Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

Among the findings it was pointed out that it is necessary to constantly monitor and analyze the state of the food systems and supply chains across countries and continents. New standards are needed in the training of specialists in this area. It has been repeatedly emphasized that education and science are cross-border in nature. It is necessary to create both international educational clusters and national laboratories and associations. These findings carry important messages for media policy makers. All of the above led to the conclusion about the need to create a new integration platform a... Read morend an intellectual environment that will allow implementing new initiatives. In addition, the Russian office of FAO, supporting the need to enlighten and promote the ideas of the Summit, in the person of its director made a proposal to create the Institute of FAO Goodwill Ambassadors. Read less

The main focus of the dialogue was aimed at restoring supply chains in the post-pandemic period and effectively integrating into these chains the most diverse producers from large companies to local farmers. It has been repeatedly emphasized that centralizing supply chain management is detrimental to efficiency to a large extent. At the same time, it was especially emphasized that it is necessary to put a person at the forefront of every action. Of particular interest in this regard were the speeches and remarks that touched upon both food security and the need to increase food production with... Read moreout harming the environment. In this regard, hopes were pinned on the development of IT management systems for agro-industrial production and product sales. The humanitarian component also got its sound when discussing the promotion of Food Banks as systems for effectively overcoming hunger, social protection and environmentally friendly solutions. Read less

(a) PROBLEM SEEKING Before we begin trying to solve the problems that we face in the food system in South Africa, we need to make sure we understand what the actual problems are. Moreso, the problems which are causing those said problems. This will help us ensure that we are actually solving and not further perpetuating the problem. (b) It was expressed that stakeholders need to dig deeper in whatever field they are working in to take time to discuss whether they are solving a problem or further perpetuating. To complete a further analysis of the problem at hand and understand the problems aro... Read moreund the problem that need to be solved and furthermore, understanding all stakeholders in the problem. COLLABORATION Oftentimes, a particular issue that we face in the food system requires various solutions. One individual or organisation will not be able to provide all these solutions. It is therefore important to identify and collaborate the different actors needed to solve the problem. "Leave your egos and logos at the door". 3. APPLYING DIFFERENT APPROACHES We cannot unlock the full potential of our food system without collaboration. The food system is highly fragmented one where solutions are provided in silos. Collaboration is imperative in order for us to end the cycle where the same solutions are constantly provided. Cross-sector solutions should become the norm where government, ICT, financers, universities, entrepreneurs, etc. are working together at solving systematic issues. 4. Visiblity It is imperative to make systematic change visible. The benefits and successes of systematic collaboration should be made visible as it will inspire those who want to see a change in the food system to do so. Moreso, it will expose those who continue with the status quo and force them to change. Read less

Comprehensive exploration of food systems- Many of the problems we are facing in the food system are caused by society – by broken systems, poor governance, misguided incentives, and greed. We can’t just put tiny band-aids on these issues and think a bunch of start-ups are going to change these broken systems. The system itself needs to change. Entrepreneurs can catalyse those changes across public, private, and community networks, but they aren’t lone heroes who go out and do these things alone. They need teams behind them, and we need “intrapreneurs” and entrepreneurial thinkers in... Read more all roles across society. When this is done the path to impact becomes endless. It was therefore imperative that for the dialogues, an immense focus was placed on systems thinking and how all stakeholders in the food systems can explore systems thinking to achieve systematic change in the food system. Read less

No major areas of divergence to report

Reclaiming the food narrative: a) Subsidies for healthy foods: the current food system subsidizes livestock and therefore meat consumption. If fruits and vegetables production was provided with government subsidies, the consumer would not have to pay higher prices for healthier foods. By making the playing field between food options more level and fair, corporations can have less ability to influence the narrative around what food should be and what foods should be promoted. Indigenous communities were the first communities on our lands and have traditions that respect the land and environment... Read more while maintaining healthy lives. These voices need to be raised in order to meaningfully improve our food systems. There will be challenges from corporations who benefit from these subsidies. b) Transitioning to a plant-based diet: The world is consuming insane amounts of animal proteins. The future of food systems can and should maintain a level of meat consumption but one that is significantly pared down. Some communities and cultures, for instance the Gwich'in in Alaska, rely on caribou and other Arctic animals to sustain them during the long winters. They need to eat meat to survive. Someone in Mumbai or NYC or Sao Paulo does not need to eat meat three times a day. Animal proteins, palm oil, and cane sugar are some of the largest drivers of biodiversity loss and the largest contributors to NDCs. To preserve human and planetary health our food systems must transition to be majority plant based that relies on a wide diversity of fruits, vegetables, and grains that are culturally and bioregionally appropriate. c) Awareness - there is insufficient awareness in the puyblic sphere of the connection between human health and planetary health. For instance, most consumers are unaware of the biodversity loss associated with animal proteins. In order to change consumption patterns there must be increased education and awareness campaigns to connect environmental destruction and climate change to food systems and human health. Read less

One Health: Paris agreement for food: the upcoming UN Food Summit is about mobilizing humanity around building a new narrative around food and bringing in solutions from all sectors (e.g., government, private sector, civil society, faith-based organizations, indigenous communities). However, a Paris agreement for food that consists of benchmarks and policy directives will be needed. This will consist of many dialogue sessions, white papers and generating reports of country-level challenges and solutions to assess progress. Anticipated challenges are political and business will to make meaningf... Read moreul changes in consumption, such as advocating for decreased meat consumption. Influencing policymakers: there are corporations that are currently profiting off of the food system as it is now. This is through government subsidies awarded to particular food industries, like animal livestock. However, these corporations have greater abilities to lobby and advocate for their business agenda and promotion of their food products. However, local communities need to mobilize and lobby their policymakers to educate them on the realities of these food policies on the ground and in the healthcare system. This includes black/brown and indigenous communities. Progress can be assessed through advocacy training sessions and number of meetings made with policymakers. Anticipated challenges are the financial interests from companies that will influence decision makers. Read less

The connection between science and faith: Focus on education and awareness-building of local communities. Although the current food system is a global problem, if we focus on local communities and stakeholders, we can improve the health of humanity collectively, one community at a time. Food is such an integral part of our lives, that it is too easy to forget about its details. Having a local focus that connects individuals with their farming practices, food preparation skills and connecting intergenerationally (e.g., children, grandchildren), a more personal relationship develops with the foo... Read mored. Food is seen as a commodity instead of a gift. Progress can be assessed by the relationships made and regular follow-up with different community members to assess their food consumption behaviors. Anticipated challenges are unwillingness to change behavior and inadequately applying theories of change. These models will need to be community-specific that are also cultural competent. Incorporating religious/faith leaders into discussions: By including religious/faith leaders into discussions about how the faith is consistent with science that is currently catching up with data and research projects, you can reveal that there is no conflict between science and faith. Faith/Indigenous leaders have a way to connect to people on an emotional level. They can help connect people with the moral and compassion argument to respecting food, the planet and natural world that provides that food and ultimately changing consumption patterns. Progress can be assessed through the number of faith/indigenous leaders connected with and the number of sermons/talks given educating on food consumption behaviors. Anticipated challenges are those religious/faith leaders who are resistant to science education. Read less

The dialogue highlighted serious realities and gaps in the current food system. These will be discussed based on the main themes of the dialogue: The connection between science and faith: one major finding was the lack of awareness of health impacts of food and how our current behaviors impact the larger food system amongst community members and religious faith leaders. For example, in pastoral communities in Kenya, imams (faith leaders) discuss certain aspects of Qur’anic text, like prayers or fasting, but do not discuss more global issues like our relationship to food as beings on this pla... Read morenet. As a result, the community does not see a religious connection to the food or to the science behind it. By involving the imams as stakeholders and educating them on healthy food practices and behaviors, they can see that the Qur’an, which promotes healthy, plant-based foods, is not in conflict with the science behind healthy foods. In the Catholic tradition, there isn’t a direct understanding of traditions with their inherent relationship to food as a vessel to God. The story of the Eucharist reflects the story of life in a variety of forms. When you are eating the wafer or drinking wine, you are basically in direct communication with God who is infused in that form. These examples show how religious/faith leaders are key stakeholders in awareness building of healthy food behaviors for communities. One Health: another major finding was the increasing prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) throughout the world and how they are directly related to food consumption. One important stakeholder is hospital systems. Physician researchers in Taiwan have influenced their healthcare system on the scientific benefits of plant-based diets and have successfully incorporated healthier food options for patients. In indigenous communities, major stakeholders are teachers and school systems. When teachers and school staff were involved in a project to start gardening on the grounds, there was a change in mindset amongst teachers/staff, students and the broader community as to why food was valuable and valuable within their indigenous culture. Not only does the integration of healthier food options improve outcomes in NCDs, like diabetes and heart disease, but the practice of shifting to more plant-based foods has a direct effect on decreasing greenhouse gas emissions that impact climate change. Climate change was discussed as an external factor on the food system that needs to be recognized and addressed. Reclaiming the food narrative: the other major finding was the need for gratitude and spiritual connection to food and food systems. Although it is important to focus on the commercial interests of food companies and practical methods to introduce plant-based diets, it was discussed amongst all five panelists how food as a sacred entity and gift is missing from current food practices. Without this integral emotional perspective on food, the flaws in the food system will not be solved. Education and Public Awareness: caught through all of the major findings was the recognition of major communication gaps for healthy eating. One speaker reflected on how being overweight was a sign of success in more rural and pastorali communities whereas being skinny and in shape caused alarm and concerns over poor health. Other speakers reflected on the problems of the overabundance of advertising by major corporations and agribusinesses that flood the market with disinformation that confuses consumers over what is and what isn't healthy. Without regulations or mandates on advertising it is hard to win the information battle being waged on health and consumption. Access and Subsidization: True to rural, urban, and otherwise economically disadvantaged areas, accessing healthy affordable food is a significant challenge. Many poor communities in developed countries rely on cheap fast food and ultra-processed foods as their primary food sources. These products are cheap due to large subsidies granted to animal protein producers, sugar producers, and grain producers. It makes these foods artificially cheap whereas wholesome healthy organic fruits and vegetables receive no subsidies which force the consumer to pay the whole cost which makes it too expensive for many. Read less

The focus of this dialogue was an exploration of Action Track 2, Healing the Earth, Healing our Bodies, focusing on shifting to sustainable consumption patterns. The panelists represented broad, diverse voices from the food system: Taiwanese Buddhist physician, Somali Muslim female farming activist, Norwegian Catholic WHO senior strategist, Indigenous grandmother and African-American Reverend. The panelists had a rich dialogue that resulted in three main themes: The connection between science and faith: although they are traditionally seen at odds, the panelists offered that science and faith ... Read morereinforce one another and their blending can actually create positive outcomes. Different religious traditions promote certain foods, mainly plant-based, that science is now showing has significant health benefits on a molecular and macro (organ-system) level. Our existence as humans is dependent on the web of life that ultimately provides our food. Faith/Indigenous traditions provide the moral/compassion argument while science provides the physical, tangible data to respecting our role in the natural world and shifting our consumption patterns. “God is calling on us to make decisions for good [. . .] to live to our full potential. When the body was created, God did it with the intent to nourish it through fruits and vegetables. Science proves this too. Instead of those two models fighting, we can blend them.” One Health: the current food system has separated the origins of our food from our consumption, where we are not aware of the farmers growing the food, the farmworkers that collect our food and the people who prepare our meals (e.g, processed and packaged foods). We are disconnected from our food and our spiritual connection to it. Indigenous and pastoral communities have long, rich histories of connecting with the land, of connecting their children and grandchildren with love for the land and ultimately spiritually connecting with the food as having its own role to play in our food systems. That role has either a positive or negative impact on our health. When companies focus more on making profits and communities are disconnected from the food, trade-offs are made that compromise the health of the land (e.g, destructive farming practices) and the health of people (e.g, increase in non-communicable diseases) “Unless we make real changes in the forces we are unleashing as humanity on earth, on its biophysical systems, the interplay of the web of life, it will get out of control and we won’t be able to stop runaway changes to continue life and our future on this planet.” Reclaiming the food narrative: food is an integral part to our religious and worldly narratives as human beings. From indigenous and pastoral communities, there was a certain relationship and tradition with food that respected the local environment and planet while maintaining human health. However, with the shift to current food system models, there are a few corporations that control the production, processing and distribution of food, with the main goal of profit maximizing. As a result, policies are reflective of these corporations' interests where scientifically unhealthy food is subsidized and cheaper than healthy foods. The actual consumer has no agency over their food and therefore no meaningful narrative of their relationship to the food they are choosing to consume, which can either be life sustaining or life-robbing. “The narrative of how we are as a people in terms of our health and wellbeing is linked to the health and wellbeing of the larger world" Read less

The role of farm animals and diets brought up diverse views. Whereas one group promoted a plant-based diet, another group brought up the varying roles of farm animals in different countries. Whereas in developed countries, farm animals are often seen as meat (beef, pork, chicken) or providers of food such as milk or eggs, in Eastern Africa cattle are seen more as pets or financial safety nets. Therefore, reducing cattle in cultures and countries where they represent more than meat, may be difficult. Nevertheless, even if cattle and other farm animals play different roles in different cultures,... Read more it would be good to seek sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions to keeping cattle and other farm animals. Practical solutions could be formed when exchanging ideas with the farmers on the grassroot level in developing countries. Another discussion was on how nature-based production methods should be defined, by whom and which actors should be involved in this process. This part of the dialogue will be continued later. Finally, there was some debate on what kind of legislation for due diligence processes is relevant and how this system could be built so that it would provide comparable and verifiable information without becoming too expensive. There was a fear that a transparent and verified system would become too pricey and the costs and extra work would be carried by smallholders. Read less

The group started the discussion on the different dimensions of resilience (social, economic, infrastructure, natural resources and human skills). Cooperatives were seen as promoters of equality, know-how and extension. They also enhance stability and participation increases wellbeing. The role of women and youth was raised as an important factor in increasing resilience. Women need to be informed about their rights and their resilience needs to be increased. In order to attract young people to the food sector, a decent income and livelihood should be secured. Youth engagement could be enhance... Read mored through digitalization and options in food system providing for decent income. The group also considered efficiency and small-scale production as a means for more resilient production but there’s not enough land for everyone. Small-scale production is easier to control and divides the risk and reward among a larger pool of producers. Diversification was seen important for resilience, but it was noted that market demand is more specialized and focuses on single products. Currently only 1.7% of climate financing reaches smallholders and thus the group suggested that more climate financing should trickle to the producer level. If financing was increased on the producer level, smallholders’ and food systems’ resilience would increase. Farmers could come up with better solutions against the effects of climate change and increase food security. Development of better food storage methods and facilities was mentioned as a way to avoid food spoilage and to reduce waste. If food could be stored for a longer period, it would allow for better food security and less vulnerability to climate related hazards. The group also discussed the role of energy and water and their key position for resilience. It’s important to understand the different actors and their dynamics. Aspects such as land ownership, collateral land use, local solutions, and the power of big companies surfaced as factors that should be taken into consideration. Sustainable solutions need to be based on local solutions and local ownership. Read less

The group identified many challenges in the present food systems including: i) challenges for smallholders to develop their practices due to lack of knowledge, services, small plots and women's position; b) lack of support in food chains such as quality of inputs, lack of processing, storages, energy solutions; b) weakness of governments to support the sector through legislation and law enforcement; and c) weakness of private sector actors to provide services and finance. Especially in the south, legislation, regulations and their enforcement do not support the system and even less its transit... Read moreion towards enhanced sustainability. Corruption hampers development and transition to a better functioning food systems. Weak supply chains, low level of expertise, low productivity, production and product quality, lack of inputs and low level of technology also hinder development. Smallholders need development training, advise, innovation, finance and market information services. Many agricultural projects focus on farmers and their production and productivity. Without processing industry and more developed markets, improving production and quality doesn’t change the system. Action needs to be taken on the systems as a whole and competence development is necessary on all levels. It’s important to increase jobs opportunities in the whole food system, not just in farming. Project support that progresses in 3-5-year cycles doesn’t give enough support for long-term change. Smallholders should organize themselves, for example into cooperatives, to have a united voice, support each other and gain a stronger position in the food chain. Women should be given special consideration and preconditions to strengthen their livelihoods. However, cooperatives are not always equal or inclusive and their position may depend on political actors. As a solution, the group proposed cooperation among food system actors (research institutions, companies, farmers, government institution) to resolve prevailing and concrete challenges in a process where every actor brings in their own expertise and point of view. Legislation and global regulation aiming for private sector due diligence will enhance decent livelihood possibilities and wellbeing of the ecosystems in the global south. Multinational enterprises could have a role in solving the problem. Funding was proposed to enable spontaneous cooperation aiming at product development necessary for a stronger market position, and to contribute to the long-term development process of smallholders. The main suggestions are summarized below: - Strengthen smallholders’ formation into groups and organizations that support resilience of all the members equally. - Support transformative approaches that strengthen women’s confidence, knowledge and skills, relations and transform structures that withhold gender-based discrimination and improve their rights to earn livelihood. - Long term cooperation among actors within food systems (research institutions, companies, farmers, government) to improve quality and productivity of farming, access to productive inputs, product development and food safety, and to promote industrialization. - Legislation and global policies based on measurable outcomes. Big enterprises like MNEs could be involved also through mandatory due diligence legislation - Financing directed to cooperation and local product development as well as to the development process of smallholders. - Finance instruments that advance practical problem solving, development and enable long-term multi-actor cooperation Read less

The group structured its discussion into the following topics: (1) A linked global food system, (2) Food production and producers in the global south, (3) The need for knowledge, skills and education, (4) Consumers and international trade. The group noted that local production is generally more sustainable than importing products but it is difficult to produce everything locally. Some crops and food items will still need to be imported due to local conditions not being suitable for some crops. It has to be borne in mind that local production doesn’t always equal sustainability and in many co... Read moreuntries it has led to soil impoverishment. Nevertheless, local production and food systems have a key role in many regions. Effects of developed countries’ consumption in developing countries were recognized and the group thought about how we can ensure global environmental sustainability and food safety. One should pay attention to what is produced and how it is produced in order to save natural resources and species. For example, could new species replace rice, and could animal protein be replaced with plant-based protein? Encouragement towards agroecological and other environmentally friendly methods should be increased in order to reduce environmental damage. These are often location-based and require strong know-how to invest in. As any change in methodology is a potential risk for the farmer, the change processes must be supported and de-risked for sustained transition to take place. It’s important to increase know-how and peer support between north and south as well as between southern partners. Practical advice and involving farmers in trialing new methods are essential in the change process. The key role of women as food producers in the south is to be highlighted and their training and extension is to be increased. Whereas women tend to produce crops for local consumption, men are more interested in growing highly profitable vegetables. Women tend to make decisions on what kind of food a family eats (local or imported) and that’s why it would be important to educate especially women on sustainable production methods and healthy nutrition. Increasing communication and involving farmers globally in discussions would be important in achieving changes. Education and communication regarding food systems should also be increased in developed countries so that consumers are aware of food related issues. Sustainable production is linked to many other development questions and inequality: women’s status, land ownership and resource availability. As previously stated, reducing inequality and poverty as well as changing food systems to become more climate resilient are part of the same process. The group suggested that global trade and value chains should support nature-friendly production. The environmental impact of a product/food item should be reflected on its price. At the global level, a shift to a more plant-based diet should be encouraged and the Western diet should shift towards more environmentally friendly and sustainable food so that food security could be achieved elsewhere. This, however, doesn’t exclude animal production because it has an important and diverse role in the south. The group believes that Fairtrade has managed to support local, social sustainability and thus they were wondering if similar systems would have the potential to support environmental sustainability as well? Read less

The discussion started with the question on how to find balance between safe and nutritious food and environmental planetary capacity. The group discussed how enough protein can be secured in diets, especially in poorer countries, where diets are more plant-based. Increasing vegetables in diets might be easier and more accepted as a narrative than requesting people to reduce meat. Both malnourishment and obesity need action. Discussion continued and centered around who should be kept accountable for our consumption – consumers or legislation? It was felt that consumers shouldn’t solely be ... Read moreaccountable for sustainable consumption. Trade, food industry and legal policies should also play a role in ensuring more sustainable consumption patterns. This would help consumers with their consumption decisions and ensure that they can choose food that has been produced in a sustainable and ecological way. Politics, for example EU’s deforestation legislation, could play a role in mitigating negative effects of consumption. On the other hand, it is challenging to filter out simple, comparable metrics from a complex food system when forming a basis for consumer consumption decisions. Of all the products that cause deforestation, EU’s share is 36%. On the other hand, it is estimated that the consumption in the EU is responsible for around 10% of tropical deforestation. Food losses occur in different parts of the food system in different parts of the world. Smooth logistics and market connections are in a key role in reducing food waste in the northern hemisphere and in the south. Harvesting, handling and storage improvements are needed, especially in the south, to reduce losses. Poverty and food insecurity are closely linked. The group also discussed the role of culture and farm animals in different countries. Culture impacts food and consumption decisions. Farm animals have an important role, for example in East-Africa where they are financial safety nets. Keeping small farm animals is important especially for women in terms of supporting their economic independence and domestic food safety net. It is important to note that measures should be implemented to promote sustainable and climate positive animal husbandry practices. In addition, the group discussed how to increase knowledge and communication at the grassroot level. In order to engage farmers in sustainability, the change process must be subtle. Gradual processes which advance by small steps carry further than major changes introduced suddenly. Improving production is central in mitigating deforestation. This should be achieved without impoverishing the soil. Lastly, the growing global population is straining food systems. Population growth should be slowed down by educating women and girls and increasing awareness of family planning and contraception methods. Read less

The discussion was organized through the following questions: (1) How to ensure access for all to sustainably produced food? (2) How to ensure that everyone can afford (sustainably) produced food? (3) What is the role of development / humanitarian work now and in the future? As the discussion started, the group pointed out that in order to avoid confusion or misunderstandings, it’s important to clarify the terms: food security vs food safety. Even though we have a wide array of information regarding nutritious food, problems regarding access to nutritious food still exist and need to be iden... Read moretified. Lack of nutritious food may be caused by poor soil that does not contain important minerals or iodine. Along the same lines, vitamin deficiencies can be caused by poor diet. Within households, the level of food security can vary, which is a reminder that the nutritious needs of the most vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, children and the sick, should be focused on. They are often neglected due to their inferior position in society, lack of influence and lack of knowledge. Understanding local traditions is important as food is linked to culture. These traditions should be valued and their continuation should be strengthened while adjusting for towards more sustainable food systems. Because children spend a lot of time at school, school meals are an essential part of strengthening children’s nutrition. In addition, role of the school, for example through home economics and school gardens, can affect the food security of the whole household as children learn how to grow crops and understand the importance of a healthy and nutritious diet. Advice and extension should be provided to everyone on safe and nutritious food. Training of trainers, for example through universities or organizations, can play a key role in sharing knowledge and best practices. The group called for a stronger focus of development policy on supporting food security and related interdisciplinary research. Support should be directed towards long term social safety nets instead of short-term humanitarian aid. NGOs in developed countries should use their direct connections with communities in developing countries to look for viable solutions together. Read less

More discussion is needed in order to create viable solutions for the challenging topic. FFD will host more webinars related to food systems to continue the discussion. Topics will be more focused and will concentrate on a specific field such as nature positive food production or the role of forests in food production. Main findings of this webinar include the following: (1) Cultural methods and norms should be respected and used as a foundation when looking for a transition in food systems. (2) The role of schools can be pivotal in providing nutritious meals to children but also educating chi... Read moreldren on sustainable food production and systems. (3) Trade and legal policies should support sustainable and ecological production. (4) Supermarkets and retailers could have a strong role in helping consumers to make sustainable consumption decisions, but they need to be supported by other actors and lean on predictable rules. (5) If we want lasting change, the process needs to start at the grassroot level and be gradual to be effective. (6) Local and nature positive production should be favored but some products will still need to be imported because it’s impossible to produce everything locally and export revenues are important for many countries. (7) The proportion of plants in diet needs to be promoted but this doesn’t exclude animal husbandry which has multiple roles for many households. (8) Smallholders should get organized to have more support, more resilience and have a stronger position in food systems. (9) Co-operation between actors within food systems (research institutions, companies, farmers, government) should be increased to build practical solutions. (10) Increasing women’s resilience via transformative approaches that strengthen women’s confidence, knowledge and skill, relations and improve their rights to earn livelihoods (11) Youth’s engagement in agriculture should be promoted via a decent income and increased access to technology, digital tools and mechanization to ensure decent income. In particular, the webinar stressed the need to support locally tailored solutions which are based on the understanding of local context, supported and promoted by actors which have organized themselves, while taking into account the needs of vulnerable groups or groups with special needs such a women and youth. Many important aspects came to light through group discussions and they highlighted the complexity of global food systems. Read less

The dialogue was a comprehensive exploration of food systems covering the five Action Tracks. The focus was on the developing countries and the dialogue studied how the Finnish actors could support partners in South in the transition process of food systems. The event was used to bring awareness on the challenges that food systems in developing countries face, how diverse the situation can be, and to identify game changing ideas. The dialogue complemented the Finnish national dialogue, which was held in the beginning of April and the national convenor facilitated the organization of the event.... Read more Among the participants, we had representatives of NGOs, ministries, private sector, researchers but also journalists. FFD made an effort to invite people who have practical experience from the field and having worked with smallholders in the south, to ensure that the debate could be taken from the global figures to grassroot level issues. In a developed country like Finland, many people don’t think about where their food comes from, what kind of challenges farmers, especially, in developing countries face and how our consumption affects food systems. It is easy to go to the supermarket and buy any type of food at any time of the year. Dynamics, risk levels and what it can mean to a household or even to a country, is not well understood. However, farmers in developing countries are on the forefront of challenges caused by climate change. Whether we talk about having access to food or to being able to produce enough food, are two sides of a coin. While not taking a stand on the need for national food sovereignty, both the possibility to look for solutions for enhancing purchasing power to buy food or to enhance productivity allowing farmers to provide for themselves, were debated. While the debate on food systems in Finland is strongly focused on dietary choices and on the linkages between the consumption in Finland its consequences, in the south the questions are very different. Food waste happens at the different stage of the value chain, mainly in field and in storages. Animals are not only kept for meat or dairy but they have many other functions within a household. Read less