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• Raise farmer awareness and elevate public discussion about how reforming our food systems can help us all to achieve the SDGs by implementing reforms that are good for people and planet. • Generate pro-farmer policy recommendation and significant action and measurable progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by identifying solutions and leaders, and issuing a call for action at all levels of the food system, including national and local governments and development partners • Agree on a system of follow-up and review to ensure that the recommendations generated at th... Lire la suitee national independent dialogue are considered by the national government and by various action tracks towards new actions and progress Lire moins

The Key Findings from the three groups formed in the FGD are as follows: Group 1 - Access to safe and nutritious food for all (this group will also deal with Nature Positive production (Action Track 1 and 3): • Promoting sustainable agriculture vigorously with eco-friendly technologies to mitigate Food& Nutrition security through integration of multiple agriculture and rearing of improved livestock. • Localised weather-based food systems with diversified foods and water arrangement through agro-ecology to address malnutrition and sound health of the poor. • For landless people the ac... Lire la suitetivities on CPR management maybe legalised and make it functional through the local governance. Plantation of trees with food, fodder, fertiliser, timber on untapped land and fallow land in the CPR management to restore degraded ecosystem. • To minimise food waste energy efficient storage system may be promoted in the rural areas. • Significant policy initiatives may be made to recognise women cultivators as “farmers “conferring the land rights and ownership to productive resources and livelihood rights in domestic space and environment. Group 2 - Resilience (Action track 5). This group may deal with Sustainable consumption (AT 2): • Identifying the climate relevant crop through a zonal mapping, with a focus on local crop and nutritious crop • Identifying the existing climate relevant technologies and use them as a knowledge products.Disseminating the knowledge among small holders • Policy dialogue on appropriate crop risk coverage insurances • Practice of appropriate agriculture that would contribute to stress management. • Increasing women and youth involvement in agriculture infrastructure development. • Diversified livelihood for stress prone zone. • Farmer’s innovation should be well documented. • Efficient knowledge management across the farming community. • Policy dialogue for small food producers livelihoods, who are displaced due to extreme climate events. • More investment in climate resilient agriculture Group 3 - Livelihoods and equality (Action track 4) : • Focus on Organic certification • Availability of a cold storage in each panchayat is key • Regular soil testing to be mainstreamed as a practice supported by government/FOs • Proper training to women farmers on market linkage • Strengthening the extension services and adding innovative solutions. Lire moins

The outcomes are listed under the " Main Findings" section.

The outcomes from the health and the nutrition challenges topic included: • African indigenous vegetables have more micronutrients when compared to the majority of common staple and cash crops. Further, they contain natural cancer prevention. • Intervention in and education of the wider population is needed to raise awareness of the link between food and health. • Competent authorities (e.g. health professionals, dietitians, researchers) should engage in targeted food education to improve the food habits of women and to better advise women on matters related to food and nutrition. • Po... Lire la suitelicymakers should promote clear food labeling which outlines nutritional information to stimulate consumer knowledge. • There should be a promotion of diversification of diets due to the evidence that diversification aids with combatting under nutrition and hidden hunger. • The need to promote the exchange of best practices for social inclusion of women and improving women’s place in the food system. Lire moins

The small-farmer as a driver of economic sustainability through rural-urban linkages in agri-food production and supply chain • Policymakers need to take an integrated approach as environmentally sustainable practices can only be implemented and thrive if paired with socially and economically sustainable supports (e.g. active education policies and market-integration mechanisms targeting commercially orientated small farmers). • Specifically, small farmers need educational opportunities to learn about good agricultural practices as well as the proper employment and disposal of chemical fer... Lire la suitetilizers. • There needs to be increased waste management infrastructure to support local farmers. • Policymakers need to promote indigenous vegetable production and sustainable practices. • Digital technology should be utilized to support and connect consumers to producers. • There is a need for policymakers and industry to develop a new integrated, cross-sectoral food policy. • There needs to be a reconfiguration of the food system through the relations between the market, state, and farmers towards political and economic democratization of food. • While reinforcing sustainable local food systems, policymakers and those working within the agri-food sector must be wary not to create local traps or elitist food communities. • Democratization can come about through the introduction of food plans and food councils on local levels in order to ensure effective policy and social inclusion. Lire moins

Over the course of the Dialogue, there was only a small point of divergence about the balance between the efforts to improve global governance and policies versus territoriali dynamics. Some participants stressed the centrality of tackling climate change at global level, others preferred to focus on the problems within food systems at local level.

The Dialogue was titled ‘Neglected Species, sustainable food systems: experiences from Africa & lessons for research methods’ and its overarching theme was how to improve the sustainability of food systems through diversification using African indigenous vegetables as a case study and an exemplar of the opportunities/challenges for economic/social/environmental sustainability of the wider agri-food systems. After a short introduction and framing session, the Dialogue had three major focuses: (i) The environmental value of diversification in agricultural production: This focused on rese... Lire la suitearch findings from the SASS project about three local agri-food systems in Kenya and Tanzania (ecdpm.org/sass). This focus area endeavored to shine light on whether this diversification of agricultural production, and specifically the better integration of African indigenous vegetables, can increase the environmental sustainability of agri-food systems in East Africa. (ii) Health and nutrition challenges: This focused on social sustainability and predominantly human health. There was a specific attention on women, as they are considered vulnerable within society but also, they play a central position within the food system as nutritional agents through their role as a pillar within the household. (iii) The small-farmer as a driver of sustainability through rural-urban linkages in agri-food production and supply chain: This focused on the role of small farmers for improving economic sustainability and other sustainable development practices. Lire moins

(i) The environmental value of diversification in agricultural production: • A multi- and interdisciplinary research approach is essential for a nuanced understanding of the agri-food system. • Indigenous local vegetables are less demanding in resources when compared to staple crops. • Local agri-biodiversity should be promoted as it improves ecosystem services, such as pollination. • Indigenous local vegetables and staple crops can effectively be utilized and farmed together but synthetic pesticides associated with staple crops have negative impacts on the biodiversity, although this ... Lire la suitecan be avoided or mitigated through the use of natural pesticides. • African indigenous vegetables are predominately cultivated for self or family consumption in urban areas while market demand drives the dominance of staple crops in rural areas. A majority of farmers use natural and traditional practices, but larger farms have increasingly employed intensive farming practices. • Pollinators’ richness decreases as landscape increases intensity due to urbanization and large-scale commercial farming. • The practice of breeding for uniformity has led to a spread of monoculture farming. There is a need to address this and establish farmer-orientated agricultural systems, particularly in relation to seed selection. Seed breeding for diversity needs to be promoted. (ii) Health and the nutrition challenges: • Biodiversity within the agri-food system needs to be approached through a health and nutritional framing. • Malnutrition, especially amongst children in East Africa, is still extremely high and urgently needs to be addressed. African indigenous vegetables can play a key role. • Only 16 percent of the sample consumed a portion of African indigenous vegetables. There was a higher consumption of indigenous vegetables observed in urban areas when compared to rural areas. • Empowering women through education can enhance their own health but can also have a positive feedback in the health of their offspring. This education can also reduce several forms of inequalities faced by women including gender, health, social, and economic inequalities. • Policy exchange of experiences between different actors is extremely beneficial. (iii) The small-farmer as a driver of sustainability through rural-urban linkages in agri-food production and supply chain: • In Kenya and Tanzania, there is a large range of farmer typology, varying with size of land and levels of commercialization. Income diversification and precarity leads to migration to urban centers and strengthening of rural-urban linkages. Created indexes for sustainable farming practices and waste management. • Social organizations are common and play a key role in helping small farmers. They are associated with risk and profit sharing, improved access to credit and capital, improved income security, and increased access to education and training. • Diversification of production and marketing channels needs to be recognized as important driver of economic development and biodiversity preservation. • The conventional food system is in crisis – disconnected from the environment, society, and material realities of small farmers. There needs to be new business models and governance structures to reconnect producers and consumers. • It was noted that it is not appropriate to use European categorisations of producers and consumers in the African context. Lire moins

The outcomes from the environmental value of diversification in agricultural production topic included: • A four-step food systems approach should be utilized for a holistic understanding and improvement of food systems: firstly a food system analysis, followed by sustainability analysis, and then a look at the political economy of the system; all of which iteratively aimed at designing -with local stakeholders- realistic and context-based pathways towards more sustainability. • Researchers need to focus and undertake studies on indigenous crops with a view to improving and developing the ... Lire la suitesustainability of local food systems, including via in-situ experiments on the resilience of the vegetables. • Value chain specific multi-stakeholder platforms should be established in order to build consensus and strengthen coordination and governance along the whole chain. • There is a need to subsidize the distribution of indigenous vegetable seeds to promote biodiversity. • Quotas for indigenous vegetables and smallholders should be introduced in public procurement schemes. • Pollinator-friendly practices and policies are needed to mitigate the impact of agricultural intensification and urbanization. • Dietary diversity is essential for tackling both malnutrition and over-nutrition and for this diversification, indigenous vegetables will (and already are in the case of Kenya and Tanzania) play a central role. • It is incumbent to progress towards a decentralized agri-food system where the farmer can play a participatory role in diversification. • Biodiversity conservation and diversification within the agri-food system should be approached through a health and nutritional framing. • Europe and Africa can mutually learn from their experiences: alongside cooperation projects between Europe and Africa, there needs to be a transformation and diversification within the food systems in Europe as well Lire moins

The Dialogue’s speakers underlined the complexity and the multi-dimensional aspects of food systems transformation and called for urgency actions to make food systems more efficient, resilient, sustainable, and inclusive. The following findings and conclusions emerged out of the discussions: • Science, Technologies and Innovation (STI) have a great potential for food production and climate change, yet they need to be adapted to the needs of small-scale producers, provide the combination of incentives to accelerate the adoption, investments in rural infrastructure and capacity building to b... Lire la suiteridge the inequality gap. Global scale scientific assessments need to be translated into actionable knowledge at national and local scale. • Global coordination, partnership, and cooperation with the coalitions of actors ready to support the change, global events, and multilateralism are of paramount importance to build a common narrative and drive forward the transformative agenda. • The question of how to operate the transformation underlined the importance of co-creation and joint design of knowledge; • The EU High-Level Expert Group put in place by the European Commission is an important mechanism and one of the deliverables of the European Green Deal. The works of the Group will also contribute to the UNFSS. • An efficient transformation of food systems implies policies to be based on high-quality and multi-disciplinary science, while an efficient evidence and policymaking need scientific excellence and good understanding of policy cycle combined with an ability to communicate scientific evidence in a clear and digestible way; • There is a need to incorporate local-based solutions and local practices, consider interconnectivity between various actors and sectors in food chain. • For an efficient food systems transformation, we need to address data gaps about food systems, new methodology to integrate all the data and enhanced metrics to assess the progress towards food systems transformation. These three areas of work should be complemented with performance-based governance and link between policies and citizens. • Real-time data are key to take effective decisions and bring solutions, while technologies are helpful to identify best solutions for best policies. This needs to be complemented with an analysis of different trade-offs including social, environmental and economic. • The JRC works across four work streams in its science approach: (1) Models, integrated agricultural commodity and policy modelling platform allows JRC to model the situations and test policies; (2) Observations (i.e. soil) to test scientific approach to the collection process; (3) Combination of two – agricultural yield forecasting programme which combines the real time satellite imagery with the agricultural production modelling to identify the hotspots of change; (4) Standards and benchmarks. JRC has a very strong digital dimension with geospatial data, satellite science sharing and co-creation. JRC has also knowledge centres operating as science hubs for various topics, such as global food and nutrition security; • An efficient science-policy interface should take into account four different pre-conditions: investments, institutional arrangements, enabling environment and capacity-building, both institutional and know how. • Small-scale farmers are facing numerous challenges ranging from lack of appropriate knowledge and know-how, access to markets, equipment, financing, insurance, lack of agronomic practices. There is a need of a holistic approach to address the fragmentation of farmers, while farmers should be at the centre of all policies and interventions. They need to be the co-creators of knowledge and co-makers of decisions concerning them. • Cross-fertilization between the scientists and different actors through a multi-actor approach, including farmers, civil society, education, governance is needed; • Focus should be on the needs of farmers and bottom up and local solutions, while investing in transparency and traceability of food chains; • Mitigating climate change only will not be enough we need localized, regional scale adaptation strategies and science and technologies can help; • To see is to believe: farmers need to be co-researchers, co-creators, as they can conduct experiments on farms and inform policy-making with practical solutions and evidence. Important to create connection between farmers and research institutions, farmers need to be part of the whole research cycle. • Soil is the missing link in the food system transformation and we need a robust policy framework to create coherence and better manage soils. There is a need to set up globally a minimum set of standards for soil protection; important to learn and exchange views with other countries and regions. Lire moins

Food systems governance: We have food systems, but we need to address their dysfunctionalities. We should not reinvent the wheel, but rather take stock, fix, enhance and consolidate instruments, dialogue spaces, and mechanisms for an efficient food systems regulation and governance. The EU High-level expert group established for this purpose is ensuring this thorough analysis and will be advancing solutions and recommendations that can be considered in the UNFSS works. Co-creation/co-design: Co-creation, partnership, and co-design approach considering all forms of knowledge such as scientific ... Lire la suiteand experiential knowledge should be integrated together to produce better and sustainable results. Need to involve farmers and small-scale producers: Farmers are the repositories of important evidence-based knowledge, as they have the possibility to test, experiment and try new technologies on farms. This evidence should be underpinned by cooperation with research institutions and governments in order to inform both, scientific ad policy uptake. Farmers need to be part of the whole research and policy-making cycle. There should be incentives, capacity-building, enabling environment, governance, and infrastructure as pre-requisite elements for farmer’s empowerment. Need for tangible data, methodologies and metrics: Tangible commitment by the agricultural sector and all stakeholders for transformative and nature positive solutions should be driven by facts, scientific evidence and market demands. Data, technologies, innovations and complements (governance, human development) should underpin the process. Need to address interconnectivity: A big challenge science will face, will be the implementation of jointed models since we no longer deal with individual issues but an interaction of numerous issues and challenges, such as environmental degradation, climate change, hunger and inequities. Coordinated collection and use of enormous data sets will be key in achieving the expected results from the use of joint models. Need to make soils and biodiversity central in the process: Soil is the missing link in the food system transformation and we need a robust policy framework to create coherence and better manage soils. There is a need to set up globally a minimum set of standards for soil protection; important to learn and exchange views with other countries and regions. Lire moins

No divergence recorded

The FAO Brussels Dialogue that saw high-level speakers from various organizations delivering keynote addresses and involved in panel discussions had the following focus: • The need to bring forward the importance of science for efficient policymaking in the food systems transformation process, highlighting the role of the UNFSS Scientific Groups and the Science Days that preceded the dialogue. Value and consideration of the expertise of the Joint Research Centre and other Directorates-Generals of the European Commission (INTPA, RTD, AGRI) for strengthening research, innovation, scientific ev... Lire la suiteidence, and the uptake of science by policymakers within the EU, and its potential to contribute to the global scientific capacity-building and partnerships to sustainably transform food systems, as highlighted in the European Green Deal and its pillar strategies (Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies); • The Dialogue focused on exploring the potential of the science-policy interface to achieving the objectives of action track 1: Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all and action track 3: Boost nature-positive production. In the first panel discussion on the science-policy interface and the action track 1 focused on how science-policy linkages can help fight hunger and ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all, highlighting the need for an international platform for food systems that would go beyond the UNFSS to ensure an effective food systems governance; • The need for new tools, approaches, and practices that would drive food systems transformation while proposing alternative strategies to produce more with less, address structural issues, and support small-scale producers for sustainability was equally reiterated; • The geographic focus on Africa and Asia enabled the audience to better understand the challenges of small-scale farmers, how existing policy frameworks, the role of the governments, the international community, and the private sector contribute to building systemic science capacity at national and regional levels. The session also stressed the need to enhance the support provided to agricultural farmers, producers, entrepreneurs, and small-holders, especially women and youths to sustainably transform agri-food systems; • The second panel put the emphasis on how science-policy dialogue can help reconcile agricultural productivity with environmental sustainability to minimize trade-offs for the environment. How science, technology, and innovation would contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, translating to innovation that focuses on sustainability and productivity as mutually inclusive issues were highlighted. In addition, the approaches made by the EU to bridge the gap between research and farming practices, advance research and innovation in developing countries to sustainably transform food systems were of major interest; • Furthermore, the prospective solutions of the private sector to ensure sufficient and healthy food for all while preserving biodiversity and ecosystems were highlighted while outlining that government/international support is needed to foster an enabling environment for private sector investments in agricultural research and innovation. Lire moins

Topic: Incentivizing adoption There are many public and private efforts to incentivize certain climate-smart practices. There are likely resources on the table that can be shifted to support this collaboration. There is a way to get costs covered by the whole system; without that, it will be difficult for private sectors to adequately address incentives for farmers.

Topic: Rapid-scale adoption The adoption of climate-smart farming practices is also about building high-quality, comprehensive datasets that can help drive adoption by connecting them to the most economically viable practices and systems on every farm. Through research and pilot projects, data can be applied industry-wide to specific practices and systems that will also generate new revenue for farmers and other key stakeholders. Currently, there is no platform or forum to provide expansive training on climate-smart practices to farmers. The need is even larger in developing countries and brid... Lire la suiteging that gap is critical for climate-smart ag production practices to become normalized globally. Lire moins

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The main findings from the four facilitated breakout discussions were as follows: Alignment exists between both farmers and industry on the need to balance risk and profitability when it comes to implementation of climate-smart practices. Proof of success and a need for rewards and recognition along the entire supply chain are valuable components for farmers and industry to assess potential profit. The industry breakout groups discussed that the issue of climate-smart implementation is not just an economic issue, but also an existential issue, because they acknowledge the desire from their con... Lire la suitesumers to become more aware and active in the GHG reduction space. Another finding expressed was a desire for a farmer-led system that connects researchers to farmers. Scientists often need farmers to participate in trials and demonstrations in order to produce the proof of success that farmers need. However, there is a disconnect in the system where farmers don’t know how to get involved, and scientists don’t know how to reach out. A clear need exists to facilitate these types of conversations. During the report out, it was noted that industry groups and private sector networks could assist with the execution of creating these engagement channels for farmers and researchers Lire moins

Topic: Research and data Data is critical to the success of any climate-smart farming practice, and generating that data requires expansive research, both on and off the farm. Ensuring comprehensive representation of farm types, while identifying learnings from past research and data trials in other regions can be difficult and disconnected. An opportunity identified is matching farmers who are willing to be involved in trials with projects to coordinators on a larger scale. Farmers can be incentivized to participate in trials, similar to how the medical community rewards patient trial partici... Lire la suitepants. Understanding gaps in current data to further support adoption must happen quickly. This includes documenting the risks and costs of a new practice at a comprehensive level (new equipment, additional labor, etc.). This will help clearly communicate the value of practices back to farmers – data, results, financial gain – and create opportunities for farmers to be paid for their data, what many believe is the most valuable commodity on a farm. Lire moins

Topic: Data interoperability As data collection efforts begin to expand, the next step is creating a centralized and easily accessible depository to make data available to everyone. Many organizations are attacking this problem and contributing to solutions, but there is no central coordination strategy, resulting in continued fragmentation. While identifying all existing data is important, the results must be fully interoperable, democratized and supported by public policy and governance, ultimately contributing to long-term access to stakeholders. Barriers to success around data operability ... Lire la suiteinclude the enormity of the effort and that much of the data from existing research is currently too narrow in scope to address opportunities holistically. Universal availability will broaden the scope and efficacy of practices and systems in overcoming growing climate challenges. Lire moins

Topic: Measuring and maximizing results Success in reducing GHGs depends on how to measure the efficacy of climate-smart, on-farm practices. This requires a wholesale infrastructure approach that will identify effective practices to optimize and integrate on large scales. This may require outcome-based reporting tools that document what farmers and ranchers are doing to reduce GHGs, and also the production efficiency and economic impacts to an individual (but anonymous) farm or ranch.