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El Diálogo se tituló como, “Fomentando la Resiliencia en los Sistemas Alimentarios Latinoamericanos: Lecciones Aprendidas en Crisis y Soluciones Hacia la Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional Sostenible.” El tema principal así fue el fomento de la resiliencia en los sistemas alimentarios a nivel regional y nacional a partir de las lecciones aprendidas durante estos tiempos de crisis y el planteamiento de soluciones y compromisos que nos ayuden a construir sistemas alimentarios más resilientes, equitativos, diversos y sostenibles. Para los grupos se desglosó el tema principal en tres tem... Read moreas de debate: 1) Lecciones Aprendidas en Tiempos de Crisis: Las crisis recientes han probado la resiliencia de nuestros sistemas alimentarios, mostrándonos áreas débiles que necesitan inversión y transformación, áreas fuertes que necesitan protección y crecimiento, y cómo los diversos actores del sistema pueden unir esfuerzos y trabajar hacia la reactivación, la resiliencia, y la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional de todas las poblaciones. Las siguientes fueras las preguntas de discusión del tema #1: a. ¿En qué áreas del sistema alimentario observamos debilidades y/o fortalezas durante la(s) reciente(s) crisis? b. ¿Qué respuestas se pusieron en práctica que funcionaron, o no funcionaron, para la reactivación del sistema y la provisión de alimentos? c. ¿Qué hemos aprendido de las crisis y qué acciones a futuro podemos tomar? 2) Sistemas Alimentarios Robustos, Equitativos y Sostenibles: Todos tenemos un rol y ponemos de nuestra parte para crear sistemas alimentarios robustos, equitativos y sostenibles que provean ingresos justos para los agricultores y trabajadores del sistema, y que aseguren la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional de todos, con atención especial hacia las poblaciones más vulnerables. Las siguientes fueras las preguntas de discusión del tema #2: a. ¿Qué áreas del sistema necesitan más atención en este tema? b. ¿Cuál es nuestro rol y el de las entidades a las que pertenecemos? c. ¿Qué soluciones proponemos y qué acciones nos comprometemos a poner en práctica, tanto a corto y largo plazo? 3) Transformación hacia Sistemas Alimentarios Diversos y Sostenibles: Los sistemas alimentarios transformados hacen posible una producción más diversa y sostenible, que regenere nuestra base de recursos naturales y proteja nuestra biodiversidad, y al mismo tiempo provea una alimentación diversa que supla las necesidades nutricionales de nuestras poblaciones presentes y futuras. Las siguientes fueras las preguntas de discusión del tema #3: a. ¿Qué áreas del sistema alimentario necesitan transformación hacia la sostenibilidad? b. ¿Cómo podemos proteger y regenerar nuestra base de recursos naturales y biodiversidad? c. ¿Qué soluciones proponemos y qué acciones nos comprometemos a poner en práctica, a corto y largo plazo? Read less

Varios temas y patrones se observaron durante la sesión de recapitulación de las discusiones de los grupos. Con respecto a las vulnerabilidades y fortalezas observadas en el sistema alimentario durante la pandemia, se mencionó que no estuvimos preparados para enfrentar este tipo de crisis, y que a futuro, se debería tener planes nacionales de prevención, respuesta y acción para el funcionamiento de los sistemas alimentarios y salvaguardar la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional de las poblaciones. Un resultado de la crisis fue la adaptación e innovación a varias escalas, en la grande, m... Read moreediana y pequeña empresa. En varios contextos, hubo mucha dependencia en unas pocas y grandes empresas que, al sufrir las consecuencias de las restricciones y los cambios en los mercados, afectaron el sistema alimentario de forma significativa. Esta es una de las razones por la que se recomienda la diversificación dentro del sistema y sus actores. Se recalcó también la necesidad de invertir en la educación y capacitación, con enfoque en los pequeños productores, para que puedan innovar y acceder a las nuevas tecnologías. Un tema muy importante fue la necesidad de mejorar la vinculación entre los varios grupos de interés: productores, academia, sector privado, gobierno y la sociedad civil con vista hacia la creación de sistemas alimentarios resilientes y sostenibles. Read less

- Concerned about the quality of food (in terms of vitamins and nutrients) being donated and distributed through local food pantries in the US - need more locally sourced food through a compression and decentralization of supply chains - Growth of healthy corner farmers on 1/10 of an acre plots to create food oases in food deserts in the US; step beyond the idea of healthy corner stores selling more fruits and vegetables to grounding production in the community (healthy corner farmers rather than healthy corner stores); use of hydroponic farms for production - In Nigeria, internally displaced ... Read morepersons (IDP) farmers have limited access to farmland, so home gardens and home animal raising is key to surviving offseason produce price spikes, when the community is dependent on transported foods. - Use of Tom Brown, a nutritious porridge made of millet, corn, sorghum, soya, and groundnuts, to feed malnourished children with locally sourced food in Nigeria - Mobile food markets in the US can reduce numbers of those living in food deserts, but the need must be mapped out first - Concerned by the wasted food production in Nigeria fueled by transportation, store, and preservation problems- for tomatoes, for instance, the population faces seasonal price spikes because there is no way to preserve the tomatoes; logistics are the key in avoiding off-season produce price spikes. - Childhood traumas/adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), often influence whether people eat healthily or desire fast foods and often correlates with diet-related disease, given the role of stress-related cortisol in cravings for high-fat foods Read less

- Smaller, local farmers lack access to quality seeds/support and markets- need for regulations to ensure small holder farmers have access to the right resources both to consume as well as sell to their communities - Farmers get discouraged because of low prices and exploitation- having access to quality inputs at fair costs would allow them to also sell at appropriate prices (affordable for consumers, profitable for sellers) - High value crops are prioritized at the expense of other crops due to market forces - Western countries dictate what lower income countries receive through food aid, di... Read moresturbs the market system; bulk buying and reliance on WFP exploits local farmers. - In Uganda, we need to organize farmers into unions so that individuals are not selling individually but as farmer unions who can collectively bargain for better prices - In Uganda, young people avoid agriculture because they consider it not profitable and are selling land to move to city- try to connect youth with older generations to show that you can have a farm and an office job - and that profit is possible; use SBCC with having peer to peer conversations that can show success stories and impact - Promoting Technology in agriculture would demonstrate that it is possible to make a profit by saving time and cost and makes it more attractive to the youth - In the US, youth not really involved in farming unless they grew up doing it as part of a family business - certain neighborhoods should start household cultivation. Each member of the community would have 1 type of plant (herb, fruit, vegetable) and then the community members would trade to sustain themselves - Role of government and how they can influence the system - COVID 19 as an opportunity to highlight the importance of local food systems and encouraging households to grow their own foods - Encouraging food sovereignty and the food as a right and not just a commodity Read less

- Need to be conscious of complexities in how individuals interact with food systems and deal with food insecurity- there is heterogeneity of vulnerability, and we need to look at it at different levels (community, household, and individual) - Need to provide farmers with education on managing risk where it be weather, conflict, currency fluctuations, etc- to make systems more resilient there needs to be more understanding of what the risks are and their impacts in the short, medium, and long term. - Real change needs happen at the local level especially in conflict areas- component of basic s... Read moretart up support as well as education - Need to move from basic caloric intake needed to live to providing full/balanced nutrition and diverse diets with fruits and vegetable - Protracted crisis and conflict change food systems fundamentally, but we treat them as temporary; development is possible in areas experiencing protracted conflict, but local leadership is critical - Should adapt weather-related risk management systems to conflict and have financial services that can work where there is a lot of uncertainty. - Need early warning systems for other types of uncertainty than famine and some weather challenges Read less

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The focus of our Dialogue was to help elevate the voices of those who are most directly impacted by development and humanitarian initiatives. It was open to development and humanitarian implementers, local leaders, and community members, as well as field and extension officers, national and local governments, and companies interested in providing contextual perspectives for how humanitarian and development strategies impact communities. Our purpose was to encourage a diverse and expansive pool of voices to help improve the representation and empowerment of local leadership in influencing the S... Read moreDG goals. Therefore, the Dialogue was an exploration of food systems in the development and humanitarian context and was intentionally open to discussion topics related to all five Action Tracks to allow people to bring their own interests and individual roles within the food system to the table. Read less

- Build agency of local leadership and strengthen local food systems through the promotion of indigenous crops and traditional forms of agriculture - Complement traditional agriculture techniques with conservation and climate-smart agriculture techniques that are accessible to all local communities. - Ensure smallholder farmers have access to quality inputs and resources to grow for their own consumption and sell at prices that allow them to live adequately - Empower women and youth to be directly engaged with agriculture value chains and improve market access for both income generation and nu... Read moretrition outcomes - Ensure that foreign assistance truly supports communities in becoming resilient and self-sufficient rather than perpetually dependent on aid Read less

- There are politics involved in ending hunger and inequities- leads to trade-offs, such as focusing on scaling up production, using non-organic fertilizers that harm soil health, and large scale producers instead of smallholder farmers - Water scarcity a major issue of hunger - Need to scale up innovative practices, such as the use of wastewater and fecal sludge in the growing system, which could assist in the affordability of fertilizer; could also learn from other regions with water scarcity - We must include the community, as they are the ones impacted by hunger and directly impacted by cl... Read moreimate change- community should be educated on climate change so they can advocate and provide accountability. - We need to replenish indigenous crops and recognize the value of traditional methods of agriculture - How will we incentivize or recognize farmers for using conservation agriculture? - The humanitarian / development communities need to ask themselves if their work is creating cycles of dependency - Women and youth need to be empowered more, especially when it comes to livestock ownership to improve nutrition outcomes and where youth can serve in the value chain - Direct food relief should not be used as a long-term solution, we need to be looking at empowerment models that encourage local self-reliance Read less

The Dialogue Building Healthy, Nutrition and Affordable food systems in Rwanda through innovations was divided into four breakout sessions: innovation, food safety, creating demand for nutritious food and advocacy and policy. The"Innovation" session aimed to answer two main two questions: what innovations are needed for smallholder farmers and small and medium enterprises to sustainably nourish Rwanda now and in the future? Aggregation is the answer identified for small-scale farmers and SMEs. Individual small food system actors confront far too many challenges, such as financial access and in... Read moresurance. These issues can be mitigated when individual SMEs or farmers are brought together. Indeed, policymakers will be more aware of cooperation, and banks will be more willing to invest in innovative ventures. The second question was, what innovations make nutritious food accessible, affordable and desirable to all Rwandans? The answer to the second question focuses on the necessity to find out an innovation that makes healthy and nutritious food aspirational for consumers. This will lead to opportunities to market healthy food and guide consumers towards healthy foods. Overall, the FSIH will play a critical role in addressing all of these issues. The ‘Food Safety’ breakout group aimed to answer the following question “How do we address the issue of aflatoxins and its effect, mitigation options, and traceability”? The participants raised identified few key areas of interest which serve as a starting point to answer the problem statement, namely technology transfer and knowledge dissemination. In terms of technology and transfer, although it was mentioned that the Rwandan FDA is putting a lot of effort into mitigation (e.g., Government purchased mobile dryers and contracted entrepreneurs to support cooperatives), mycotoxin testing capacity remains a challenge (e.g., rapid test for aflatoxin is far from adopted). Indeed, farmers’ lack of access to these technologies needs to be addressed. Additionally, although affordable technology does exist, farmers are often not aware of it. It was agreed that both government but also entrepreneurs have a key role to play to promote this technology transfer. With regards to knowledge dissemination, it was underlined that communication between government and cooperatives must be improved and that this improved communication should be supported by universities as well as entrepreneurs. The breakout group "Creating Demand for Nutritious Food" emphasized the need to take actions to change consumer perceptions of healthy foods; one example given was the consumption of orange sweet potatoes, which has been related to a rise in diarrheal episodes in children. Furthermore, private-public partnership (PPPs) was pointed to an important role in increasing demand for healthy and nutritious foods. The government should take the lead in this process and give incentives for the private sector to participate. For example, given that plastic is prohibited in the country, how can the government assist SMEs in the preservation and management of healthy foods? Finally, the government should educate consumers on what constitutes nutritious food while also ensuring that such food is readily available and affordable. In few words, without awareness of health and nutritious food, there are not investing opportunities. In the "Advocacy and Policy" breakout session, it emerged the need to establish two key connections among the food systems. Policies should link food production to healthy food production in order to avoid the availability of unhealthy foods on the market. The government should improve the connection between academia and agribusiness entrepreneurs to mind this gap. Secondly, because entrepreneurs have the ability to influence the food environment, policy should connect entrepreneurs to the upcoming food dietary guidelines in order to engage the private sector with healthy and nutritious food. Lastly, it was pointed out that Government should implement further research to study the local healthy diets which are part of the culture but are not anymore visible to consumers. Read less

Advocacy and Policy Youth represent the backbone of the country. new policies should provide them with access to finance and training, as well as build capacity to engage youth in agriculture sectors. Young agro entrepreneurs should be given grants and training by FSIH. As the Rwanda government is willing to provide funding to youth, these strategies should be reviewed. The findings should be more accessible for youth, otherwise, money will not be used.

Reactions by panel What resources are most important for entrepreneurs to produce nutritious foods? 1.Infrastructure for post-harvest activities for example in storage and processing 2.Transportation is also another key area 3.There is the need for laboratories to test the nutrition of the foods being processed Entrepreneurs are creative but without the help of nutritionists and laboratories, it will be difficult to produce good food. Premixes are also needed and SMEs look up to the private sector to supply premixes and other specialized processing inputs. Advice for entrepreneurs: 1. Entrepre... Read moreneurs are advised to reach out to the academic institutions for help 2. Collaborate with researchers and innovators and also engage with farmers 3. Graduate training at factories will go a long way to help them gain knowledge to produce nutritious foods. Read less

Reactions by panel What are the most significant challenges entrepreneurs struggle with and how can the FSIH help lift across the hurdle? There are several hurdles faced by entrepreneurs these are: 1. Lack of resources to trial new ideas the Food System Innovation Hub (FSIH) can help surmount this hurdle. 2. Inconsistencies in energy supply render most small-scale enterprises not able to deliver goods and services on time. The FSIH can help by clustering entrepreneurs. 3. Good quality raw materials. It has to do with economies of scale as they cannot buy in bulk, again through clustering on en... Read moretrepreneurs this can be solved 4. Cash flow constraints might hinder sustainable businesses, small companies will lose out on orders after their first or second deliveries if payments are delayed. 5. The FSIH must link entrepreneurs to dietary guidelines to help improve the quality of diets being produced by SMEs as they produce new foods. Read less

Innovation What are the key factors that help drive innovation? It takes more than one key factor for innovations to scale in an emerging economy like Rwanda. For innovations to be successful in LMIC’s there needs to be the 3 C’s. They are: 1. Creativity 2. Capacity Building 3. Collaboration Entrepreneurs are extremely creative and market savvy but in emerging economies with the enabling system is so sub-optimal, entrepreneurs have to create the conditions that will enable their venture to operate successfully, and these enablers will often include capacity building with other players alon... Read moreg the value chain that affects their business whether their vendors, customer or retailers. They have to collaborate with the social sector such as NGOs, the government to make sure their venture functions smoothly. Unlike entrepreneurs in high-income countries, the 3Cs are the foundations to be successful in LMIC’s. Read less

Reactions by panel There is a systemic shift in food systems to suit the urban class we are seeing more distance from the farmer to consumers and the middleman is controlling the safety of our food. consumption of aflatoxins, for example, have a big impact on public health responsible for liver cancers and are also linked with negative growth. In March 2021, there were challenges with trade between Uganda and Kenya due to aflatoxins contamination, this means we need entrepreneurs to help solve the commercial challenges. Grain losses due to aflatoxins are between 14 to 35% annually. How can we ... Read morereduce losses and rejects? We need innovation but must be affordable for smallholder farmers otherwise it will not be successful. For example, hermetic storage bags which has been around for about a decade but there has been a low adaptation level by farmers. Probably the key solution will be to engage entrepreneurs who will reach the farmers to educate them and supply them with his packaging at affordable prices. Read less

The Innovation track in the UN FSS focused on Building Healthy, Nutritious and Affordable Food Systems for Rwanda through Innovations. The keys discussions were on the Innovations that are needed for smallholder farmers and small and medium enterprises to sustainably nourish Rwanda now and in the future. The participants identified the following innovation gaps in the food system and suggested ways in which they can be addressed. 1. Infrastructure - Nutritious value chains require sophisticated technology to sustain that smallholder farmers cannot afford. There is a need for post-harvest stora... Read morege and process technologies and an effective logistic distribution system. 2. Access to Funds and Investments – Most financing companies are willing to provide either huge funds or nothing. But smallholder farmers need access to small-scale financing as they cannot afford high risks. 3. Knowledge – Farmers should be able to collaborate through one platform or a network such as an innovation hub that enables them to address concerns as well as share resources and knowledge that can add value to their produce.  Read less

Our Dialogue focused on the role technology and innovation can play to make sure safe, healthy, and nutritious foods is available and accessible to all people regardless of their economic status. Through Food Systems Innovation Hubs (FSIH). FSIH looks to stimulate investment in resilient and responsive food systems and facilitate relevant technology transfer and knowledge from high-income countries, who benefit from large consumer markets and large pools of venture capital to test and try innovations to make food systems nutritious and sustainable, to LMIC. Through partnerships, government col... Read morelaboration, impact investors, philanthropies in the context of local entrepreneurs, the hubs will catalyze a transformative change for society-wide dietary shifts towards more efficient, healthier, and more environmentally friendly food systems. The focus of our dialogue was in relation to action track # 1. Read less

Exploring wild foods and wild foods systems: why they matter? What are wild foods? - Wild foods refer to edible non-timber forest products (NTFPs) usually uncultivated plant species, fungi, and animals that are not consciously domesticated but collected from the forests, or on the edges of forests, and also on traditional gardens and agricultural lands. These food are customarily included in the diet of local communities in different ways or forms. Some examples of wild food are leaves, seeds and nuts, shoots and stems, root crops, fruits, flowers, fish, meat, and insects. Wild food are import... Read moreant for food security and nutrition. The intangible aspects of wild food are also deeply related to the culture and identity of indigenous peoples and local communities. Harvesting and utilizing wild foods requires knowledge on identification of plant and animal foods. These are often passed down across generations in both active and passive ways. The problems facing wild food availability and consumption include: - issues and concerns on tenure security and recognition - the continuity of inter-generational knowledge - cultural changes brought about my migration, urban influences - market can be a double-edged sword (rejuvenation of food vs. exploitation) - deforestation and forest degradation - use of chemicals - extractive industries and changes in land use - monocultures threaten wild foods and indigenous knowledge, systems, and practices related to food Other points to note when discussing wild foods in inclusive food systems: - The matter of time should be factored in. Experience from villages have shown that many available food are missing from diets because people now have less time to dig, make and set traps, and all the other related activities and traditions connected to wild food. - The more biodiverse an area, the more protection is needed for wild foods to ensure sustainability. - The relation between the shrinking of world languages and wild food biodiversity is worth exploring. - Research and inquiry on wild foods and indigenous food systems can look into the aspect of conservation initiatives that are food-focused and conduct studies that explore how wild foods are conserved, restored, revitalized and if there are types of wild food that remain in the wild versus. those that are already being cultivated. Read less

Wild foods and tenure, traditional knowledge, systems and practices - We looked at how customary tenure supports diverse food systems and arrived at the conclusion that tenure security is essential in ensuring food security and threats to tenure undermines biodiversity and traditional knowledge, including systems and practices related to food. It is essential that we work together in reducing threats to tenure to ensure continuity of traditional, communal food systems. - Indigenous peoples' lands are the last frontiers for biodiversity. It is important to recognize the sacred relationship they... Read more have with their territories and their role as stewards and guardians of forests and natural resources. How do we ensure that traditional food systems are able to continue - We need to look at the ways in which indigenous peoples and local communities manage their areas and understand the system so as to be able to adapt our ways of thinking about rights, power dynamics, and all these other important issues that need to be discussed. - Indigenous practices on agriculture and food are related to their spirituality and identity. A lot of the knowledge within this spirituality relate to conservation, such as how to preserve the ecosystem, how to maintain ecology for the long-term. - Rotational farming is important but is often viewed as a negative system compared to other processes. Community-led research and documentation to raise awareness and build evidence help in policy lobbying and advocacy efforts towards greater appreciation for the contributions of traditional food systems to food security and resilience. - ICCAs (indigenous and local community conserved territories and areas) are a complementary way of establishing their tenure and ownership in their ancestral territories. ICCAs or Territories of Life that are governed by indigenous peoples and local communities all over the world demonstrate that communities who pursue the conservation of their own traditional areas are also able to take care of the biodiversity within that area. This contributes to their food security. - There are various tenure modalities available in different countries across the region. Countries and communities can learn a lot from each other based on exchanges of experiences on certain policies and actions on the ground. A thematic network on wild foods can help to facilitate regional, as well as in-country, learning exchanges on the topic. There are numerous challenges to wild foods in the context of tenure insecurity: - land grabbing - changes in land use - difficulty in securing government support - e.g. slow titling process, overlapping policies, conservation exclusion, etc. - differing world views on tenure - tendency for the state to see these lands as "idle" and not see its cultural and ecological value - market forces impact customary control and practices and has an effect on culture and traditions Recommendations and lessons: - Identify entry points for tenure and wild foods for partnership and policy - Highlight the economic benefits of tenure to food security and poverty alleviation - Recognize women and youth as purveyors of wild foods and continue to support them through capacity building - Multi-platform approach to engagement - Organizing learning exchanges that encourage sharing of regional perspectives that can provide ideas on potential models and best practices - Conduct research to deepen understanding and build evidence Read less

Wild foods and biodiversity - The sustainable use and harvest of wild foods and other natural resources supports biodiversity. Rich biodiversity in turn supports forests and other life systems. Wild foods and agrobiodiversity are important resources that contribute to systems resilient to climate and market shocks. - Communities that are strong and have sustainable practices on natural resources governance and management have areas where biodiversity thrives and is kept intact. However, threats to biodiversity endanger a food secure future. Challenges to wild foods and biodiversity - decline i... Read moren knowledge on wild foods and harvest practices at the local level - missing data on the nutritional aspect of wild foods and its conservation at the regional/global level - the lack of data also means that contributions of wild foods are not counted and are at best, mere estimates - conservation exclusion affecting IPLCs' access to territories - blanket bans on wildlife consumption, for example, undermine cultural practices - There is a need for a deeper dialogue to consider various perspectives on the issue - development aggression has led to conversion of forests at a massive scale and has encouraged monocultures, affecting habitats of species and biodiversity - Corporate farming has marginalized smallholder farmers and IPLCs - an orientation towards foreign markets for production and overreliance on cheap imports has undermined self-sufficiency of nations/localities, putting them at greater risk of food insecurity during times of crisis, such as pandemics - food production and diets as well are not diverse and are concentrated only on major crops - mainstream or popular food, which are usually processed and unhealthy, is preferred over traditional diets, which are more nutritious. Cultural perceptions and behavior also impact on wild food knowledge and practices - what does not get eaten gets forgotten, and with that, much knowledge and potential sources of nutrition, are lost Recommendations and lessons shared: - Document lessons, best practices and models and share these information with the network for learning exchange and possible applications and/or innovations - Continuously consider ways on how wild foods can be used and conserved for the long-term - Multi-stakeholder consultations and dialogue on wild foods and biodiversity can be organized - inclusive approaches and utilization of regional and local platforms help break silos and facilitate collaborations - Develop food-resilient communities by supporting capacity development for smallholder farmers and IPLCs and supporting self-strengthening processes that enable local groups to organize themselves - See wild foods as both an economic and an ecological system - Propose bills and pass laws that support tenure security and biodiversity sustainability Read less