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Les dialogues indépendants ont permis de rassembler une diversité de parties prenantes, y compris des voix rarement entendues, et d’offrir aux participants une occasion importante de débattre, de collaborer et d’agir pour rendre les systèmes alimentaires durables, forts et équitables. En d’autres termes, les dialogues font partie intégrante du processus du Sommet des Nations-Unies sur les Systèmes Alimentaires (UNFSS 2021). Les dialogues offrent un moyen dynamique d'impliquer les parties prenantes impliquées dans les systèmes alimentaires pour explorer leurs rôles respectifs et... Read more comment ceux-ci pourraient être liés à d'autres pour accélérer les actions de transformation à l'appui des Objectifs de Développement Durable (ODD). Ces dialogues multipartites visent à accroître la participation et à contribuer à une compréhension commune des priorités. Ainsi les dialogues indépendants concourent à identifier des solutions durables et/ou audacieuses pour renforcer les systèmes alimentaires locaux. Plus précisément, les dialogues ont permis : - D’accompagner les acteurs clés de systèmes alimentaires dans l’acquisition de connaissances scientifiques sur les enjeux et défis liés aux systèmes alimentaires ; - d’organiser des groupes de discussions autour des sujets très pertinents ; - de dialoguer ouvertement, de manière constructive et organisée, entre les différents acteurs du système alimentaire pour identifier les solutions audacieuses et/ou durables pour le renforcement des systèmes alimentaires locaux ; - D’éclairer le processus du Sommet et aider à guider l’action individuelle et collective vers un avenir de l’alimentation durable, équitable et sûr ; - de mettre la question de la durabilité des systèmes alimentaires à l’agenda public et d’éclairer par le fait même le grand public sur le sujet. 2- Sujets de discussions : partager les résultats détaillés relatifs à chaque sujet de discussion (voir résultat groupe thématique) : point de vue des participants sur les actions qui sont nécessaires de toute urgence, qui devrait prendre ces mesures ? les moyens par lesquels les progrès pourraient être évalués et les défis qui pourraient être anticipés au fur et à mesure de la mise en œuvre des actions NB : commentaires sur un maximum de 10 sujets de discussion Les sujets de discussion ont porté essentiellement sur deux principaux points. Il s’est agi d’abord de l’acquisition des connaissances scientifiques sur les enjeux et défis liés aux systèmes alimentaires puis les échanges, partage d’expériences et points de vue sur les principaux sujets ayant fait objet de discussion entre les principaux participants venus de de différents pays Africains dont le Bénin, Burkina-Faso et la République Démocratique de Congo (RDC). Read less

One area of divergence that emerged during the Dialogue was the discussion of modern technology within food systems. Although modern technology may present unique opportunities for food systems, many participants raised the concern that community-led food systems often lack access to such technologies, making them unable to reap the potential benefits. Moreover, while certain participants believed that modern technology can offer unique avenues for innovation and improvement, others suggested that it can create a plethora of issues. For instance, the use of modern technology within food system... Read mores can create a vast amount of environmental degradation, which can have devastating effects on local ecosystems and livelihoods, as well as climate change. Additionally, while certain aspects of modern technology (i.e. automation) may potentially reduce labor costs of food production and processing, they may also increase energy costs and create displacement, which can be extremely harmful to small-scale farmers and their communities. The conversation of modern technology within food systems also extended to Indigenous communities. Although modern technology has created a variety of issues for Indigenous peoples (i.e. poor water quality, deforestation and displacement), participants alluded to the potential for collaboration between modern technology and Indigenous systems. Rather than prolonging the tension between the two systems and constantly viewing them as diametric, we should find ways to integrate them to promote harmony and resilience. Another area of divergence within the Dialogue was the emphasis placed on supporting Indigenous or small-scale farming communities in order to strengthen local food systems. Discussions around Action Track 1 touched upon how absence of adequate knowledge coupled with low incomes and need for survival may drive small holder farmers to adopt more "marketable crops" and GMOs which may lead to the extinction of indigenous seeds and crop varieties. The dialogue did result in very clear examples and recommendations for strengthening both these stakeholder groups within the food systems. Small farmers experience low, inadequate and fluctuating incomes and face barriers such as high production costs and an unequal access to input and output markets. The Plant Clinics and Group Federation of Small Farmers Initiatives from India demonstrate the positive impact of collective action on the livelihoods and incomes of small farmers. Indigenous people have long been stewards of the land. Traditional indigenous practices and values have not only ensured the food sovereignty, health and wellbeing of Indigenous communities over generations, but have contributed to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development for the benefit of all humankind. National and independent dialogues are necessary to alter the narrative of labeling community-led and indigenous food systems as underdeveloped systems. Dialogues analyzing the relationship between indigenous knowledge and food systems play an essential role in the development of community-led food systems. One area to consider is that could organization of small holder farmers into federations coupled with a strong policy environment that recognizes, documents and seeks to support indigenous crops and knowledge provide small farmers with the information, incentive and infrastructure to invest in local superfoods? Read less

Discussion Group with Spanish-Speaking Participants: All ATs Visions for community-led food systems within this group involved incorporating diverse actors such as women and indigenous populations into existing food systems, protecting and promoting local food systems, and generating community ownership of these systems. The recognized the need to speak of not a single food system but the diversity in food systems. Barriers towards achieving these visions of community-led sustainable food systems are a lack of support for small-scale production practices, the impact of climate change on produc... Read moretion and crops, and a general lack of access to land tenure and means of production to bolster local food systems. Solutions discussed towards overcoming these obstacles include implementing public policies that are community-centered and strengthening local community members' sense of their own resilience and capability. The group also acknowledged that producers alone are not responsible for ensuring resilient and sustainable food systems - consumers also need to share this responsibility. Read less

Discussion Group with French-Speaking Participants: All ATs A community-led food system is one that is articulated around local assets, resources, and knowledge. Furthermore, the system is inclusive, and functions on the basis of justice and equality. The main barrier facing our food systems is the lack of a local food system supply chain that values local assets. To overcome this obstacle, we need the involvement of the government, in terms of investment, regulation, training, and communication. Relentless activism of the Civil Society and the support of scientists and researchers is also ess... Read moreential. Solutions proposed towards supporting a community led food system supply chain include the involvement of key actors such as community members, scientists, and researchers. Proposed solutions to this issue are: * Involving the government in investment, regulation, education / training and communication * Incorporating the support of scientists and researchers to support this issue * Supporting an attractive scheme for private sector actors to match social and economic aspects within a resilient food system Read less

Action Track 5: Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress. This topic was discussed by two groups. The discussion centered around self-reliance in local communities and the engagement of younger generations in transforming local food systems to make them more sustainable. Participants recognized that the current global food systems are unable to deal with shocks; the COVID 19 pandemic clearly demonstrated that when the global systems and supply chains ground to a halt, local food systems proved to be much more resilient to the shock. Barriers towards strengthening community based ... Read morefood systems within this Action Track included difficulties in transporting farm produce, lack of access to farming technologies, lack of youth involvement in community-led food systems, and inadequate local infrastructure to store food. The groups discussed the advent of food insecurity in communities which were heavily dependent on external markets either for getting agricultural produce and seeds or for selling local produce. This was exacerbated by the lack of adequate post harvest storage facilities that resulted in produce going bad and disheartened farmers. In contrast, communities that produced and consumed most of their food locally were less affected by the pandemic induced lockdowns and travel restrictions. Strategies to address these issues include incorporating a use of community pantries to reduce the loss of excess produce, creating community gardens to address issues of food stability during the pandemic, and practice of community-supported agriculture where the produce and profits feed local markets, reducing the transport and infrastructure required to support food systems. The groups discussed specific examples from countries like the Philippines and Afghanistan to address the crisis. These included supporting women to start and run organic community farms in the Philippines which were not only environment-friendly, but also ensured that families dependent on remittances (that stopped due to the pandemic) had a source of income and access to nutritious food. Or using the traditional methods for drying and storing food as in Afghanistan which are inexpensive, have low environmental footprints and require low-technological investment even as they prevent spoilage. Importance of youth involvement in local food systems by providing training and support services like access to banking and farm schools were also considered imperative in order to develop resilience in these systems. Read less

Action Track 4: Advance equitable livelihoods The group discussed methods to overcome gender inequality for people who identify as women, enabling economic, political and institutional infrastructure that promotes equitable livelihoods, and involving men and boys into the conversation on women in agriculture. Methods discussed to advance equitable livelihoods in local food systems by working with international and state governments, local communities, and men and boys included: *collecting measurable gender-sensitive data, especially around women's work * supporting international agreements to... Read more measure gender data in farming (and other activities) * supporting legislative initiatives to address gender inequality like joint land ownership in India * engaging men in discussions of women in agriculture * supporting gender empowerment programs at a state level * recognizing the role of cooperatives in building resilience and ensuring youth are included in these cooperatives Specific examples of cooperatives and collective action were brought in from India. Plant Clinics were established to provide agricultural advisories via phone, tablet, and other information communication technology (ICT) tools to women in farming communities in Tamil Nadu in southern India. This enabled people from all over the region, be they literate or illiterate, to access information in a comprehensible manner, resulting in lower input costs, increased productivity, and the use of safer farming practices (such as using less pesticide sprays). Similarly the Group Federation of Small Farmers initiative in Tamil Nadu consisted of a large number of women and over 800 farming groups mostly from tribal communities in India. They functioned as a Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) leveraging funds from banks and the government to bring new technology to small farmer communities. The group recognized that current economic, political, and institutional structures maintain the unequal power dynamics in our system and made the following recommendations to address these: * Educating community members on issues of farming practices, nutrition, and rights in order to mobilize the voices of individuals, particularly women * Using ICT technology to foster awareness and engage women’s voices in policy issues; demystifying computer and social media skills * Altering “one size fits all” policies that work well in certain areas but poorly in others Read less

Action Track 3: Boost nature-positive production This group's vision entailed rebuilding the current food system to capitalize on new and knowledge while pairing it with indigenous knowledge to ensure sustainable practices. To achieve this vision, the group discussed solutions that seek to empower communities in tangible ways by investing in them and not imposing solutions imported from the global North. This could be done by providing resources directly to communities, developing strong community level partnerships and providing support for community-based decisions on how to use those resour... Read moreces. This would entail having the decolonizing aid conversation within the food systems framework and shifting power from global to local. Other solutions discussed involved integrating technology and indigenous knowledge, educating local producers on the implications of unsustainable practices, and putting human rights at the heart of community based food systems with land and territory acknowledgement. Solutions that seek to reconcile new technology with indigenous knowledge should be community-focused and include processes, roles, and timelines that allow for community input and influence in the outcome. Suggestions to strengthen the input of the indigenous community in food-system processes included: * Gathering more evidence on indigenous peoples knowledge systems * Conducting more research with indigenous peoples * Creating a trust fund managed by indigenous people to support work Read less

Action Track 2: Shift to sustainable consumption patterns This group’s vision for community action to shift to sustainable consumption patterns involved supporting early childhood education on sustainable nutritious food, placing community pressure on governments and big retailers to prioritize local foods, building better rural roads and local transport systems to reduce the “time-to-market”, and campaigning to eliminate the use of plastics. They recognised the need for concerted action at the community level and advocacy to ensure an enabling policy environment with the government. Pol... Read moreicy ideas included shifting government policy away from solely increasing production towards better natural resource management and a more nutritious and sustainable system of production, reducing the energy costs for small farmers (electricity costs are too high for cooking and they contribute to deforestation), addressing monopolies by fast food companies and investing in research that improves the economics of sustainable nutritious food. Read less

The discussion groups were structured around the 5 Action Tracks along with language groups in Spanish and French which looked at an overview of action required to strengthen community-led food systems: Action Track 1: Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all Two groups explored this topic. Their vision for creating a community-led food system included implementing policies that are inclusive towards indigenous communities. A key issue discussed was how to best support the longevity of indigenous farming practices. While smallholder farmers produce crops that possess market value, the... Read morere is a long-term risk of losing indigenous seeds in local food systems. Furthermore, existing policies do not currently support the practices of indigenous communities. GMOs are currently in danger of wiping out the sale of indigenous seeds on the market and nutritious / organic food from local communities are not receiving enough market value. Access to information for farmers, importance of WASH and lack of diversity in the local food plate and in choices available to farmers also surfaced as important issues. Urgent issues towards ensuring the availability of nutritious foods in local communities involve: *Supporting the longevity of indigenous farming practices *Supporting land accessibility for women *Examining policies surrounding food systems that are not region or country specific * Budget contributions towards strengthening the availability of nutritious foods in existing food systems In order to support the inclusion of nutritious food in local food systems, the following solutions were proposed to be undertaken at a community-based level: * Working with communities to prepare better methods of storing food in order to safeguard food against natural and economic shocks * Supporting / continuing practices of growing nutritious foods within households and trading produce between households that occurred during the pandemic. * Rethinking / restructuring the system of local market supply in providing nutritious foods to markets in big cities. This often contributes to lack of nutritious food in local rural markets. * Supporting household farming to encourage farmers to produce foods for local consumption. * Effectively disseminating nutritional information from health experts to communities * Addressing climate change in local farming communities to educate farmers on the importance of crop diversity. * Providing farmers with access to diverse seeds and with capacity strengthening. Some of these actions require work at the policy level while others need community level programming and advocacy by local CSOs, INGOs and community groups. Read less

1. Modes of Action: Need for Community and Policy level initiatives The Dialogue highlighted the need for both community-level and policy-level action. Participants agreed that food systems cannot be transformed through homogenous modes of action, but rather through synergies between community-level and policy-level initiatives. In terms of community-level action, participants agreed on the need for advocating with governments and big retailers to prioritize local foods, campaigning to eliminate the use of plastics, and prioritizing education surrounding sustainable and nutritious foods at the... Read more early childhood level. In terms of policy-level action, participants discussed the need to shift government policy towards better natural resource management and more nutritious / sustainable systems of production, reduce energy costs for small farmers, invest in research that improves the economics of sustainable / nutritious food, and support international agreements to measure gender data in farming. 2. Working with Indigenous communities and Paired Dialogues The need to establish paired dialogues or partnerships between Indigenous knowledge holders and scientists was reiterated in the Dialogue. Indigenous knowledge, values and practices have traditionally been disregarded and excluded from the discourse on food systems despite the fact that they have created food systems that are biodiverse, nutritious, climate resilient, equitable and rooted in sustainable livelihood practices. Indigenous food systems have not only ensured the food sovereignty, health and wellbeing of Indigenous communities over generations, but have contributed to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development for the benefit of all humankind. A paired dialogue between Indigenous knowledge holders and scientists could therefore generate and improve knowledge surrounding food systems, climate change, the management of crops and seeds and other topics alike. Other solutions for working with indigenous communities included: * Conducting research with indigenous peoples and gathering more evidence on indigenous knowledge systems * Creating a trust fund, managed by indigenous communities, to support work * Supporting indigenous land tenure and community systems of protection and management * Strengthening the landscape approach with a comprehensive and holistic vision that aims to recover and strengthen the production of traditional medicines, seeds, crops, livestock, sources of wild and indigenous foods with high nutritional potential (local superfoods) * Facilitating the commercialization of indigenous products by supporting community-based businesses and economic initiatives of Indigenous peoples 3. Gender Equality through improved policy and data Since women face countless barriers including access to resources, lack of land rights, social norms and institutional barriers, the role (and importance) of women within food systems must be prioritized. Women are typically visible in production, processing and trading sectors, however their visibility diminishes as we move up the value chain. This is problematic as there is a notable connection between gender equality, food systems, food security and nutrition. As our speaker Dr. Jemimah Njuki noted, “the countries with the highest gender inequalities also tend to be the hungriest”. In order to overcome extreme gender inequality within food systems, participants suggested the need for gender-sensitive data collection, gender empowerment programs at the state level and legislative action to involve women in policymaking. ICT can also be used to provide agricultural advisories and training to women in farming communities 4. Youth Involvement for sustainability Discussions revealed the importance of exploring the involvement of youth in food systems in order to strengthen their future structures. Youth have the ability to take ownership of the local food systems in their community. If given the opportunity to positively and meaningfully engage in their local food systems then they can transform these systems and make these systems more sustainable. In countries such as Haiti, succession of food producers is not assured to sustain / safeguard future food systems because younger generations / populations are not interested in a career in producing food. Strategies to effectively engage younger generations in creating a sustainable food system include: * A combination of farm and school structures to build understanding amongst younger generations of their local food systems. * Programs that facilitate conversations between older and younger generations regarding existing food systems. An existing generational difference in communication style can hinder the education of youth in food production. * Younger generations should be involved in village banking so they can save money / begin farming practices. 5. Building Networks of small-holder farmers Smallholder farmers who form the bulk of the global food systems face numerous barriers from access to technology to high production costs, lack of storage facilities and unequal access to markets. Examples from India ( Group Federation of Small Farmers Initiative in Tamil Nadu by the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation)and other parts of the world show the importance of creating federations of small farmers who can not only serve as a pressure group to highlight their interests but also leverage funds from banks and governments and undertake collective action for ensuring better access to technology and local infrastructure. Read less

Community-led food systems are systems in which communities have the power to address their own nutrition and food security needs. Projects within community-led food systems are often local, collaborative and engage the entire local food system,. On May 19th, the Movement for Community-led Development (MLCD) hosted an Independent Dialogue which focused on mobilizing resilient, community-led food systems. Our dialogue was centered around exploring localization in global food policy and discussing people-based solutions to the problems our food systems are facing at the grassroots level. The ove... Read morerarching theme of the Dialogue was that resilience starts at the community level and that community-led food systems must be prioritized in order to achieve the Five UN Action Tracks. Prior to the Dialogue, participants were asked to think about their vision for a community-led food system, barriers to strengthening community-based food systems in their community or area of interest, strategies to address these barriers and changes needed at the policy, implementation and funding level to build resilient community-led food systems and the role of different stakeholders in making these changes. In order to explore more specific areas of our focus, MCLD invited three keynote speakers: Dr Jemimah Njuki, (Director for Africa, IFPRI), Dr. Myrna Cunningham Kain (Member of the Food Systems Summit Advisory Committee) and Dr. Madhura Swaminathan (Chair, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation). These speakers situated the role of gender equality, Indigenous knowledge and small-scale farming into the broader discussion of community-led food systems. Following our speaker’s presentations, participants separated out into ten discussion groups based on the five UN Action Tracks to discuss policy proposals for the Food Systems Summit. To learn more about Community-led Food Systems read this paper by John Coonrod: https://mcld.org/2021/03/31/systems-thinking-for-community-led-food-systems/ Read less

No hubo áreas de divergencia durante el Diálogo; todos los participantes estuvieron alineados en cuanto a los retos que supone el avance hacia unos sistemas agroalimentarios más sostenibles así como con respecto a las palancas y posibles soluciones.

A lo largo del Diálogo, los participantes realizaron aportaciones muy valiosas sobre las posibles soluciones y palancas que permitirían hacer frente a los retos identificados y avanzar hacia unos sistemas agroalimentarios más sostenibles. A continuación, se presentan las más relevantes y las que tuvieron un mayor consenso. - La innovación y la tecnología como grandes aliados. Todos los participantes recalcaron su importancia durante el debate y es que, en efecto, la innovación será clave a futuro para asegurar unos cultivos más eficientes y productivos, que a la vez sean más resiste... Read morentes y seguros. Para ello, es esencial fomentar las iniciativas de I+D que permitan desarrollar este tipo de cultivos a un precio asequible para los pequeños productores. Por otro lado, la digitalización y la escalabilidad de las soluciones tecnológicas a lo largo de la cadena de suministro representan una gran oportunidad, tanto en términos de optimización de recursos naturales como en términos de trazabilidad, fiabilidad de datos y colaboración. - Una mayor gobernanza global. Por un lado, desde la perspectiva pública, se comentó la necesidad de posicionar la relevancia de la transformación de los sistemas agroalimentarios a un nivel más significativo en la agenda política mundial. En este sentido, la Gobernanza a nivel global aparece como un elemento crucial a la hora de reducir los desequilibrios del sistema y evitar las diferencias de competitividad que pueden existir en función de los sistemas productivos y del lugar de proveniencia de las compañías. Según el punto de vista del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación, un primer paso hacia una transformación más rápida y eficaz sería la asunción, por parte de todos los actores del sistema, de las Directrices Voluntarias sobre la Gobernanza responsable de la tenencia de la tierra y de los recursos - promulgadas por la FAO -, que encauzan las prácticas responsables y sostenibles para garantizar la seguridad alimentaria. Por otro lado, desde la perspectiva del tercer sector, se necesitaría un cambio de paradigma en el enfoque de la gobernanza de los sistemas agroalimentarios; hoy en día más enfocada a la comercialización de los alimentos que a una alimentación de calidad para las personas. Este cambio pasaría por una mayor implicación de los pequeños productores, pero también a través de la colaboración entre todos los actores de la cadena de valor. - Foco en los pequeños productores. Durante todo el Diálogo, se hizo mucho hincapié en el carácter central de los pequeños productores, agentes clave del sistema agroalimentario pero que sin embargo se encuentran en el eslabón más vulnerable de la cadena. Por consiguiente, tanto desde la perspectiva pública como privada, incluyendo al tercer sector, se recalcó la importancia de regenerar y de articular el medio rural, reforzando precisamente a los actores que estructuran ese medio, es decir, la agricultura familiar a pequeña y mediana escala. La sostenibilidad de los sistemas agroalimentarios está intrínsecamente vinculada con el empoderamiento y la mejora de las condiciones de los pequeños productores y tanto desde las administraciones públicas como desde las empresas, ese objetivo tiene que ser una prioridad. - Trabajo en alianzas. Todas estas palancas y soluciones no podrán ser alcanzadas sin una colaboración entre todos los actores de los sistemas agroalimentarios. Hay una gran oportunidad y potencialidad no solo en la colaboración público-privada sino también entre las empresas, la sociedad civil, las autoridades locales, etc. Por parte de la administración pública, se reconoció la necesidad de desarrollar mayores incentivos como puede ser una fiscalidad diferenciada, una prioridad en la compra pública o marcos regulatorios más y mejor definidos que permitan avanzar hacia una mayor sostenibilidad. Además, desde la perspectiva privada, la colaboración con todos los actores de la cadena (consumidores, proveedores, agricultores, etc.) apareció como un aspecto crucial a la hora de ver reflejados los esfuerzos para integrar la sostenibilidad. Read less

La base del Diálogo se centró mayoritariamente en los grandes retos que existen hoy en día en ese camino hacia la sostenibilidad de los sistemas agroalimentarios. Sin embargo, se subrayó el hecho de que esa transformación ya se ha iniciado, mostrando cierto paralelismo con la transformación que hoy en día están sufriendo ya, a un ritmo más acelerado, otros sectores como el sector energético o el de la movilidad, sin duda por su alto impacto en la lucha contra el cambio climático. Por consiguiente, el objetivo debe ser posicionar la relevancia de la transformación del sistema agroal... Read moreimentario al mismo nivel en la agenda política mundial para aunar esfuerzos y acelerar la transición. Así, durante el Diálogo, salieron a la luz grandes retos y barreras que se analizaron desde las diferentes perspectivas de los participantes. En particular, las aportaciones de la ONG Ayuda en Acción, basadas en los resultados del informe "Global Hunger Index" fueron especialmente relevantes a la hora de poner de manifiesto estos grandes desafíos. - Problemas de malnutrición: quizás el reto más visible en cuanto a la sostenibilidad de los sistemas agroalimentarios sea la falta de acceso a alimentos de calidad por una gran parte de la población mundial. Además, las más altas tasas de desnutrición y de hambre se dan sobre todo en el ámbito rural, aun y cuando es ahí donde viven los pequeños agricultores que aseguran más del 50% de la producción mundial de alimentos; una contradicción muy vinculada con el siguiente reto. - Desequilibrio de los sistemas agroalimentarios: este desequilibrio perjudica mayoritariamente a las comunidades más desfavorecidas y vulnerables, tanto a escala global como nacional. Por un lado, los países de renta baja y media dependen cada vez más de las importaciones de alimentos baratos contra los que los agricultores nacionales no pueden competir y que por consiguiente ven su papel fragilizado en las cadenas de valor. Por otro lado, incluso en los países más desarrollados, la proliferación de alimentos muy baratos y ultra procesados que en la mayoría de los casos no son saludables, constituye la fuente de alimentación preponderante para muchos colectivos de bajos recursos y vulnerables. - Fragilidad de las comunidades rurales y de los pequeños productores: aunque estos colectivos aseguren la más de la mitad de los alimentos a nivel mundial (y hasta el 80% en algunas zonas), también representan el eslabón más débil de la cadena de valor agroalimentaria. En muchos países donde carecen de sistemas de protección, estos pequeños productores están muy expuestos a las fluctuaciones del precio de alimentos, a menudo generadas por crisis externas (cambio climático, conflictos regionales, crisis sanitaria, etc.) a las que no pueden hacer frente. - Resistencia al cambio: existen fuertes retos culturales, tanto por parte de los consumidores como por parte de los agricultores. En primer lugar, desde la perspectiva del consumidor, es necesario una mayor concienciación y sensibilización para cambiar unos patrones de consumo y fomentar un consumo más sostenible pero también para reducir el desperdicio alimentario. Por otro lado, con respecto a los agricultores, el carácter "tradicional" del sector hace que existan grandes resistencias a cambiar los sistemas de cultivos tradicionales y se observa a menudo una cierta reticencia ante el uso de nuevas técnicas y soluciones innovadoras. - Complejidad de las cadenas de valor: el sistema agroalimentario no se puede reducir a un simple sistema lineal de inputs / outputs; se caracteriza por una gran complejidad y variedad de actores de naturalezas muy diferentes y por consiguiente no puede existir un único enfoque para apoyar al sector privado en la transición hacia una mayor sostenibilidad. En particular, el desigual acceso a nuevas tecnologías genera un gran reto en términos de trazabilidad y control a lo largo de la cadena de suministro ya que muchos pequeños productores no tienen acceso a la tecnología necesaria que les pueden requerir sus clientes para reportar su desempeño en materia de eficiencia energética, generación de emisiones, gestión de recursos, entre otros. Por consiguiente, es necesario tener en cuenta la idiosincrasia de las diferentes cadenas de valor y de sus actores clave a la hora de establecer objetivos y requisitos por parte del sector público. - Falta de alineación con las administraciones públicas: algunos participantes resaltaron la descoordinación que se manifiesta en ciertos casos entre las exigencias y expectativas de las administraciones y la realidad del sector privado. En particular, se mencionó el desajuste que existe en España entre la necesidad de reducir el desperdicio alimentario en línea con la ambición de incrementar la sostenibilidad del sistema y las barreras fiscales que obstaculizan hoy en día las iniciativas de donaciones de productos. Read less

El tema principal del Diálogo fue una reflexión holística sobre la sostenibilidad de los sistemas agroalimentarios en el largo plazo, analizando particularmente los retos y posibles soluciones a futuro desde la perspectiva pública y privada, así como del tercer sector. Se contó con la presencia de grandes empresas multinacionales y nacionales (Bayer, Heineken, Nestlé, Cerealto Siro Foods, Ebro Foods, El Corte Inglés, Grupo Calvo, Mercadona y Pascual), organizaciones del tercer sector (Ayuda en Acción, Fairtrade y World Vision) y representantes del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Al... Read moreimentación y del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación; todo moderado por Forética. En primer lugar, para sentar las bases del diálogo, se partió de una base de contexto en la que todos los actores reconocieron la urgencia y la necesidad de transformación de los sistemas agroalimentarios. El aumento exponencial de la población mundial, el impacto de los sistemas agroalimentarios sobre la biodiversidad y los ecosistemas, la fragilidad del mundo rural y las desigualdades que perjudican a los pequeños agricultores y a las comunidades más desfavorecidas, hacen cada vez más necesaria la transformación de los sistemas agroalimentarios para asegurar un sistema regenerativo y equitativo que permita producir alimentos saludables, seguros, nutritivos y accesibles para todos. En una segunda parte, 3 grandes empresas vinculadas con el sector agroalimentario pudieron exponer su visión, estrategia y buenas prácticas para hacer frente a esa transformación inminente, así como compartir los retos y soluciones que consideraban a futuro. Así, en primer lugar, BAYER partió de la urgencia de proveer alimentos a una población mundial en constante auge para enmarcar su compromiso con la sostenibilidad a todos los niveles. Se puso de manifiesto el papel de la innovación y de la tecnología como herramientas clave para garantizar las necesidades de casi 10 mil millones de personas en 2050. En efecto, tanto la innovación -asegurando nuevas variedades agrícolas más productivas y resistentes a los cambios climáticos-, como la digitalización -ayudando a los agricultores a optimizar sus recursos monitoreando la variabilidad y las necesidades de sus explotaciones-, constituyen dos de los principales ejes estratégicos para la consecución de los compromisos de sostenibilidad de la compañía. Asimismo, se recalcó la urgencia de colaboración, tanto a lo largo de la cadena de valor para favorecer la reducción de emisiones como por medio de alianzas público-privadas que permitan escalar las soluciones. En segundo lugar, HEINEKEN hizo hincapié en la relevancia de la agricultura sostenible como palanca para mejorar la sostenibilidad de los sistemas agroalimentarios; una agricultura sostenible tanto desde un punto de vista ambiental como social, con una visión holística que abarque todos los grupos de interés implicados a lo largo de la cadena de valor. Se resaltó la importancia de la compra local para impactar positivamente en las comunidades (mejora de las condiciones laborales, protección de los ecosistemas, etc.) así como de la colaboración a lo largo de la cadena de valor para alcanzar más rápidamente la reducción de emisiones de carbono ya que las emisiones indirectas provenientes de la agricultura pueden representar casi 1/3 de las emisiones de una empresa productora del sector agroalimentario. Finalmente, NESTLÉ también recalcó todo lo mencionado anteriormente, destacando especialmente la importancia de la agricultura regenerativa a gran escala para asegurar un impacto positivo (y no solo evitar el negativo) sobre los recursos naturales. La colaboración con los actores de la cadena, en particular las alianzas con proveedores para que se alíen en esta promoción de la agricultura regenerativa, supone un aspecto crucial para reducir el potencial impacto ambiental negativo y promover unos sistemas agroalimentarios más sostenibles en el largo plazo. La compañía también mostró un compromiso con la transformación de su cartera de productos para hacerlos más sostenibles y con menor impacto sobre los ecosistemas (más proteína vegetal, gamas neutras en CO2..) Read less

How can islands leverage trade policies? They do not have the economies of scale to negotiate. Colonization and militarization of islands is a continuing policy. How can this be addressed?