategy to improve food and nutrition security. The power of these gardens lies in undertaking them in minimal spaces,... Read more water needs, and attention. Thus, smallholder farmers can be taught that even if marginalized, they still contribute a considerable proportion of the food needs. This appreciation will help encourage both production and consumption of home-grown food. The participants noted that the danger of food commodification still lurks. This situation will continue to become more pressing, especially as discussions on food systems remain "much talk and little action." Better information flows will reinforce the momentum for better monitoring and evaluating these efforts at developing ideal food systems. There was agreement that when food becomes a market commodity, it is not produced in dignity and we think about the money aspect only. There is often the tendency to forget that we will also buy food grown that same way. The consequences of producing for money take away inclusivity and thinking about others and the environment. On sustainability, the focus is three-fold, i.e., environmental, economic, and social. For environmental causes, land, water and seed will need to be protected and conserved. Where farmers can depend on farming for their lives, economic questions will arise. They are spending much money and get close to zero harvests. Social sustainability will raise additional questions in food systems. These include whether farmers are getting new and up-to-date knowledge on appropriate farming practices and extension that empowers them. Finally, culture also has a place in the food systems. The improved breeds and varieties have sometimes gone against cultural norms, e.g., broiler or intensively farmed chicken has not been well received in farming and increasingly urban communities. It was noted that there remains no justice in the food system if chemicals and additives in farming are making the wrong people richer while disenfranchising the smallholder farmer. Consequently, there is hope in making our food systems equitable. We do not have to harm other organisms to feed consumers, to make money out of farming. Prudent management of natural resources provided to us by mother nature will benefit every player in the food system ensuring equity - if normalize safe food! Now, more than ever, the smallholder farmer needs to embrace value addition, access their pool of seed adapted to their agroecology, and be in cooperatives or associations that advocate for their needs. A great deterrent to equity in farming systems is capitalism. The subsidy regime fronted by the Government and other stakeholders are heavily inclined toward commercial farmers. Middlemen and other players like chemical sellers are the ones who benefit from the farming system. There need to be policies that ensure the farmers are protected and empowered. The farmer groups have been deliberately disenfranchised to take advantage of them. This observation is around the world. Consumers are very important stakeholders in the food system, and there is a need to empower them. They need to know their rights and how food produced conventionally impacts their health to demand better food production and policies that protect their health and their children's future. The main action points derived from this session include the need to: • Empower consumers to take up their role in determining the way local food systems are structured and managed • Onboard environmental conservation thinking in the design and management of our food systems Read less

Discussion topic 3/5: Power dynamics in food and farming systems This session highlights the perceived and actual roles of different aspects, i.e., gender, politics, finance, and multinational corporations in food and farming systems. The participation of women and youth in food systems following (dis)empowerment is queried. This participation is also examined based on "how we can incentivize women, youth, people differently-abled , and other vulnerable groups to aid their participation in food systems more meaningfully." Finally, it explores what the power dynamics are and paints a picture of... Read more what the status is. Several actions will influence power dynamics in food systems in the next three years: 1. We will see increased democratic space in the food system. This shift will create equal freedom for all people to participate. As it is, citizens have been reduced to listeners, without space and/or adequate attention given to the people's views. If the farmers are consistently positioned at the center, we will witness changes in these power dynamics. Strategies and interventions need to be grown from and informed by a ground-up approach, where farmers are the first point of information and guidance on what change is necessary and what is required to support them. 2. With a strengthened regulatory framework, much traction will be gained. Laws, policies, and regulations need to be genuinely farmer-centered and pro-poor. The regulatory framework in place needs to exhibit an expanded understanding of the food system – it is not just about production, productivity, and export. In parallel, there is a need for awareness among farmers on existing laws that support them and available redress channels. Fundamental changes in how we view social capital strategies will define the next three years. The social capital available at the local level, such as farmers' cooperatives, can serve as avenues for educating smallholder farmers on best practices for safe and sustainable food production. This voice and communication will rely on social capital, unified voices, and increased communication in society. We need to express what we want and need for a food systems change! 3. Embracing human-centered approaches will always be critical to determining power dynamics in food and farming systems. The food system and processes in food production should prioritize people's health, welfare, and well-being instead of merely focusing on profit-making. We will need a sustained civic education drive. This result will be achieved by ensuring continuity of civic education on the food system that targets people at the grassroots and leverages the devolved governance structure in Kenya. Participants did agree that people empowerment and effective communication should be at the center of civic education efforts. Community organizations and initiatives could be used to do this. Local farmers and consumers can also be urged to join these initiatives and learn 4. The need to have enhanced public participation in all sub-sectors of food systems will be inalienable. Therefore, we will have to derive common understandings on the definition of public participation, alongside formulation of verifiable criteria for public participation that ensures inclusion of people at the grass-root level (small scale farmers and consumers) and accountability. For successful engagement and favourable political economy framework, we need: • A change from the current top-down approach to a bottom-up approach is needed. • Sustained civic education on food policies, regulatory framework, and food systems interventions in general for more meaningful participation and involvement of everyone • Strengthening of the regulatory framework guiding various aspects of food systems Read less

Discussion topic 2/5: Who feeds us? The role of smallholders and urban farmers in food and nutrition security It was noted that there was still an ongoing need to support smallholder farmers. This support is not because they do not have the potential in production but rather because they hold significantly higher potential. Now, they produce to feed up to 70% of the population, with only 25% of resources. However, these farmers still face several challenges, including: • Lack of extension and education services • Limited access to markets and marketing information (value chains) • Too ma... Read moreny intermediaries involved in brokerage • Land sub-division, leaving too few pieces for farming • Variable weather patterns • The influx of imported goods • An aging population of farmers • A culture that negatively impacts women from producing food. What we need to see is: • Have more people able to meaningfully participate in public dialogue, especially women and persons living with disabilities. • A reduced influence of agrochemical companies on government policymaking. • A strengthened extension service that educates farmers on safe food production will be imperative. • The sub-national dialogues brought to bear the vulnerable state smallholders are in. In their assessment, discussants do agree that there's a need for a paradigm shift. The thinking that food insecurity is a net result of climate change is a "tired assertion." The systemic issues impeding progress towards inclusive food and nutrition security require scrutiny. A couple of suggestions were made about how individuals, corporates, and government entities can apply supportive actions: • Individuals can (need to) buy from small-scale farmers and can demand provision for retailers to stock from these farmers. • Corporates need to source from the local and small-scale farmers. They can also provide the needed resources in supporting the scaling of farmer activities. • The Government is a significant player in food systems and thus needed to promote the local level procurements. They can also avail the much-needed subsidies and incentives to farmers using sustainable and ethical production methods. If they consider creating spaces where farmers can learn about these practices, a significant shift in behavior will start developing. • The youth need an enabling environment for working in the entire value chain – the Government can prioritize this. Agriculture has to maintain a capacity to conserve, regenerate and reward. Improved market surveillance to reduce food waste will be needed. This process should be embedded in enhanced value addition and support to farmers through market cooperatives that increase access to global markets. We see large-scale farmers embracing organic farming and organic ways of producing large-scale agricultural products for human consumption. Finally, a short and localized food value chain is needed - from production to processing/value addition and marketing. Smallholders need to access information on market dynamics, pricing of products, and general empowerment by value-chain. These will help guide a consistent transformation that seeks household food and nutrition security, imparts farmer decision-making abilities, and leads them to food sovereignty. Urban farming continues to inspire hope. It is key to the production of and access to safe, nutritious, and healthy food. It has been on the increase in cities through the pot, backyard, and multi-story gardens. It also offers additional income to the smallholders who sell their surplus production. In the closing of this discussion, proposed action points included: • There is a need for all interventions to embrace shorter, localized food value chains - from production to processing/value addition and marketing. • Access to information on market dynamics, pricing of products, and the general empowerment of smallholders to effectively engage at the market level should be prioritised. Read less

Discussion topic 1/5: Stakeholder roles in ensuring food, and nutrition security The dialogue discussed and highlighted the roles of different stakeholders (Government, private sector, civil society organizations (CSOs), and communities), in ensuring food and nutrition security and ensuring the right to adequate food for all. It observed that current policies will become increasingly important in addressing food systems issues if adequately implemented. This change will require smooth coordination of food systems issues at and across the county and national levels. Another key outcome of the d... Read moreiscussion was funding levels and the engagement of smallholders in policy formulation. Several speakers noted that the context in which discussions on policy occur has been changing, albeit slowly. The involvement of the smallholder in policy formulation seems to be very lean and not allowing a robust engagement. However, the Constitution of Kenya remains very decisive on the need to have stakeholder engagements at the heart of any policy formulation at national and county levels. Discussants agreed that producers must be at the center of policymaking, sustainable environmental management, and the whole food chain, i.e., farm-to-fork. The participants did note that while in the community, there could be farmers that are less informed on good agronomic practices, the lack of knowledge amongst producers comes at a high cost not only to their livelihoods and success in their craft but also to consumers and the environment due to exposure to unsafe, unsustainable practices. As a regulator and enabler, the Government needs to take up its role more decisively and discharge its mandate. Some of the contextual aspects that came up include the need for farmer linkages in counties to reap the benefits of training and cross-learning. Farmer-to-farmer extension, including the regular extension from Government, CSOs, and NGOs, can help address knowledge gaps. Stakeholders need to go on the ground and facilitate shifts in behavior and thinking. Cooperatives will allow a unity of purpose in farming communities, leveraging on their multi-skill base and delivering benefits of group training. The farmers need to know how critical their role is in the food system. In seeking sustainable food systems, we need to change the current narrative. A bottom-up implementation is an excellent possibility if a blueprint in agriculture is co-developed and a holistic food systems approach is applied. Focusing on youth exposure to agriculture from the onset to school will fortify their interest in food systems. The process of ensuring accountability for the Right to Adequate Food in Kenya should be centered and driven by rights holders, including smallholder farmers who are increasingly becoming more susceptible to food insecurity. Some of the main action points from the discussion include: • All stakeholders need to incorporate the welfare of producers in food systems activities and interventions. • Work with farmers to establish the best evidence-based farming methods. • Support group collective action for strengthening farmer knowledge, and practices through farmer-farmer sharing on practical concepts such as growing organic food, crop rotation, and composting. • Support knowledge access for smallholders as the ultimate equaliser -- it increases equity, fairness, and transparency in the food production system. Read less

The role of different stakeholders in food and nutrition security should be complementary. Currently we have more consumers than producers of food. This situation increases pressure on the few producers to meet food needs. We need to build the food systems thinking that is holistic and grounded on science and practical experience. What has been done before and worked? Can farmers identify their roles in food systems and not entirely rely on the Government? The evidence of large commercial agriculture establishments narrowing the dietary diversity, access to agricultural inputs, technologies an... Read mored services, and priority for markets need to be keenly looked at as they pressure humanity to move towards industrial farms. Farmers can produce using ecologically sound principles to mitigate against climate variability, but can they get support from all quarters? These farmers need to access relevant training on the realities of farming and embrace strategies with corrective potential. It is critical to know and understand who feeds us. A monitoring and accountability system that measures the uptake and impact of support by smallholder farmers needs to be established. The presence of collective action in food systems cannot be overemphasized. The training and bargaining which groups can leverage for community resilience is phenomenal and can be encouraged at the policy level, especially at formulation. Smallholders need a consistent update on new scientific and ecologically sound approaches to farming, into which they integrate indigenous knowledge. As a way of addressing the concerns of sustainability, equity, resilience, and inclusivity in food systems, several actions can be taken up; 1. Civil society organizations, Government, consumers, and farmers can resolve. 2. The farmer can receive moderated funding which allows them to grow and encourage equity. The farmers will have to push for policies through active and strategic advocacy that ensure their agenda reaches the highest office of the land. Food policies should be farmer-friendly to ensure the farmers are protected and empowered. 3. There is a need to build knowledge systems that teach sustainable farming approaches like agroecology for healthy food systems enhancing livelihoods of smallholders, food and nutrition security for all, and the health of the planet. 4. There is a need for strong producer movements, by farmers, for farmers! The need to hold open multi-stakeholder dialogues will be increasingly helpful. 5. Hold the Government accountable and make sure that they are accountable for the promises made to farmers. On the right to adequate food, participants agreed to continue in civic education on rights, collect evidence of violations, make them more visible to the public, bring these to court, and get orders that hold duty bearers responsible. Food should be universally accessible because it is a human right. Universal food access must be recognized as a policy like universal health coverage, universal access to education. The role and power of consumers to create change was also emphasized as consumers can practically vote with their forks, buying from, and supporting food and farming systems they want to see. Their resolve is also to continue engagement in ongoing civic education on food rights. Finally, they will generate and utilize gender-disaggregated data to promote a complete shift away from gender-neutral approaches. A couple of indicators will define the success of these actions. Four key ones are when we see: • Improvement in health and well-being status of citizens, including reduced child malnutrition, improved food, and nutrition security statistics. • Increased budget allocations to agriculture, with a focus on smallholder farming and projects that support food sovereignty and food access (not cash crops for export) • A fiscal policy in Kenya that does not punish the poor (through taxation on essential foods); and that will incentivize agroecological transition in agriculture • Food system policies and implementation frameworks that are responsive to the needs of farmers, and marginalized groups The success of the above actions will be visible in several ways. First, we will be able to see more affordable, safe, and adequate food for everyone. The production of safe, diverse foods will significantly rely on farmers embracing agroecology principles, taking up more bio instead of synthetic pest and disease management approaches, and improved food safety standards for Kenyans. With proper implementation of the policies related to agriculture, food, and nutrition security, there will be a positive shift in the country's food and nutrition security situation. County governments will also be taking up policies that ensure food is produced safely, diversified, and redistributed where practical. As a result, improved citizens' health and well-being, including reduced child malnutrition and improved food and nutrition security levels, and reduced food-borne illnesses will be seen. In summary, areas where participants will need to undertake these actions: a) Create consumer awareness on the impacts of excessive use and growing misuse of chemical inputs in production and work closely with regulators, alternatives and sustainable practices, the value of having a food rescue system to ensure that food does not go to waste when it can be redistributed or stored safely b) Pilot interventions promoting urban farming in informal settlements in Nairobi c) Promote a culture of small-scale urban farming across socio-economic divides. Read less

Welthungerhilfe (WHH), Rural Outreach Africa (ROA), African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), and Route to Food Initiative (RTFI) are organizations working towards realizing the human right to food in Kenya. WHH is working in Kenya with programs to support smallholder farmers drive the food and nutrition security agenda within their communities. APHRC, as a think tank, specializes in the generation of policy evidence for improving people's health and well-being. ROA serves rural communities in Kenya and intervenes in addressing aspects of food security, nutrition, and socio-econom... Read moreic development. Finally, RTFI works towards realizing the right to food in Kenya and supports public discourse on practical solutions to food systems bottlenecks. The Independent dialogue focused on securing accountability for the right to adequate food in Kenya and exploring pathways to sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and equitable food systems. The topic focused on Action Track 1 and Action Track 3. The dialogue provided an opportunity to reflect on how the Constitutional right to adequate food can be put into practice. It also evaluated whether our current approach to food and farming systems, policies, legal frameworks, and investments, both from public and private sectors, promote the right to adequate food. In the subsequent remarks made at the dialogue, speakers reiterated key issues and statistics on food systems, security, nutrition, and possible opportunities. In addition, this report presents thematic highlights as referenced by group discussions. Participants in this dialogue were drawn from smallscale producers, civil society, CBO, national and local government, research, academia, media, local and international NGOs, consumer groups, private companies, and human rights advocates. The plenary and group discussions were informative and lively. In this report, the discussion outcomes are based on five key discussion themes: 1) We need a way that ensures accountability for the Right to Adequate Food in Kenya. This is a role for multiple actors but are there existing policies addressing issues in food systems? Are they inclusive in their representation? 2) Smallholder and urban farmers are critical stakeholders in addressing food and nutrition security but their role might be overlooked. 3) There is a lot of power-play in food and farming systems - can these be identified and managed to drive more inclusivity? 4) We desire to have sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and equitable food systems; and 5) Food safety and adequacy are increasingly becoming important. Read less

During the Dialogue mext reccomendation was developed to national and regional governments on Action Track 4: Advance equitable livelihoods:  To guarantee indigenous rights to lands, territories and natural resources  To guarantee the legal status of indigenous territories of residence and indigenous peoples' economic activities including fishing, hunting and harvesting rights  To guarantee the recognition and importance of indigenous rights to preserve traditional food culture and realize indigenous peoples right to healthy and culturally appropriate food and their right to define th... Read moreeir own food systems  To recognize and support indigenous life systems, community governance, traditional knowledge systems, sacred sites, worldviews, spirituality, etc.  To confirm commitment to equitable health and food policies and increase political commitment and finance to address challenges in food-relates areas, exacerbated by the pandemic  To promote and strengthen the role and prestige of native traditional economies (reindeer herding, seed farming, fishing, gathering, hunting, etc.), employment systems and practices  To promote the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples in decision-making, related to the food, welfare and future development of indigenous peoples and their territories and actively involve and incorporate indigenous perspectives in regional development strategies, planning, policy decisions and actions which affect them, including the development of health policies  To empower indigenous communities by strengthening their economic governance capacities and enhancing income opportunities  To create incentives (financial and nonfinancial) and encourage the develoment of indigenous community-based food practices  To ensure state and other (international) assistance (legal, financial, technical, etc.) in the development and promotion of traditional food systems of indigenous peoples and local communities  To improve availability, access and affordability of indigenous foods at local, regional, national markets and ensure sustainable, regular, continuous and unrestricted access to quantitative, qualitative and adequate nutrition in accordance with the cultural traditions of indigenous peoples and local communities  To ensure full access to free traditional food and economic activities for people residing in the marginalized and geographically remote areas, and families which are economically and socially excluded and vulnerable to food and nutrition security (older persons, children, persons with disabilities, etc.)  To build the resilience of women, small indigenous business, and vulnerable populations by supporting the growth of local community-based food system initiatives and food policies  To initiate conditions for a youth entrepreneurship and build opportunities for young people to engage in a greater data collection, sharing and exchange at various levels, innovations and practices of local food systems and traditional agriculture of indigenous peoples and local communities  To promote and legislate fair trade and encourage partnering with indigenous communities in the food system chain and prioritizing federal/regional/local programmes engaging indigenous business and family-based enterprises in agribusiness and food-based systems  To provide transparent and open quantitative data on the allocation of quotas between indigenous communities, individuals, industrial companies and small businesses located on the indigenous territories (indigenous territories under the federal law)  To protect indigenous territories from industrial pollution, genetically modified or synthetic biological organisms or elements  To increase policy actions in the area of traditional food marketing including certification of indigenous products  To enhance investment and prioritise research of indigenous traditional food systems research and development  To invest in restoration of degraded lands including boreal forests and other endangered ecosystems and lands, which are the basis of indigenous traditional knowledge, practices, medicine and nutrition systems Read less

During the Dialogue mext reccomendation was developed to the national goberment on Action Track 5: Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress:  To prioritize sustainable food production, food safety, food value chains, and revitalization of neglected food system initiatives and implement policies to reduce food waste  To modify regional/local structures governing food systems in accordance with the indigenous peoples' vision and development priorities  To revitalize and encourage indigenous resilient food systems grounded in traditional knowledge of lands, waterways, seaso... Read morenal food sources, ecologically sustainable diets, sophisticated agricultural practices and food preparation methods  To protect and boost indigenous local markets  To reform subsidy and regulatory regimes controlling food network and address the shortfall in sustainable food system funding by redeploying financial support for the revival of indigenous traditional food culture and conservation or other sustainability projects  To address the problem of isolation and remoteness of indigenous territories and lack of basic infrastructure  To ensure full access to free traditional food and economic activities for people residing in the marginalized and geographically remote areas, and families which are economically and socially excluded and vulnerable to food and nutrition security (older persons, children, persons with disabilities, etc.)  To support and promote distribution of traditional food of indigenous national cuisine in school and other educational facilities’ menus  To introduce indigenous knowledge on food and food literacy into school programs  To increase mass awareness and knowledge building on indigenous food systems including realization of training programs in the private sector  To introduce restrictions/moratoriums on commercial fishing and hunting in areas of indigenous residence  To protect local food systems from chemization and GMO  To ensure an access to innovations in food technologies and incorporate new technologies in sustainable development projects of local communities  To document and preserve data on traditional medicine and provide free access to the extraction of medicinal plants  To invest in the development of various types of protected areas, intact forests, projects on climate change adaptation and ecosystem recovery  To reconstruct reindeer herding institutions as facilities essential for health and traditional nutrition of indigenous peoples and aboriginal cattle breeding  To invest in the development of various types of protected areas, intact forests, projects on climate change adaptation and ecosystem recovery Read less

Main findings of the Regional Indigenous Dialogue The subject of indigenous food systems isn't solely and exclusively limited to the matters of a native traditional diet, food system and food sovereignty which closely related to the cultural, social, environmental, political and legal aspects of indigenous discourse. Access to food is a human right; all barriers to that right must therefore be eliminated. Indigenous right to food examines critical questions of access to healthy, culturally appropriate food, as well as issues of ownership and control of land, traditional knowledge, governance, ... Read moreetc. Debate on food security and food sustainability led by indigenous peoples advocates not only for access to healthy food, but for an end to the structural injustices. Exploitation of indigenous lands and industrial projects ctivities are needlesly distructive and have an enormous impact on traditional fishing, hunting and harvesting areas relied on by indigenous communities. Russian government needs to significantly step up its sustainability efforts and begin to implement mechanisms to address existing inequities. Today's decisive action in economic, social and environmental dimensions of food policy will be critical in ensuring that the decade ahead delivers a sustainable food future. There is there is little time to lose, today we are witness to the pandemic of mistreated biodiversity. We must urgently reconcile humans with surrounding environments and restore our relationship with the nature. Russia’s move away from environmental agenda, continued policy of weakening indigenous legislation and needlessly destructive resource development are the most severe threat so far to country’s indigenous communities. Since the warming temperatures mean more natural resources to exploit, no other country stands to benefit from climate change more than Russia. And under the pretext of the economic feasibility of extractive projects, it substantially ignores already modest standards and requirements for environmental protection. Representatives of the Central Asia and Mongolia highlighted the need to address the risks of natural disasters and impact on agriculture and grazing, including the development of information infrastructure and a sound weather forecast system. It is also necessary to create and increase capacity of existing water storage for irrigation and food reserve of remote farms and develop effective programs to combat desertification and erosion of soils. They also recommended to introduce training programs for villages, interest-free credit systems, and state support initiatives for the local agricultural sector. It is also necessary to develop marketing infrastructure, organize wholesale local markets, compact slaughterhouses with a quality control system adapted specifically for local small-scale production. Recommendations Some of the core recommendations and next steps to a better food system proposed by representatives of breeders, reindeer herders, seed growers, fishermen, hunters, gatherers, farmers, indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation, local communities of Central Asia, men, women and youth include: To UN structures and states Any policies developed in the sphere of food security, biodiversity, climate change and other related areas should include legal measures and standards protecting the knowledge, cultures and traditions of indigenous peoples. These measures should be based on human rights and international law and elaborated collectively with the full and active participation of indigenous peoples at every stage of development process; should include productive institutions in the dialogue and ensure indigenous women's participation. Any initiative to create online databases on food systems, cultures, traditions and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities, or to use or apply indigenous knowledge to transform food policies, should be based on the principle of free, prior and informed consent and indigenous intellectual property rights. There is an urgent need to create a global fund managed by indigenous peoples themselves with adequate funding for the successful and effective protection and support of the food systems of indigenous peoples and local communities. This will enable indigenous peoples to make their own decisions, preserve and promote traditional knowledge and practices, implement appropriate activities and policies, related to the preservation and transfer of knowledge on food systems and reinforce food security and sovereignty. It is necessary to improve, enhance and reinforce institutional environment and capacities of state officials at the national level and representatives of bodies within the UN system to collaborate with indigenous traditional knowledge holders. In order to achieve a better understanding and increased awareness of indigenous traditions, including food-based knowledge systems, a diverse list of activities and events on traditional knowledge involving people who have dedicated themselves to working on indigenous issues, and those who are in any way related to indigenous food-based systems must be prepared. When and only when policymakers truly embrace and understand the concepts of traditional cultures and interaction is built on mutual respect and human rights, collectively developed and implemented policies truly recognize, protect, preserve indigenous knowledge, traditional cultures and practices. Read less

Major focus of the Discussion was a comprehensive exploration of food systems and possible levers of change. Indigenous food systems in many countries have been severely disrupted through dispossession of Indigenous Peoples from their homelands, introduction of industrial food production, processing and distribution, rapid unification of food environments and changing dietary patterns. In addition, today, indigenous peoples balanced relationship with their land-based food systems is obstructed by the ongoing exploitation of indigenous lands and infringement of their rights through industrial p... Read morerojects and states' mismanagement of land and resources. Some of the most large-scale resource development in the North, Siberia and Far East is taking place in Russia, prompting international concern for the fragile environment and the future of Russia’s indigenous peoples. At the same time sustainability, as a concept, politics or area of research receives little attention inside the country. The role of indigenous peoples in any initiatives related to sustainable development has not yet been sufficiently reflected on. Existing measures taken to achieve sustainable development are vague and do not include enforcing follow-up mechanisms. There is a lack of financial and economic resources to pursue sustainability related projects coupled with the reluctance of many political and business parties, which in turn plays into the hands of a powerful lobby of extractive industry in the country. Unrestricted access to indigenous lands, continuous downgrading of their protection regime and absence of legal instruments to defend indigenous territories from resource extraction become the new normal for country’s indigenous peoples. Agricultural communities in Central Asia and Mongolia are facing a reduced availability of water resources and their unequal distribution due to the impacts of climate change and an increase of natural disasters. Unfortunately, existing programs and measures at the national level do not cover climate change adaptation and mitigation spheres; assistance to small-scale producers and farmers is practically absent. Reforms introduced in agriculture negatively affect the volume of goods produced, their cost and sale. According to the representatives from Kyrgyzstan, whereas the large-scale production of meat all but disappeared, the cost of purchases from small-scale farms fell sharply due to the high transport and other expenses, which are calculated in the final value of the product. Therefore, at the moment, all Central Asian countries chose to import meat. The dairy industry face the same fate as those in the meat industry. Products are sold locally while large cities prefer to import dairy foods. This negatively affects the economic development and stability of local small-scale production; poverty is only increasing in remote settlements. Read less

Given the diversity of the participants, the emergence of a number of areas of divergence was to be expected during this dialogue on regenerative agriculture. These mainly focused issues related to the benefits of regenerative agriculture, how to measure these, who captures or shares in the value, and how to ensure that the grower is both at centre of the movement and is fully supported during the transition process. All of these elements reveal how complex it is to make regenerative agriculture mainstream and scalable. Benefits One of the key areas of divergence lay in the definition and eval... Read moreuation of the benefits. Some participants felt that the primary benefit of making regenerative agriculture mainstream and scalable lies in the acceleration of low environmental impact farming with a specific focus on the greater adoption of biological inputs and processes like precision farming. Others saw the primary benefit in regenerative agriculture as supporting a systemic transformation based on the principles of circular economy but also encompassing carbon farming or the recycling of raw materials. In addition, there was a view that the benefit actually lays in the creation of increased value for regenerative agriculture production techniques which could be shared across the food chain although, not surprisingly, there was a question about how much would filter back to the primary producer – the farmer. Finally, there was a question about whether regenerative agricultural practices should solely focus on improvements in soil health when monitoring progress, or whether it should be broadened to embrace biodiversity, livestock and sustainable water use. Measurement The divergence on benefit was subsequently reflected in the discussion about what and how to measure outcomes both to understand impact and drive continuous improvement. Most of the criteria mentioned in order to measure progress were oriented towards environmental measurement and even social impacts but it was impossible to ignore the economic dimension given the important role it plays in incentivising and sustaining behaviour change. It is clear that building a consensus on the key benefits to include in the scope of regenerative agriculture and an effective and holistic criteria for measuring progress will be essential if the goals of mainstreaming and scaling are to be achieved. Finally, there was limited or no agreement on whether measurement should be exclusively outcome based or also include action-based approaches. Transition and the role of the farmer The question of benefit and what and how to measure progress was clearly linked to the role of the farmer. There were, at times, passionate exchanges between participants who felt that growers were being asked to respond to the latest protocol from public and private sector actors who may not fully understand what works at the farm level. And, inevitably, this catalyzed a further discussion about the extent to which the farmer (bearing all of the transition risk over an extended period of time) would be rewarded for making and sustaining changes by public or private actors (who may only be interested in one or two aspects of the benefit matrix). This clearly showed up in relation to soil protection where some participants argued that an exclusive focus in one area could lead to a negative impact in others (e.g. yield). There was a very strong view, articulated by some participants, that mainstreaming and scaling regenerative agriculture needs to start with the farmer at the centre of this. Several participants argued that only lip-service is being paid to this and that the change or innovation model still serves the interests of the established agri-businesses. Although none of these areas of divergence are insurmountable, they do seem to touch on the fundamentals of how to mainstream and scale regenerative agriculture. There is a need to speed up radical rethinking of our food policy framework, towards an integrated food system policy that is able to rebalance forces. Redefining consumption from owning to using; redefining production from mass sales to providing efficient functionalities; redefining core economic incentives such as taxation and subsidies. It would also mean integrating well-being across all policies; measuring sustainability with a lifecycle perspective and looking at innovation in categories of economic ecosystems that provide societal functions, rather than in categories of production sectors. Read less

Breakout group 6 focused on how we build social awareness and understanding of regenerative agriculture and catalyze support. Paritcipants looked at which stakeholders have the potential to have the largest impact on raising awareness and public support. The main groups identified were: ● Farmers and Food producers - they have the chance to become independent and have autonomy for the value they put into food ● Next generations - young people are making these approaches mainstream, demanding more than sustainability (which, to them, is “table stakes”) - it’s all about regenerative an... Read mored circular economy ● Companies - can use their marketing power and experience to share stories and inspire consumers (who may have a hard time getting their heads around the complexity that is inherent to this topic (“they still don’t understand organic and now here comes something new and different) ● Policymakers & Authorities - can help to validate and and add credibility - e.g. through labeling schemes. The important thing here is to allow for experimentation and change, and not to overregulate. How do we find this balance? There are no easy answers because regenerative agriculture is so diverse and specific to farms and crops and locations. It is hard, if not impossible, to explain complexity to the consumer. Marketing messages need to be clear and simple to understand. That said, people tend to understand complexity in their own local contexts and communities. They get it when they can see it (e.g. showing them and not telling them). With this in mind: how can we drive more localized “showing” approaches to build awareness and understanding? For farmers, the message is all about getting them more independence and more value for the hard work they do. Helping them see that they can be supported economically by taking the right approach. The perception that regenerative approaches are harder or more expensive is actually wrong - farmers want to do this, and will make money doing this - even under existing systems. But, they need to have confidence in this during the transition so that they don’t feel like they are taking on extra costs and risks. The fundamental issue here is that we are trying to build a new system from our current way of thinking. So first we need to change our thinking. A first step is to recognise that we need to think in terms of living systems principles. Principles rather than prescriptive processes. How are we creating the conditions conducive to life? There is then the idea of knitting together the social and technological aspects of regenerative agriculture; in western economies it is first a foremost thought of in terms of technologies and process applications. Whereas in the global south it is thought more about as delivering social justice too. On the point of “Global vs Local” - a question of what/how do we change the food system to more resiliently produce locally where possible, and what has to continue to be produced within a local system. Read less

Breakout group 5 focused on how we can define and monitor the benefits of Regenerative agriculture and centralise results to drive continuous improvement. It is critical to first establish a robust baseline so that farmers can get started on the journey. Without this anchoring point is can be difficult for farmers to know where to get started. The importance of taking a holistic system view is at the heart of the debate, which encompasses environmental, social and economic indicators, and potentially not disparate indicator, we need to think of it more broadly across the food system as well. A... Read more full range of indicators was discussed, regarding soil organic matter, above ground biomass, land and resource efficiency measures, nutrient density, nutrient management, nutrient surplus, measures related to circularity, measure dedicated to farmer livelihoods, collective agreements in the sector, water retention, soil fertility and consumption related metrics. This only shows the complexity of this area and shows that isn't yet a framework that aligns all parties. So, in the need for accelerating transition is it obviously area to find alignments on. The general consensus was that data and sharing data is absolutely critical to transition. We are able to share data, not only because it provides transparency trust to prevent the authenticity of the journey of the transition progress, but also because the sharing of the story and building positive momentum around regenerative agriculture would inspire further ones. How can we capture and profile more of these stories to build interest of farmers? Then, sharing data is crucial because it can furnish really good agronomic advice back to farmers, which is a critical point here. Indeed, data should be shared in two directions, this isn't just from farmers to some measurement reporting body, but farmers need to see that they are getting something back which is useful for them as well in terms of knowledge and advice. Further, data is going to be critical in unlocking new income streams for farmers around ecosystems outcomes that they can generate. More broadly, really understanding catchment area impact which can only do if you aggregate data from multiple sources. It is critical that we create clarity and alignment about what the metrics and outcomes should be. There are currently no alignment and farmers may be asked for different measures from different sources – urgently need to harmonise. We need to find a way and a robust system so that we ask for that data once, not multiple times from different parties with different quotes, we need to think clerkly about the efficiency of data collection and the systems that we will aggregate and then think about the multiple uses of that data from centralized system. Really critical to establish global standards for data collection – not just an EU standard Without data one cannot have strong themes and reporting and verification. Clear next steps indicated were: 1. Move to practice by proving and demonstrating at value chain levels for specific crops and regions with multiple actors involved, how regenerative systems can work. This leads to data sharing, as different actors need to open their box. 2. Pragmatic tools for farmers to be efficient, use the ones already exciting at a large scale. How can we make this area accessible and appealing to farmers? 3. Establishing European, National and Regional Food Councils that can be a centralized body for advising all and creating protocols to guide food systems transitions including data measurement and certification addressed to specific targeted challenges. 4. Build coalition around specific outcomes objectives such as resolving certification, outcomes or moving toward healthier diets. 5. Focus on farmers and the value proposition for them, how to make their lives easier and not more difficult. 6. Need to align on what the data can and should be used for Read less