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A) TEMA PRINCIPAL Los países centroamericanos forman parte de un proceso de integración. Este proceso sirve como una plataforma para potenciar las acciones en favor del desarrollo de cada uno de los países de la región. Se buscó abordar la Cumbre sobre Sistemas Alimentarios desde la dimensión centroamericana para que las ideas nacionales sean replicadas a nivel regional. De esta manera, soluciones propuestas pueden llegar a ser implementadas a una mayor escala. Comité Consultivo de la Integración Económica -CCIE- con el apoyo del Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricu... Read moreltura -IICA-, Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura -FAO-, Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola, -FIDA-, Secretaria de la Integración Económica Centroamericana -SIECA-, CEMPROMYPE y la Secretaría del Consejo Agropecuario Centroamericano, con el objeto de visibilizar el proceso de la Cumbre, así como intercambiar información sobre las acciones que las diferentes instituciones, llevaremos a cabo el "Lanzamiento: Cumbre de los Sistemas Alimentarios 2021: una mirada desde la visión de la integración regional". Con el objeto de impulsar una participación efectiva y oportuna de la región centroamericana en el proceso de preparación de la Cumbre sobre Sistemas Alimentarios, prevista a realizarse en septiembre de 2021. El tema principal del diálogo fue la exposición de los esfuerzos que los órganos de integración centroamericana y el sector privado de Centroamérica están realizando en favor de la sostenibilidad y los sistemas alimentarios de la región, así como cuál será su impulso para trabajar de manera conjunta para alcanzar las metas a las que la Cumbre nos está retando el día de hoy. El diálogo fue dividido en tres temas principales: 1. Crecimiento económico inclusivo. Se abordó cómo se podría mejorar el acceso a mercados internacionales y hacer crecer los mercados internos. También se exploró el papel de la infraestructura logística y la conectividad para mejorar el acceso a alimentos, la producción sostenible y la calidad de vida de los centroamericanos. El objetivo fue compartir soluciones transformadoras para incrementar el impacto de los sistemas alimentarios en la región. 2. Agricultura sostenible. Se intercambió información sobre los retos en materia de cambio climático para la producción de alimentos en Centroamérica. El objetivo fue plantear soluciones para mejorar el acceso a alimentos a nivel mundial y compartir qué soluciones transformadoras podrían acelerar la producción sostenible de alimentos. 3. Desarrollo rural y ODS. En este tema se buscó en primer lugar conversar sobre las causas que están provocando la emigración de centroamericanos y sobre los motivos que están limitando el desarrollo, particularmente de las áreas rurales. De igual manera, se discutió sobre las oportunidades de los gobiernos, el sector privado y la sociedad civil para contribuir con la mejora de la calidad de vida de los centroamericanos. El objetivo fue dialogar sobre posibles soluciones para mejorar la calidad de vida del área rural en la región. Read less

1) The need to reduce beef consumption vs. making better decisions 2) The level of details that need to be supplied to consumers on their production systems 3) How to encourage farmers to engage with data without the risk of data fatigue

The role of data and how it can drive business decisions needs to have a practical focus, as it is not just about collection, it is about translation and focussing efforts on the ones that make the biggest difference. There has been a signficant investment by the government to get "kit" onto farms, but without additional skills and support about the questions that are need asking, the investment is never going to be fully realised.

We need to think about how to engage with the “emotional” side of decision making on farm, and provision of technical knowledge is not good enough any more as it doesn’t drive behaviour change. Work is needed to develop the support network around beef farmers to help support their decisions. We need a clear plan of what additional skills beef farmers need to face the new challenges, e.g. measuring biodiversity, business skills, marketing and communications.

Overall the UK beef industry needs to develop an industry and production systems that we are proud of. A clear narrative of why people can continue to eat beef, for example, efficient beef production that is socially, environmental and economic sustainable needs to be developed. There is a need to further highlight the benefits for human nutrition. The role of grass, forage and co-products (and lack of soya) within beef supply chains needs to be highlighted. All members of the supply chain have a responsibility to engage with consumers. This is alongside a focus on consistent products to consu... Read moremers keep choosing beef. There needs to be a focus on how tweaks to the beef production system – better health, better genetics, better grazing, better feeding – as they can improve productivity. We need to recognise that we are dealing with complex biological systems and need tools to help deal with unintended consequences of single topic decision. Slaughter age reduction is a clear target for the industry from a profitability and greenhouse gas emission perspective. There needs to be continual focus on selecting animals on feed conversion efficiency in breeds where those traits are available, and encourage other breeds to start collecting the data. The influence of dairy industry will increase as use of sexed semen means that more beef x animals will be available, with the advantage of these systems being more integrated. There could be opportunities to develop a range of blueprints to represent the most common systems, including mixed farming systems and dairy beef systems. Read less

It was aiming to highlight knowledge and research gaps for the UK beef industry. The ambition of this was to become aware of the right skills and knowledge the sector needed to deal with the opportunities and challenges. One area that is developing in the UK is the role of the farmer in food production while enhancing the environment and health health. Ruminants have an important role in maintaining landscapes through grazed areas, utilising human non-edible products, including by-products from human food production, and production on nutrient dense products, including meat and milk. Due to th... Read moree multi-functional role of ruminants it became clear that it was complex problem. It was highlighted that focusing on a single interest was not helpful as it is likely it would have unintentional consequences. Read less

Who has the most important role to make a change? Some think that consumers have the most significant role: they shoud change their habits. But most of the participants thought that politics and businesses have more power and they shoud use it to make consumers choices more sustainable. The true cost of food has to be recognized and rewarded, while making healthy and sustainable food available and affordable to all.

Everyone should do something: we need a systemic tranformation and there are so many actions needed. We have to change our eating habits, and one step is to change school lunch more plant-based. This should done urgently and it is a political decission.

All must work together to make sustainable diets more cheaper and easier to choose. This means e.g. that retailers could choose more strictly what they are selling based on sustainability. Also restaurant should have many veggie/vegan options. School luncs have an important role for Finnish child and young people, so there should be a lot of plant-based lunches available. It should be easier to choose veggie lunch: it could be a first option for everyone. Shift to plant-based protein consumption and reduce meat consumption is really important. The voice of the young people needs to be taken mo... Read morere seriously on both the industry and policy level. Young people wants to understand the complexities of the food systems, and we have to make science-based knowledge easy to find. Naturally this means that we need clear political decissions for changing our diets and thes decissions have to be science-based. It should be cheap and easy to buy sustainable food. Our production system has to change, too, and we have to work together to make this change as fair as possible for everyone. Read less

The dialogue aimed at addressing sustainable diets (Action Track 2): how diets can transition towards more nutritious foods that require fewer resources to produce in Finland. The following topics were discussed in groups: how do you see our food system in 10 years, what especially retailers and restaurants shoud do for sustainable diets and how to make sustainable diets easier to choose for young people?

Participants in this Dialogue were very diverse in terms of their experience, job roles and geographical location, however there was very little opposition in their views. Many had encountered similar challenges during their careers and very similar solutions were identified by the different breakout groups.

5. How can the meat sector drive gender equality and drive change? Participants suggested the following solutions: • Enable flexible working: Flexible workplaces are an essential enabler for creating an inclusive working environment. Women are still more likely than men to care for children or elderly parents and therefore more likely to look for workplace flexibility when considering employment opportunities. • Create working models that support those with family responsibilities: This is one of the most important actions that businesses can take to enable women to progress into leadershi... Read morep roles. • Map out clear career pathways: In order for the meat industry to be considered an appealing career option and ultimately attract and retain a diverse workforce, it’s vital to create visible pathways for progression across a range of career options. Stronger graduate programmes, for both university and school leavers, that give a rounded experience of various business functions, are a key part of this, as are clear pathways for internal progression. • Know the data: Understanding how many women are working at all levels within the meat sector and what the enablers and barriers are, using the MBW annual gender representation report, is essential if there is to be genuine change. • There’s a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry: Businesses with diverse workforces: o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity o Are more profitable and have better share prices. • A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change. Read less

4. What impact could gender equality have on the productivity of the meat sector? The participants noted: • There’s a need to break down divisions within organisations: Within food production businesses in general, and the meat industry in particular, there tends to exist a division between the workforce who are office-based and those employed in operational areas. This can be compounded by divisions along other lines such as gender and language. Better socialisation of these groups and blending different areas to remove the perceived divisions can help improve communication, ultimately in... Read morecreasing people’s sense of belonging within the workplace and making it a more attractive proposition to new entrants. • MBW’s global mentoring platform, which launched in 2021, will help achieve this within the meat sector by forging strong links between women in different business areas. • Those who attribute importance to physical and financial productivity targets (everyone from industry leaders and financiers to small farm owners) need to be engaged in order to appreciate that what might seem like “losses” to output (such as time invested in training and social activities) will, in the longer term, improve gender diversity and softer productivity measures in parallel. Ultimately this will lead to improved physical and financial performance. • There’s a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry: Businesses with diverse workforces: o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity o Are more profitable and have better share prices. • A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change Read less

3. What impact could gender equality have on producing more sustainable food consumption patterns? The participants noted: • Educating consumers should be a priority: Improving consumer education around healthy, sustainable diets could be a genuine game-changer in terms of the shift to sustainable consumption patterns. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how disconnected consumers in many parts of the world have become from the food they eat. However, the lifestyle changes that have resulted from the pandemic also present an opportunity to address this disconnect as people are spending lon... Read moreger at home and may have more time to devote to cooking and eating. • Influencing women is essential if progress is to be made in this area, as women are predominantly responsible for making decisions regarding feeding their family. In order to have the maximum impact this education needs to begin in the classroom. Initiatives which link consumers to their food, for example LEAF’s Open Farm Sunday in the UK, also have a role to play in achieving this outcome. • There’s a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry: Businesses with diverse workforces: o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity o Are more profitable and have better share prices. • A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change. Read less

2. What are the missing links in the diversity and success of the meat sector and how will better gender equality address this? The participants noted: • The meat industry needs to improve its image: Despite the existence of a wide variety of jobs in a range of environments, many people outside the sector are only aware of a narrow selection of roles, usually limited to farming and butchery. These preconceptions are compounded by an increasingly negative dialogue around the environmental and health impacts of meat production. Examples of best practice within businesses include engaging with ... Read morelocal communities, creating internships and job placements, showcasing female role models on literature and advertising and using gender-neutral language during recruitment. Initiatives such as MBW’s One to Watch prize help showcase female talent in the sector and make role models more visible. • There’s a need to profile female role models: The meat industry has an opportunity to transform public perceptions and increase the diversity of its workforce by crafting, curating and communicating its story and making people aware of the roles and opportunities that exist. • There’s a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry: Businesses with diverse workforces: o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity o Are more profitable and have better share prices. • A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change. Read less

1. Who needs to be involved and what actions need to be taken to ensure the involvement and empowerment of women working in the meat sector? The participants noted: • There’s a need to invite women in: The meat industry workforce is made up of 36% women. Women are heavily represented in the most junior roles in the sector and under-represented at every level above junior level, with women holding just 14% of board-level director roles and 5% of chief executive roles (MBW Research 2020). Access to external networking groups such as MBW can provide the support, contacts and encouragement tha... Read moret women in more gender-balanced sectors might normally find within their workplace. Mentoring, and particularly formal mentoring schemes, can play an important role in helping women making key decisions and supporting them in their careers, the MBW mentoring scheme launched in 2021. • The whole supply chain needs to work together in order to attract and retain female talent. • There’s a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry: Businesses with diverse workforces: o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity o Are more profitable and have better share prices. • A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change. Read less

The opening and closing sessions found broad consensus across the group around several key areas: • There exists a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry. Businesses with diverse workforces: o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity o Are more profitable and have better share prices. • ... Read moreThe perception of the meat sector needs to evolve to reflect the role women play • Diversity and inclusion needs to be moved up the agenda • Strengthening networks and creating visible role models is critical • Disruption caused by COVID-19 presents the opportunity to rethink working practices which may previously have acted as a barrier to gender equality • There is a distinct lack of ethnic diversity within the meat sector. People of colour and indigenous people are under-represented at middle and senior levels. More work needs to be done in this area to understand the specific barriers and enablers to creating a more ethnically diverse workforce • A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change. Read less

The theme of the MBW Independent Dialogue was ‘AN INCREASED REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN WORKING IN THE GLOBAL MEAT INDUSTRY PROMOTES A MORE SUSTAINABLE SECTOR, WITH IMPROVED FOOD SECURITY, NUTRITION AND PRODUCTION.’ The dialogue brought together a diverse group of stakeholders in terms of experience, job roles and organisation type from across the global meat industry to explore gender as a lever of change to deliver a more sustainable meat industry. The group were challenged to identify game-changing solutions to deliver progress across the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) action tracks, with a... Read more particular focus on: • Action track 2: Shift to sustainable consumption patterns • Action track 4: Advance equitable livelihoods The dialogue was structured through breakout sessions to address the following questions: • Who needs to be involved and what actions need to be taken to ensure the involvement and empowerment of women working in the meat sector? • What are the missing links in the diversity and success of the meat sector and how will better gender equality address this? • What impact could gender equality have on producing more sustainable food consumption patterns? • What impact could gender equality have on the productivity of the meat sector? • How can the meat sector drive gender equality and drive change?   Read less

What are the skills and capabilities that Universities need to provide to its researchers and students to navigate, trigger and steward complex food system transitions? - ICT o Application of technology to tackle complex problem o Innovation in technology to scale-up agricultural productivity and accelerate food security such as solar, wind, water energy and agro-processing o Digital innovation - Entrepreneurial Skills o Co-create innovation/solutions that respond to community needs o Hands on skills o Critical thinking, Problem solving and Communication skills o People (Soft) skills o Entrepr... Read moreeneurship for the youth, young women and mothers to be involved in the food system o Entrepreneurial skills within different stakeholder groups connecting different universities - Networking o Collaboration skills (for private sector engagement) o Critical thinking skills and communication skills o Open-minded and receptive to informed change o T-shaped skills- possess excellent knowledge of and skills in specific areas and are good at working with others in a collaborative way - Research o Translation of research results to inform policy and practice o Curriculum must be relevant to the needs of the society o Agricultural Sciences is important to sustain and improve the food system o Researchers and students should be strongly encouraged to embrace practical, on-farm skills o Skills in interdisciplinary work and transdisciplinary (working with all stakeholders), graduates should be able to have meaningful conversations with all o Both soft and hard skills that allow management of people, materials and processes in the agricultural value chain. In other words, build skills in sustainability science, which means being solution-oriented / multi-actor and inter-disciplinary focused research as well as teaching. o Build skills on how to integrate teaching, research and service to community better close the loop to enhance sustainable food systems; skill at public policy analysis skills is also very important o Focus on applied research rather than basic research, in view of the transition we want to achieve. Read less

Given that food systems are typically comprised of many different actors, what are the challenges to traditional university governance systems? - Political / Socio responsiveness o Slow to respond – have culture that they are not to provide solutions for community problems o Most universities are public institutions; therefore, their policies are aligned towards the political agenda of the sitting governments therefore have no absolute academic freedom o The structures are generally not responsive to food system challenges o Interference by government o Lack of/weak policies on partnership, ... Read morecollaborations and linkage building. o Civil societies can be helpful in unlocking governance systems o Supportive policies for farmers as they are the providers of food, economic incentive for farmers, how universities approach policy agendas - Inclusivity o Lack of academic freedom which affects creativity and innovation o Silos of disciplines within universities - Strong Institutions o Innovative in the way we think and approach problems, policy challenges are a real problem, deepen governance and practicality of it o Create strong African think tanks and support government think and innovation, CoE’s is important - Capacity Building o Skills for trades in all the major areas need high tech facilities on campus but finance is limited so rote learning remains the main option o University staff have limited time /opportunities do research. Most of the time is spent on education o University system does not focus much on skills of the students they produce to be agile interdisciplinary professionals o Minimum effort to move towards sustainability science, which put a variety of actors at the same table to actually define research questions and go together to try and answer them would help end up with agreed upon solutions Read less