Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

Discussion Topic Advancing Equitable Livelihoods What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion topic? Considering the peculiarities of the three focused States (Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers), suggestions to uplift the livelihoods of farmers and other value chain actors in the region were discussed. Actions proposed to have impact in the next three years include: 1. Tackling Insecurities: The group proposed regional security, particularly amongst the focused states who share almost similar security challenges and implored stakeholders (Government, Private sector,... Read more local/community leadership, etc.) to collaborate in tackling insecurity in the regions. 2. Setting up Off-taking infrastructures: To address the problem of bonded contracting faced by local farmers, government in collaboration with private investors would set up accessible central centers to off-take produce directly from farmers at best market prices and to end post-harvest losses experienced by farmers so as to improve their income level. 3. Pricing Policy: Team members called on stakeholders to initiate policies that would stabilize macro-economic variables like taxation, inflation, exchange rates. -They identified the need to cap a Guaranteed Minimum Pricing policy as a requisite to tackling the problems of bonded contracts on small holder farmers. 4. Enhancing Social Capital Formation: it was noted that most farmers and value chain players lack stable financial support perhaps due to low knowledge of finance so they need financial leverages including zero interest facility and targeted agricultural loans (with low interest rates). -Capacity building on financial management was also identified for enhancing social capital. 5. Youth Involvement in Agriculture: the introduction of Smart-Agric as part of entrepreneurship course in curriculums or as skill development initiative would entice young people to engage in agriculture. 6. Climate Action: optimization of the meteorological agency by establishing sub-national hubs where timely weather condition and forecast would be disseminated in local languages to farmers to support their planning was identified as well as training of value chain actors on climate change adaptation and mitigation. How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? The following indicators were highlighted:  Improved income level  Increase in yield  Reduction of farmers per area What contributions will our organisations make?  Representative of Educational and financial institutions sought for collaborations to train farmers Read less

Discussion Topic Boost nature-positive food production at scale What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? 1) Increase budgetary allocation: A policy stipulating the minimum budgetary allocation to agriculture. 2) Policy harmonization within the land use sectors to maximize use of available land 3) Encourage Climate-Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices, e.g.:  encourage crop rotation, intercropping and homestead gardening; as well as Agroforestry system, which has multiple uses, including protecting the soil;  integrated farming to incorporate animal hu... Read moresbandry/livestock farming; this is the success behind the Songhai farms;  Use of improved varieties of input, e.g., stress- tolerant, high-yielding varieties, etc.  Discourage the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides and encourage organic farming  Using the ash obtained from palm tree wastes to enrich nutrient depleted soils;  Use of cover crops like legumes to control weed.  Introduction of local/traditional irrigation system 4) Introduction of out-grower’s scheme, for youth participation in Agriculture 5) Availability if data was conceived to be key for evidenced-based policies and programmes 6) Bio-security to maintain hygiene and health in livestock production What contributions will our organizations make? Many of the organizations participating in the discussion have one or two things to contribute. 1) Veterinary section: prevention and control of Zoonosis; 2) Boarder Commission: Advocacy and advice against conflict, crisis and wars before onset of farming 3) Department of Forestry: Building capacity of local communities to engage in agroforestry in nature-based production, raising seedlings and maintaining plantations; forming forest management committees 4) Economic Planning: Development of medium-term plan for agriculture. 5) Private sector: eliminate affluent/waste to environment by use of filters; treatment of waste water; backward integration for economic sustainability; incorporation of cassava flour into wheat flour; encourage local grain plantations and harvest; Ensure that animal feeds are produced under controlled hygienic condition; 6) Ministry of International Cooperation; Source for fund for sustainable agricultural practices; 7) ureau of Statistics: Conduct meta-evaluation and evidence-based monitoring and evaluation. 8) Ministry of Climate Change & Forestry: deforestation initiatives, especially tree planting: helping soil fertility; reducing heat & desertification; advocate against harmful practices such as bush burning and poaching. How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?  Through periodic monitoring and evaluation. The following indicators will show success  Improved yield, access to credits/inputs  Improved nutritional status and health  Inclusive participation and community ownership of programmes  Economic enhancement  Reclamation of degraded land  Reduced carbon dioxide emission Read less

Discussion Topic Shift to healthy and sustainable consumption pattern What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? • Regulation of advertisement and marketing of unhealthy food (sugary beverages, ultra-processed food) through increasing tax/tariffs. • Nutrition education highlighting the dangers of unhealthy diet targeted at communities and schools, empowering community members and school children to demand for healthy food. • Mainstreaming of nutrition into all agricultural programme and education system. • Provision of enabling environments for civi... Read morel society organizations involved in community mobilization and sensitization on healthy nutrition, to access free or subsidized airtime for nutrition education. • School feeding programmes should be implemented more effectively and monitored to ensure meals are provided with adequate quality and in the right quantities. • Encouraging local farmers to prepare and package locally made complementary food to strengthen complementary feeding for children under the age of five. • Provision of good storage facility to address waste recorded by small scale farmers who are cannot afford proper facilities to preserve their produce. • Encouraging appropriate technology for food preservation at household, retail and service levels to minimize wastage. • Building relevant infrastructures to aid food logistics management e’g. good road network to shorten supply distance and duration to avoid spoilage and wastage. • Establishing food collection centers within LGAs to enable fast and easy access will minimize need for storage and reduce wastage. • Building infrastructure for food processing and developing sustainable systems for food recycling and conversion of waste for productive use. • Institution of proactive measures to increase consumption of nutritionally adequate food e.g. increase farmers’ (especially women) access to land for farming and animal rearing to improve animal-sourced intakes for children. • Food safety policy should be developed to ensure producers/ food processors are properly guided on food standard and also to protect the consumers from unhealthy food • Robust public-private partnerships that support quality input and effective distribution of farm produce under the regulation and oversight of relevant government organs. • Multi-stakeholder engagement for an all-inclusive policy formulation • Investing in, and scaling up evidence-based and proven interventions for reducing malnutrition (under and overnutrition) among children under five, e.g. management of severe acute malnutrition at community level, conditional cash transfer for healthy food consumption etc. How can donor agancies and private sector organisations help? • Robust and mutually beneficial partnerships between private sector organizations and local small scale farmers with a focus on healthy food consumption should be developed with government’s oversight and regulation. • Local and international NGOs can support the design and implementation evidenced-based interventions targeting the most vulnerable, especially children and women, to improve nutrition. • Support innovative ideas and proof of concepts that will result in the shift from unhealthy to healthy and sustainable consumption. Read less

Discussion Topic Access to Safe and Nutritious Food What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? • Contextualize the concepts of Access, Safe and Nutritious Food in the specific milieu and needs of communities and households. These will aid policy/decision making. • Equitable access to factors of production especially for women in both urban and rural communities will enable and enhance the availability and affordability of nutritious food. • Innovative knowledge in the production and processing of food will improve household nutrition • Development v... Read morealue chains will improve access and food safety • Advocacy and sensitization on the need to have nutritious food using local and readily available ingredients • Promotion of community and school feeding programme Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality The conclusions are;  More families and households are becoming increasingly hungry with widening inequality. The reasons include; i.) Shift in family system, means and mode of production ii.) Constraining land tenure system iii.) Collapse of extension services • Education of households on income and livelihoods • Equity in access to land and means of production • Support private sector extension services • Use of data and empirical evidence Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious food Involves the following;  Value addition  Improvement of household incomes and alternatives  Fortification of food  Encourage all year production  Improvement on infrastructure  Adoption and adaptation of technology and science Strand 3: Ensuring Safe food Food safety will entail;  Availability of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services  Attainment of Open defecation free status  Accreditation and certification of farms and value chain operators for competitiveness  Regulations/Guidelines  Legislations What contributions will our organizations make? • Dam and irrigation services available to farmers for sustained food production • Agro-logistic support • Finance and risk mitigation • Technology and technical assistance • Knowledge Management • Reporting systems • Monitoring and Evaluation systems • Data and Information Management platform • Coordination, facilitation • Capacity building for stakeholders • Advocacy and sensitization How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? 1. Supervision, Monitoring, tracking and evaluation 2. Comprehensive regional roadmap and implementation strategies peculiar to the states. 3. Outputs, Outcomes, Results and Impact Read less

• Privatization of Government investments in the Agricultural sector for Management and sustainability • Need for review of Agric policy and framework for a sustainable food system as policies are obsolete • Need for integration and coordination into the Policy • Integration of women in the agricultural sector • Empowerment with interest free loans and inputs to farmers • Timely distribution of inputs to farmers in terms of crop and animal farming • Engagement with traditional rulers and Local Government Chairpersons to provide lands to women • Leasing of demonstration farms to... Read more women to encourage more women to farm • Need for the South-South zone to diversify to onions farming and goat herding. • Research on land productivity should be carried out • Research and education on Agric Extension should be encouraged • Research results and findings should be made public and Government should be engaged for effective dissemination • Bio fortification of foods and nutrition research should be encouraged by Government • Nutrition education and awareness should be strengthened at Antenatal levels • Need for integrated farming (crops, fishery, animal, livestock farming) for profiting at irrigation outlets • Agro logistics is key • Proper farmers’ data/records to be maintained by relevant bodies • Need for central farmers’ data that is accessible to all Agric sector stakeholders • Value chain and development financing by Central Bank of Nigeria should be encouraged • All stakeholders should be carried along from programme conceptualization, inception and research instead of imposing research findings • Road map development for the sector • Business plan development training • Idea sharing by Chief Executives in the sector is key • Need to capture information on all informal/private sector players in the Agric sector Read less

The main focus of this exploratory dialogue was to look at the South-South region’s Food Systems in tandem with the five action tracks and levers of the UN Food Systems Summit. Participants conducted a thorough diagnosis of the food systems, the functioning, major stakeholders, potentials, vulnerabilities, as well as opportunities for its transformation so that it can deliver high quality diet and affordable nutrition; be inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable; and work for everyone within the region. It was clear from discussions that excessive focus on agriculture and food securi... Read morety resulted in an unintended consequence of creating a less diverse food environment that is unable to provide an adequate variety and affordable, safe, and nutrient dense food. Food systems in Nigeria are vulnerable to shocks, stresses, and disruptions. Our food systems are threatened by climate change and stresses due to the impact of drought, flooding, erosion, inflation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and conflict. Poverty, unemployment, and insufficient food reserves limit the capacity of our food systems to cope with shocks and stresses. The COVID pandemic has amplified the fragility, inequities and suboptimal functionality of our current food systems thus requiring significant transformations in polices, practices and business models that would make our food systems fit for purpose and enable the delivery of the most important functions rooted in robust evidence base, country context and emerging global trends and realities. There are significant food safety challenges across the food systems domain. Most investments in food safety have been for food exports. Because of unsafe food, 1 in 11 Nigerians fall ill yearly, 21 million cases of foodborne diseases are documented and the annual loss of human capital due to foodborne diseases is estimated at about $16 billion. Most times, the vulnerable group are the most affected by the challenge of food safety and also the most nutritious foods have the most complicated challenge around food safety. It is therefore important to note that as Nigeria allows unsafe foods are allowed to pass through the borders to the people, the sovereignty of the nation is surrendered to others. There are huge post-harvest losses within the food systems; we lose more than half of what we produce, and this comes with significant impact on the environment. Inequality and power imbalances at the household, community, national and global levels are consistently constraining the ability of our food systems to ensure poverty reduction and sustainable, equitable livelihoods. Despite many years of investment in policies, programmes, institutions, and the broader enabling environment, we see glaring indications of a broken food system. Read less

GROUP 1 Reactivation of Commodity Marketing Boards: Opinion that Marketing Boards should be discarded because of corruption and inefficiency versus being critical for managing costs of food and ensuring good nutrition. 2. Youths’ involvement in the Food System: Opinion that youths are not interested in agriculture because it is dirty, versus opinion that youths do not know the benefits of involvement GROUP 2 What are the divergences that are revealed and how to manage them? 1. Development of guidelines on healthy diets should be the main focus now; versus sensitization on the emergence of NC... Read moreDs as a major public health challenge. 2. ‘Available data not generated locally or disaggregated to the LGA levels generating controversies among stakeholders’: versus ‘Data available but scattered - harvesting and translation of agricultural and nutrition data into formats that can be used by policy makers for decision making. GROUP 3 1. Extensification (Opening up of new Agricultural lands) vs intensification of agricultural production 2. zero tillage /mechanization/ slash & Bum 3. Land clearing campaign for commercial farming by Government / small scale production 4. Use of crop residues for mulch vs energy production (gas) vs animal feeds vs other domestic uses e.g., fencing and for building etc. 5. Shifting cultivation (fallowing) vs continuous cropping. 6. Use of inorganic fertilizer vs slow-release organic fertilizer. 7. Control fishing vs Fish farmers’ livelihood. GROUP 4 1. Discriminatory social norms: Are women and widows actually disadvantaged when it comes to access to land and resources? It was clear from different submissions that what is seen as discriminatory social norm against the vulnerable group in one community might be a normal way of life in other communities, depending on the values and level of social indoctrination on the people. But how this affects the working of the food system in the region is the main issue of concern. 2. The need for events like this: While some participants considered it a waste of resources and time to organise the events like this as nothing new will come out of discussion, majority feel it was important and necessary to have a round table discussions to know why and where we are failing to get it right. Read less

BULDING RESILIENCE TO VULNERABILITIES, SHOCKS AND STRESSES What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? Actions to strengthen resilience and livelihoods. - Support farmers with soft loans like trader loans - Provide improved breeds of livestock and seeds/seedlings to farmers - Timely release of farm inputs to farmers that meet the right agricultural cycle - Create awareness through the media about resilience Action for climate change adaptation - Provide farmers with mechanized tools - Encourage ranching so that organic fertilizer is generated to reduce use o... Read moref inorganic fertilizers. Actions to guarantee regeneration of ecosystems and nature - Reduce deforestation - Encourage tree planting Action to maintain functioning food system in the wake of shocks - Increase the access to land ownership by women and other vulnerable groups - Develop a food security dashboard that tracks the implementation of programs such as safety nets, CCTs, etc. - Enact a food safety bill that supports inclusion of vulnerable groups - Govt should distribute facilities and Agric inputs through Agric Measures to put in place to absorb effects shocks to the food system - Encourage cooperative contribution (thrift collection) to save for rainy days - Prioritize spending, encourage personal savings (Social resilience) - Practice Mixed crop farming - Improved storage facilities - Urban farming Ensuring that credit facilities and Agric input reach the target respondent - Disbursement of facilities through cooperative groups - Monitoring and supervision of Cooperative groups by relevant Ministries - Evidence-based reportage by the media to ensure accountability for disbursements How to use monitoring and evaluation for decision making - Collection of data on all farmers - Conduct NEEDS assessment for farmers - Data collection on yields per geography for proper planning and decision making What contributions will our organisations make? - Research Institutes and Higher Institutions: Promote research findings that encourage farmers to adopt new technologies - Ministries of Agriculture: Subsidize farm inputs to farmers; encourage year-round farming; Encourage backyard farming; Subsidize price of tractors to farmers especially women; Set up storage facilities for farmers to store in-season and sell at good prices off-season to reduce Post Harvest losses; Train farmers in the area of seed preservation for optimum production; and release farm inputs to meet with the farming cycle. - State governments: Establish and equip Women Development Centres at all levels; promulgate policies that will address the issue of insecurity, and for resettlement of displaced persons; rent out govt-owned lands to farmers at subsidized rates; and Re-align activities within the proposed budget provision in case of budget cuts - Civil Society Organisations: Advocacy to relevant stakeholders for upward review of budgetary allocations and Increase in political will How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? - A robust community-engagement - Institutionalization of M&E - Holding of field days and Agric shows where successes are showcased to encourage other farmers. - Organizing food demonstration sessions - Setting targets that will enable results measurement Read less

Advancing Equitable Livelihoods and Value Distribution What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic? • Strengthening existing cooperative societies. • Growing grasses for livestock through cooperative societies • Confronting social norms and practices that systematically give privilege to some groups over others • Eliminating market and institutional failures and social exclusion. • Promoting Village Savings associations to enable disadvantaged group access loans, inputs, and trainings. • Promoting cattle ranching • Implementing Social safety net... Read more programs to protect vulnerable groups and mitigate livelihood shocks. • Fabricating agro-processing equipment locally • Empowering rural people in renewable energy • Building trust between Government, NGOs, and the vulnerable groups. • Sourcing of funding for interventions apart from other than government. What contributions will our organisations make? 1. Office of the Humanitarian Service/Focal Person FGN • Nasarawa State Cash Transfer Programme (NSCTP) - Distribution of funds - Encouraging beneficiaries to form cooperatives and savings 2. “Nasarawa Arise” Group: • improving education, science, technology, environment, and climate change • Skill acquisition programmes for youths, women and disabled • Establishment of food pyramids 3. Benue State Government • Adopting and implementing the template and food systems structure provided by BMGF and World Bank 4. Plateau State Government: • Implement State development plans for addressing inequalities in distribution of livelihoods. 5. Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources: • Prioritising the vulnerable in selection of beneficiaries for interventions • Inclusiveness in distribution of inputs 6. YMCA (Nasarawa State), NAWEA (Benue State) CCDP (Plateau State): • Establishment of Savings and Loans Associations How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful? • Equal access to basic infrastructure, public goods, and ecosystem services. • Increased in decision-making power of vulnerable groups. • Significant reduction in inequality • Significant reduction in social norms and practices that privilege groups over others. Read less