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- Consumers play a powerful role in farmers’ choices, and the pressure on farmers to produce sustainable products is increasingly difficult. In our Dialogue, divergence emerged around consumer willingness to pay, with the view that consumers are demanding ever-lower prices (for instance, in the 1960s, expenditure on food was 16% of income, now down to 6%) contrasted with the view that consumers are increasingly concerned with product provenance, and prepared to pay a premium for quality, sustainable and locally produced food. In the Australian context, this also relates to a particular cultu... Lire la suiteral value around supporting local farmers. Further, participants noted similarities around this topic in the New Zealand context, where some farmers are resisting the consequences of government climate policy on the cost of production (acknowledging that Australia and New Zealand have some of the lowest levels of agricultural subsidies), and in the European context, where there is a challenge to square the demand for ever-cheaper food with a demand for a sustainable agriculture sector. - Divergence emerged around the role of regulation, with discussion around the fact that resistance to over-regulation is not limited to large scale farming enterprises, but exists in small-to-medium businesses as well. Divergent views around the appropriate level of regulation, access to natural resources and instruments for supporting and enabling positive change were discussed, and supported by participant commentary including the fact that farmers often feel dictated to and misunderstood in regulatory discussions, versus the view that self-regulation has not been effective in shifting behaviour. - The role of climate change policy and how it translates to sustainable food and agriculture policies, including impacts on farming businesses, provoked divergent views with participants commenting that farmers are rarely seen as part of the solution, and views that most policy treats farmers as unaware of broader environmental issues and/or opposed to supporting solutions. - The role of financial markets and government subsidies sparked debate, including how to approach these instruments in combination and at what scale, for example, combining private natural capital markets with ecosystem service subsidies, at a state-level prior to a federal approach, and at different paces for large scale enterprises versus small-to-medium farm businesses. - The debate on chemical use versus regenerative practices was raised in the Dialogue, with diverse views around the ongoing role of chemicals (e.g. to support minimum or no-tillage) as well as the application of suitable regenerative practices at large scales, including increasing soil carbon, maintaining ground cover and restoring biodiversity. This highlighted a theme of divergence around the role of various solutions (both on-ground practices and regulatory and policy responses) to achieve sustainable food and land use systems. - The issue of ‘just transitions’ was raised, given the complexity of farming systems, with panellists and participants acknowledging the diversity of challenges faced by sub-sectors (e.g. horticulture vs. livestock). There was discussion on the need to develop ‘basic principles’ to ensure a just transition, with farmers and representative bodies closely involved in decision-making, as well as the need for ‘skin in the game’ to build alignment and support where increased regulation is required. Lire moins

The need for farmers to have a voice at the policy table, particularly in fine-tuning the decisions and actions taken within sustainable pathways, and ensuring farmers are supported to produce sustainable products, through consumer demand, and through public and private institutional initiatives, as well as supported in the implementation of policies.

Climate volatility and high on-farm costs mean Australian farmers need to have either high levels of equity or off-farm income in order to survive, or to support their transition to more sustainable practices. This need for diversification and financial backing should be supported by both the public and private sectors. For instance, natural capital is becoming a highly valuable and sought-after asset class in its own right, and new opportunities for farmers to create revenue streams through both nature protection and restoration is critical in supporting a future sustainable system.

The need for the public and private sectors, including financial institutions, to support diversification of farm businesses and to enable new revenue streams, including via natural capital valuation, in order to support both financial and environmental sustainability and to recognise the positive role of farmers in the solutions to climate change.

The need for new knowledge and understanding as critical enabler of change: beyond identifying the problems and challenges, we need both sophisticated research and analysis to understand future scenarios and pathways (such as the Land Use Futures program LUTO modelling, part of the global FABLE initiative), as well as frameworks for the measurement and valuation of natural capital, including via the Taskforce for Nature Related Financial Disclosures.

The need for coordinated action across stakeholders and at different scales to achieve multiple goals, and to realise win-win-win scenarios, where outcomes across climate and emissions reduction are achieved alongside nature and broader environmental goals, as well as supporting regional livelihoods and healthy diets.

The need for a global nature-positive target by 2030: although there is no silver-bullet, the climate movement’s playbook is being applied to nature-related challenges, including calls for a global COP, and standardised and rigorous investment frameworks.

- Australia faces unique challenges and opportunities in supporting food systems transformation, given our export-oriented agricultural industry (70% by value of product), our highly-variable climate and geography (the most arid continent, and vulnerable to climate impacts) and our agricultural industry profile, with nearly 50% of Australia’s land mass managed by farmers, encompassing 85,000 farm businesses supporting 250,000 jobs. - We heard in a message from Paul Polman, co-chair of the Food and Land Use Coalition, that what happens in Australia matters to the world: as an agriculture powe... Lire la suiterhouse, we must address our emissions profile as well as harnessing our farmers’ pioneering approaches to more sustainable agricultural practices. - To raise ambition and accelerate positive trends towards a sustainable food and land use future, a combination of coordinated public policy, market solutions, strong institutions and measurement and valuation of nature is needed. - The food and land use system offers a critical opportunity to achieve multiple goals, or potential for a win-win-win scenario: alongside climate and emissions reduction outcomes, nature-based solutions offer the ability to achieve broader environmental goals (including healthy soils, sustainable water use, protection and restoration of biodiversity) as well as supporting regional livelihoods and healthy diets. - Increased international scrutiny of ‘clean and green’ credentials in commodity markets must be a priority focus for Australia, alongside the financial sector’s moves to increasingly assess nature-related risks as well as climate-related risks. - Climate volatility and high on-farm costs mean Australian farmers need to have either high levels of equity or off-farm income in order to survive, or to support their transition to more sustainable practices. This need for diversification and financial backing should be supported by both the public and private sectors. For instance, natural capital is becoming a highly valuable and sought-after asset class in its own right, and new opportunities for farmers to create revenue streams through both nature protection and restoration is critical in supporting a future sustainable system. - Investment change is happening at pace and at scale, with almost daily announcements of global investors developing products and funds for natural capital investment. The focus on climate and climate risk has grown significantly in the last 12 to 18 months, and there is a rapid shift amongst leaders to focus on nature and nature-risk, meaning attention is turning to how nature is measured, valued, accounted for and disclosed. - Australia has a big opportunity to be a ‘solution provider’ in nature-based investment given our highly unique biodiversity, but we are also exposed in terms of high extinction rates. We must act urgently to enable a convergence between climate action and nature-positive contributions. - Regardless of the motivating factors for individual farmers (whether profit-driven, environmentally concerned or supporting the intergenerational nature of the industry), the end-goals are often aligned, for instance, more carbon in the soil means higher soil moisture, supporting outcomes for the climate and for productivity. - While there was broad consensus on the need to align with more sustainable land and food systems, there are divergences around how to achieve this transformation including what role markets, regulation and particular on-farm solutions should play. Lire moins

The focus of our Dialogue was the nexus between climate outcomes and sustainable food and land use system transformation, with discussion on Australia’s role in global efforts and the unique regional challenges we face. Our Dialogue focused on Action Tracks 2 and 3, convening discussion on nature-positive transitions and sustainable consumption through focusing on synergies and shared challenges from the perspectives of: - The Land Use Futures systems change program, a partnership between ClimateWorks Australia, Deakin University and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organi... Lire la suitesation (CSIRO) and part of the global Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU); - The work of advocacy organisations such as Farmers for Climate Action in bringing farmers’ voices to the decision-making table and discussing both the shared and divergent challenges and approaches farmers are taking; and - The role of large-scale financial investment in realising nature-positive solutions, and current trends and headwinds in financial risk and opportunities, represented by Pollination Group. Lire moins

The structure of the action tracks, language used to describe and explain "food systems" all brought up points of difference between UNFSS frameworks and Indigenous Peoples' world views, understandings, systems of knowledge and cultural relations to their food systems. While there were points of difference the technical discussions and break out sessions dialogues allowed for these questions and areas of difference to be expanded on and explored in more depth.

Towards the UN Food Systems Summit Martin Frick, Deputy to the Special Envoy for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, provided in the closing session an explanation of the real significance of the Summit beyond the event itself and he issued a strong invitation for Indigenous peoples to engage in all the processes and events. He stated that “The 2021 UN Food Systems Summit is not just a point in time, it is a year-long engagement process. We have indigenous champions and focal points, and Indigenous peoples can also organize independent dialogues to make sure their voices are heard.” Marcela V... Lire la suiteillarreal, Director, Partnerships & UN Collaboration, FAO reiterated in her closing remarks, “The important part is that we work together to ensure that the voices of indigenous peoples are effectively heard, which means taken into account. Not only heard, not only participation in dialogues but really taken into account in what we expect is a discussion on the future of food systems for the world.” Geoffrey Roth in reading out a draft version of the final statement stated that “As we prepare for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, we share our distinct perspectives, knowledge, research recommendations in relation to the action tracks and objectives of the Summit. We do so with humility and, also, with an expectation to be heard.” Lire moins

Indigenizing Actions Tracks of the UN Food Systems Summit Marlene Wakefield and Ken Paul, Lead Negotiator and Research Director of Fisheries for the Wolastoqey Nation, led guests and speakers through a series of technical presentations on each of the five action tracks of the UN Food Systems Summit with an Indigenous lens towards each track. The action track segments included a speaker from the leadership of the UNFSS Action Track technical committees, an Indigenous expert on the subject, followed by an expert from the UN anchoring agency for that action track. Leadership from the Action Track... Lire la suite technical committees spoke from Concern Worldwide, EAT Forum, World Wildlife Fund International, and CARE USA. Indigenous experts from McGill University, University of Hawai’i Mānoa, Mi’kmaq Fisheries, the Intertribal Agriculture Council and the Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. presented their expertise and perspectives on one of each of the five action tracks. UN agency experts from FAO, the World Health Organization, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the World Food Programme, spoke to the action track their agency is anchoring. The five UNFSS action tracks with Indigenous lens included: 1. Ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all: Traditional Economies of Indigenous Peoples – The Interrelated Dimensions of Healthy Food. Participants 2. Shifting to sustainable consumption patterns: Indigenous Management of Resources to Sustain Indigenous Food Security. 3. Boosting nature-positive production at scale: Sacred Relationship to Environment and the Critical Role of Lands, Territories, and Resources of Indigenous Peoples. 4. Advancing equitable livelihoods: Recognition of Indigenous Human Rights to Maintain Equitable and Culturally Relevant Food Systems. 5. Building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses: Empowerment of Indigenous Peoples, Nations, and Communities to Ensure Adaptation and Resilience. The highly informative technical presentations generated an abundance of content and questions to delve deeper into during the five breakout groups facilitated by members of the Seminar’s Indigenous technical committee. Professor Airini, Dean, Faculty of Education and Social Work, Thompson Rivers University, BC, and Brian Keane, Board Chair, Land is Life, opened the afternoon session by explaining the process and importance of the break-out groups. They then received extensive feedback and inputs shared by facilitators, notetakers, and participants in the subsequent plenary discussion. Lire moins

Indigenous knowledge systems not about the past, but the future Following the high-level remarks, a panel of seven Indigenous experts set the stage moving into the technical presentations of the Seminar exemplifying how systems of knowledge come together and complement each other., “Indigenous knowledge is not about the past. Indigenous knowledge is about the future. Our knowledge systems must inform the future of food in the world, knowing it is still operable,” stated Dr. Kamanamaikailani Beamer, Professor at the Center for Hawaiian Studies in the Hui ‘Āina Momona Program at the Unive... Lire la suitersity of Hawai‘i. “The true way to food freedom is through empowerment. Solutions without Indigenous voices are no solutions at all,” stated Marlene Wakefield, member of the Seneca Nation and Research and Resources Director for the Tribal Food Sovereignty Advancement Initiative at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). Panelists spoke to the central importance of Indigenous peoples’ rights and essential practices for building the capacity of Indigenous-led research across fields and bridging systems of knowledge in complementary ways. Further recognizing the accelerating impacts of climate change and environmental degradation of homeland ecosystems pose existential threats for all inhabitants and thus require a cooperative commitment to bold action steps. As emphasized by Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough, International Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, “Our health is intimately tied to the health of the animals and the overall Arctic environment. However, we are seeing rapid and dramatic changes that threaten our food security.” This panel was co-facilitated by Jane Lokomaika’ikeakua Au, Program Director of ‘Āina Momona and Pacific Representative and vice Co-Chair of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples’ Platform (LCIPP) Facilitative Working Group, and Yon Fernández de Larrinoa, Chief of the FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit. From the First Nations fisheries of the Atlantic coastal waters to the confluence of rivers in British Columbia, to the Inuit homelands of the circumpolar region to the Islands of Hawai’i and reaching to international Indigenous researchers in New Zealand and Jakarta, speakers gave a strong voice to the vast knowledge systems and Indigenous leaders who are essential in the transformational work for the future of sustainable, equitable, nutritious, diverse and resilient food systems. As emphasized by Chief of the FAO’s Indigenous Peoples Unit, Yon Fernández de Larrinoa, “In the context of the UN Food Systems Summit and in the spirit of leaving no one behind, it is critical we engage with, listen to, respect the expertise and collaborate with the Indigenous peoples of North America. Their regional leadership is fundamental in achieving the objectives of the Summit and Sustainable Development Goals.” Lire moins

Indigenous Peoples' Leadership Critical for the Future of Food The event was opened with high-level remarks from the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, UN Food Systems Summit Leadership and national Government dignitaries from Canada and the United States, who collectively expressed their strong support and appreciation for the Seminar. Government dignitaries, Ambassador Alexandra Bugailiskis, Representative Deb Haaland, and USDA Office of Tribal Relations, Director Diane Cullo also underlined the importance of the deliberation. Canadian Ambassador to the UN Rome-based Agencies and Chair... Lire la suite of the Group of Friends of Indigenous Peoples in Rome, Alexandra Bugailiskis, set the tone for the seminar to be an open, sincere, and enriching day centering North American Indigenous peoples’ food systems. She emphasized that as a co-convener of the Group of Friends of the UN Food Systems Summit, they have stressed the importance of ensuring that indigenous peoples' traditions, knowledge, and views from the seven-socio cultural regions are taken into account and well placed in all mechanisms of the UN Food Systems summit. Ambassador Bugailiskis shared examples of Indigenous-government collaborations, such as the new Food Policy in Canada, which acknowledges how historic government policies disrupted the food systems of Indigenous peoples. It ensures, she explained, "that the unique rights, interest and circumstances of the First Nations, the Métis Nations and Inuit are acknowledged, affirmed and implemented. It supports Indigenous food self-determination, meaning the ability of Indigenous peoples to define their own food systems and it takes a holistic approach that acknowledges that food is more than a product for Indigenous peoples." Congresswoman Deb Haaland [NM-1], who a few days later was nominated by President-elect Joe Biden as the first Native American Secretary of the Interior in the United States’ history and one of two Indigenous women ever elected the U.S. Congress, spoke from her experience as a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and as a lead policy-maker in the country. "The wealth of contributions of Indigenous People to global food security, their land and resource management strategies, their safeguarding of the vast majority of the world's food crops, must be recognized in our approach to policy-making," said Representative Deb Haaland. Further emphasizing that food systems are an integral piece of who they are, a fundamental part of their Indigenous identity and central to their relational existence with regenerative practices. Professor Joachim von Braun, Chair of the UNFSS Scientific Group, noted that “We in the Scientific Group, acknowledge the deep knowledge of Indigenous Peoples about their food systems. Scientific and local knowledge communities can learn from each other." Dr. von Braun underscored his strong interest in collaborating "Our endeavor is to host a platform for Indigenous peoples of North America, UN agency experts and leaders in the field to exchange ideas and expertise, to strengthen Indigenous peoples' voice and leadership as we approach the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit," said Vimlendra Sharan, Director of FAO North America, as he welcomed the “galaxy of distinguished” guests and speakers. Geoffrey Roth, the North American expert of the UNPFII and member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, emphasized in his welcoming remarks the timeliness of the Seminar. “To have these conversations and be able to provide these recommendations is very important, especially about food. It is the building block of life. When we are not able to take care of ourselves it is what causes the health disparities and the devastation we are seeing in our communities [during the COVID-19 health crisis].” Roth challenged all participants to go beyond the inclusion of Indigenous peoples at the UNFSS and further “conceptualize provocative recommendations to our UN partners.” Lire moins

Key messages from the expert seminar include: 1. Indigenous Peoples and their knowledge systems are key for all five action tracks of the UNFSS. 2. Indigenous Peoples’ representatives should have a formal role in the UNFSS, and governments should ensure their participation in national dialogues / Indigenous peoples, including women and youth, should have equal opportunities to participate in local, national, and international processes and policy discussions, such as Food System Dialogues, the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 and other decision processes affecting food systems, climate change, an... Lire la suited biodiversity. 3. Indigenous Peoples’ rights to self-determination need to be respected and actualized worldwide. 4. Indigenous Peoples, Summit stakeholders, and UN Food Systems Summit leadership have tremendous opportunities to continue intense collaborations through bridging systems of knowledge in preparatory dialogues, evidence-based strategic papers, and formal roles for Indigenous peoples at the 2021 Summit. The Seminar convened 185 participants and speakers from 11 of the 13 Canadian provinces, 30 out of the 50 United States, and was joined by additional people calling in from 25 countries; 140 of the participants and speakers were Indigenous. Participants included North American Indigenous peoples’ organizations and representative bodies, academic and research institutes, government agencies of Canada and the United States, along with UN agencies, and Indigenous experts from around the world. The platform allowed for exchange of knowledge and ideas of how systems of knowledge can be complimentary as the world mobilizes towards food system transformation. Indigenous leaders emphasized the importance of relational connections to food, culture, landscape, ways of life, ecological stewardship, health, and the widespread local Indigenous-led initiatives to revitalize and reconnect to their Indigenous Food Systems. Furthermore they emphasized that Indigenous Peoples' food systems can teach the world of systems approach to effect change socially, economically, ecologically, and politically through the models and adaptive models. Indigenous speakers and participants emphasized the points that protection and actualization of Indigenous Peoples' rights must be the basis for all conversation about food systems, as they are inseparable for Indigenous Peoples. Speakers from the technical committees of the UNFSS Action Tracks, UNFSS leadership, and anchor UN Agencies emphasized their commitment to partner with and learn from Indigenous Peoples in the global work towards the goals and visions of the UN Food Systems Summit. “The Food Systems Summit is going to do everything we can to ensure the voices of Indigenous peoples are heard, that we are learning from you and that we are putting the Indigenous peoples’ food systems front and center in the work that we are doing,” said Dr. Agnes Kalibata, Special Envoy for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, in her opening remarks. Dr. Kalibata’s remarks emphasized the Summit’s strong commitment to learning from, listening to and connecting with Indigenous Peoples leading up to and during the Summit. Technical presentations from the action track committee members and UN agency anchors made connections to the importance of working with Indigenous Peoples' leadership, expertise and systems of knowledge to combat the food insecurities and vulnerabilities that many Indigenous Peoples are facing, in addition to the global questions affecting all populations. From Action Track 1 - there was emphasis place on needing to learn from and emulate Indigenous Peoples' inherent approach to "ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all" as a core tenant to their food systems on the global scale. From Action Track 2 - there was acknowledgement that disruption of Indigenous Peoples' food systems has caused for a nutritional crisis and epidemic of malnourishment related diseases for high percentages of Indigenous Peoples, and that returning to traditional foods and diets is a multi-factored and critical solution to reestablish/safeguard sustainable consumption patterns for Indigenous Peoples; further noting the world has much to learn from Indigenous Peoples about "no waste" and using only what we need as central values in Indigenous Peoples' food systems. From Action 3 - it was acknowledged that Indigenous Peoples in their food systems have been the generational masters and experts on "nature-positive" production and food generation, as stewards to 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity on just 25% of the Earth's surface. Indigenous Peoples' natural resource management practices and food system designs have a great deal to show the world on how to create "nature-positive" food generation models and the critical importance of enhancing biodiversity through food generation, and the interconnected, systems approach to natural resource management. From Action 4 - to advance equitable livelihoods, it was agreed that Indigenous Peoples must be leading their own conversations of "advancement" with implementation and practice of international standards like UNDRIP, FPIC, etc. It was agreed that Indigenous Peoples' need to design their "access to market" and education that sustains their ways of life. From Action 5 - As more Indigenous Peoples' food systems are being disrupted by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and increasing external pressures for extraction - it was agreed that Indigenous Peoples need to be at the decision making table in all aspects and crisis management. Lire moins

The major focus of the "High-Level Expert Seminar on North American Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems, towards the UN Food Systems Summit" was to convene a high-level platform of North American experts to present and discuss the critical importance and contributions of North American Indigenous Peoples’ food systems in relation to the primary objectives of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and 5 Action Tracks. Further emphasizing and highlighting the input, leadership and expertise of North American Indigenous Peoples are essential in fulfilling the vision of the Summit. Technical presentations... Lire la suite from experts served to inform the breakout sessions who formulated a statement based upon the Indigenous expertise and input about the five Action Tracks of the Summit. The final statement resulting from the High-Level Expert Seminar was made public and delivered to the Special Envoy for the UN Food Systems Summit. This Seminar was part of the preparatory global processes leading up to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. The Seminar convened 185 participants and speakers from 11 of the 13 Canadian provinces, 30 out of the 50 United States, and was joined by additional people calling in from 25 countries. Participants included North American Indigenous Peoples’ organizations and representative bodies, academic and research institutes, government agencies of Canada and the United States, along with UN agencies, and Indigenous experts from around the world. Lire moins

Discussion among SMEs diverged when the topic of profit vs non-profit emerged. Some believed that companies should do good without seeking profit, while others insisted that in order to make business sustainable financially there must be a profit.

The way to boost the role of SMEs in food system transformation is by: Rewarding positive outcomes. • SMEs felt that there needs to be way to reward consumers as well as businesses for positive behaviors. This could be reducing the price of food products that are close to their sell by date in order to reduce food waste or choosing products with smart/eco packaging. Carbon taxing will be important going forward. • For any of these schemes to be possible, a more advanced measurement system needs to be developed that looks at net impacts. For example, it must be able to identify the differen... Lire la suitece of the environmental impact between a kg of ‘real’ beef compared to 1 kg of ‘cultured’ meat. Tailoring Support for Food SMEs • A common problem was that grants available to SMEs are incredibly laborious and extensive to apply for. The bar for acceptance is also rising, and reporting/auditing once a grant has been secured is also extremely extensive. Therefore, some SMEs will not try to apply for certain funding they really need as they do not have the resources. The ‘middle level’ (£20-100k) of funding must be made more accessible to SMEs. • One SME felt that although the barriers to access funding should be reduced to stimulate innovation, it may be beneficial to structure them as loans rather than grants. The commitment to pay all, or at least some money back will encourage businesses to think sustainability and will ensure that business models are profitable. They believe that profitable, sustainable SMEs will be able to scale and bring their innovative solutions to mainstream consumers. • SMEs could be brought together to educate them about the Sustainable Development Goals. Once SMEs understand them, there may be opportunities that SMEs spot where they can innovate to meet goals. SMEs will be able to innovate in ways that large corporations cannot. Making Good Food Matter. • An SME from Bulgaria has set up a successful nationwide campaign that focusses on public attitudes to food, and food literacy. It is a good example of how public attitudes towards food can be changed. The campaign involves kindergartens, schools and professionals, and also includes awards for those who make positive contributions to the food systems. This campaign brings together government, NGOs, universities and farmers, and so ensures link-up across all areas of the food system. This system could be replicated. Lire moins