Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

The specific theme of our workshop was ‘The Double-Burden of Malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa: Engaging Youth in Access to Nutritious Food’. This theme emerged from Action Track 1 (ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all), and one of the priority areas of the summit (youth empowerment). As NCD Child is particularly interested in the needs of children, adolescents and young people, and addressing the inequities that this group faces when it comes to their health and well-being, one of the levers of change of the Summit, human rights, was also used to frame the discussions. Parti... Read morecipants from across sub-Saharan Africa, working to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition and/or working to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases were invited to share their current actions or new ideas on how to ensure youth have access to sufficient quantities of affordable and safe food products (Action Track 1, Strand 2), and how to engage youth in these actions. The participants were also meant to discuss the projections and scenarios for actions that can reduce the number of people who cannot afford a healthy diet (e.g., reallocations of subsidies for food production, food production R&D reallocations, lowering taxes on nutritious foods, productivity increases in nutritious foods, pro-nutrition changes in trade rules and regimes, etc.), that were produced by the Summit’s Science Group. These actions, and others, such as the commercial determinants of malnutrition, and social protection programs for malnutrition, were recognized as being able to reduce the triple burden of malnutrition, and poverty and inequality (Action Track 1, Strand 1). To a lesser extent, participants were meant to focus on ideas for vocational programs for rural youth that offer integrated training in multiple skills (Action Track 1, Strand 1); vocational programs for agriculture have the potential to do more than just secure access to food, they have the potential to economically empower youth. The four topics of our breakout room sessions were: 1) youth-lead solutions to the triple-burden of malnutrition; 2) youth engagement in strengthening food systems; 3) integrating approaches to multiple NCDs and risk factors; and 4) food systems and the double-burden of malnutrition during COVID-19. Read less

Given the paramount significance of secure land tenure for sustainable food systems, we need the attention of all stakeholders including governments, civil society organisations, private sector, international organisations, multi-lateral organisations and donors to come together to strengthen land tenure security of women, men, youth, family farmers, indigenous peoples, pastoralists and landless farmers and other communities as relevant. The stakeholders can be facilitated to come together through multi-stakeholder platforms to identify challenges, and solutions, implement and monitor solution... Read mores, channel resources as needed and celebrate successes. The 2030 sustainable development agenda can only be achieved if secure land tenure for all is achieved facilitating to achieves the targets on eradicating poverty, zero-hunger, general equality, climate actions and building peaceful and just societies. Read less

Land Investment Land tenure recognised through customary systems offer less security for landowners. International or national investments can easily undermine locally existing tenure arrangements. Unless clearly pronounced and protected linking to a legitimate tenure security framework, land investments can take over land from their owners and dwellers. Absence of tenure rights give less or no bargaining power excluding local communities from negotiations and/or making them vulnerable to corrupt practices. Giving land an identity of a financially valued commodity leads to land concertation an... Read mored related power imbalance in food systems. This makes farmlands more expensive making it less affordable and accessible to local farmers. Giving only a commercial value to land with the objective of increasing investments trigger land grabbing. This is detrimental to smallholder farming. In Europe family farming is diminishing and big farms supported through large scale investments are taking over. This bear adverse socio and environmental impact. Absence of recognition for customary tenure system prevent farmers from accessing formal financial support preventing investment on land by them. For example, in Zimbabwe, land with customary ownership is considered to be ultimately owned by the state and having a deed is one of the first requirements for negotiations. In many countries, there is no security for farmers who hold customary land against taking over their land by investors. Customary land owners are excluded from negotiations and not considered in compensation schemes with broad and sever impact on their food security. Even in cases where customary land owners are given limited rights, (e.g. temporary ownership with limitation on selling their land), such limited rights are not considered to be good enough be invited to be at the negotiation table. Demarcation of land as peri-uban or urban to take them over for urban development projects (to accommodate increasing urban population) directly affect family farmers and the consumers who depend on their products. Solutions - Recognise land beyond its economic value embracing social and environmental values of land. Such recognition would assist in mobilising collective interest for certain landscapes which require such collective efforts for their preservation. Commodification of land would lead to giving only economic values to land associated with commercial food production or exploitation of natural resources. Commodification of land perpetuates poverty, cause environmental degradation and deterioration of cultural practices exist among traditional communities. - Increase transparency and accountability in land investments and make sure that agreed plans are followed through citizen monitoring - Recognise all forms of tenure (including the commons, lease agreements and user rights) - Build and mobilise global support in order to create an enabling environment to advocate for collective land rights and recognise and include people for land investment negotiations - Gather stories on how agricultural modernization (large scale monoculture & industrialised agriculture) is destroying family farming, bio diversity, soil erosion and the environment both in global north and the south and reach out to communities to raise awareness - Despite progressive guidelines and standards in certain jurisdiction, implementation of those fall far short of expectations. Bring attention and resource investments to legal and policy implementation with the involvement of local communities as relevant - Strengthen advocacy capacity of family farmers and local communities to fight for their land supported by research - Present securing agricultural land as a means to promote agricultural work among youth and women, showcasing it leads to sustainable way of life - Declare certain land as protected for agriculture and food systems as relevant to build security among farmers and local community against forced investments - Revisit and revise customary landownership systems to support long-term sustainable agricultural practices - Integrate land mapping into land policy and bring commu Read less

Landless and Smallholder Farmers Challenges Small-scale farming is an important aspect of livelihood of many and vital source for healthy and nutritional diets. However, their contribution to sustainable food systems is not supported or acknowledged as these farmers are often left alone, vacuum of a formal support system. The definition of smallholder famers is ambiguous varying from near landless to small-scale commercial farmers. State policies often disregard them particularly those who own small plots and further rely on additional sources of income in addition to their small-scale farming... Read more. Land ownership is recognised and/or granted through statutory laws or customary practices. Smallholder rural farmers often fall under informally recognised customary regimes resulting them not being recognised under a specific tenure framework with an enabling set of rights. Hence, smallholder farmers cannot access credit and other formal services which otherwise could help them to increase their contribution to food systems. Smallholders and landless farmers are less motivated or unable to make long-term investment plans without security of tenure. This also affects their food security as short term susceptible tenure prevent long term sustainable investments for food security. Smallholder farmers are also affected by state led development projects especially large scale land based investments. Displacement of these farmers by large scale investments disrupt their food production activities and force them to migrate to other economic activities. Solutions - Recognise smallholders and landless farmers as productive contributors to sustainable food systems. If adequately supported their contribution can further be increased for robust and resilient food systems making them economically empowered - Make legal and policy arrangements to grant land rights to these farmers (including long term tenure security where applicable). This will increase their contribution to food systems - In the absence of long term tenure security, bring protection measures to prevent them from other forms of exploitation including eviction and land grabbing - Build support networks to advocate for the rights of these farmers. These support systems could focus on building their capacity and resource mobilisation to sustain advocacy efforts Stakeholders and partnerships - Multi-stakeholder land networks (national, regional and international) consisted of smallholders farmers, landless people, CSOs, governments and other relevant stakeholders - Agro ecological networks to mobilise support Read less

Indigenous Peoples Challenges The relentless rise of land grabbing and timber logging, prevent indigenous peoples from producing traditional food needed by their own communities. Often operated under governments’ patronage, these deforestations deprive communities their land use for traditional and sustainable agricultural practices. Indigenous peoples rely on the food they grow and hold the land they grow food in sacredness. Given land particularly owned by indigenous peoples are not documented, they become vulnerable for land grabbing. Absence of land security, deprive indigenous peoples a... Read morend communities of their food and livelihoods, hence adversely affecting their welfare and human security. Over the years, thousands of IPs have been evicted from their land. These eviction create both knowledge and support gap for fauna and flora otherwise held and practiced by these communities. Tree-based systems and related tree value chains, including tree fodder and meals, among IPs are paramount aspects of food security. As IPs lose their right to food, indigenous crops and knowledge associated with them disappear. In turn, they are forced to embrace cash crops losing their food sovereignty. With eviction from their land, IPs are deprived of hunting animals. In some countries, hunting is categorised as poaching, barring IPs from their traditional activities. Losing or banning access to traditionally held land contribute to loss of beekeeping that provide millions of IPs a source of livelihood. Loss of land among IPs, put them in competition with other community groups such as pastoralists increasing inter-communal violence. Loss of land for IPs is loss of their identity, traditional lives and food security. Forced assimilation undermines human dignity and right to life of these communities. Governments do not make IPs issues a priority including implementation of laws where it exists or even implementation of judicial decisions. Solutions - Facilitate platform for IPs to come together and raise their voice - Revisit the current value system in food systems. Use of land in the global south for food and timber for global north should be stopped aiming for an equitable food systems across the global respecting traditional values in food systems - Promote agricultural diversity and indigenous crops as part of solutions to global food crisis. IPs and local communities should be allowed to use their traditional seeds and crops - Undertake more research on IPs and their land ownership showcasing their contribution to sustainable food systems - Protect land rights of IPs and other local communities preventing land grabbing and evictions - Channel resource for proper and effective implementation of laws - Build capacity of IPs to stand and protect their land rights. Mobilise resource to this end - Promote traditional knowledge which contribute to sustainable food production - Enact laws to end acquisition of community owned land without prior knowledge of traditional users of land - Formulate policies to develop integrated community land mapping with the participation of local land users Stakeholders and partnerships - Local government authorities - Youth - National governments - Relevant public servants at national, regional and local levels - Private sector - CSOs - International and regional organisations including multi-lateral agencies Read less

Pastoralists Challenges Having access to land is the source of a sustain livelihood system for pastoralists. This should be recognised by the law. Food sovereignty among pastoralists rely on land as the key supply source of food. Land degradation, interest of investors and large private sector businesses impend the land rights of pastoralists. They are often not a part of compensation schemes in situations where their land is taken over by governments. In certain circumstances, tensions exist between farmers and pastoralists in relation to commons. Despite legal and policy guarantee, there are... Read more serious gaps in their implementation in certain jurisdictions. Governments often do not make resolving challenges relating to pastoralists a priority. Modern economic models should recognise and respect the contribution by pastoralists to food systems. Solutions - Recognise pastoralism as a way of life and custom. - With recognition of pastoralism, government should demarcate land for pastoralists - Develop natural resources user contracts recognising the land rights of pastoralists living in conservation areas - Allocate resources (funds) to strengthen land use among pastoralists and develop infrastructure to increase food production among them - Raise awareness about issues relating to pastoralists recognising them as legitimate land users - Develop community by-laws to protect rights of pastoralists - Build capacity among pastoralists to stand for their land rights Stakeholders and partnerships - Governments - Inter-governmental organisations - Civil Society Read less

Women and Youth Challenges Despite their contribution to agriculture, a large proportion of women in the region do not have access to or control over land. Even with legal assurance for women’s ownership of land, in certain social circumstances, male-dominant hierarchical societal structures prevent women from having full ownership of land. Both weak legal and discriminatory social structures for women to own land make them further vulnerable in situations of large-scale investments. Lack of confidence among youth about farming as a sustainable form of livelihood, attracts fewer from the you... Read moreth for agriculture. Solutions - Right to land for all should be a constitutional right. This is the first step in paving the way for legal frameworks which recognise and facilitate equal ownership of land among women and men - Focus more on the implementation of laws and policies which guarantee women’s ownership of land - Simplify administrative procedures that facilitate women’s access to land. Such procedures should be easily understandable and accessible - Tackle cultural norms which hinder women ownership of land with sensitivity - Include women and youth in decision making processes particularly relevant to customary tenure systems - Discriminatory practices based on patriarchy should be addressed through confidence building showcasing the benefits of achieving gender equality - Accessing common land can be the basic opportunity for women and youth to access land. To achieve this, the natural and socio-cultural values of the commons should be recognised at local, national and regional levels. Further, development of a chain or mode of marketing of the communal production give them incentive and allow them to better position themselves in the market. - Study the existing customary rights and traditions and remodel them to adapt to the present socio-economic circumstances Stakeholders and partnerships - Multi-stakeholder platforms consisted of government, CSOs and international organisations - Public officials particularly working on land and agricultural issues Read less

Secure land tenure allows farmers to live on land with security, grow food and supply productions to consumers. It is an empowering tool for farmers and communities to invest on land and manage their eco-systems sustainably where relevant. How, when, where and by whom food is grown are essential elements of food sovereignty. Farmers who grow food should be able to produce seeds for their cultivation. They hold knowledge on locally driven demands. Security and control over land by farmers and local communities are essential elements in both growing seeds and food. Building sustainable food syst... Read moreems holds its foundation at the local level based on understanding local needs, retaining local knowledge and talents, job creations to production of seeds and agricultural products. Local and small-scale farmers are both producers and consumers. Their families and local communities depend on their farm products. There is no food sustainability when farmers cannot access and control production factors, primary of which is land. Over the years, climate change has brought severe challenges to local food productions. If efforts on mitigation and adaptation measures are to be successful, local communities should be able to participate in mitigation and adaptation measures and restore their local eco-systems. Having security of land is the first steps in this process. Policies on resource allocation should focus on supporting and strengthening communities and their ecosystem values through improving local governance structures, extending technical assistance such as skills relating to agroecological management. The Covid19 pandemic unravel the economic and social inequalities among local farmers. Protecting land rights of these communities is the first step towards protecting their socio- economic rights and food security. To tackle these challenges: • Secure land rights of all to build sustainable food systems: women, youth, IPs, pastoralists & small holders/landless farmers • Recognise right to land as a fundamental human right • Revisit current value system in food systems (land use in global south for food & timber for global north) • Recognise importance of both formal & informal land ownership in building sustainable food systems • Recognise pastoralists as food producers (social & environmental value of land) • Recognise indigenous community lands & customary land systems as part of building sustainable food systems/ their contribution to mitigate climate change & protect nature • Take measures to protect access to commons as part of securing food systems of local communities • Increase transparency & accountability in land investments & make sure that agreed plans are followed through citizen monitoring Read less

The principal focus of the independent dialogue was to bring attention to the centrality of secure land rights in building sustainable food systems with the objective of brining land issues to the discussion processes of the summit and integrate into its outcomes. The entire food system of the world is inextricably connected to land. Hence, if there is a fundamental positive change in the way we manage land we can make the global food systems sustainable, whilst simultaneously reaching the targets of climate-change mitigation and averting the dramatic loss of biodiversity. Overall, it will cat... Read moreer to achieving the intended targets of the 2030 sustainable development agenda. The current food systems are evidently inadequate in addressing poverty, hunger and malnutrition worldwide. Almost 80 percent of the world’s poor and food insecure live in rural areas, mostly depending on agricultural production for their subsistence; i.e. an important number of the world’s hungry base their livelihoods on access to land and other natural resources. Given land’s economic, socio-cultural and political importance, tenure security is critical to livelihoods and food security. Strengthened resource rights increases the likelihood that farmers invest in their land, boosting productivity and contributing to food security. Secure tenure of Indigenous Peoples over the forests they live, dramatically reduces deforestation and other forms of environmental degradation contributing to climate change mitigation. According to the research conducted by the International Land Coalition with its members, land inequality directly threatens the livelihoods of an estimated 2.5 billion people involved in small-scale agriculture, as well the world’s poorest 1.4 billion people, most of whom depend largely on agriculture for their livelihoods. Global inequality experts blame the upward trend of land inequality partly on the increased interest from corporate and financial actors, such as investment funds and agricultural land investments. As corporate and financial investments grow, ownership and control of land becomes more concentrated and increasingly opaque. Today, the largest 1 percent of farms operate more than 70 percent of the world’s farmland and are integrated into the corporate food system, while over 80 percent are smallholdings of less than two hectares, which are generally excluded from global food chains. Indigenous peoples and local communities look after 50% of the earth’s surface protecting eco systems and bio-diversity. But they have legal rights only over 1/5 of it. Secure land tenure rights lead to planned food systems based on individual or collective community choices and community driven demands. Land tenure rights for a given duration empowers deciding on efficient, scheduled, appropriate and suitable cropping system and serve as a strong foundation for economic empowerment. It is the basis of human dignity of all communities including indigenous peoples, pastoralists, local communities and landless farmers forming the pathway for right to food among these communities and beyond. Read less

Food like language exists as a medium for expressing culture. It has the power of being both a necessity for our body as well as a deeply symbolic artefact, one that expresses our identity. So naturally there will be some reluctance and difficulties in making a shift to conscious food choices for individuals from different cultural origins. This barrier was addressed by the organizers and different opinions were expressed. One of the organizers held the view that if we can understand that the food choices we make are for our own health, for the future of our planet, and realize that the food w... Read moreill notably affect our state of mind, then it’s not going to be seen as a cultural or a border issue but as a need of the moment for the human survival. The other speaker expressed his view regarding the same by sharing one of his experiences with the young students from all over the world. He believes that the awareness of the origin of the food and the industrialized process it undergoes and the understanding of our connection with nature can bring a change in our awareness and we will be able to make more conscious food choices as individuals of one big family. The dialogue emphasized on shifting one’s consciousness and becoming aware of the interconnections in the food systems. With regard to this the speakers held different perspectives. One of the speakers expressed that they are in line with the idea that understanding the system, how it works and that we have an influence on that just as that has on us means that there are choices we have to make about how we interact with the food and food systems. The other speaker held that its only through a shift in our consciousness and coming back to the awareness of one family that we are able to say that we cannot continue, we have to make a change and we are the ones who can do it. Read less

The Poll results conducted during the session: find in attachments Key points that were shared during the discussion:- Sister Jayanti “One sacred aspect of life is that all food ultimately comes from nature.” “We are in the same boat, if one part of the boat has water coming into it, how long is it going to take to reach the rest of the boat.” “It’s only through a shift in our consciousness and coming back to the awareness of one family that we are able to say that we cannot continue, we have to make a change and we are the ones who can do it.” “Personal change is w... Read morehat generates systemic change” David Fletcher “To have a sustainable system we need to recognize we are a part of the system” “Revalorization for the producers who are close to the land and water and take the energy that’s put into our food and an understanding that, that is where the system starts would be helpful to put the sacred energy back into people and will make a difference to the food systems.” Gopal Patel “Change begins from inside and it is the shift in inner consciousness that will reform the external food systems” “It is important to understand that whether we are from a particular faith or not we are all concerned with the social issues we face today and we need to connect these concerns with the food system and act responsibly” Pramisha Thapalia “Unless we know our problems we can’t move to solutions” “The youth can have a significant impact on the food systems through education, empowerment & advocacy” “Young people are not only the future leaders but the leaders of today” “Action is the most important step to bring a change in the food systems” Read less

The main findings of the dialogue were that all individuals have the opportunity to make choices that will have an impact on food systems. Globalized food systems, as they currently exist, are a vast interconnected economic system that do not have the well-being of people and the planet at their core. Tackling the transformation of such a system can seem overwhelming. However, every individual has some ability to chose how they interact with the system and millions and billions of these individual choices will eventually lead to a change in the system. This aspect made it possible for the orga... Read morenisers to deliver their message in a detailed yet lucid manner and hence for the individuals to incorporate this understanding of conscious food choices in their lifestyle with at most ease. The insight that emerged, and was endorsed from the dialogue, was that “we are what we eat” and individual conscious choices about the food we eat and knowing how it gets to our plate can reorient the food system in a positive, sustainable direction. Some of the themes that came out of the dialogue where: 1. Food and consciousness 2. Food and choices – mindfulness, the power to recognize and change 3. Food and sacredness 4. Appreciating interconnectedness of our food systems 5. Honoring nature’s role in our food systems 6. Instilling values into our food systems 7. Creating sustainability in our food systems 8. Taking action to shift how we think about food and food systems It became clear from the dialogue, the sharing between panelists and with participants, that efforts to bring issues such as conscious and sacredness into more discussions of the food system are important. Based on this the convenors are committed to the following actions: • With BK Youth India • With BK centres • Other faith institutions • BK network internationally • With UN youth connections The conveners are also committed to continue their work in exploring global and local food systems in more detail and understanding the actors at every step in the process, the interconnections and the environmental, socio-cultural, and political-economic dimensions of food systems. In doing this the team will develop workshop and teaching materials that will be translated in to multiple languages (eg. English, Hindi, …) and shared to target groups and made generally available on the BK environmental websites. Some of the specific materials that will be developed include: • Video that captures themes • Tool kit for workshops • App for colorful plate of food • Poster of themes • Briefing note on themes Read less

The major focus of the dialogue was considering a shift in awareness as a significant lever of change for all five action tracks. That shift, to a Food Care system, is an innovative approach that encourages people to take a values-based and spiritual approach to all their interactions with food and the food system. This approach instills in everyone an understanding that a change in our inner consciousness is what will have a significant impact on the outer food system.

A major area of divergence was the perceived conflict between traditional livestock production (especially ruminants) in terms of its large environmental footprint and the health implications of high levels of meat consumption. There was a high level of advocacy for a more plant-based diet and for cell- cultured meat.

Action Track 5 Strengthening public-private partnerships

Action Track 4 • More active role of Governments in ensuring equitable livelihoods for small holder farmers • Food affordability for consumers

Action Track 3 • Engage all society • Strong political leadership

Action Track 2 • Youth engagement • Commitment of government institutions • More involvement of medical & health care community • Responsible land ownership and land utilization • Changes in school cafeterias and supermarkets • Enhanced corporate social responsibility

Action Track 1 • Mobilization of people and communities • Changes in the food industry (reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods)

Action Track 1 • Need for more accountability & responsibility by companies profiting from the current food system • Enhanced consumer awareness of food system sustainability and healthy eating • Need for Public policy enforcement of livable wage for healthy eating and sustainable living Action Track 2 • Shifts to more localized food production • Nutrition education of consumers • Government incentives and subsidies for production and market access to local foods • Production disincentives for unhealthy foods • Aligning consumption with seasonality of produce • Diet diver... Read moresity and culturally appropriate food systems • Youth education and awareness of food waste and recycling Action Track 3 • Enhanced government regulations (of food marketing?) • Changes in ethics and economics of environmental sustainability • Rights-oriented food system • More localization of food production and supply • Governmental support programs for diversified food production • Emphasis on food system resilience and skills training • Free trade and agriculture Action Track 4 • Including women and more minorities in the food chain • Community gardens • Access to fresh local food • Reduce food waste- incentives • Food education for consumers • Shifts to plant-based rather than animal-based farming • Public-private partnerships • Fair trade • Incentives to localize food production • Encourage basic living wage • Knowledge sharing Action Track 5 • Change in marketing language; • Nutri-score (nutrition label that converts nutrition value into a 5 letter code) • Vertical agriculture • Diversification in agriculture • Make farming more popular among youth Read less