Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

Overall, there was no significant divergence in terms of producers’ commitment, expectation for other stakeholders. However there tend to be different views in the following two areas: 1) Small scale v.s. large scale producers: some participants think small-scale family farmers and fishers should be the main target of the Summit process as they are the ones that need support the most. However, some participants think both small- and large-scale producers should be taken into consideration as they are both important players in the food systems, and therefore both deserve attention and support... Read more. A balanced view between the two is needed, and we can’t afford a one-size-fits-all approach. 2) International trade v.s. local production: there are participants strongly advocating for local production and consumption for nutrition, livelihoods and environmental reasons, especially when it concerns small scale producers. On the other hand, there are voices on how international trade plays an important role in increasing market access, resilience and food security. The latter must be cognizant of how trade globalization can marginalize smaller scale fishers and producers though, so a balanced approach between the two is needed. Read less

4. What do you think is missing in the Food Systems Summit? - Involvement of local transporters. The role of local transporters is vital. Without them, producers’ produce does not get to the processors, to the market. - Focus on small-scale producers’ interests. The written document of the FSS does not mention anything on this issue. It does not define well what is going to happen as far as small-scale producers are concerned. It has to identify actions that promote the interest of small-scale producers (e.g., current global discussions around investment are focusing more on larger scare a... Read moregriculture which put small-scale producers and industrial fishing at disadvantage, often marginalized from globalized trade systems as a result). - Concrete support mechanisms for the participation of family famers and small-scale fishers in food system governance is unclear, this includes specific issues such as access to land and other resources (e.g. internationally shared and highly migratory tuna resources). - A balanced understanding and recognition of livestock sector, and the value of animal proteins. The view regarding a balanced diet should include both plant- and animal-based foods is needed, and producers commit to have sustainable livestock sector that respects planetary boundaries as part of solutions during the summit process. - A nuanced view of technology, with the understanding that it should always developed in the interests of producers, who have traditional and indigenous knowledge and skills that should also be respected. - A balanced view of our agriculture, farming and fishing system. Our agriculture and fisheries systems are not completely broken and not everything about farming or fishing needs to be changed. Many producers are already changing and adapting their farming practices to leave their farming and fishing environment in a better place. A thorough understanding of science and markets is needed, which should lead policy. - A stronger voice of female and young producers is needed throughout the Summit process. - Practical conversations on how to support producers and their organizations financially is needed. - Conversations on how international trade plays an important role in increasing resilience and food security, but with cognizance that globalization must not marginalize smaller scale producers that apply agroecology or use least damaging fishing gears and methods. - An enabling policy environment for producers. Policy makers who make decisions on farming or fishing systems are not farmers or fishers and have little understanding of rural life. Policy makers need to develop a better understanding to create enabling environments that support producers. - A clearer understanding of rights and responsibilities among stakeholders in the food system value chain, currently there is a big gap, and small-scale actors are too often marginalized as a result. - More transparent and clear connection between summit and national implementation plans, which are how producers will actually be impacted. - An urgency for concrete action. The Food Systems Summit should not just be a talk show but a platform that is followed by concrete actions. Action needs to be taken with a stronger sense of emergency especially regarding climate change, and the need to transition towards agroecology and the use of least damaging fishing gears. Read less

3. What producers need to see the world stop doing? - Stop criticizing producers as part of the problem but to recognize them as a key part of the solution. - Stop treating producers as beneficiaries, as targets. Treat them as equal partners. - Stop being devious when dealing with producers, but be straightforward, honest and accountable instead. - Stop being unfair to producers, and stop social inequality among producers: stop not recognizing the role of women in farming or seafood production who often do most of the work; stop exploiting small scale producers and not giving them social secur... Read moreity. - Stop unbalanced value distribution across the food systems value chain, where producers are at disadvantage. Fundamentals of equity, transparency and fairness in the governance of the value chains should be respected, and policy, research, development support, financing and technology should align accordingly to support producers. - Stop improper disposal of inedible products in the ground affecting micro-organisms in the soil, which in turn affect production (“so as not to kill the life we are trying to produce”). - Stop using excessively damaging and wasteful fishing gears that cause unnecessary ecosystem damage, bycatch and pollution - Stop disrespecting producers as experts in their own fields. People who do not farm or fish need to stop trying to tell producers how to farm or fish. - Stop discounting producers’ knowledge, and only treating them as information consumers rather than decision makers. Invite and allow producers to sit at the table: hear what producers have to say and not discount it for whatever reason they choose to discount it. Producers’ knowledge can be valuable in many areas such as climate change and biodiversity protection. - Stop using general, one-size-fits-all, top-down policy approaches to producers, which is an extreme diverse group. Policies and interventions need to be tailored to local contexts, and support responsible production practices. - Stop stealing Producers’ data. Pay the true cost of raw materials and food, while also accounting for the unwanted ecosystem impacts that result from irresponsible production practices. Pay for ecosystem services that responsible producers provide. - Stop stealing biodiversity and genetics from local farmers. Make sure that farmers are able to produce their own seeds, their own genetics in their own local condition. - Stop being inconsiderate of the issue of access to land or shared marine resources, and respect the need for quick and fair resolution of land litigation or resource quota issues. - Stop attacking famers for using technology and modern advances. There is room for organic, conventional, and biotechnology. We need to recognize that each of these approaches has its space. - Stop giving small producers chemicals and small scale fishers damaging gears, but encourage them to embark a transition to agroecological approaches and the efficient use of least damaging fishing gears. - Stop having the food system value chain controlled by a few powerful actors without factoring in the voice of grass-root level farmers, fishers, pastoralist and other producers. Read less

2. What producers would like to see others commit to? - Consumers: o Consumers need to better understand the challenges producers face, especially regarding the overall cost of food production and processing across the food system value chain. o Need to identify mutually beneficial solutions between producers and consumers to ensure both fair price and food affordability. This can be done through better marketplaces, digital solutions connecting farmers and consumers directly, efficient value chains, better informing consumers, etc. - Governments: o Governments should commit to develop more ta... Read morergeted policies that are rights-based, evidence-based, sustainable and meet the actual needs of producers, specific attention should be given to young and female producers. Regular review of existing policies to cope up with changing contexts and emerging needs of producers are also essential. o National governments should allocate more resources in infrastructure development such as road networks, irrigation infrastructure and production inputs, improved cold chain support, advisory services, available and affordable innovation and information systems, financial services, and better digital infrastructure. o National and state governments need to support the building of strong producers’ organizations that can collectively organize producers and support them with accessing finance, fair prices, subsidies, market linkages, value chains and capacity building in areas needed. o Governments should play a key role in ensuing price stability, which sets fair price of agriculture and fisheries products to allow producers to make a decent living. o Governments should facilitate the removal of trade barriers at national, regional and international level to improve market access, while balancing the interest of local small-scale producers. o Allow for and proactively support equitable competition between small producers and big producers/corporations/companies. o Governments should support producers’ transition towards agroecology, and the use of least damaging fishing gears. - Private sector: o Private sectors that are expending more on large scale productions need to be mindful of the nature, habitants of biodiversity, and the broader impacts their market drives for lowest prices cause. o Food processers, retailers, wholesale markets and other private sector actors on the value chain need to ensure that producers get fair financial return by setting a fair price. o Need to genuinely empower consumers to make well informed and responsible purchase decisions. - Science and technology: o There is a need for more investment in research and technology that places producers as equal partners with key roles as well as being based on their needs, with an aim to improve the sustainability of food production. o Technology should be made more user-friendly for small-scale fishing and farming practices. o Make reliable data accessible to producers, promoting farmers’ learning farms and farmer extensionists, to convince and then support co-farmers to transition into agroecological production or the responsible use of least damaging fishing gears. o Traditional and indigenous agricultural knowledge should be respected while conducting new research and developing new technology. o More regular interaction between the producer group and the science group is needed to ensure latest science development on agriculture both takes producers’ inputs into consideration and is easily accessible to producers at all levels and all sizes. - Financial institution: o Producers need more financial support, from both private and public financial institutions, in order to have access to necessary resources and infrastructure. Producers call for direct financing through their organizations and cooperatives. o Such financial support should be tailored to different needs of producers. Producers demand the access to tailored and innovative credit systems, rather than traditional banking schemes, that empower and better protect them from potential adverse effects and unlock sustainable investments. Greater inclusion of young people and women is needed. Read less

1. What producers are ready to commit to? Across all breakout discussions, producers have raised the following joint commiment areas: - Active player in food system transformation – producers commit to continue playing a key role in sustainably feeding and nourishing the world, creating more decent jobs, and generating incomes for communities. Specifically, producers are willing to take concrete actions and lead the transformation process towards a healthy and sustainable food systems. - Transition to agroecology and least damaging fishing gears – producers commit to agroecological and reg... Read moreenerative approaches such as natural farming, with least damaging fishing gears and method for better livelihoods, for saving the planet, for good health, as well as for the changing climate. Agroecology offers the best protection for our livelihoods, where producers are able to sustainably produce more safe and nutritious food with minimal inputs, greater local employment, and least impact on the environment and the climate. - Partnership across the value chain – producers commit in creating alliance with all types of stakeholders (e.g., governments, private sector, financial institution, science and academia, consumers, etc) across the food system value chain to move away from working in silos; as well as in strengthening their cooperatives. Partnerships between food producers and businesses, cooperatives and governments which lead to information sharing and learning exchange among producers are considered vital to achieve the goal of more sustainable food systems. - Invest in young producers - producers are ready to encourage and facilitate youth to take up agriculture and responsible fishing, through training and knowledge transfer, and plan to advocate for the inclusion of agriculture and fisheries related subjects as part of school curriculum. - Recognition and support of female producers – producers commit to giving full recognition of the role female farmers, fishers, pastoralists and other producers play in our food systems, as well as their potential in continue transforming our food systems. - Evidence-based and technology-empowered – producers commit to actively engaging as equal partners in evidence-based solutions for food system transformation, and to invest in technology to improve productivity and efficiency of farming and activities (e.g., minimise post-harvest losses), while minimising their impacts upon supporting ecosystems (e.g., transitions away from excessively damaging fishing gears). - Respond to changing realities and needs – producers commit to responding to the changing realities and needs of our society (e.g., growing population, increasing fragmentation of land holdings, growing divide and conflict between small scale and industrial fisheries, consumers’ demand for more nutritious food). - Commitment towards climate change. Food producers are the first to experience the impacts of climate change and have consequently implemented a series of risk coping strategies which make their food systems more resilient. Their role gives them the capacity to be enablers of solutions, which is why their efforts are aimed at: taking actions to mitigate climate change as well as adapt to it, restoring land and soil, protecting biodiversity, promoting innovation in order to reduce food waste and loss, feeding people with safe and nutritious food. Read less

Main issues and recommendations for actions raised includes the following: 1. What producers are ready to commit to? Overall producers are committed to playing an active role in transforming food systems. A strong and clear commiment towards agroecology and fishing methods that benefit people, planet and prosperity was identified. Producers also commit to promoting inclusive value chains that give farmers, fishers, pastoralists and other producers more market power through their organizations and cooperatives. They also commit to organizing and federating movements and organizations of produce... Read morers and to buidling the capacities of producers to be key actors for sustainable food systems. Young and female producers were recognized as critical agent for change in transforming our food systems. Producers also commit to actively engaging in evidence-based and technology-empowered solutions for food system transformation as equal partners. Producers also commit to respond to the changing realities and needs of our society (e.g., growing population, increasing fragmentation of land holdings, harmful fishing subsidies increasing divide and conflict between industrial and small-scale fisheries, consumers’ demand for more nutritious food, etc). Food producers are the first to experience the impacts of climate change and have consequently implemented a series of risk coping strategies which make their food systems more resilient. 2. What producers would like to see others commit to? Producers have identified consumers, governments, private sector, science and technology community, as well as financial institutions as five main stakeholders that they would like to seek support from. In order for producers to play an active role in transforming food systems, it is requested that consumers need to better undertand the challenge producer face especially regarding the overall cost of food production (e.g. ecosystem damage and bycatch when excessively damaging fishing gears are used), and mutually beneficial solutions are needed to ensure fair price and food affordability. Governments should commit to developing more targetd policies that are rights-based, evidence-based, and meet prodcuers’ needs, specifc areas mentioned include securing rights of producers over their natural resources (e.g., lands, waters, forests, and seeds), infrastructure, price stability, trade barriers, support to stronger producer organizations and transition to agroeology. Also, to design and implement national action plans for the UN Decade of Family Farming, with family farmers as key stakeholder. Moreover, local differences should be taken into account and a flexible approach should be adopted. It is vital to promote an enabling policy environment in order to meet current and emerging challenges, and to maintain policy coherence and enhance integration in key sectors such as agriculture, health, education and the environment. Private sector actors are urged to commit to ensuring that producers get fair financial return, and make efforts to ensure their trade doesn’t marginalise small scale fishers or farmers. This can be achieved by promoting innovative contractual forms, which are not detrimental to the weaker contracting party and by recognising all actors along the value chain as economic actors and equal partners. Support from science and technology community is needed in investing more in research and technology , in partnership with producers, that helps improve productivity and effiency of farming and fishing activities while respecting traditional and indigenous agricultural knoweldge, as well as making data more accessible for farmers, fishers, pastoralists and other producers transitioning towards agroecology. Financial support, including subsidy transitions, direct financing to producer organizations and cooperatives, and innovative credit systems that can be taliored to the needs of different types of producers were requestd from financial institutions. 3. What producers need to see the world stop doing? Producers request the world to stop criticizing them as part of the problem, but to recognize them as a key part of the solution, especially when they are using responsible gears and techniques. A strong emphasis on re-balancing value distribution across the food systems value chain, and have producers treated as equal partners was raised. Producers also demand the world to stop disrespecting producers’ knowledge and experience, but to treat them as experts in their own fields and invite them to sit at the decision table. A strong urge to stop using general, one-size-fits-all, and top-down policy approach to producers was raised, and the need to pay for the true cost of raw materials and food was emphasized. Porducers also request to stop having the food system value chain controlled by a few powerful actors without factoring in the voice, rights and needs of grass-root level producers. 4. What do you think is missing in the Food Systems Summit? Key issues raised by producers as currently missing in the Food Systems Summit include the involvement of local transporters, specific focus on small scale producers’ interests, concrete support mechanisms for family farmers and small scale fishers, a balanced understanding and recognition of the livestock sector and animal proteins, a nuanced view of technology, a stronger voice of young and female producers, a clear understanding of rights and responsibilities among stakeholders, as well as an urgency for concrete actions on issues such as climate change. Read less

Building upon the outcomes of a series of producer-led independent dialogues, the Global Summit Dialogue with Farmers, Fishers, Pastoralists and Other Producers examined the challenges, contributions, responsibilities and expectations of farmers, fishers, pastoralists and others in transforming our food systems with regards to nutrition, climate, biodiversity, livelihoods, resilience and other areas. The outcomes of this Global Dialogue contribute to the UN Food Systems Summit to advance the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The dialogue discussions were framed based ... Read moreon the following complementary perspectives: • The five Food Systems Summit Objectives and Action Tracks: o Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all, o Shift to sustainable consumption patterns, o Boost nature-positive production, o Advance equitable livelihoods, and o Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress. • Key themes and challenges in food systems transformation raised in over 50 producer-focused independent dialogues at national, regional and global levels, such as agroecology, cooperatives that foster inclusive value chains, producers’ access to finance and technology, evidence-based and rights-based approaches, as well as empowerment of the agency of producers. • Key discussion outcomes of other global dialogues that concern the producer constituency were mapped out to inform the design of this producer-led global summit dialogue. Achieved outcomes The global dialogue contributed to the following outcomes: • Build awareness about the key roles of farmers, fishers, pastoralists and all types of producers in building sustainable and equitable food systems. • Consolidate and clarify key commitment of producers in transforming our food systems before the Pre-Summit. • Identify key support request of producers towards other stakeholders in order to achieve joint collaborations across the food systems value chain. • Ensure producers in all their diversity are considered as one of the key stakeholders in forming coalitions around food system transformation as well as designing national food systems transformation pathways. The 4 discussion topics across all discussion groups were: • What producers are ready to commit to? • What producers would like to see others commit to? • What producers need to see the world stop doing? • What do you think is missing in the Food Systems Summit? Read less