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En la mesa 1 sobre Reflexiones de enfoque de género sobre los Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles se identificó como tema central las consecuencias del bloqueo económico que ha ocasionado grandes heridas en la población venezolana, principalmente en el ámbito alimentario y nutricional, impactando el derecho a la alimentación en los grupos vulnerables. Así como la participación creativa y amorosa de la mujer como pilar fundamental para enfrentar esta situación. En la mesa 2 Reflexiones de los Pueblos Indígenas sobre los Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles Las diferentes poblaciones indíg... Read moreenas has sido víctimas de la cruel guerra económica que atraviesa nuestro país, donde la disponibilidad de combustible ha limitado el cumplimiento de las rutas de distribución de alimentos, así el arrime de sus productos para la comercialización e intercambio. En la mesa 3 Reflexiones de las y los Jóvenes en la transformación de los Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles Se identificó como problema principal la falta de cartografía que permita la cuantificación de las tierras versus la relación de necesidades para fomentar e iniciar procesos productivos y la formación de los jóvenes en materia agroalimentaria para su incorporación al plan productivo. En la mesa 4 sobre Participación de Vocerías territoriales La vocería planteo lo que han venido desarrollando desde sus territorios para convertir la guerra económica en grandes oportunidades, donde lo más valioso e importante ha sido el rescate de la cultura alimentaria ancestral y los cambios de patrones de consumo por hábitos más sanos y saludables. Read less

No se puede hablar de sistemas alimentarios, considerando solo los aspectos productivos, comercialización y distribución, es vital tener presente que estos alimentos van a diferentes grupos poblacionales, con necesidades y hábitos alimentarios particulares, donde la intervención de la mujer es crucial es los patrones de consumo, producción, compra y distribución, no solo en el hogar, sino en el mismo sistema alimentario global. Así como también es necesaria la participación de los pueblos indígenas a fin de recordar nuestras raíces y cultura alimentaria ancestral. Para nuestro diál... Read moreogo se discutió acerca del Sistema alimentario desde la visión estratégica de Pueblos indígenas, Mujer, juventud y deporte, las acciones que desde esos espacios han desarrollado para lograr equidad y justicia social desde los últimos 4 años, ante el bloqueo y guerra económica por la cual atraviesa nuestro país. ¿Cuáles son los problemas? y ¿cómo se pueden solucionar?, con la finalidad de lograr la alimentación como un derecho para toda la población, con mayor énfasis en la construcción colectiva para alternativas conducentes a la justicia social. Los temas abordados fueron: 1) Reflexiones de enfoque de género sobre los Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles 2) Reflexiones de los Pueblos Indígenas sobre los Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles 3) Reflexiones de las y los Jóvenes en la transformación de los Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles 4) Participación de Vocerías territoriales Read less

There was no marked observation on the areas of divergence.

Discussion Topic AT6: Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act-a legal framework for sustainable food systems in Nepal Context: Nepal has developed legal framework to ensure good governance of food systems and transform them. The right to food and food sovereignty is enshrined in the constitution, and the government has given priority to ensure safe and nutritious food to all in a sustainable manner. The Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act accommodates all ATs and provides as a legal framework for the resilient, equitable and sustainable food systems in Nepal. Underlying causes affecting the ... Read morestated proposition: Limited consultations with stakeholders, while formulating the Act; outcomes of the consultations were not widely shared. In general, policies are often prepared in rush, and with less attention to preparing action plan. Lack of organized efforts in the implementation of policies. Poor accountability measures on the implementation of laws/policies. Governments, particularly at local levels lack technical capacity to prepare laws and policies. Underlying Barriers to Achieve the Stated Proposition: • No effective implementation of the Food Act and no policy harmonization • No awareness among the targeted groups about the provisions of the Act • No update of the Acts • Inadequate development of infrastructures to support agri. value chains. • Lack of adoption of production-based subsidy system • Existence of weak and inadequate institutions and mechanisms and inadequate technical manpower • Poor awareness among the food security and weak advocacy about it • Increasing fragmentation of cultivated land • Very less recognition of agriculture as a profession • Inadequate modern scientific laboratory, human resources, and poor allocation of resources for it • Lack of identification of food insecure areas and implementation of appropriate food programs Actions in the next 3 years • Formulation of Regulation to implement the provisions of the Act • Implementation of all provisions of the Act • Preparation and implementation of Food Plans • Inclusion of Nutrition Education in the school curriculum • Development and operation of modern laboratories with sufficient equipment and resources • Prepare database of every citizen • Formation of National Food Council, Provincial Food Council and Local Food Coordination Committee • Practice group farming, provide land to landless people for cultivation • Identify the food insecure targeted people • Promote kitchen/home gardening, monitor the prices of imported food products and harmonize the price with local products • Increase the capacity of food storages and increase the transportation subsidy Assessing the success of Action: • Formulation of Food Regulation to implement the Act • Monitoring and Evaluation of the distribution of subsidy and technical support for agricultural commercialization through developing a participatory mechanism. Roles and Responsibilities of governments and other stakeholders: Federal government: • Stabilize price, Study and research, M&E, facilitation of export and import, establishment of food storages, and judicial distribution Federal & province govt: • Allocation of required resources and strengthen food system for achieving desired outcome and implement governance mechanism for transparency and accountability Province & Local govt: • Formulation of regulations, dissemination of public messages, awareness raising education programs, establishment of food storages, technical support, Local govt: • Control the land fragmentation, identification of food insecure families and provide food to them, regulate the middlemen and develop marketing infrastructures. Read less

Discussion Topic AT5: Building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stresses Context: Current food system is under pressure from climate crisis, conflict, COVID-19 pandemics, economic shocks, natural disasters and environmental degradation, including food price hikes and disease-pests outbreaks. These shocks, stress and disaster can be devastating for poor and vulnerable people, who have limited resources and options. Climate induced and other natural disasters have significant impact on national economy. Lately, COVID-19 has contributed to increase unemployment, poverty and vulnerabilit... Read morey including loss of livelihoods. The 2015 Earthquake increased number of food insecure people by 3.5 million. Underlying causes affecting the stated proposition: Natural and climate induced disasters; high post-production losses; weak supply chain; pandemics (COVID-19) and other epidemics. Economic shocks, like food price hikes and income losses due to pandemics and disasters. Limited investment on R&D to reduce vulnerability and build resilience. Farmers and stakeholders lack adequate incentives for climate initiatives and green agriculture. Epidemics/ pandemic (such as diarrhea, COVID-19, etc) have increased vulnerability of poor, women, and marginalized households. Underlying Barriers for Achieving the Stated Proposition: • Social: Male migration, outmigration, conflict in natural resources, less youth attraction in agriculture, socio-cultural taboos • Economic: Economic crisis: loss employment and livelihoods, pandemics (Covid-19), food price spike, farmers’ not getting reasonable prices of their products • Environmental: natural disasters, drought, flooding, land-slides, soil erosion, earthquake, forest fires • Policy and governance: low effective implementation of policy and regulations, Actions in the next 3 years • Early warning system development and flow of proper information (weather related forecast) to disaster prone areas • Strengthening of institutional and structural aspects of 3 tiers government • Agricultural diversification, irrigation investment and agricultural insurance promotion • Social safety net: productivity safety net such as Food bank, Emergency food pantries etc. • Development and utilization of agricultural data, weather insurance, market information and research impacts • Policy coordination: Transnational and within three tiers of government • Community organization and local innovation • Inventory of indigenous knowledge, promote underutilized and indigenous crop Assessing the success of Action: • Effective monitoring and evaluation, reporting feedback • Evidence of effective implementation of acts, policy and regulations • Indicators of increased technology transfer, production and productivity increase • Equitable distribution of benefits of value chain development among food system actors • Self-assessment: ownership enhancement, gap determination Collaboration and Roles/responsibilities of 3 tiers Government and other Actors: Federal Government: Strengthen coordination among international actors, Coordinate with public and private investments, enforcement of act, policy and regulations on food system; awareness, food assistance program, Infrastructure (Transport and Storage), cross ministerial collaboration, public-private partnership for resilience, food system and safety traceability system to be developed. Provincial Government: Strengthen coordination among central and local level government, resources utilization, infrastructure Development, technological innovation, strengthen social protection system: Food bank, Food safety net etc., Surveillance and rapid response-to tackle risks. Local Government: Community organization and local innovation, program to increase production and productivity, monitor and analyse vulnerability, partnership with local community based organizations (CBOs) to increase investment to improve food security and resilience, Monitoring of local food safety issues Private Sectors, Civil Societies and Academia: Cross sectoral /disciplinary collaboration in federal and provincial level to ensure food security and food safety, traceability system. Read less

Discussion Topic AT4: Advance equitable livelihoods of people involved in food systems Context: Landless, smallholders, women, Dalits, indigenous people rely on agriculture and forest-based foods; many of them are unrecognized as farmers, underpaid and, or wage rates differ by gender. Deep rooted social and economic inequalities in employment opportunities increase vulnerability. Inadequate institutional mechanisms for and limited capacity of women, small holders, old-age, people with disability (PWD), internally displaced people (IDPs). Underlying causes affecting the stated proposition: Agri... Read moreculture sector is seen as less remunerative and less attractive. The major reasons are of skewed power relation over productive resources especially of land, water, forest to women and disadvantaged groups; land fragmentation and use of agricultural land for other purposes have reduced options to secure access and land rights of people in the value chain. Feminization of agriculture due to young male out-migration. Underlying Barriers for Achieving the Stated Proposition: • Inequalities exist across the food chain; • Rigidness in institutional provisions and response mechanisms as well as institutional biases that do not support poor and vulnerable; • Disaster hits the poor and vulnerable disproportionately; • No promotion of cultural foods of high nutrition values; • Lack of quality control specially of nutritional aspects in the food chains; • Lack of multi-stakeholder’s collaboration working on social-cultural-economic issues to ensure diversified food baskets; • Food price hikes and quality deterioration; • Social discriminatory norms and practices that inhibits girls and women and certain caste and ethnicities for accessing nutritious and diversified food; • Unequal food system specially during disaster and emergencies (price hikes, artificial shortage, black marketing, poor cannot afford and vulnerable have no information and or access to relief support) • No secured employment, income and food supplies for the poor, small holders, vulnerable groups. Actions for three years: • Deal with discriminatory norms and practices; • Strengthen producer, vendors, market actors, consumers in decision-making process of rural food system transformation; • Establish processing industries for high value industrial crops such as ginger, cardamom, bettle nuts that create employment for women, youth and agri-laborers; • Establish, regularize and manage food storage system for emergency supplies; • Issue cards for poor and marginalized communities to access food in subsidized rates; • Crop insurance to the marginalized and small holders. Assessing the success of Action: • Establish relief fund based on pre-assessment of needs for targeting to informal sector workers and vulnerable groups; • Pre-planning for production and relief package; • Establish grievance dealing and response mechanisms for inequalities in accessing food for all; • Establish data bank and monitor it regularly; • Ensure work place safety for informal workers, agricultural wage workers and workers in the food chain. Roles and Responsibilities of Governments and Other Stakeholders: • Federal government: devise policy frameworks that promotes rights-based approach for ensuring food for all, facilitate long-term investment for structural transformation in food system, support in developing scientific pricing mechanisms for food and strengthen regulatory systems; make food estimates and support provincial and local governments in making forecasts and food supply plan. • Provincial governments to prepare comprehensive food supply plan, food banks for the crisis period; • Provincial government to facilitate collaboration among the municipalities, inter-provincial and with federal government for public private partnership in creating equitable food supply system; • Local governments have the prime role to establish food bank at local levels; • Local governments to establish identifying the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups • Local governments to create awareness against the discriminatory practices. Read less

Discussion Topic AT3: Boost nature-positive food production at scale Context: Increased biodiversity losses, deforestation and land degradation are major problems. One third of agricultural lands are fallow and degraded, and a large portion are converted to settlements and infrastructure. Poverty has forced households in forest and pastureland encroachment. Production of major staples and commercial vegetables in some pockets has caused excessive mining of soil nutrients, water depletion and agrochemical pollution. Underlying causes affecting the stated proposition: Dependency on imported crop... Read more varieties is increasing with lack of site-specific food production; lack of production in broader landscape/agroecosystem level. Lack of land utilization policy and plans have promoted rapid conversion of fertile agriculture lands into settlements and other non-agriculture use. Disappearance of indigenous food system; rural out-migration; inadequate capacity development of farmers; lack of agriculture mechanization. Underlying Barriers for Achieving the Stated Proposition: • Traditional low productive food system • Lack of awareness and knowledge among farmers about negative impact of agri-food system • Lack of clear-cut policy and legislation about sustainable crop and animal production system • Lack of knowledge among farmers about new technologies and practices. • Lack of development of climate resilient agricultural system • Limited accountability of farmers and food system actors • Focus on only increased production of agriculture without considering negative impact on nature. • Overuse and misuse of agrochemicals, hormones, and additives in animal production • Loss of local seed diversity, native animal breeds • Loss of soil health without adequate management and protection. Actions for the next 3 years: • Formulation of policy and laws for nature positive food production system • Create awareness and orientation on nature positive food production. • Conduct study, analyses and predict about how and to what extent existing food production system is affecting agricultural sufficiency and food security in the province 1 without damaging nature • Implement and reorient gradually agricultural and livestock development program towards nature positive direction • Implement food production programs by adopting agroecological zoning and suitability • Develop plans and programs on organic /ecological farming • Adopt climate smart agricultural system • Adopt technologies and practices in agriculture and livestock that reduce GHG emissions • Implement soil testing programs in every municipality • Establish “Agricultura Data Bank” to promote broader agricultural information system • Develop ecological based agricultural planning • Develop and implement programs on conservation of agrobiodiversity • Implement agroforestry and water resource management programs. Assessing the success of Action: • Inclusion of nature positive food production system in policy plans and programs • Regular monitoring and evaluation and feed-back collection mechanisms • Annual and quarterly review of nature positive production programs • Long-term (10 years), medium term (7 years) and short term (3 years) planning and implementation of nature positive food production programs. Roles and Responsibilities of the Governments and other Actors: • Federal Government: Enforce land use policies and act for nature positive food production system, conduct research and develop new technologies and innovations. • Provincial /Local Government: Disseminate new technologies and solutions developed from research system for nature positive production system, develop directives and standards for the nature positive programs; capacity development to maximum number of farmers and other relevant stakeholders for promoting nature positive production systems. • Private Sectors and Other Civil Society Actors: Engage private sectors in nature positive production, processing and marketing of agri-food products • Other relevant stakeholders consumers, processors, industries and market intermediaries to take ownership and promote nature positive food sy Read less

Discussion Topic AT2: Shift to sustainable consumption patterns. Context: About 4.6 million people are food insecure in Nepal ; Prevalence of triple burden of malnutrition-under nutrition, overweight/ obesity, and micronutrient deficiency. Stunting, wasting and low weight in children contributing to 52 percent of child mortality; obesity among children and adolescents has increased by 29 times in the past four decades; women and children also suffer from some of the world’s highest levels of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Underlying causes affecting the stated proposition: Change in dieta... Read morery pattern characterized by two-meal-rice (per capita rice consumption increased by nearly 70% in 50 years). Dietary shift towards unhealthy processed foods high in saturated and trans-fat, salt and sugar neglecting nutritious indigenous crop-based foods. Increase in fat intake in diet. Drivers of change: • Inadequate production and inconsistent distribution mechanism • Inadequate road network and electricity distribution/development • High post-harvest losses • Poor quality management in Animal Food Supply Chain • Inadequate adoption of modern agricultural technologies and skills • Less or no adoption of Climate Resilient Agricultural system • Lack of Emergency and disaster Preparedness • No promotion and conservation of locally available nutritive foods • Marketing promotion of unhygienic food products • Lack of basic knowledge among the farmers on processing and storage • Inadequate mechanism(s) to regulate the market for food products. • Existence of subsistence production system • Poor knowledge on the real market prices • No access to the modern storage facilities and infrastructures • Unemployment and inadequate budgetary resources for agriculture Actions in next 3 years for greater impact: • Enhancing the capacity of the farmers. • Develop the low-cost storage infrastructures and their usage at the local level. • Conserve local food crops/commodities and promotion of local seed banks. • Encourage the establishment of small agro-based cottage and large processing industries • Enhance capacity for adopting Climate Resilient Agricultural production systems. • Establishing subsidized price shops for regulating/controlling prices. • Strengthening/ Enhancing the capacity of agricultural markets • Diversify the production of food crops based on ecological/geographical diversity • Development of modern cold storage facilities. • Establishment of processing centers at local level for local • Promote breast feeding practices among the lactating women • Promote and use the services of Nutritionist and Dieticians. • Introduce agricultural education and nutrition at school level. • Improve and expand road network and increase the access to electricity • Development & implementation of effective M&E system • Available agricultural commodity prices (of markets) using ICT • Increase the production of raw materials required for agro-based industries • Develop mechanism for maintaining buffer stock. • Regulate the advertisement and promotion of unhealthy food products • Promotion, awareness and marketing of local healthy food products Options to assess the actions being successful: • Effective Monitoring and Evaluation in the use of local storage facilities • Assessing agro-based employment. • Assessing the level of post-harvest losses of foods • Assessing the accessibility of consumers in subsidized price shops • Study the import substitution impact of local/domestic production • Assessing the effectiveness of local food processing centers • Monitoring the trend of market prices • Evaluating the effectiveness of food security indicators • Carry out social/public auditing of the implemented programs Roles and Responsibilities of governments and other stakeholders: • Federal government: Formulation of polices and regulations • Provincial government: Formulate and implement polices and regulations • Local government: Implement policies and regulations • Private sector: Invest in food industries and ensure the supply of quality food products • Farmers: Produce raw materials required for the agro-based industries Read less

Discussion Topic AT 1: Ensure safe and nutritious food for all Context: The cereal grain availability is fluctuating due to variations in production; per capita availability has reached from 194 Kg (2001/02) to 237 Kg (2017/18); 48.2% households are food secure, whereas 10% are severely food insecure. Percentage of severely food insecure households are more in rural areas (11.7%) than in urban (8.8%), the percentage is highest in Karnali Province (17.5%) followed by Sudurpaschim (13%) and Province-2 (10.7%). Underlying causes affecting the stated proposition: No focus on micronutrients; poor n... Read moreutrition including breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices; many families do not have access to nutrient rich foods; poor and or inadequate understanding of three tiers of government with designated roles to enhance food system competence is also one of the major underlying causes. Drivers of change: • Low level of agricultural productivity and high pre & post-harvest losses. • Land fragmentation, loss of biodiversity and existence of poor food diversity. • Absence of good practices such as Good Agricultural Practices, Good Animal husbandry Practices. • Use of unsafe water for irrigation, haphazard use of pesticides and chemicals and anti-microbial drugs. • Inadequate roads for connectivity & storage facilities. • Absence of Good Manufacturing Practices. • Absence of infrastructures and facilities. • Loss/ Erosion of local biodiversity and existence of poor food diversity. • Low education and awareness level on the nutritive value of underutilized crops. • Low awareness regarding the home-based solutions for the preservation of the nutrition of foods. • Poor nutrition including breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices. • Poor access to affordable and nutrient rich foods for many families. • Ineffective coordination among the stakeholders involved in food value chains. • Low level of awareness about the safe and nutritious foods. Actions in next 3 years for greater impact: • Creation of enabling environment and provide support for adoption of good practices. • Strengthening of the food institution for the identification of mycotoxin and other harmful pesticides. • Support to and motivate for the adoption of skills, knowledge and technologies. • Development of roads/storage to facilitate the marketing of highly perishable commodities, • Development of climate adaptive technologies. • Emphasis on the development of formal food trading and distribution system. • Diversify the production of food products and enhance their access. • Enhancing skills and knowledge on household level food preservation. • Creating awareness among the consumers about the quality food and balanced diet. • Minimization of the occurrence of food borne diseases and contamination. • Education and awareness raising programs for the consumption of nutrient rich foods. • Formulating policies that promote the consumption of low-cost nutritious food products. Options to assess the actions being successful • Awareness on use of pesticides, chemicals, and drugs, and formulation of regulation to monitor quality. • Effective implementation of food safety policy. • Development and adoption of effective surveillance system. • Harmonization of the food trade and distribution system and use of tracking and tracing system. • Survey and monitoring of the access and consumption of safe, diversified, and nutritive foods • Appropriate management of agricultural land. Collaboration/Partnership: • Prioritize the programs for increasing the production and productivity of nutritious foods at local level. • Integrate food safety policy with agriculture and nutrition policy. • Strengthening national research capacity on the pandemic. • Prioritize effective Food safety and nutrition surveillance (in all the level). • Prioritize Food innovation and food formulation. • Preparation of emergency policy and action plan. • Awareness raising programs on food safety and nutrition. • Women empowerment at the local level (local govt). • Multi-sectoral strategy for nutrition improvement. • Distribution of nutrition card and nutrition allowance Read less

The provincial dialogue provided opportunity to engage participants from different agencies, sectors, and disciplines including the government, academia, researcher, farmers’ organization, civil societies and private sectors from different parts of the country. During the dialogue, critical discussions were held to examine the provincial food systems to understand potential causes/barriers and drivers and generate ideas to decide bold actions for the next 3 years. Indeed, this will be further verified and refined after the feedback from the Provincial, and second and third national dialogues... Read more. Five Action Tracks and one cross cutting lever of change were the Discussion Topics. Following the constitutional provision, cross cutting lever of change was selected as the Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act as a legal framework for the sustainable food system in Nepal. Hence, six groups rigorously discussed on these topics following the ATs propositions and reference questions mentioned in Section A above. Relevant officials of the Government of Nepal had chaired the groups, while the thematic experts from the government and non-government sectors had facilitated the discussions, and designated rapporteurs from different agencies had documented the discussion points. Whole exercise was concluded with big team efforts. The dialogue also collected some learning to reflect impression and work further on as following: 1. Some participants were new to virtual meetings (attending the session using online platform to participate in specific groups); 2. Less no. of participation from industries and value chains (actors). 3. The issues were well understood by the participants, which were common for some of the ATs. Drivers of change and actions mentioned were also common to some tracks. 4. There was a common understanding among the working groups about the role and responsibilities of the three spheres of the government in Nepal, in terms of formulating policies, regulations, education, and their implementation. Participants suggested to draw clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of the three spheres of government. 5. There was strong commitment from the stakeholders to address the issues of access to food, nutrition, distribution and effective implementation of policies and regulations. Overall, participants had actively engaged in different groups to exchange and share ideas and potential actions for analyzing and improving the Nepalese food system in general and provincial food system in particular. Some potential and emerging issues were identified and validated; the dialogue was also helpful in raising awareness and elevating public discussion on key food system issues and identify potential options and solutions for making food system inclusive, resilient and sustainable (refer Section C below). Read less

Government of Nepal, National Planning Commission (NPC), organized the provincial Food Systems Dialogue of Province 1 on 25 June 2021 on the theme Nepal towards an equitable, resilient and sustainable food system. Hon. Dr Krishna Prasad Oli, Member of NPC and National Dialogues Convenor delivered the welcome and opening remarks. Ms. Niru Dahal Pandey of Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoLMAC) and Provincial Dialogue Curator curated the dialogues. Major focus of the dialogue was to engage stakeholders for a comprehensive exploration of food systems in Nepal as part of... Read more the process for the UN Food Systems Summit 2021. The specific objectives of the dialogue were to; • raise awareness and promote public discussion on the food systems, • examine current situation and identify key aspects of Nepalese food systems, such as the drivers, actions, pathways, and • explore opportunities for food system to make it equitable, sustainable and resilient. Total of 109 participants attended the event representing different stakeholder groups, background, institutions, and professions. In order to generate focused dialogues and collect the specific inputs, participants were assigned to respective Action Track (AT) Groups after a brief opening session in the plenary. The AT coordinators, facilitators, co-facilitators, and rapporteurs facilitated the dialogue process and documented the discussion outcomes. Each AT Group had proposition and reference questions to engage in dialogue and provide inputs as follows: AT 1 Proposition: Increased agriculture productivity and develop sustainable food chain for affordable safe, healthy, and nutritious diet to improve levels of nutrition, ensure all people to be well nourished and healthy and achieve zero hunger. AT2 Proposition: Enabling, inspiring and motivating people to enjoy healthy and sustainable consumption options; Slashing food loss and waste; and transitioning to a circular economy through advancing in technological, environmental, economic, social, regulatory, and institutional fronts. AT3 Proposition: Protect natural ecosystems from new deforestation and conversion for food and feed production; manage sustainably existing food production systems; restore degraded ecosystems and rehabilitate soil function for sustainable food production. AT4 Proposition: Developing inclusive and diverse food systems that contribute to the elimination of poverty and food and nutrition insecurity by creating jobs, raising incomes across food value chains; protecting and enhancing cultural and social capital; reducing risks for the poorest and increasing value distribution. AT5 Proposition: Developing inclusive and equitable food systems to ensure that all people within a food system are empowered to prepare for, withstand, and recover from instability and participate in a food system that, despite shocks and stressors, delivers food security, nutrition, and equitable livelihoods for all. AT6: Referring to the overarching legal document developed based on the constitutional provision, Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act (2018), is considered as a legal framework. Hence, this Act and related policies are the key to strengthen food system governance and accountability and transform food system that is resilient, equitable and sustainable. Dialogue reference questions: Following 5 questions were presented to the participants to facilitate the dialogue: 1. What are the underlying causes/ barriers for achieving the stated proposition? 2. What are the key drivers of unsustainable food system? 3. What actions in the next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? 4. How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? 5. What are the role and responsibilities of the food system actors including those of the federal, provincial, and local Governments in sustainable food system transformation in Nepal? Read less

There was no marked observation on the areas of divergence.

Discussion Topic AT6: Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act-a legal framework for sustainable food systems in Nepal Context: Nepal has developed legal framework to ensure good governance of food systems and transform them. The right to food and food sovereignty is enshrined in the constitution, and the government has given priority to ensure safe and nutritious food to all in a sustainable manner. The Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act accommodates all ATs and provides as a legal framework for the resilient, equitable and sustainable food systems in Nepal. Underlying causes affecting the ... Read morestated proposition: Lack of organized efforts in the implementation of policies. Poor accountability measures on the implementation of laws/policies. Governments, particularly at local levels lack technical capacity to prepare laws and policies. Underlying Barriers to Achieve the Stated Proposition: • Lack of information and awareness about the law. • Lack of effective implementation efforts to preserve the local nutritious food. • Preference to highly processed food. • Food is cross cutting so that cross-cutting mechanism has to be developed. • Provincial and local level guidelines and SOP has not yet been developed. • Youth motivation in agriculture is lacking, very difficult to attract and motivate youths. • More attraction toward migration. Actions for the next 3 years: • Education should be linked with functional skills and capacity to use the skills in the practical life. • Institutional arrangement- establishing marketing centers, mobilizing cooperatives • Leasing land for consolidated farming • Involving academia and expert to the real agricultural work, farm/field could be started in small plot. • Youth motivation programs to be implemented • Local Government should be motivated to implement programs to increase local production and should be prioritized and incentivized. • School feeding can be a transformative activity to make the food system sustainable, local contextual menu must be implemented based on the local production potentialities. • Nutrition education must be promoted and should be interlinked with other subjects as well • Reducing risk associated with the farming, commercial farming, competition with the Indian market • Coordination mechanism to regulate the law and guidelines, strengthen governance and accountability • Gap between the producers and consumer is very big, long supply chain; this long chain increases the cost to the consumer, but on the other hand producer is under paid for their product • Food Bank and its integration with other programs like School feeding and market to book local economy • Effective dissemination and increasing awareness about provisions of the law, • Education should be linked with functional skills and capacity to use the skills in the practical life • Institutional arrangement - establishing marketing centers, mobilizing cooperatives • Leasing for consolidated farming • Interlinking academia /expert to the real agriculture work/ farm/ field, could be started in small scale • Underutilized crops (like stinking needle Sisno) to be further utilized and strategized for that • Mobilizing /sharing farmers local knowledge and skills in the agriculture • Community /cooperative and government collaboration food bank and seed could be integrated in the food bank • Corporate Social responsibly of Business and private sector to be linked to strengthen food system and university Assessing the success of Action: • Linkages with university for monitoring and evaluation • Effectives of utilizing the expertise of the universities • Increased investments in the research • Human Rights Monitoring • Partners’ assessment Roles and Responsibilities of the Governments and Other Stakeholders/Actors: • Three tiers of governments need to organize frequent dialogues • Community /cooperative and government collaboration food bank and seed could be integrated in the food bank • Three tiers of governments and their planning institutions need to be strengthened • Create institutional mechanism (as provisioned made in the law) to implement the Act and Regulation Read less

Discussion Topic AT5: Building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stresses Context: Current food system is under pressure from climate crisis, conflict, COVID-19 pandemics, economic shocks, natural disasters and environmental degradation, including food price hikes and disease-pests outbreaks. These shocks, stress and disaster can be devastating for poor and vulnerable people, who have limited resources and options. Climate induced and other natural disasters have significant impact on national economy. Lately, COVID-19 has contributed to increase unemployment, poverty and vulnerabilit... Read morey including loss of livelihoods. The 2015 Earthquake increased number of food insecure people by 3.5 million. Therefore, building resilience means helping individuals, households and communities to mitigate, cope with and recover from shocks and stresses, so that they can become even better off than before. Underlying causes affecting the stated proposition: Natural and climate induced disasters; high post-production losses; weak supply chain; pandemics (COVID-19) and other epidemics. Economic shocks, like food price hikes and income losses due to pandemics and disasters. Climate induced natural disasters are increasing more than before due to haphazard road constructions, improper infrastructure development and accelerated process of urbanizations. Limited investment on R&D to reduce vulnerability and build resilience. Farmers and stakeholders lack adequate incentives for climate initiatives and green agriculture. High post-production losses, unsafe transportation and weak supply chain resulting in inadequate/late access of safe food in affordable prices for marginal, poor and low income groups. Epidemics/pandemic (such as diarrhea, COVID-19, etc) have increased vulnerability of poor, women, and marginalized households. Improper food habits with poor feeding practices. Poor, landless, and marginalized groups have settlements in vulnerable places (river banks, landslide prone areas). Preparation and readiness arrangements are weak. Underlying Barriers for Achieving the Stated Proposition: • Fragile geology and topography leading to frequent occurrence of disaster events • Different types of political conflicts and instability • High probability of the occurrence of different types of disasters • Subsistence type of production system not modernized and commercialized. • Lack of incentive in production and no assurance of market and price • Practice of land remaining fallow and rapid migration Actions for the next 3 years: • Development of disaster early warning system and its effective implementation • Develop climate and environment friendly production system including seed and production inputs • Appropriate use of food bank and land bank • Scientific management of land • Planned settlement and resettlement program management for disaster prone areas and affected people • Disaster resilient development programs and infrastructure development • Full compliance of building codes • Therapeutic and Supplementary feeding in Emergencies. Assessing the success of Action: • Continuous monitoring and supervision • Data and input collection from the grass root level • Food security monitoring system development and implementation • Carryout survey and research to identify vulnerable communities and households • Establish reporting mechanism for disasters and shocks • Proper use of ICT (in social media responsive) in reporting • Coordination among different tiers of the government. Collaboration and Roles/responsibilities of 3 tiers Government and other Actors: • Analysis and full implementation of the existing policies and strategies by federal, provincial and local governments • Localize the food sovereignty and food security (with clear roles and responsibilities) • Ensuring market and prices of agri-foods by federal and provincial govt. • Establish food banks and empowering farmers to grow more foods • Incentive to farmers on production basis by provincial and local govt. • Disaster resilient development/ land and food safety first federal and provincial govt. • Taking govt programs to those who are in real need and vulnerable Read less

Discussion Topic AT4: Advance equitable livelihoods of people involved in food systems Context: Landless, smallholders, women, Dalits, indigenous people rely on agriculture and forest-based foods; many of them are unrecognized as farmers, underpaid and, or wage rates differ by gender. Deep rooted social and economic inequalities in employment opportunities increase vulnerability. Inadequate institutional mechanisms for and limited capacity of women, small holders, old-age, people with disability (PWD), internally displaced people (IDPs) to claim their rights, they have less access to productio... Read moren resources, space for voice, negotiation power in the market systems. State of food and nutrition security varies by provinces, ecological belts and gender wise. These groups are disproportionately affected during any kinds of shocks and emergencies. Underlying causes affecting the stated proposition: Agriculture sector is seen as less remunerative and less attractive. The major reasons are of skewed power relation over productive resources especially of land, water, forest to women and disadvantaged groups; land fragmentation and use of agricultural land for other purposes have reduced options to secure access and land rights of people in the value chain. Feminization of agriculture due to young male out-migration. Globalization trend has weakened competitive capacity of Nepalese small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Fragmented policies and inadequate support to the local governments for the localization of policies. Underlying Barriers for Achieving the Stated Proposition: • The major underlying cause of the food and nutrition insecurity are of lack of access to production inputs by the farming population in specific the small-holders; • The priority given to certain staple crops such as rice, maize, millet, buckwheat, wheat, oat. The food items related to livestock, fisheries, forest-based products are yet to get priorities; • There are indigenous caste and ethnicities have no legal ownership of production resources, access to regular employment and income opportunities; • Geographical inaccessibility that restricts the food supply systems being equitable for all. Actions for three years: • Mapping of marginalized and poverty areas and identification of food insecure groups, communities and areas for preparing targeted policies, plans and investments; • Documentation of the land which can be used for food production and study on the possibility for enhancing productivity; • Modernization of agricultural production system and use of technologies that are women-friendly; • Diversify production system with expansion of forest-based and agricultural commodities; • Documentation of organic production and commodities produced by the indigenous communities and their marketing; • Enhancing capacity of the women and farmers involved in agriculture. • Develop programs to improve healthy food consumption behavior including breast feedings; • Develop system to fix the wage rate for agriculture laborer; and • Distribute below poverty level card (BPL) to provide reservation of services to population below poverty. Assessing the success of Action: Roles and Responsibilities of governments and other stakeholders: • Federal government is expected to play role of defining policies that enhance equitable access to production inputs, facilitate investments specially in research and promotion of technologies that are appropriate to women farmers, small holders and in post-production chains that can create opportunity for employment and incomes for women, youth and local communities; • Provincial government is expected to support in establishment of food-based industries, diversify and commercialize local food products, promote processing related technological developments and create opportunities for employment, income and better livelihoods of women, youth and local communities; • Local governments are responsible for devising and implementing local targeted policies and programmes; • Development partners support to disaster affected communities in food relief as well as post-disaster support programs. Read less

Discussion Topic AT3: Boost nature-positive food production at scale Context: Increased biodiversity losses, deforestation and land degradation are major problems. One third of agricultural lands are fallow and degraded, and a large portion are converted to settlements and infrastructure. Poverty has forced households in forest and pastureland encroachment. Production of major staples and commercial vegetables in some pockets has caused excessive mining of soil nutrients, water depletion and agrochemical pollution. Food habits mostly towards rice and wheat have led to a narrow dietary diversit... Read morey; this has resulted in loss of traditional crops and indigenous knowledge. Underlying causes affecting the stated proposition: Dependency on imported crop varieties is increasing with lack of site-specific food production; lack of production in broader landscape/agroecosystem level. Lack of land utilization policy and plans have promoted rapid conversion of fertile agriculture lands into settlements and other non-agriculture use. Disappearance of indigenous food system; rural out-migration; inadequate capacity development of farmers; lack of agriculture mechanization. Underlying Barriers for Achieving the Stated Proposition: • Climate change Impacts resulting extreme disaster events • Inadequate investment and lack of technical capability • Lack of act and poor implementation of the existing acts and regulations (e.g. land use act & right to food & food sovereignty act) • Conversion of productive agricultural lands into non agri purpose • Reclamation of Unutilized degraded land (92,000 ha in the Bagmati province) and they can be made available for food production • Haphazard use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers leading mainly in commercial production pockets. • Poor economic efficiency of farming • Climate change and associated factors • No assured markets for diversified food products • Inadequate value chain development for safe food and organic products • Less diversification of agricultural production, poor marketing of agri products, no premium price for local land races/indigenous crops/commodities and no development of value chain of such commodities • Unplanned urbanization and preference for ready-made foods • Lack of nature positive innovation and technology development • Poor food governance (price, quality, nutritive value, research with farmers) Actions for the next 3 years: • Conservation of bio-diversity (organic agriculture, conservation agriculture, environment friendly agriculture, zero budget, permaculture) • Policy and programs for incentivizing in the cultivation of fallow land • Encourage land consolidation for cooperative and group farming employing land use policy • Integrated/joint programming and implementation by three tiers of governments • Ensuring markets and developing value chains for indigenous crops and production systems • Increase research on climate adaptive and mitigative type of technologies development • Develop nature positive production system and encourage farmers to adopt such technologies • Emphasize integrated agriculture system Assessing the success of Action: • M&E system developed involving multi-stakeholder, mechanism developed for collection, processing and utilization of information • Transformed land area (from forest and others) used for food production • Statistics on the area under organic and safe food production, productivity • Certification of ecological agriculture • Rehabilitation of fallow and degraded lands and their area • Wider awareness on food nutrition, food loss and waste • Regulation developed for ecological agriculture and effective implementation of Food rights Act Roles and Responsibilities of 3 tiers Governments & other Stakeholders: • Federal Government to facilitate in policy, acts and regulations formulation and implementation, monitoring and statistics, fixation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) • Provincial Government to develop M&E system, generate provincial level statistics, program implementation, MSP implementation and certification. • Local Government to implement program, M& E, resource allocation and management Read less

Discussion Topic AT2: Shift to sustainable consumption patterns. Context: About 4.6 million people are food insecure in Nepal; Prevalence of triple burden of malnutrition-under nutrition, overweight/ obesity, and micronutrient deficiency. Stunting, wasting and low weight in children contributing to 52 percent of child mortality; obesity among children and adolescents has increased by 29 times in the past four decades; women and children also suffer from some of the world’s highest levels of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Underlying causes affecting the stated proposition: Change in dietar... Read morey pattern characterized by two-meal-rice (per capita rice consumption increased by nearly 70% in 50 years). Dietary shift towards unhealthy processed foods high in saturated and trans-fat, salt and sugar neglecting nutritious indigenous crop-based foods. Increase in fat intake in diet and undernutrition in childhood has coincided with increased overweight/ obesity and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD); over two-thirds of adolescent girls in both rural and urban areas reported consuming sugary foods. Consumption of foods produced by using high dose chemical fertilizers and pesticides; items, such as biscuits, instant noodles and juice drinks may be supplying about a quarter of energy intake of children <2 years, which is lowering their intake of essential vitamins and minerals. Underlying Barriers for attaining the Stated Propositions: • Weak market monitoring system for food • Food labelling not practiced properly. • Only half of the population receiving minimum diet diversity (52 percent) • High sugar, salt, and fat consumption. • Urbanization, different type of topography • Migration and land fragmentation • High use of insecticide and pesticide • Horlicks, Viva and packaged food consumption is increasing. • Local paddy exporting trend and use of polished rice increasing. • Local chicken and whey disappearing, and it is replaced by Soft drink and noodles • Third country migration, over digitalization and consumption behavior changing. • Ginger and turmeric farming almost disappear. • Shortfall of labor for production and value chain activities • Plenty of opportunity for agro-forestry, agro-tourism, and agro-industry • Urbanization and increasing access to unhealthy foods with expanding commercial marketing • Some communities still consuming roots and tubers available in the forests (e.g. Chepang) Action for three years: • Follow diversified cropping pattern. • Promote postproduction diversity. • Developing a programme on food consumption behavior. • Promote safe food, Developing a program on food consumption behavior • Promote agro-forestry product, fish farming, bee farming, napier grass, pineapple farming • Develop land use policy for agriculture, industry and human settlement • Develop database by land type, food security, production and consumption • Increase utilization of fallow land • Develop system to fix the wage of laborers • Distribute below poverty level (BPL) card for reservation of services to population living below poverty • Engage people under below poverty in conservation programs (e.g. riverbank protection) • Promote education program on breast feeding to children Assessing the success of Action: • Availability of Provincial Land Act • Availability of land and other socio-economic data base. • Availability of regulation to promote healthy food and discourage the sale and distribution of unhealthy foods with high sugar, salt and fat Roles and Responsibilities of governments and other stakeholders: • Establish Provincial Health, Social Development and Education Authority • Provincial govt should provide Below Poverty Level card /social scheme card • Local government should implement awareness raising programs Read less

Discussion Topic AT 1: Ensure safe and nutritious food for all Context: The cereal grain availability is fluctuating due to variations in production; per capita availability has reached from 194 Kg (2001/02) to 237 Kg (2017/18); 48.2% households are food secure, whereas 10% are severely food insecure. Percentage of severely food insecure households are more in rural areas (11.7%) than in urban (8.8%), the percentage is highest in Karnali Province (17.5%) followed by Sudurpaschim (13%) and Province-2 (10.7%). Situation of nutrition has improved over the period of 1996 to 2019: stunting decrease... Read mored from 57 to 32%, underweight 42 to 24, and wasting from 15 to 12%. Underlying causes affecting the stated proposition: Locally available nutritious crops/foods getting less importance; biodiversity/cultural diversity not promoted. No focus on micronutrients; poor nutrition including breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices; many families do not have access to nutrient rich foods; growing burden of non-communicable diseases; divergence between nutrition and WASH programmes due to lack of coherence between food security and nutrition sectors. Underlying Barriers for Achieving the Stated Proposition: • Low Institutional and individual capacity • Inadequate availability of sustainable agricultural technologies. • Poor Infrastructure development and availability for storage of crops and foods with high nutritious value. • Less nutritional sensitive and Food safety educational programs and program for social protection. • No support to produce organic food and diversification of food production. • Less priority for agriculture in urban and the promotion of household gardening. • Less knowledge and awareness about the knowledge regarding the values of nutritious food. • Poor and or inadequate understanding of three tiers of government with designated roles to enhance food system competence. Actions for three years: • Promote diversified production system and safe food. • Increase qualified human resources. • Enhance individual capacity, institutional capacity and technological capacity. • Promote sustainable agricultural technologies. • Infrastructural development for storage of crops and foods with high nutritional value • Implement nutritional sensitization and social protection program. • Food safety education and campaign • Encourage organic food, diversified food and fruits • Promote agriculture in urban as well as in rural areas, promote home gardening • Enhance family knowledge regarding the values of nutritious foods • Promote socio-culturally acceptable foods and discourage non-nutritious and junk foods • Capacity building of three levels of the governments • Focus on behavioral aspect, building a system for food security, access to infrastructures and their development • Equitable distribution of food • Invest for sustainable agricultural technology generation • Develop infrastructures such as roads and storage • Conserve and utilize local crops/commodities that have high nutrition • Implement nutrition sensitive social protection programs • Increase education/awareness among the people. • Prioritize specific commodities that have high nutrition such as fruit crops Assessing the success of Action: • Develop strong M&E system • Develop periodic plan of action • Ensure the implementation of plan of action • Develop database and reuse of data • Make ten years plan of action • Develop appropriate indicators to assess the impacts Roles and Responsibilities of governments and other stakeholders: • Policy review and revision related to food system • Socio-economic infrastructure development • The federal, provincial and local governments and private sector to support to enhance access to safe and nutritious foods for all • Collaborate with food system actors • Make strategic policy for marketing and promotion • Collaborate with food industry to ensure the quality of food as a social responsibility • Community empowerment, behavior change, communication and socio-economic empowerment • Promote a farming culture in small land area • Promote awareness of low-cost food and promote low cost high nutritious foods. Read less

The provincial dialogue provided opportunity to engage participants from different agencies, sectors, and disciplines including the government, academia, researcher, farmers’ organization, civil societies and private sectors from different parts of the country. During the dialogue, critical discussions were held to examine the provincial food systems to understand potential causes/barriers and drivers and generate ideas to decide bold actions for the next 3 years. Indeed, this will be further verified and refined after the feedback from the Provincial, and second and third national dialogues... Read more. Five Action Tracks and one cross cutting lever of change were the Discussion Topics. Following the constitutional provision, cross cutting lever of change was selected as the Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act as a legal framework for the sustainable food system in Nepal. Hence, six groups rigorously discussed on these topics following the ATs propositions and reference questions mentioned in Section A above. Relevant officials of the Government of Nepal had chaired the groups, while the thematic experts from the government and non-government sectors had facilitated the discussions, and designated rapporteurs from different agencies had documented the discussion points. Whole exercise was concluded with big team efforts. The dialogue also collected some learning to reflect impression and work further on as following: 1. Some participants were new to virtual meetings (attending the session using online platform to participate in specific groups); 2. Less numbers of participants from industries and value chains (actors). 3. The issues were well understood by the participants, which were common for some of the ATs. Drivers of change and actions mentioned were also common to some tracks. 4. There was a common understanding among the working groups about the role and responsibilities of the three spheres of the government in Nepal, in terms of formulating policies, regulations, education, and their implementation. Participants suggested to draw clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of the three spheres of government. 5. There was strong commitment from the stakeholders to address the issues of access to food, nutrition, distribution and effective implementation of policies and regulations. Overall, participants had actively engaged in different groups to exchange and share ideas and potential actions for analyzing and improving the Nepalese food system in general and provincial food system in particular. Some potential and emerging issues were identified and validated; the dialogue was also helpful in raising awareness and elevating public discussion on key food system issues and identify potential options and solutions for making food system inclusive, resilient and sustainable (refer Section C below). Read less

Government of Nepal, National Planning Commission (NPC), organized the provincial Food Systems Dialogue of Bagmati Province on 24th June 2021 on the theme Nepal towards an equitable, resilient and sustainable food system. National Convenor and Member of National Planning Commission Hon Dr. Krishna Prasad Oli delivered welcome and opening remarks. He stressed on the need for collective efforts from all the sectors in the process to transform food system and committed to contribute for transformation. Dr. Matina Baidhya Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives ... Read more(MoLMAC) and Provincial Dialogue Curator curated the dialogues. Major focus of the dialogue was to engage stakeholders for a comprehensive exploration of food systems in Nepal as part of the process for the UN Food Systems Summit 2021. The specific objectives of the dialogue were to; • raise awareness and promote public discussion on the food systems, • examine current situation and identify key aspects of Nepalese food systems, such as the drivers, actions, pathways, and • explore opportunities for food system to make it equitable, sustainable and resilient. Total of 90 participants attended the event representing different stakeholder groups, background, institutions, and professions. In order to generate focused dialogues and collect the specific inputs, participants were assigned to respective Action Track (AT) Groups after a brief opening session in the plenary. The AT coordinators, facilitators, co-facilitators, and rapporteurs facilitated the dialogue process and documented the discussion outcomes. Each AT Group had proposition and reference questions to engage in dialogue and provide inputs as follows: AT 1 Proposition: Increased agriculture productivity and develop sustainable food chain for affordable safe, healthy, and nutritious diet to improve levels of nutrition, ensure all people to be well nourished and healthy and achieve zero hunger. AT2 Proposition: Enabling, inspiring and motivating people to enjoy healthy and sustainable consumption options; Slashing food loss and waste; and transitioning to a circular economy through advancing in technological, environmental, economic, social, regulatory, and institutional fronts. AT3 Proposition: Protect natural ecosystems from new deforestation and conversion for food and feed production; manage sustainably existing food production systems; restore degraded ecosystems and rehabilitate soil function for sustainable food production. AT4 Proposition: Developing inclusive and diverse food systems that contribute to the elimination of poverty and food and nutrition insecurity by creating jobs, raising incomes across food value chains; protecting and enhancing cultural and social capital; reducing risks for the poorest and increasing value distribution. AT5 Proposition: Developing inclusive and equitable food systems to ensure that all people within a food system are empowered to prepare for, withstand, and recover from instability and participate in a food system that, despite shocks and stressors, delivers food security, nutrition, and equitable livelihoods for all. AT6: Referring to the overarching legal document developed based on the constitutional provision, Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act (2018), is considered as a legal framework. Hence, this Act and related policies are the key to strengthen food system governance and accountability and transform food system that is resilient, equitable and sustainable. Dialogue reference questions: Following 5 questions were presented to the participants to facilitate the dialogue: 1. What are the underlying causes/ barriers for achieving the stated proposition? 2. What are the key drivers of unsustainable food system? 3. What actions in the next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? 4. How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? 5. What are the role and responsibilities of the food system actors including those of the federal, provincial, and local Governments in sustainable food system transformation in Nepal? Read less