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- Data & Evidence
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2021-01-08 23:34:30204Preserving Indonesian Traditional Foods for Sustainable Consumptionhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1696/- 88
1257105121557025431511821065245731463108How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Indonesia is an archipelago with 17,000 islands, over 600 ethnic groups and 269 million people.
The Independent Dialogue is one session in a 3-day Youth Leadership Camp for Climate Crisis (YLCCC) focusing on Food Systems. Participants came from all over Indonesia where we have 3 time zones.
Topics covered at YLCCC provided information as the basis for the Independent Dialogue, including the climate crisis and its solutions, the tragedy of the commons, carbon foot print in food and agriculture sector, international agreements (UNFCCC, UNCBD, SDGs), farming and agricultural practices for selected commodities, climate smart eating, leadership and communications and youth activities.
At the Dialogue Session we presented the Summit principles and objectives, followed by adducers explaining about computerized data of Indonesian traditional foods and drinks, and practices of healthy traditional food catering. Participants then continued with breakout rooms for discussions of several topics.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?ACT WITH URGENCY:
We informed participants that the Dialogue provides input to Summit. Also that Mr. Guterres, the UNSG stated that food is a common thread that connects all 17 SDGs (to be achieved in 2030).
COMMIT TO THE SUMMIT:
We discussed the process of the Summit, including Action Tracks, and the three dialogues (global, member states, independent).
BE RESPECTFUL:
We appreciate traditional foods, and identified aspects of health, environment, livelihood, and cultures.
RECOGNIZE COMPLEXITY:
We provided sessions prior to the independent dialogue, that will help participants understand the complexity
EMBRACE MULTI-STAKEHOLDER:
Our participants are those showing interests in the food systems representing the variety of professions and locations
COMPLEMENT THE WORK OF OTHERS:
In addition to the sessions prior to the dialogue, participants refer to previous works supporting their opinions
BUILD TRUST:.
We discussed the transparency of the summit process and information platformsDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Dialogues have to be prepared beforehand, preferably through PRE-SESSIONS of related topics with potential participants, as the process is quite complex for those who are not used to the system. This is important as the Food Systems Summit is a People's Summit. We expect people from all walks of life will participate.Through pre-sessions participants will understand the administrative process as well as technical information related to the Summit and they then can make informed opinions.
It is also important to map the food ecosystems related to the topic of the dialogue, so that convenors can invite resource persons to support the dialogue.
We would also suggest to open communication with participants even after the dialogue is over so as to have more insights from participants.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234OUR DIALOGUE IS FOR ACTION TRACK 2, AND WE DISCUSSED THE FOLLOWING:
1. Food production activities / practices in dialogue participants' areas (urban or rural), both traditional and modern
Traditional practices.wisdoms are sometimes more environmental friendly
compared to modern practices.
2. Varieties of vegetables are in participants area, and what kinds of traditional dishes are best known for these vegetables.
Identifying this will help promote plant-based meals which are lower in carbon emission compared to animal-based meals.
3. Non-rice carbohydrates in participants area, as well as the types of dishes available, and the ingredients used.
As in most Asian countries Indonesia is too dependent on rice, where in many cases people eat rice 3 times a day. Shortage of rice can create social unrest. Whereas there are a number of non-rice carbohydrates available in the country.
4. Eating patterns that pay attention to health and are also environmentally friendly
5. Empowering consumers to make informed, healthy, safe and sustainable food choices235We have to preserve local traditional foods and drinks and encourage sustainable consumption of such foods. They are healthier, local, and more environmental friendly, have low carbon foot prints, and provide livelihood for producers and distributors. Also we have to encourage non-rice for carbohydrate consumption.
It is important to identify and map the ingredients, cooking method, culture, recipes, traditions, and health benefits of certain foods. Indonesia has at least 100 types of carbohydrate sources, 100 kinds of nuts, 250 kinds of vegetables and 450 kinds of fruits. A mapping of Indonesian traditional foods and drinks showed that there are at least 35,000 types identified, and the number is still counting.
We propose two solutions to facilitate consumer access to healthy and sustainable traditional foods, a macro and micro approach.
In a macro approach, the state/government is important in increasing consumer access to healthy and sustainable traditional foods. The state can promote healthy and sustainable traditional foods through policies, programs, promotion, building relevant infrastructure, and to reduce the distance traveled during the distribution of traditional foods to minimize carbon footprint
In a micro approach, the community as an agent of information dissemination can disseminate the positive impact of healthy and sustainable traditional food. After that, people can also provide places that provide the food to be distributed to those in the surrounding environment. .
It is important to provide education and information to consumers regarding local food products, the health benefits, the processing methods and food safety of local food products, through an attractive and easy-to-understand physical and digital display *social media).
Food gardens should be encouraged in communities, government offices, schools and university campuses along with education about local food through planting, harvesting, and cooking together.236VEGETABLES
We have to identify edible vegetables and dishes that can be created from those vegetables, and promote them through education, policies and programs, to encourage healthy plant-based food consumption.
In Indonesia the combined consumption of fruits and vegetables is 209.89 grams/capita/day. WHO generally recommends the consumption of vegetables and fruits for a healthy life of 400 grams/person/day, consisting of 250 grams of vegetables and 150 grams of fruit (equivalent to 3 fruits.
When compared with food expenditure, the total expenditure on fruit and vegetables in Indonesia is only 11.41 percent.
Kangkong (water cress/morning glory) is the most consumed vegetable commodity at the national level, which is 10.46 grams per capita a day. Then, spinach and eggplant were the second and third most consumed vegetable commodities, namely 9.26 grams and 7.76 grams per capita a day, respectively.
Participants identified all kinds of vegetables and dishes to be promoted.
As an example Pohpohan (Pilea trinervia) is a commercial vegetable crop
and is indigenous with great potential to be developed.
This plant also contains antioxidant compounds, fiber, and vitamins
can provide benefits for human health. Indegenous / traditional vegetables need to be introduced so that they can be accepted by many.
In addition, it is necessary to carry out pohpohan plant conservation activities
so that the utilization can be maintained in a sustainable manner.
A healthy egetable dish called Trancam contains cucumber, bean sprouts, basil, and spiced shredded coconut which are the key to the specialty of this food.
Kesum (Polygonum minus Huds) is a plant endemic to West Kalimantan. Kesum plants are known as a substitute for MSGs and used in soups and other dishes, giving umami taste.
Bamboo shoots can be processed into vegetables and ingredients for chips/crackers. Adding bamboo shoots to crackers making can improve organoleptic characteristics (color, aroma, texture, and taste)236NON-RICE CARBOHYDRATES
Indonesia has at least 100 types of carbohydrates sources.
With high biodiversity, Indonesia also has high food diversity. The sources of carbohydrates that the body needs should not only be fulfilled with rice.
Several regions in Indonesia consume non-rice carbohydrates such as corn, sago, cassava, taro, potatoes and various tubers beat the popularity of rice in daily meals.
Non-rice carbohydrates can be found in almost all corners of Indonesia. Because of this, each region has various ways and cultures to process these food sources.
These foods are also plant-based complex carbohydrates that can go a long way in reducing the carbon footprint. This is appropriate if measured from biological reasons. In the economic structure, what we need to pay attention to is the contribution of carbon emissions from the supply chain. As distribution and production will obviously produce a lot of carbon, what we can do is try to grow food in our areas.
The government and communities need to diversify food sources in an effort to fulfill diversify carbohydrates sources. Some of these alternative are barley, processed sago and palm sugar, elephant foot yam/stink lily, various processed cassava products, and tapioca cakes. Furthermore, these alternative sources of carbohydrates must be promoted and intensified strategically through several effective steps, from providing training and knowledge for local food producers to providing a special place for the sale of local processed food as a substitute for rice.236HEALTHY EATING
1. A diet that takes health into account is what ensures nutrition. It is better to take foods from nature and reduce processed food. In addition, education is also needed for food producers to maintain food hygiene and sanitation during food processing to ensure health.
2. An environmentally friendly diet is one that does not have a large carbon footprint. This diet can be achieved by:
a. Paying attention to locality, naturalness, and type of product (reduce consumption of animal products, prioritize more carbon-friendly vegetable products).
b. Reducing food waste and plastic packaging that is not environmentally friendly
c. Guarantee the totality of the full use of food ingredients so that food loss does not occur.
d. Processing of kitchen waste in the form of compost and replanting.
e. To maintain food sustainability, it is necessary to pay attention to locality. We need to explore food ingredients that are widely developed in our area and diversify food sources.
3. In order for all levels of society to be involved for a diet that takes into account health and is environmentally friendly, education is needed starting from the pre-production, processing, to marketing stages. Education is carried out to producers, distributors, and consumers.236EMPOWER CONSUMERS TO MAKE INFORMED, HEALTHY, SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD CHOICES
An empowered society is a society that knows, is willing and able to make a change. There is a change of habit to make a society empowered.
Lack of education regarding food is also the main cause because the average person who gets sufficient education tends to be more aware of this problem. The government is also aware of this by launching the Healthy Community Movement.
Empowering consumers to make informed, healthy, safe and sustainable food choices can start with product branding, to create healthy food, especially sustainable local production, it is necessary to educate producers who are adapted to the local socio-culture about the importance of transparency and low emission food production. Starting from raw materials with low emissions, the production process from upstream to downstream also needs attention to implement an environmentally friendly process.
Transparent production processes are used as one approach towards consumers so that consumers can choose healthy, safe, halal, and sustainable food.
Manufacturers also need to increase honesty and responsibility in the production, sales and promotion processes.
It is also important to have Informative and interactive smart food packaging that is easy to understand, to provide information on nutritional value, product processing flow, and the quality of food ingredients contained in packages such as level of maturity, and product freshness.
Providers of facilities / platforms are needed to enable local communities to access
healthy and sustainable food items, such as bulk stores, recycling stores, and
uglyfood.
Also important to provide facilities for communities to purchase as well as self educate about environmentally friendly products.237Indonesia is such a large country, there are so many options to choose from in terms of processes and products, and potential resources to support the Summit's Objectives.
Different regions prefer different processes to be pursued.2021-01-20 21:22:39204Transforming Latin American food systems to build back better from COVID-19 and tackle climate change & nature losshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1081/- 203
83860141344971813431229312922126121633171How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The dialogue was constructed to contribute to current initiatives in the region. The use of discussion groups was extremely useful for participants to share experiences, add value to their work whilst complementing the work of others. Trust was built by highlighting that every participant can express their own voice, as diverse views are essential for a discussion. The Chatham house rule was applied and explained to build trust among participants in the discussion groups. It is recommended to other convenors to take the time to understand the complexity and contexts of the region or locality where the dialogue is held. In the case of Latin America, it was found to be key to take into account the multi-lingual context of the region. Furthermore, to ensure diverse and active discussion, building trust is highly recommended by emphasizing that different views are encouraged.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Principles for Engagement of the Food Systems Summit
Urgency: We recognize the utmost urgency of sustained and meaningful action at all levels to reach the respective 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Respect: Within our respective capacities and circumstances, we will promote food production and consumption policies and practices that strive to protect and improve the health and well-being of individuals, enhance resilient livelihoods and communities, and promote good stewardship of natural resources, while respecting local cultures and contexts.
Complexity: We recognize that food systems are complex, and are closely connected to, and significantly impact, human and animal health, land, water, climate, biodiversity, the economy and other systems, and their transformation requires a systemic approach.
Multi-stakeholder inclusivity: We support inclusive multi-stakeholder processes and approaches within governments and communities that bring in diverse perspectives, including indigenous knowledge, cultural insights, and science-based evidence to enable stakeholders to understand and assess potential trade-offs and to design policy options that deliver against multiple public goods across these various systems.
Engage: We commit to practice what we preach personally and professionally to contribute to the vision, objectives and the final outcomes of the Food Systems Summit.
Complement the work of others: Recognizing that issues related to food systems are being addressed through several other global governance processes, we will seek to ensure that the Food Systems Summit aligns with, amplifies, and accelerates these efforts where practicable, avoiding unnecessary duplication, while encouraging bold and innovative new thinking and approaches that deliverDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?The topics used for the dialogue are in line with the action tracks and cross-cutting levers of the Food System Summit. These topics represent the urgency needed for transition and are constructed to deliver actions to transform Latin American food production and consumption in order to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. The discussed topics covered a wide range of domains (finance, nature, nutrition, society, gender, etc.) to understand the complexity about the transformation of food systems in the region. The complexity per topic was further elaborated by the connection to four themes: 1) Climate Change, 2) Nature Loss, 3) Covid-19 recovery and 4) the context of the region (social, political, geographical).
The possibility for participants to listen to either English, Spanish or Portuguese was a way to acknowledge the diversity of Latin America. The use of the multi-lingual approach ensured respect to local cultures and their contexts. The participants were allocated to discussion groups based on their experience and preferred language to encourage active engagement. The multi-lingual approach contributed to multi-stakeholder inclusivity across the region from different sectors (academia, research, business, NGO, farmers and youth). The multi-stakeholder inclusivity was stimulated by personal invites from the convenors, Bayer and CCAFS, to contacts in the region.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The most important factor brought up multiple times is the strong need for alliances between science, the private- and public sectors, farmers and other key actors to create a sustainable and resilient food system. To improve trust and create strong partnerships, transparency is stressed as essential. With the use of these alliances, stakeholders can align their programs, initiatives and experiences. Creating platforms for the exchanges of methodologies and experiences between different sectors and countries can contribute to the alignment of these programs and to the strengthening of the alliances. Sharing experiences will help in bringing actions and innovations to scale and generate economic incentives through innovation systems.
Innovation is essential in order to stop converting natural lands, limit the use of water resources to produce food and minimize the loss of natural ecosystems. To accelerate sustainable innovation, investments are key to provide farmers access to new technologies and assistances, for which funding pathways should be established. Additionally, local value chains should be strengthened together with relations between producers and consumers to enhance healthy and nutritious diets.
The inclusion and empowerment of women and youth in Latin America food systems is key to address the generational change issue. Agriculture should be visualized as an opportunity for young people to create their own pathway. Furthermore, education and communication campaigns are emphasized as important pathways to raise awareness among youth. Reducing inequality between men and women is of major importance which can be achieved by ensuring equal payment.
It was found that trade-offs are important and should be addressed more. Measuring progress is still hard and therefore indicators or monitoring and evaluation systems should be implemented or improved to measure progress and success.235- 240
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Business as usual is no longer sustainable, particularly in the light of the pressures of Covid-19. Therefore, more synergy and public-private partnerships are key in order to create a sustainable and resilient food systems in Latin America. Game changing solutions are needed which should reach all stakeholders and deliver multifaceted benefits for society including healthier diets and reducing inequalities at demographic level and in value chains.
Innovation should be brought to scale in order to reach the SDGs. To empower actions at scale, place policies, regulations and incentives are needed which enable a sustainable recovery at regional level. Innovative solutions and technical assistance should be able to reach farmers and be delivered in partnership with the private sector. To stimulate investment from the private sector, good examples should be measured and reported as evidence of success. Additionally, a distribution mechanism is needed to ensure equitable value distribution all the way down to the farmers. To ensure the future vision of food systems, a generational change of producers is needed by empowering and including youth and women; ensuring equal payment and raising awareness is essential.
Partnerships are essential in bringing diverse food systems stakeholders closer along the whole food chain through innovative partnership models which enable action. Stakeholders should step out of different siloes to ensure integration and cooperation between different sectors and enable their alignment. Strong partnerships require transparency and interdisciplinary communication. Different solutions are required for the diversity of the food systems in Latin America with its wide range of products and producers. These solutions already exist for different contexts; however, they need to be scaled up through investments and policies.
The diverse region should find a unified voice by doing these kinds of dialogues. The Food Systems Summit is a key opportunity to articulate the regional vision, innovations, actions and partnerships on the global stage.236- 240
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To stop agriculture from impacting critical ecosystems we should no longer convert lands, use water resources unsustainably or modify the natural ecosystem to produce food. Hereby, science should take the role of translating and bringing science-based solutions to farmers through technical assistance. Farmers will be empowered by providing access to new simple technologies that include scientific and traditional information to ensure food and nutritional security while maintaining cultural diversity.236- 238
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To address malnutrition and obesity, a standard should be created to inform consumers about nutrition and establish social protection policies to secure nutrition levels. Besides, policies need to address food costs, as this is a huge barrier to nutritious food access for all members of society in Latin America.236- 240
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Besides, promoting local markets can enhance greenhouse gas emission reductions. To achieve 50% reductions in food loss, improving and increasing technologies, logistics and innovation are found essential. Alliances should be promoted along the whole food chain supported by transparency, interdisciplinary communication and promoting the use of scientific information in regulation.236- 241
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Actions to provide end-to-end solutions to transform food systems should include access to healthy food, consider young people in agriculture, strengthen local supply chains and economic incentives through innovation systems. To unlock sustainable finance, a distribution mechanism is needed to ensure equitable value distribution all the way down to the farmers. Working hand by hand with the private, public sector and civil society, as well as the establishment of sound regulations and policies will create an enabling environment for money to flow into the region.236- 241
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Actions to engage young people in science-based social movements include raising awareness by visualizing the potential future of food systems through education and exposure on social media platforms. In order to close the gender gap, access to family care and child support are essential to enable women to work in agriculture. Other enabling factors are reinforcing women networks, equal payment for men and women ensured by the private sector and recognizing women for their work.237- 238
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a) The presence and importance of ecosystems services (carbon market) need to be clarified and emphazised more in food systems. Considering ecosystem services is crucial in Latin America due to its vast diversity of ecosystems.
b) Areas that need further exploration are addressing trade-offs and developing ways to measure progress. Moreover, the different stakeholders should be linked to specific actions to pin down responsibilities. It remains unclear what is expected form the younger generation, what is specifically meant by the younger generation (current or future) and what their potential jobs will include in the future.
c) Practices needed for food system sustainability include equitable value distribution along the whole food chain as well as between genders. Furthermore, critical ecosystems should be maintained, restored and further protected from the possible impacts of agriculture. Besides, the transformation of the food system should deliver healthy and nutritious diets for everybody in Latin America.
d) Policies and incentives need to be tailored to the different types of farmers that we find in the region in order to enable the transition towards a more sustainable food system. Additionally, especially the link and partnership between science, the public- and the private sector should be prioritized, as well as the link between producers and consumers.2021-01-21 15:10:04204Agri-SME finance at the Food Systems Summithttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2711/- 203
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?1. We organized the dialogue with urgency, aiming for the findings to feed into the FSS.
2. Our discussions focused on solutions following Chatham House riles while recognizing the complex issues surrounding agri-SME finance and food systems.
3. We shared detailed information about the summit with participants beforehand, enabling them to better understand how they may contribute to it through these dialogues.
4. We generally followed the dialogue format proposed by the Reference Manual, including an opening/introductory session, small group discussions and a reflection session including reporting from discussion groups.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 241
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On 11 January 2021, SAFIN partners held a "Food Systems Dialogue," as the first contribution of the network to the preparatory process for the UN Food Systems Summit (FSS) to be held in September.
The objectives of the dialogue were to:
• Allow SAFIN partners to be well informed about the FSS, so they can reflect on what opportunities and expectations this brings for the network;
• Reach clarity about why and how agri-SME finance most fits into the FSS agenda, so that the network can focus its engagement and develop a compelling narrative around it;
• Identify 2-3 priority issues or challenges in agri-SME finance that are critical to address in order to achieve impact in the FSS Action Tracks;
• Brainstorm about 2-3 potential "game-changing" actions around these issues or challenges.
In line with the standard structure of Food Systems Dialogue, the event started with a framing presentation (an overview of the Summit process and intended outcomes by Alison Cairns, Partnership Lead in the Summit Secretariat) and then moved into two interactive breakout sessions facilitated by Kindra Halvorson (Technoserve) and Brian Milder (Aceli Africa and CSAF). Both breakout groups discussed the top challenges in agri-SME finance that should be addressed in order to transform food systems in line with the FSS Action Tracks, and the top "game-changing actions" that could be launched around the Summit to address these challenges at scale.235- 241
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Summary of outcomes
The top challenges identified by network participants in both groups fell under four headings:
1. Limited bankable demand on the agri-SME side. This includes:
a. limited capacity (particularly in terms of business management) of individual entrepreneurs and companies
b. market-level factors that affect agri-SME bankability (e.g. fragmentation of farmers, high transaction costs of doing business in rural areas, value chain malfunctioning, lack of business development service models that work well at scale).
2. Limited capacity to engage with agri-SMEs among financial institutions. This includes:
a. limited capacity or willingness to engage with agri-SMEs for some types of institutions (due to lack of understanding of the market, risk factors, etc.)
b. lack of proper segmentation of the agri-SME market and, consequently, clear asset classes in this market
c. ill-suited product offerings (particularly among traditional financial institutions)
d. processes of client acquisition and client management with high transaction costs
3. Limited capacity of agri-SMEs and finance providers to address new environment or climate-related challenges or to tap into climate finance and the sustainable investors’ market.
a. Environmental and climate pressures bring new risks and costs for many agri-SMEs (including for compliance with new standards etc.), but only a fraction of public and private finance for climate mitigation and adaptation goes to agri-SMEs
b. Many finance providers are ill-prepared to design and issue investment products for to green/sustainable investors to deploy in agriculture, nor do they easily access or have capacity to manage funds from public sources of green finance for this sector
4. Policy and coordination gaps. This includes:
a. political interference or policy gaps (e.g. at Central Bank level)
b. lack of coordination, information gaps and information asymmetries among different actors in the agri-finance ecosystem
c. lack of convergence around shared standards, e.g. concerning effective business development services or agri-SME bankability.
The proposed "game-changing" actions that the Summit could help launch or amplify/scale were:
1. A clear recognition by governments of the key roles of agri-SMEs in delivering against various public goods related to food systems and commitment to reward the positive development externalities generated by agri-SMEs through their business models.
2. A multi-actor initiative to bring more transparency into the business development service market for agri-SMEs, including an evidence-based benchmarking of effective models against impact on access to finance, an effort to standardize BDS curricula on the basis of such benchmarking, and value-for-money metrics for funders of such services.
3. One or more large-scale regional risk reduction facilities (e.g. risk capital pools plus technical assistance) to mobilize regional commercial capital, including long-term, patient investors’ capital, for regional (local currency) investments for agri-SMEs (particular focus on Africa).
4. A platform targeting agri-SME users with information about the universe of potential investors in their markets, their product and services offering, their bankability requirements, and their potential suitability to each company's growth stage.
5. A shared international reference framework on the use of blended finance for agri-SME investments in a “food system transformation” context, allowing evidence-based decisions about where to focus “subsidy” to leverage private capital for agri-SMEs, how to phase it out and how to assess additionality in agri-SME finance from a holistic food system standpoint.
6. An international platform or programme to: a) support innovation in digital technology and in business models applying digital solutions to agri-SME finance, b) address barriers to scale for business models with scale potential, c) roll out digital solutions among a broad community of financial institutions serving agri-SMEs, focusing on solutions that reduce the costs of acquiring smaller clients, managing risk, and achieving positive environmental/climate impact.2021-01-25 08:28:57205Stage 1Strengthening Food Systems for Sustainable Development in Cambodiahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2549/- 39
4842716133141132111822513264How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The SUN Networks provided the main means for ensuring diversity in this preliminary exercise. During the training and selection of Facilitators and recorders we encouraged women to participate and will continue to do this. The Involvement of civil society representatives and business network representatives will open the doorway for wider inclusivity. Participation of government staff from a range of ministries was intended to capture their interest and to show the relevance of food systems across a range of ministries.
'I would like to deeply thank you for your training session for the Cambodia Food Systems Dialogues held via Zoom on Monday 18 Jan 2021.This session is very important for current Cambodia society and the first time for me.'
Mr. Pen Norakvuth, Deputy General Director of the National Social Security FundHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Urgency: We moved as quickly as possible towards commencing dialogue activities so as to give maximum time for us to make progress with the dialogues. The need to move quickly is understood by our core team and this reflects the urgency for actions to improve understanding and strengthen food systems.
Commitment: by moving forward with this process, explaining the dialogue and giving opportunities to participate we are securing commitment. The activation of government representatives by CARD and the harnessing of the SUN Movement in Cambodia has been critical for this initial commitment.
Respect: our dialogue reflects some hierarchical procedures that are consistent with social norms for respect in Cambodia. This norms are very important to communication and especially for multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder processes. The team is skilled in dealing with formal protocols. In addition, the breakout rooms provided for less formal interactions and the Facilitators were responsible for respecting and encouraging the opinions of all involved in these smaller groups.
Inclusivity at this stage was limited and more emphasis will be placed on inclusivity as the process unrolls. Nonetheless, the preliminary dialogue brought in representatives from government, donors, UN, civil society and business.
Building Trust: this principle was very important for the event, with the trust of the core team growing in the process and in each other and for the participants to trust that the multi-sectoral process does not threaten their sectoral direction and control.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is important to think about these principles in planning the events and setting the agenda. One of the strongest ways for embedding these principles is for the teams involved in the presentation of dialogue events to embody those principles in their own actions. we can do this by encouraging participants to speak freely and by showing we value their inputs and offer opportunities to make their opinions heard. The trust created in the small group setting is the real opportunities for these principles to be brought to life. Be sure to invest time in training and practicing your facilitators in facilitation skills.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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This event was primarily to practice our team in all the process of the dialogue and to discover our limitations and capabilities. This was our first experience in conducting a zoom meeting with separate breakout rooms and plenary sessions.
The dialogue itself sought participants feedback on a draft vision for sustainable food systems in Cambodia in 2030. The participants were given complete freedom to comment on what sort of elements should be in the vision, using the draft simply as a reference point if they needed ideas to react to. The second and more detailed part of the dialogue was to suggest ways that we can move forward towards that vision. These ideas will continue to be developed over the whole course of the national dialogue in readiness for the summit.
The draft vision presented was:
By 2030, Cambodian food systems will ensure access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food for all Cambodians, enabling sustainable production and consumption patterns, a balance between long term productivity and the conservation of natural resources, promoting equitable livelihoods and inclusiveness and resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses.
Several amendments to the vision or points of clarification were suggested. These included a long standing difficulty in understanding the meaning of access; whether affordability is included in the concept of access to food and whether information about food is considered under access. Other points raised were for more emphasis to be placed on healthy diets and consumer information, that the trade-offs implicit in increasing productivity and conserving resources and between food crops and agro-industry should be more explicit and that we need more detail on how the poor and vulnerable are to be included.235- 238
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Whilst no specific commitments were made in the course of this dialogue, by moving forwards with the event, there has been specific request to join in the dialogue process, including from branches of government, UN agencies, civil society representatives and other individuals. The event has help spark a new list of participants and topics of interest for ongoing dialogue.
The participants .recognised that it will be useful to increase understanding and awareness of the food systems and how we relate to it. The discussion heightened issues for some parties who felt that food systems are not relevant to their interests and revealed the depth of the divisions between some sectors and interests. The challenge for engaging the many parts of the food system and highlighting interconnectedness was clear. For some areas, involvement with systems discussion is not appealing because they prefer to remain within limited mandates and specialised areas of interest. This is an ongoing challenge and reflects a history of sectoral thinking in education, governance and management.236- 238
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What can we do to reach our vision for sustainable food systems for Cambodia 2030?
Keep a focus on healthy diets and healthy diet should be a part of the national curriculum. Providing information to consumers on how to make sustainable and healthy choices on the food they buy and consume is important.
The political will to change is a prerequisite. We must also ensure that all parties, including the private sector work in unity.
Increased investments in education and research and innovation are critical for shaping the future of the food system.
A food systems approach is important for achieving the vision. When we talk about sustainable food systems it is an opportunity to talk about everything that has to do with the food we want to eat, from supply chain, to consumer environment, to how food is prepared etc. Cross-cutting issues are very important. Waste is another very important issue. Consider economic, environmental, social and cultural dimensions of the food system.
Cambodia was quite resilient during COVID-19 in terms of food supply, and we can learn lessons from that regarding sustainable consumption patterns. More work required to build resilience for dealing with climate change and disaster management
More opportunities required to disseminate information to people at different levels, like the market side. We have National Nutrition Day every year, but that targets specific people. We can make that event more open to the public and make it more enjoyable and reach down to sub-national level.
Quality Assurance and Quality Control mechanisms required for food, through each point of the food system (including the production and use of ingredients, growing, processing, packaging, production, selling and consumption).
One element missing is the responsibility in terms of the market to provide information, for increased market monitoring and information sharing. Market regulations should be enforced..
Social assistance is very interesting. School feeding schemes and cash transfers for the poor during COVID-19 improve food access. We could discuss further the social protection/social assistance on offer in Cambodia and how this affects the food system. This could be critical for resilience? While there was no food shortage during the pandemic, studies show that people are more in debt and this can affect nutrition. It is important to take a life cycle approach (include elderly, young children, disability, and youth etc.) and design programmes for those special groups.
The private sector and the SMEs are very important partners for moving towards sustainable food systems, especially in the development of food processing and packaging.
The sub-national platforms should be scaled up to provide a platform for different sectors to come together regarding nutrition. Food systems is a relatively new idea for everyone, and it is important to bring different departments into action. While the dialogue is driven at the national level, including stakeholders from all departments is key and the next step is to bring this to the sub-national level. All levels to be involved in information dissemination to reach to the community. Cross-sectoral coordination is vital for creating access to nutritious food and to alleviate poverty. The road map should include cross-sectoral working systems at the local level? It is difficult for people’s voice to be heard, so this is important to create equal access. Especially when it comes to infrastructure, such as water systems, necessary for allowing good nutrition.236- 238
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A vision for sustainable food systems for Cambodia 2030
Draft Vision
By 2030, Cambodian food systems will ensure access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food for all Cambodians, enabling sustainable production and consumption patterns, a balance between long term productivity and the conservation of natural resources, promoting equitable livelihoods and inclusiveness and resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses.
Comments:
The demand for healthy food from the consumer’s perspective should be pointed out more. Rather than just looking into supply, we should also look into demands for healthy diets and how that could be included. The concept of food sovereignty should be included in the vision. This means that people can access and consume healthy and culturally appropriate food that is produced without harm to the environment. the vision should be that people can consume a healthy diet and have choice.
The word ‘access’ is vague – does it refer to affordability, availability to materials if one wants a home garden, etc. It should be elaborated what ‘access’ means as it could mean different things to different people. For access, information is also very important. People can have the food but without access to information there is still a problem. When we think about access to food, we must include consideration of the poor, minorities and migrants.
We want to see more of a focus on healthy diets and the consumer information side of things. People often don’t have enough education/information on the topic and this should be expressed somewhere. Sharing knowledge of agriculture is important, including food safety.
Conservation of natural resources (perspective from working in Preah Vihear) could be conflicting with livelihoods, as many people depend on natural resources for their livelihoods.
There should be a balance of agro-industrial production for export and local production for local demand237- 240
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Conservation of natural resources (perspective from working in Preah Vihear) could be conflicting with livelihoods, as many people depend on natural resources for their livelihoods.
There should be a balance of agro-industrial production for export and local production for local demand2021-01-28 21:17:49207Global Food Systems Summit Dialoguehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1234/- 203
95852272514410511713185111371528233135181169How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The organizing team paid careful attention to inclusivity by striving for invite individuals from diverse stakeholder groups, sectors, gender, and countries. This entailed going through various iterations of the invitation list, each convening institution drawing on their respective networks.
Facilitators were selected with and briefed with care, to ensure they create a space for dialogue that is conducive to respect and trust.
The discussion topics were designed to complement the exchanges and work carried out under the Sustainable Food Systems Programme, and captured multiple aspects and perspectives of food systems so as to embrace their complexity. Discussion topics also aimed to focus attention on some of the most complex, or contentious issues.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Dialogue reflected the principles of complexity, respect and trust as planned for the design. Discussions in the groups were open and enriching for participants.
The principle of inclusivity was not as strong as had been aimed for in the design phase, due to the fact not all those invited registered, and of those who registered, not all attended. The majority of participants were from North American and Europe and there were few youth. Despite this limitation, participants appreciated interacting with individuals and institutions they had never met or heard of before.
All participants embraced the principle of “acting with urgency”, recognizing the important of accelerating the pace of change in their recommendations and demonstrating commitment to act. All were committed to contribute to the Food Systems Summit preparation and follow-up, recognizing it is an important milestone to catalyse further action on food systems.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is important to pay utmost attention to the composition – namely diversity of the invitation list – and to plan for the fact that not all invited will attend. Furthermore, in the case of international online events, the “no-response”/“no-show” is likely to be higher amongst individuals who live in low income countries where access to and the reliability of internet may be more challenging. It can therefore be useful to invite more individuals from these regions to ensure they are well represented during the event itself.
It is also very important to select and brief the facilitators carefully to ensure they are not pushing their own agenda but creating a space for all to express themselves and listen to each other.
Finally, formulating the discussion topics so that they point to critical issues will help avoid rather superficial conclusions that stop at common areas of consensus.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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This Dialogue was the first Global Food Systems Summit Dialogue. It was organized alongside the Sustainable Food Systems Programme Conference.
The UN One Planet Network’s Sustainable Food Systems Programme (SFSP) is a multi-stakeholder partnership focused on catalyzing more sustainable food consumption and production patterns. SFSP Partners collaborate on joint initiatives, which range from normative, advocacy and policy support activities, to research and development projects as well as on-the-ground implementation activities that address our food systems challenges. The Programme promotes a holistic approach, taking into account the interconnections and trade-offs between all elements and actors in food systems.
This context provided a good opportunity to conduct an overview of some of the major challenges faced for making food systems sustainable and equitable.
Participants exchanged views about 9 discussion topics which explored the roles key stakeholders can play in making food systems sustainable: from those involved in producing, supplying foods and consuming foods – namely food producers, small and medium enterprises and consumers – to the public and private institutions which can create an environment conducive to sustainable production and consumption.
The 9 discussion topics were:
1. Farmers and food producers lead the way to sustainable and equitable food systems by participating in the formulation of policies that impact them; they are supported and celebrated.
2. Small and medium enterprises thrive as drivers of sustainable local food systems - innovating, creating employment, partnering and providing healthy foods to local consumers.
3. Agrobiodiversity: Agriculture and land use strategies protect and promote agro-biodiversity and stimulate local food production, providing sustainable livelihoods and healthy diets for all.
4. Consumers worldwide have shifted to more conscious and sustainable consumption patterns, within planetary boundaries, in line with nutritional recommendations.
5. Science and Policy: Policies, actions and investments in sustainable food systems are informed by science that promotes a systems approach, appreciates impacts beyond individual sectors, and builds on traditional knowledge.
6. Governance/ Multi-stakeholder collaboration - Innovative governance and incentives at all levels foster cross-sectoral collaboration across policy areas (e.g. biodiversity, climate change, health, trade, etc).
7. Investments: Responsible and accessible investments in sustainable and equitable food systems by financial institutions and private investors are the norm.
8. Public Procurement: Governments at all levels make maximum use of their leverage power to bring about sustainable food systems transformation through procurement.
9. Policy coherence: Interlinkages and trade-offs between policy areas (e.g. agriculture, environment, health, nutrition, etc.) are actively managed through holistic and coherent food systems policies that catalyze joint action.235- 238
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The discussions were animated and rich. Participants appreciated the fact they were interacting with individuals and institutions they did not know. Some appreciated the possibility to address difficult questions and “elephants in the room”.
Connections in the groups generated enthusiasm and strengthened the urgency to act. Significant energy emerged as groups shared highlights of their exchanges in plenary. One group even called to bring the power of love in decision-making, reminding all that food is also “feeling, culture and emotion”.
The following themes emerged across the groups, demonstrating the inter-relations between topics:
Strengthening the agency of small and medium food producers and suppliers
Many emphasized the importance of strengthening the agency of those who are at the forefront of providing food. The support needed includes access to: training and higher level education; finance and insurance; markets, retailers and marketing strategies; technology and digital tools; capacities for reducing Food Loss and Waste (FLW) and sustainable intensification; and capacity to use evidence-based approaches. Investments in the post-COVID recovery provide an opportunity to support smallholders and SMEs, contributing to a “just transition”.
Empowering consumers to be drivers of change
Consumers need to be empowered with better information such as through food labels and eco-labels. We can build on successful campaigns (e.g. FLW reduction) and develop new tools for behaviour change.
Addressing economic and social inequities
Participants urged to address economic and social inequalities that poor producers and consumers face, stating that unless we do so “our solutions will only be band-aids”. Some asked “how can we structure the economic system into a more circular and less extractive system?”
Investing in the “just transition”
Several groups emphasized the importance of aligning public and private investments. Tools to measure externalities (positive and negative) should inform investments, and new financial tools adapted to smallholders, “agro-preneurs”, and SMEs should be developed – e.g. making smaller amounts of capital accessible locally. Investors and donors working in different sectors should come together. Repurposing subsidies and tackling agricultural reform was also highlighted.
Public procurement can incentivize sustainable production and consumption, e.g. through sustainable school meals, which can address all SDGs. Participant discussed why public procurement is not used more and called for harmonizing definitions of sustainable public procurement and providing more guidance, including on reducing FLW. The leveraging power of sub-national governments in local economies was emphasized.
Local action supported by national leadership
Several groups recognized the struggle to reconcile global challenges and goals with the local reality. Subnational governments are key, in particular for revitalizing rural economies by investing in local employment, including in agriculture. Linkages between producers, retailers, consumers, researchers and cross-sectoral collaboration can be most effectively fostered at local level. Strong national leadership and coherent national policies also play a crucial role.
Action guided by science and evidence
All groups agreed science, data and evidence are key to guide and monitor action. Participants called for science to: be done and communicated in ways that are more usable for policy makers; bridge fields and address trade-offs and lock-ins; to democratize knowledge. The value of lived experience and traditional knowledge was also acknowledged. Some advocated for describing change in a way that connects to people’s emotions and incorporate emotion with data for decision-making.
Dialogue and bringing people together as fundamental
The importance of bringing stakeholders around the same table was part of all groups’ recommendations, e.g. through value chain roundtables (c.f. in Canada) and food councils . The term “trickle-down dialogues” was coined to get this conversation going from global to local level. Working with youth and bringing in under-represented groups is key. Some called for ensuring there is a direct line to concrete action and accountability.
SDGs as the compass for measuring success, with a focus on the local level
Many groups referred to the SDGs for assessing success. They emphasized the importance of focusing on the local level, both in terms of data collection and assessments of success, and of refining indicators (e.g. to include investment-related components).
Participants saw the Food Systems Summit as a unique opportunity to catalyze collective action, innovation and leadership in all the areas described above.236- 238
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Farmers and food producers lead the way to sustainable and equitable food systems by participating in the formulation of policies that impact them; they are supported and celebrated.
The group identified the following action areas as essential to achieve impact:
• Incentives: in order to create transformative change, farmers need to have the ability to get out of that which is locking them in (policy arrangements, financing, standards, market pressures). New incentives need to be created to reward farmers for producing health and sustainable food.
• Support Smallholders: smallholder farmers and family farmers, in developing countries especially, must be supported in the areas of insurance policy and certification of their farm products.
• Just transitions and farmer agency: In any transition there will be winners and losers. Just transition policies need to be put in place so that farmers are not unduly harmed. As farmers will bear the costs, farmers need to be given much more more voice and agency in the transition process. Creative strategies must be developed to align agriculture with investors’ and food companies’ net zero commitments.
• Market access: Farmers should be supported in connecting to markets, through digitization and other strategies.
• Youth: incentives should be developed to encourage youth to farm.
• Improve livestock: We need to focus on how to make companies involved in this sector move forward significantly in terms of climate impact, antibiotic use, etc.
• Pre-competitive co-operation: between companies to figure out how to lessen their impact and to find models to implement with farmers.
• More dialogue between industry and farmers is key to move sustainability goals forward and meet targets. The group raised the questions: how can industry help to deal with farmer locks ins and incentives? How can industry help to educate consumers and create links between farmers and consumers?
Divergence:
• Livestock: Debates about meat eating become a “turf war” in food system conversations. Perhaps it is more generative to focus on how these systems should be improved.
The group felt we could tell whether the actions listed above would be successful in the following ways:
• By working directly with farmers on indicators around climate change, biodiversity;
• If farmers continue to farm (rather than leaving the sector).
• If governments come together at the Food Systems Summit to make sure farmers are incentivized through the correct policies and commitments.
• If farmers are rewarded for enhancing ecosystem services (and other goals).
• If farmers have agency to get out of lock-downs they are facing.
The participants in the group were ready to contribute to this progress in the following ways:
• By developing a tool to evaluate how individual companies are contributing to food system transformation and create accountability for companies that are lagging behind.
• By having more difficult conversations, especially with regard to “elephants in the room.”236- 238
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Small and medium enterprises thrive as drivers of sustainable local food systems - innovating, creating employment, partnering, and providing healthy and nutritious foods to local consumers
Recommended priority actions:
• Bring companies into the nutrition space - Healthy food should not come at a premium. Pricing needs to reflect externalities. Companies can play include nutritional values of foods, from soil to plate. More local food chains and improved circularity are needed.
• Address economic and social inequalities - Need more attention to power and agency in the FS Summit agenda. Without addressing economic and social inequalities that poor producers and consumers face, solutions will only be band-aids. More attention to legal and policy frameworks on investment, trade and market power from the national to the global level (e.g. WTO) is needed.
• Leverage the COVID crisis to enable SMEs to build back better – COVID will lead to more deaths from economic decline than the virus. The World Bank looks at the barriers SMEs face, e.g. finance, transport, policy. SMEs need better support to feed their products into the supply chain and be at the core of building back better.
• Provide tools to support behaviour change (BC) - “You can’t change what you can’t measure”. Technology can support BC. Common responses for why food companies aren’t accelerating sustainability practices is that consumers are not ready. Evocco wants to use data about consumers to compile market reports for food industry players.
• Make data driven approaches affordable for SMEs - SMEs do not have budgets for data and often lack an evidence-based approach. They need an innovation budget.
• Financial tools - Governments and large companies need to think about blended financial tools and subsidies. Money needs to be on the table for SMEs to make necessary changes.
We will know if we are successful:
• By identifying healthy food indicators – e.g. ‘A food that is good for us and good for the planet’ – how can we engage people in the ‘power of love’. We want leading, positive reinforcement.
• Through focus on evidence and measurement - The Ceres2030 project, shows the importance of reviewing the evidence and quantifying how much and where spending is needed. The FS Summit should champion the call for better assessments of food systems problems and quantify the costs of solving them. Difficulty comes when moving from concrete to less tangible measurements. New technologies need to be leveraged to support evidence building.
Areas of divergence:
• Local v Global difference needs to be addressed. Evidence and analysis are required to address trade-offs and enable change. Decision-making needs to move from the global to local level. The current system blocks local action. Use the ‘power of love’ – change needs to be described in a way that connects to people’s emotions. Incorporate emotion with data for decision making. Some ideas about what is least environmentally impactful are not correct.
Participants’ contributions:
• Share templates, tools and prototypes for strategies
• Come up with a unified tagline for sustainable and healthy food systems. It is difficult to align people behind a system, rather than an output
• Increase marketing budgets for SMEs to provide healthy, sustainable foods to consumers
• Continue to develop measurement and evidence
• Build tools for consumer behaviour change
• Work with governments to get the policy right
• Carry out more R&D on health, healthy foods and BC, to move sustainable food systems up governments’ priorities list236- 238
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Agriculture and land use strategies drive the promotion of agro-biodiversity and stimulate local food production, in a way that provides sustainable livelihoods and healthy diets for all.
We need “game changing action” to implement a global movement for more biodiverse crops from production to consumption. Agrobiodiversity could be a game changer to scale up nature-positive production and support people with healthy, nutritious food.
Recommendations:
• The consumer needs better information, e.g. through labels which provide information about the environmental impact of food (water footprint, carbon footprint, biodiversity food print). Consumer demand is an important driver for change. The group discussed who provides information to consumers and agreed science should help improve consumer information.
• Producers need to learn about “forgotten” seeds. Farmers need access to more trainings, better seeds (e.g. through seedbanks, seed quality, seed systems), and improved crop storage. Family farmers and small-holders need support in: farmer organization, improved market access and links with retailers; access to digital tools; access to higher education levels; capacities in processing and packaging to reduce post-harvest losses. Their ability to speak at policy level should be strengthened. Farmers also need support to do more with less (sustainable intensification). Policies need to address challenges associated with water usage in agriculture.
• Science: Knowledge and information is key, for producers and consumers, hence science has a critical role. More research on agrobiodiversity is required, together with better cooperation between science and multi-stakeholder innovation. Sound monitoring is needed to make actions successful, to trace crops from gene banks back to the ground, and to monitor diversity from production to consumption.
Science needs to be transformed into applications, linked to farmers, e.g. : living labs, connecting researchers with various stakeholders (consumer organizations, farmer organizations, etc.), to co-create solutions and encourage local innovation.
• Policy: Subsidies need to be repurposed to support smallholders and family farmers in a transformation towards more (agro)biodiversity, and to increase the use of underutilized crops. Agrobiodiversity is being integrated in the post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (ref: SDG 2.5 and Aichi target 13).
• Private sector: Resilient landscape approaches need to be strengthened, including with cooperation of private sector, e.g. by supporting the production of more biodiverse crops. Business models that benefit agro-biodiversity are needed. Example: Costa Rica’s Sustainable Gastronomy initiative, which is a huge opportunity for the tourism sector. There is space to test and pilot new innovations through collaborative business models.
Key overarching topics for the Food System Summit:
• Better connections between science, policies and innovation
• Strengthening connections between farmers, consumers and all stakeholders to co-create solutions
• Bringing together different policy areas (climate change. Biodiversity, desertification). The agricultural sector could be at the center of this convergence through the food systems lens.
• Access to finance
• Knowledge sharing (esp. with farmers)
• How to structure the economic system into a more circular and less extractive system, and the need to shift incentives.
• The linkages between culture, tourism and biodiversity236- 238
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Consumers worldwide have shifted to more conscious and sustainable consumption patterns, within planetary boundaries, in line with nutritional recommendations.
Recommended Actions:
• The continuation and spread of Food Loss and Waste (FLW) consumer campaigns in different countries, drawing on expertise such as the World Resource Institute’s and examples in countries (UK & South Africa) where there are great success stories. A key component of this success also involves dialogues like these.
• Actions taken up by national leadership – these will have the greatest impact on consumer diet shifts, e.g. China’s recent carbon neutral pledge, which will need to consider healthier consumption alongside environmental strategies.
• Redesigning inclusive solutions that change diets, beyond awareness building campaigns. Consumers don’t change the way they eat because a panel of experts say so. Food is feeling, culture and emotion. In the next three years we need to look past ideology, reconcile definitions and design inclusive solutions.
• The group saw an opportunity in the fact that social movements are “trending”. Despite the effortless look and feel of citizens taking the streets, there is a lot of work and effort that goes into these, and we can potentially use this as a way to make change. Requires a closer look at highlighting the nexus of climate, food and people.
Controversies and Divergences:
• Debate on animal products in diets. We need a shared understanding around what a planetary bounded healthy diet is, and how we can achieve it with the minimal level of global trade offs.
• Need to move beyond dialogues and ensure there is concrete action. We can make small steps in the right direction and hold each other accountable.
Measuring success:
• Using standard templates for reporting and measuring success, such as in the case of FLW. Countries can measure baseline numbers around FLW and compare afterwards.
• For carbon pledges, there needs to be similar research, monitoring and evaluation to ensure that progress is taking place, using scientific methods. The key will be to look beyond national figures and dive deeper into the socio-economic, local and regional nuances that collectively make a systemic shift. This could also entail national food policies, that transcend an agricultural ministry, but involve budget and strategy across ministries.
• Ensuring an inclusive process for the redesign of the food system. This is happening now, with the Summit process underway, and the dialogues as a piece of that. However, for true success, we need to make sure new and diverse actors are participating, specifically from civil society and those who are struggling from the compounded challenge of a health pandemic, economic crisis and food insecurity. This includes SMEs, local retailers, and restaurants, as well as manufacturers.
• Financial and behavioural nudges are important. Like all actions they must be applied differently in different contexts. The food environment is critical to people making the right demands.
Participants’ contributions:
• Advance the work of collective action groups that include retailers, manufacturers, and CEOs, and create standard messaging.
• Enhance and spread the word on science-based game changers. Support research that will build the evidence around consumer influence in shifting food systems.
• Continue to work with countries on ways to implement FLW Campaigns in a tailored, fit for purpose, approach.
• Tackle reforms around agricultural subsidies that negatively impact consumers on nutrition.236- 238
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Policies, actions, and investments in sustainable food systems are informed by science that promotes a systems approach, appreciates impacts beyond individual sectors, and builds on traditional knowledge –
The group identified 3 areas requiring attention:
1. The science / policy interface:
• Focus on ensuring science is usable in policy making.
• Address gaps in existing regulations and the lack of scientists involved in policy making
• Bring scientists from different fields together for coherent policies. More generalists are needed to bridge sectors.
• Science should find adequate processes to address trade-offs and facilitate dialogue between different sectors.
• Inclusivity: Key actors are often missing in discussions (e.g. technical hurdles excluding people). Science on the ground provides the opportunity to connect with stakeholders.
• Addressing asymmetries to ensure everybody has a voice in policy processes.
2. Issues around data:
• Data availability: find efficient and inclusive ways to gather missing data (e.g data gap on “traditional markets” in the global south).
• Equity issues: we need to think about who is generating data, who holds it and who can access it (i.e paywalls). Revise who is heard when collecting data and addressing existing power relations.
• Platforms to make alternative knowledge / lived experiences visible need to be created
• Make lived experiences and traditional knowledge count as valid knowledge in science.
• A platform should be created for different kinds of knowledge to come together and find a common ground.
3. Research and dissemination of knowledge:
• Think about different ways to do science, e.g. with new tools and ways of sharing knowledge.
• Overcome the established notion of who is relevant in science, whom do we listen to, and bring in more young people and underrepresented voices.
• Access to knowledge should be democratized.
• Ask the question of relevance when doing research: whom are we working with, whom is it relevant for?
• Dealing with the difficulties of this era of disinformation: focus not only on people who “believe in science” but bring everybody in.
• Use interdisciplinary approaches to embrace the complexity of food systems and interrelated issues.
• Multidisciplinary/ transboundary research: need for a better toolbox for communication when engaging with diverse actors.
• Optimizing at local level: find innovation that is suitable for local contexts.
• Improve the contextualization of scientific findings.
• Communication work is needed, especially showcasing local knowledge
• Dissemination of results and funding: when asking for funding for research, communication and outreach after the study should be an integral part of the project.
• Finding ways to break lock-ins: for example, we can put our existing narratives aside and find new narratives that are co-created in a dialogue.
The group recommended the following for using science in the Food Systems Summit Dialogues:
• Bring in new science and ways of knowing, not only already established knowledge.
• Bring new people and underrepresented voices from the science community into the Food Systems Summit Dialogues (e.g young people, indigenous peoples, farmers)
• Connect data from different disciplines and sectors and make it available to foster dialogue among sectors
• Value different kinds of data and host “wisdom exchanges” to democratize knowledge production.
• Enable the art form of translating science and data into policy. What are new systems approaches and platforms that we can use to do this?236- 238
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Innovative governance and incentives at all levels foster cross-sectoral collaboration across policy areas (e.g. biodiversity, climate change, health, trade, etc.).
The group identified the following action areas as priorities to foster cross-sectoral collaboration:
• Working on sustainable school meals: Every child goes to school in most of the world – school meals can be linked to smallholders, culture, organic agriculture, healthy environment. At the UNFSS, this can break silos. It is also politically easy because you can address all the SDGs through school meals. They can create links from local to national scales.
Who to involve? Governments, farmers, food suppliers, procurers, etc. National and local levels should work together.
What’s the push to make this on a large scale? It’s a triple win: through school meals you can achieve healthy food, healthy people, and healthy environment while addressing social aspects (small-holders livelihoods). It also helps build the resilience of cities and regions.
What stopped people to date and what can help? Sometimes the procurement legislation is not supportive, or farmers are in remote areas, are not well connected or are difficult to reach; it is also about political decision making, and the fact that this is not seen as a low hanging fruit.
• Set up food or value chain roundtables/councils where several parts of the food chain are represented and learn to know each other: Value chain roundtables have existed in Canada for almost 2 decades and proved very useful to respond to the COVID-19 food system crisis. These existing systems allowed a rapid response. Councils look at key value chains, and how we integrate the perspectives of actors to build resilience and plan for the long term.
• Combining innovation with classical approaches: We can use the many innovations in the corporate sector, technology, and social organization and make sure they are coherent with the UNFSS objectives. Yet, more classical approaches such as social protection programmes for example have been gaining success in the past months because they target and help to the most fragile people. Also, value chain actors have to sit together to solve these issues.
• Having a coherent food policy and national round tables that connect and inclusive value chains discussions.
• Setting up departmental agencies to allow cross-sectoral collaboration: example of Canada.
• Programmes that address the triple burden of malnutrition (overnutrition, undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies).
• Foster open innovation: facilitate sharing information which then allows innovation to come from broader set of actors, and support collaboration.
• Multi-sectoral food policies: food policies need to link agriculture, health, trade and environment across multiple parts of government. This is not easy and requires hard work and a matrix approach in organization.
• Country-appropriate approaches: the Goal for the summit is that countries explore all and actually set up these approaches as appropriate to their country.
• “Embracing opposites” in how we work across silos
The group determined that an indicator of success in fostering cross-sectoral collaboration will be the permanency and institutionalization of these processes. It proposed as a target that through the UNFSS, X number of countries should learn about these value chains roundtables and food policies.236- 238
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Responsible investments in sustainable and equitable food systems by financial institutions and private investors is the norm
Recommended priority actions:
• Use tool and instruments to measure externalities (positive and negative).
• Better align private and public investments and look at linkages with social issues; tap into the potential of different types of economies and paradigms (e.g. circular economy.)
• Facilitate local access of smaller amounts of capital.
• Support entrepreneurs, as change-makers, which can be considered “agro-preneurs”.
• Create joint actions between public and private sectors; identify the lock-ins and break them.
• Adopt a systems approach. A cross-sectoral and cross-ministerial approach, at donor level, including issues on poverty, smallholder, livelihoods and climate change, would be a win-win.
• Look at long-term benefits - “longer-term patient capital”. For example, investments in building evidence which will bring multiple benefits.
• Look at smaller investments and longer-term impacts. These may need different Key Performance Indicators and other enabling conditions.
• Have better knowledge of enabling conditions, including the political dimension.
• On nutrition, there is a need for guidance to create enabling conditions and capture best practices. “How to build more trust amongst stakeholders”?
• “Trickle down dialogues:” get this conversation beyond global/national levels to engage local changemakers.
Measuring success:
• Through SDG indicators. Refine them and include investment-related components.
• If we are observing investments in transition (e.g. shifts from conventional to organic). A collective transition would indicate a systemic transformation.
• There are already matrixes (e.g. the SDGs and other agreements), especially for investments purposes. However, some countries might not report on them.
• Enabling conditions need to be better understood, and related matrices should be developed, e.g. to understand that investment-related outcomes take time.
Divergence and contention:
• Which investments and perverse subsidies should be discontinued? Let’s get rid of the damaging ones in the next three years. Ex: Deforestation, subsidies, waters, soils, fertilisers, desertification, etc.
• Regarding trade-offs, there should be a process for just transition, to not leave farmers behind without any livelihoods. Investors/donors should invest in those schemes.
• Investments that hazard basic rights should not happen.
Major challenges include:
• Conflicting policies. Subsidies and investments might not reach the final-level target, such as farmers.
• The challenge of highly industrial food systems: diversification vs. mono-culture, for which the related value chains are highly efficient.
• Data and matrixes. Sustainability should be included in data, and it should be easily accessible. Otherwise, we can be trapped into selecting only tempting data.
• More sustainable consumption. Ex: Digital technology to inform producers and consumers.
Opportunities directly related to the Food Systems Summit (FSS):
• The findings from the FSS should be embedded in the goals of the major funding entities, with the support of countries.
• Allocation of funding (development and domestic funding) should be more directed to work on data.
• Leveraging platforms such as the “Food Policy Platform for Change” focused on agro-ecology.
• One participant raised the idea of bringing food in the Global Commons Alliance (e.g. “Global Food Common”)236- 238
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Governments at all levels make maximum use of their leverage power to bring about sustainable food systems transformation through procurement.
Issues, opportunities and action:
1. Procurement for school meals impacts on sustainable production & consumption, diets and children’s health. Why is it not happening?
2. One third of food procured goes to waste. Economic and environmental rationale for saving on food loss and waste (FLW).
3. Public procurement can send strong market signals and raise the whole market baseline towards healthier, more sustainable food and reduced FLW.
4. Incentivize growers towards more healthy foods. They won’t make the switch themselves as they lack resources. It is a long-term & high effort engagement.
5. The bottom-up approach with sub-national entities has grown (e.g. ICLEI) and can contribute to Nationally Determined Contributions. The stronger the local efforts, the more likely national governments will follow with strong commitment.
6. Procurement of eco-labelled products by government agencies can support a market for them. Increased resource efficiency will ensure that sustainably produced products are not more expensive.
7. Definitions of sustainable public procurement vary and can include health, waste, environment, human rights.
Create good procurement guidelines and improve technical competence in procurement teams.
Procurement managers need to be trained and incentivized to procure food sustainably/locally, and factor that in next to cost minimization.
8. Coherent policy, guiding structure and capacity building.
9. Just transitioning: subnational governments can revitalize rural economies by investing in local employment and creating agricultural jobs through local public procurement policies.
Potential divergence:
• Complexity of trade-offs: what is most important? Biodiversity, food security, healthy nutrition, forest protection or climate? Work across sectors, identify sweet-spots.
• Lock-ins & vested interests: Vested interested may not want to let go of the (unsustainable) status quo. Ensure that clear win-wins are used straight away, e.g. ensure procurement of locally grown school meals which support local economies –demonstrates the possibilities at local, municipal, sub-government levels.
• Current polices may incentivise deforestation. Certain products that e.g. drive deforestation, GHG emissions could be banned.
Measuring success:
- Assessing the policy itself, a key driver for the shift from a cost-based to a sustainability-focused approach with new KPIs.
- A compelling economic case for sustainable procurement, which can be built (and monitored) through:
• internalizing external costs
• measurable food waste reduction
• assessing proxies for success
• creation of a level playing field
• jobs creation and savings
• sustainability issue as a national security issue
• food safety as a public health issue
• measure of dietary quality and its impact on public health (also economic)
Contributions participants can make:
- Double down on leadership and use multi-stakeholder process to tackle the balance between economic development and preserving nature.
- Restate their commitment on FLW, look at other levers, collaborate with unexpected partners.
- Build on eco-label and resource efficiency.
- Demonstrate that different sectors and levels of government can collaborate and procure sustainable food.
- Continue promoting sustainable healthy diets to prevent the burden of malnutrition and work towards a healthy planet.236- 238
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Interlinkages and trade-offs between policy areas (e.g. agriculture, environment, health, nutrition, etc.) are actively managed through holistic and coherent food systems policies that catalyze joint action
Priority actions:
• Break silos between different institutions, administrations and stakeholders. First step: involve in the conversation those stakeholders that have been left aside.
• The UN through the FSS could provide guidelines and incentives to reorganize their administration so that transformation and policy coherence are achievable.
• A systemic approach requires radical changes within institutions and people’s mindsets. Research must build on available information that can inform and transform policy and develop methods and expertise to support institutional change. Research must provide a frame for the change.
• We have evidence on what to do to make food production sustainable, e.g. agroecology. We need to use the evidence to implement necessary actions through holistic approaches. All stakeholders need to invest.
• Closing gaps between producers and consumers means knowledge and information democratization to facilitate informed decision-making.
Who must take the lead? A disruptive answer was new institutions co-created by existing institutions that are flexible and prospective enough to deal with today’s and future challenges, learning from the past.
Areas of divergence:
1) Inclusiveness:
• One participant mentioned some NGOs civil society feel relegated and concerned about private sector involvement in the FSS process. How can inclusiveness be promoted, so that the interest of the people is properly represented, not only the private sector?
• Good mix between science and policy would benefit inclusiveness. Silos are not only between governments and departments, but also between stakeholders.
2) Role of trade and markets
• We need to localize food systems and deal with inequity, allowing people to produce what they need and not depend on cheaper food produced overseas. Shipping food is one of the problems in the food system. Global and local food systems are needed to feed the world. Policy makers should remove these blockages.
• Trade-off between consumers' access (price) and producers' income (price).
Measuring success:
• Set milestones for monitoring the transformation. The SDGs are a good frame to do it, but need to be contextualized at national and subnational scales. There are different trade-offs at different levels.
• Promote a systemic and holistic approach across scales.
• Challenges lie in collecting, analysing and accessing data for these indicators, to inform decision-making in different contexts and scales.
• In the short term, monitor policy shifts in countries to learn from them and act accordingly.
• Look at the different interlinkages, associated trade-offs and synergies. We need in country level actions and try to break those silos.
Participants’ contributions:
• Help people, cities, regions and countries build up policy with systemic approach.
• Global research alliance for nutrition and Hopkins University are working to get information at subnational level on SDG indicators, to support local decision-making.
• The Millennium institute is working with UNDP to develop locally adapted models to see how SDG targets can be met based on local conditions.
• The Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica contributes with research and awareness raising of future professionals, and extension and discussion fora, for example in the Food Loss and Waste Initiative in Latin America.237- 238
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There we difficult trade-offs:
1) The place of animal source foods in diets. Some highlighted how debates about meat eating becomes a “turf war” in food system conversations. One group recommended to focus on how these systems should be improved. Another highlighted the need to have a shared understanding of what a planetary-bounded healthy diet is and how we can achieve it with minimal levels of global trade-offs.
2) The question of which investments and “perverse” subsidies should be discontinued. Some participants were in favour of getting rid of those that cause damage – e.g. by leading to deforestation, waters, soils, fertilisers, desertification, etc. Some participants suggested that certain products that drive deforestation and Greenhouse gas emissions, for example, could be banned. But there are trade-offs, e.g. potential loss of employment in certain sectors and economic losses.
3) The tension between the efficiency of highly industrial food systems focused on a limited set of value chains (e.g. monoculture) vs. the multiple benefits (health, environmental…) of diversification.
4) Conflicting policies, and the fact that subsidies and investments might not reach the final-level target, such as farmers.
5) The trade-offs in terms of what is most important: Biodiversity, forests and climate, or food security, or healthy nutrition? Participants highlighted the need to work across sectors and identify “sweet-spots”.
6) The controversies in the role of trade and markets, including: the trade-offs between consumers’ access (buying price) and producers’ income (selling price); competition of cheap imports with local production vs. the need to ensure an efficient distribution of food; etc.
7) The tensions between local and global levels, with some feeling the current system blocks local action and calling for decision-making to move from the global to the local level.
No clear solutions for addressing these challenges were identified but there was consensus on the fact that controversies and “elephants in the room” must be surfaced if we want to really tackle these issues. Participants agreed that Dialogues and the Food Systems Summit provide a good opportunity to do so.- Report of the 1st Global Food Systems Summit Dialogue - One Planet Network SFSPhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/1st-Global-FSSD-Report_final.pdf
- One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems Programme websitehttps://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/sustainable-food-system
2021-01-29 20:11:04204Game-changing Partnerships for Game-changing Solutions for Food and Climatehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1717/- 203
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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1. ENSURE ACCESS TO SAFE AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR ALL
• Addressing food loss and waste in supply chains, food security, and greenhouse gas emissions. Multi-stakeholder research and development. Leveraging technology to coordinate food distribution.
• Innovating to advance the SDGs.
2. SHIFT TO SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION PATTERNS
• Transforming diets to address pressing issues of malnutrition and obesity, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Public policies to promote healthier foods. Access to affordable, nutritious food. Market incentives for farmers to advance sustainable agriculture.
• Engaging 10 million young people in science-based social movements to catalyze climate action in food systems.
3. BOOST NATURE-POSITIVE PRODUCTION
• Addressing the adverse impacts of agricultural production on critical ecosystems including tropical forests, peatlands, savannas, and grasslands.
• Empowering 200 million farmers through the development of markets and implementing climate-smart agricultural practices to support resilience and profitability.
• Unlocking USD 320 billion per year from both public and private finance to create business opportunities for sustainable finance.
4. ADVANCE EQUITABLE LIVELIHOODS
• Closing the gender gap in agriculture and food systems that make it difficult for women to have access to resources and opportunities, including capital, technology, and land tenure.
5. BUILD RESILIENCE TO VULNERABILITIES
• Empowering 200 million farmers through the development of markets and implementation of climate-smart practices for resilience and profitability.235- 238
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CONCLUSION: Connections, Actions, and Explore
Connections: Establish relationships between a variety of stakeholders including scientists, researchers, and economists together with farmers, civil society, government agencies, businesses, educators, and political and social thought leaders. Each of these groups has a vital role to play in transforming food systems, as well as evaluating trade-offs and measuring results.
Actions: To achieve success, stakeholders will need to collaborate to align public policies, subsidies, and financial investments that incentivize businesses and farmers to
1. Eliminate food loss and waste in the supply chain.
2. Conserve natural ecosystems.
3. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
4. Support healthy and sustainable climate-friendly diets.
5. Ensure that high nutrient foods are accessible and affordable to underserved communities.
6. Ensure equitable livelihoods for farmers, including smallholder farmers, women, youth, and underserved groups.
7. Provide equal access to capital, technology, and land tenure to smallholder farmers, women, and underserved groups.
8. Strengthen capacity to provide actionable and real-time information and advisory services to farmers.
9. Scale innovative solutions.
To advance progress in achieving the SDGs, stakeholders will need to measure, evaluate, and report the data and evidence that is required to iteratively improve food systems. This will include ongoing assessments to balance food security, public health, the environment and climate change, farmer livelihoods, and the needs of women, youth, and underserved groups.
Explore: Further explore food systems by drawing on data and evidence to guide:
1. Public policy—including subsidies, taxing, and food labeling—with regard to food security, public health, climate change and the environment, farmer livelihoods, and the needs of women, youth, and underserved groups.
2. Businesses, including financial investments, research and development, and innovation.
3. Research, education, and civil society to advance the SDGs.236- 238
1. ENSURE ACCESS TO SAFE AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR ALL
Outcome: Food loss and waste reduced by 50% in supply chains, thereby improving food security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Actions: Improve soil management and crop protection. Educate consumers about waste.
Who: Farmers, businesses, researchers.
Assess: Multi-stakeholder research.
Challenge: Redistributing surplus food.
Outcome: Food and agricultural systems are transformed to provide game-changing end to end solutions to advance the SDGs.
Actions: Benefit farmers. Local solutions.
Who: Farmers, scientists, businesses.
Assess: Cross sectoral research.
Challenge: Regional variations.236- 239
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2. SHIFT TO SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION PATTERNS
Outcome: Diets are transformed to address malnutrition and obesity, while reducing greenhouse gases.
Actions: Policies and partnerships to help consumers choose healthier foods (labeling, taxation, advertising). Improve access to affordable, nutritional food. Market incentives for farmers.
Who: PPPs.
Assess: Trade-offs between farmer incomes, nutrient quality, food prices, and sustainability.
Challenge: Shaping demand for healthier consumption.
Outcome: 10 million young people are engaged in science-based social movements to catalyze climate action in food systems.
Actions: Engage youth climate action leaders to incorporate food security, health, access, and systems innovation.
Who: Cross-sectoral: private, public, science, education.
Assess: Balance health and environmental science.
Challenge: Promote longer term thinking.236- 240
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3. BOOST NATURE-POSITIVE PRODUCTION
Outcome: Agricultural production does not adversely impact ecosystems including tropical forests, peatlands, savannas, and grasslands.
Actions: Transform food systems to address climate and biodiversity crises. Conservation measures including pollinators and nutrient management. Incentivize farmers.
Who: Businesses, government agencies, and schools.
Assess: Data and evidence, evaluating trade-offs.
Challenge: Scaling solutions.
Outcome: USD 320 billion annually from public and private finance is unlocked to create business opportunities for sustainable finance.
Actions: Align current spending, including by OECD countries (presently $530 billion annually in farm subsidies), with incentives to advance the SDGs.
Who: Government, businesses.
Assess: Measure success by SDGs.
Challenge: Pricing carbon.236- 241
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4. ADVANCE EQUITABLE LIVELIHOODS
Outcome: Gender gap in agriculture and food systems is closed; women have equal access to resources and opportunities.
Actions: Provide women and people of color with equal access to capital, technology, and land tenure. Align policies with the needs of smallholder farmers, solutions to climate change, and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Who: Government, businesses.
Measure: Access to resources.
Challenges: Historic inequalities.236- 242
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5. BUILD RESILIENCE TO VULNERABILITIES
Outcome: 200 million farmers are empowered through the development of markets and implementation of climate-smart practices for resilience and profitability.
Actions: Assist smallholder farmers—provide access to technology and seeds to improve productivity and diversify income streams. Address gender gap.
Who: Farmers, government, businesses.
Assess: Measure greenhouse gas emissions and diversity of farmers’ revenues.
Challenge: De-risking farmer livelihoods.237- 238
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Strengths and vulnerabilities within food systems: Concerns were raised that in the process of adapting food systems to mitigate the effects of climate change and ecological degradation, the following three urgent matters must be addressed:
Livelihoods of smallholder farmers and how they will be affected by changes in food systems.
Women having access to resources, including capital, technology, and land tenure.
Food security, including underserved communities having access to affordable and nutritious food.
Areas that need further exploration: Given the extent of transformation that will be required to adapt food systems to address climate change and ecology, as well as food security and public health, participants focused on
The urgency of data and evidence to evaluate trade-offs, and make adjustments in an iterative and timely manner.
Practices that are needed for food system sustainability: Participants expressed the importance of involving a variety of stakeholders in the process of developing innovative solutions to transform to end to end food systems. They emphasized the importance of collecting data and evidence about trade-offs and what works, leveraging technology for sharing real-time information, and being inclusive.
Stakeholders whose interests should be prioritized: There was a great deal of concern about:
Prioritizing farmers, including small holder farmers and including women. Participants see farmers as valuable resources with regard to their experience and expertise. In fact, participants recommended that farmer-to-farmer networks be strengthened and empowered, and provided with technology that will enable them to share information in real time.
Including youth. Success in transforming to sustainable food systems will require the engagement of young people. Participants urged that education be oriented to young people in addition to on-site problem solving to advance sustainable agriculture.
Including women. Participants emphasized that women—including women of color—must have equal access to vital resources including financial capital, technology, and land tenure. That women need educational opportunities. That women must have a voice in decision-making.
Prioritizing capacity building. Participants stressed the importance of capacity building to enable small holder farmers, women, youth, and people of color. This includes access to technology, financial capital, and land tenure, as well as information-sharing, networks among farmers, training and education.2021-02-03 17:09:52204Fostering Resilient, Inclusive and Equitable Food Systems in Nigeriahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1334/- 135
490112810002722103241511022116132171449How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Stakeholders across various sectors were invited to participate in the dialogue, to capture diverse perspectives and dimensions. Participants were also informed of the importance of the dialogue and the need for their engagement. The dialogue topics were developed recognizing the urgency of transforming food systems, and the complexity and interconnectedness of food systems. The dialogue topics cut across multiple areas including the accessibility and affordability of nutrition, the need for technology and data in agriculture, infrastructure to support food production, inclusion of vulnerable groups, access to finance for food producers and the need for climate smart agriculture. Seasoned facilitators were also available to help facilitate the discussion topics to ensure that participants focused on future actions and that discussions were inclusive of divergent ideas.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue included a presentation before the discussions, introducing participants to the purpose and objectives of the UN Food Systems Summit and the Summit Dialogues. Participants were encouraged to share views from their work, highlighting how they could be applied to the country context and engaged with one another to discuss pathways to ensure that Nigeria can attain sustainable food systems in the next decade. The dialogue encouraged participants to look beyond the challenges in the sector and suggest innovative approaches to ensure the attainment of the discussion topics. The dialogue also reinforced the need for engagement of participants in the dialogue processes across the country, to further contribute to the outcomes of the Food Systems Summit.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The dialogue sought to reinforce the need for stronger, inclusive, and equitable food systems in Nigeria that can withstand shocks and disruptions, are inclusive of the population, and are equitable for all. Resilient food systems in Nigeria are critical to ensure the continual production and supply of safe, accessible, and affordable food for its population. The dialogue was centered on the following crucial areas:
1) The need for accessible and affordable nutritious food to support the overall reduction of malnutrition and hidden hunger in households.
2) The importance of appropriate technology and credible data in data-driven policymaking.
3) The role of infrastructural facilities in reducing food loss and wastage.
4) The impact of funding facilities in agriculture on overall food production.
5) The importance of minority groups in creating more inclusive sustainable food systems.
6) The impact of emerging technologies on food production235- 238
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A. Reduction in malnutrition and hidden hunger can be achieved through appropriate nutrition education; mandatory positioning of nutritionists or nutrition practitioners in the primary healthcare systems and other levels of health institutions; improved agricultural extension services; and the intentional re-orientation on socio-cultural issues toward the consumption of rich diversified diets.
B. To facilitate data-driven policymaking for the food and agriculture sector, the design, and implementation of a harmonized and inter-connected central data gathering, storage, and sharing platform in the agricultural sector at a national and/or sub-national level is extremely crucial.
C. To address infrastructural deficits in the food and agriculture sector, priorities must include increased investment in alternative sources of power, construction of rural roads, the development of more resilient seed varieties, and the regulation of the standard of agricultural machinery imported into the country, amongst others.
D. Increasing the funding facilities available to smallholder farmers will require amongst other things, the commercial aggregation of farmers, access to a well-structured data management system, the development of farmer-centric insurance products to hedge risks, the deployment of both traditional and innovative sources of finance and incentivizing financial institutions to fund the sector.
E. Enhancing data collection tools to capture the data of vulnerable groups, the inclusion of these vulnerable groups in policy planning and implementation processes, incentivizing groups by providing tailored education and support for them, are some of the strategies to build a more inclusive food system in the country.
F. The implementation of mitigative measures to reduce the adverse effects of climate change on agricultural and food production is critical236- 238
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Outcome: Households in rural communities and urban areas have access to affordable nutritious food and have received appropriate nutrition education and make wise food choices, thereby contributing to an overall reduction in malnutrition and hidden hunger.
Actions to be taken:
a) The improvement of agricultural extension services in the country to promote the implementation of best agricultural practices in rural agrarian communities.
b) The introduction of family life extension programs into the agricultural extension scheme to address socio-cultural issues, particularly, the wrong bias towards consumption of diversified diets rich in protein, fruits and, vegetables.
c) The promotion of healthier eating patterns by expanding the blueprint of nutrition education, literacy and, care by the mandatory positioning of nutritionists or nutrition practitioners in the primary healthcare systems and other levels of health institutions.
d) The optimization of overall nutrition in the country by strengthening programs (both existing or otherwise) that sensitize rural farming households on how to utilize available crops and foods.
e) Training of families in the rural areas to sustain their supply and access to protein-rich foods by breeding captured bush meat or wild games.
f) Enhancement of farmer productivity through investment in mechanization and agricultural technology which will positively impact their income and purchasing power
g) Ensure that domestic food production addresses the availability and quality of foods, and the socio-economic challenges.236- 238
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Outcome: Affordable and appropriate technology and credible data are readily accessible for key stakeholders and players across the priority value chains in Nigeria to facilitate data-driven policymaking, sustainable food production, traceability, and distribution.
Actions to be taken:
a) The design of a comprehensive central data collection and sharing platform/database for the agricultural sector that multiple parties can benefit from is crucial. There must be harmonized and inter-connected central data gathering, storage, and sharing platform in the agricultural sector at a national and/or sub-national level.
b) Public-Private Partnerships between industry and value chain actors is essential to ensure that technology is embedded in interventions.
c) Government at all levels must ensure an enabling environment (characterized by right incentives, tax breaks, less regulatory controls on digital services, reduced red tape) for emerging technologies to thrive.
d) Mass technological education for stakeholders (farmers, processors, etc.) on relevant applicable technologies is vital236- 239
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Outcome: The existence of good road linkages, storage, and processing facilities support sustainable food distribution networks and agro-processing, ensuring a reduction in food loss and waste.
Actions to be taken:
a) The need for increased investment in the construction of rural roads to facilitate easy access to farming communities and enable shorter turnaround times for off-taking activities
b) Diversification of electricity sources to alternative sources such as solar energy.
c) Renewed focus on value addition by Nigerian farmers to encourage increased infrastructural investment in the sector.
d) Increased extension services by research institutions, government agencies, and private sector companies to educate farmers on new and improved farming practices.
e) Collaboration by the public and private sector to establish grazing reserves for pastoralists, with access to potable water, cold chain storage and, lodging facilities.
f) Development of new seed varieties that guarantee longer shelf-life and the ability to withstand the rigors of harvesting, transportation, and storage.
g) Development of standards by regulatory authorities for agricultural machinery to prevent the proliferation of inefficient machinery in the country.
h) Establishment of a multi-stakeholder partnership forum to tackle insecurity, engage communities and, provide support to security agents to deliver adequate security to farming communities.236- 241
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Outcome: At least 70% of smallholder farmers in Nigeria have access to and can benefit from funding facilities to ensure the use of improved inputs and mechanization, ultimately increasing their yields and overall food production.
Actions to be taken:
a) Commercial aggregation of smallholder farmers in groups across multiple value chains to ensure greater access to market, funding, and reach. Other benefits of the farmer groups include capacity building initiatives and technology.
b) Implementation of a robust well-structured data management system.
c) Development of traditional and innovative sources of finance, (such as, crowdfunding, diaspora investment, franchising, fintech, etc) and tailored risk-management products such as farmer-centric insurance products for each value chain
d) Creation of an index of financial institutions that contribute to funding for smallholder farmers to stimulate healthy competition amongst financial institutions and impact investors.
e) Assessment of lessons learned from the Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN) project to enable scaling.
f) Expansion of the capacity of aggregators to increase their outgrowers and ingrowers clusters.
g) Expansion of activities undertaken by donor agencies from just capacity building to supporting advocacy and education for adoption of improved seed varieties for key food crops like rice, corn, cocoa, sorghum, beans, yams and, fruit trees, amongst others.236- 241
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Outcome: Ensuring representation for the most vulnerable groups (e.g., women and youth) in society in the food systems through equitable access to resources (land, agricultural inputs, social nets, business development, etc.) has helped in creating more inclusive sustainable food systems in Nigeria.
Actions to be taken:
a) Enhance data collection tools to ensure a more inclusive food system.
b) Administration of the agricultural sector should be more state-led. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development needs to be slimmer at the top and more resources funneled to the state and local government level.
c) Inclusion of grassroots communities, women, and youth groups in policy planning and compilation of national data in strategic planning and implementation processes.
d) Holistically identify critical areas of development and missed opportunities within the agricultural sector. This will justify an increase in budget allocation to the agriculture sector or departments within.
e) Education of the general populace on the importance of the agricultural sector.236- 242
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Outcome: Knowledge exchange on climate-smart agriculture, climate change adaptation, water management, and the promotion of micro-irrigation ensures investments in sustainable land use and reinforcement of resilient livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
Actions to be taken:
a) Build and maintain healthy soils on which crops are cultivated to enhance food security.
b) Effectively manage water utilization to ensure environmental sustainability.
c) Implement mitigative measures to combat and reduce climate pollutions (air and water).237- 238
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Vulnerabilities within Food Systems in Nigeria:
a) The persistence of inefficient traditional farming methodologies due to the unwillingness of rural farming households to adopt modern farming technologies.
b) Determination of market prices by middlemen or aggregators and not farmers.
c) Cultural practices in farming communities that inhibit progress like prohibiting women from engaging in profitable agri-businesses.
d) Farmers’ preference for selling off raw farm produce after harvest rather than engaging in value-addition.
Practices Needed for food system sustainability:
a) Rolling out a nation-wide scheme on improving protein intake in Nigeria by exploiting innovative mechanisms such as developing both animal and plant protein through partnerships with the private sector, to tackle protein deficiency.
b) Aggregate and connect farmers to ameliorate some of the challenges faced such as inadequate storage facilities.
c) Collaboration between UN agencies, MDAs, the private sector and other stakeholders to drive improved nutrition and consumption of nutritious foods across Nigeria’s food systems.
d) Integration of nutrition and healthy diets components in the Country Nutrition Programming framework.
e) Maximization of social impact by encouraging stakeholders in partnerships and collaborations to transform the food systems.
f) Maximization of mobile technology to deliver agro-services to farmers in remote locations.
g) Acceptance and adoption of genetically modified varieties by rural farming households.2021-02-10 11:56:04204Cross-sector partnerships for developing and scaling food system solutions in the northeast U.S.https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/4517/- 194
1072037302010610610151510123114How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?We used the principles available online here as guiding principles in the design of this event: https://summitdialogues.org/overview/un-food-systems-summit-principles-for-engagement/How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The event featured speakers and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and sectors. We included a range of speakers to demonstrate the importance of inclusivity in building food system partnerships. We also highlighted trust as a key element of effective multi-stakeholder partnerships.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Not at this time.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 240
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To achieve innovative solutions for sustainable food systems that are scalable, we need to bring together the best minds from across sectors. Partnerships are essential for developing creative solutions and moving promising ideas into broader action. This session features ongoing regional partnerships among researchers, farmers, private sector decision makers, and other key stakeholders that reimagine externalities in food systems and work with agricultural innovators to produce real social, environmental, and economic benefits.
Participants in this session learned about “payment for ecosystem services” programs that incentivize farmers to produce valuable ecosystem services as well as food and livelihoods from working landscapes; bold actions for equity in food systems through Milk with Dignity, the only worker driven labor standards program in the US; and research on the social dimensions of food systems that explores how and why farmers adapt to environmental change.
Session Goals:
• Identify innovative food system solutions that can be replicated and scaled
• Explore how collaboration among key academic, private sector, and policy partners can advance solutions and move sustainable food system ideas into broader action
• Contribute to inputs for the UN Foods Systems Summit 2021, especially ideas for a shared research-to-practice agenda that supports the goals of the Summit
Key Questions:
• What are challenges to developing cross-sector partnerships in sustainable food systems, and ways to overcome them?
• Are there generalizable lessons from the examples of partnerships in this session that can be applied to cases in other regions?
• How are farmers engaged in coproducing solutions?
• What key opportunities, outcomes, or dilemmas could be expected when scaling up these solutions?
• How can we measure or track the social, environmental, and economic benefits that result from these partnerships?
Speakers include:
• Moderator: Cheryl Pinto, Global Values Led Sourcing Manager, Ben &
Jerry's
• Taylor Ricketts, Gund Professor and Director, Gund Institute for
Environment, University of Vermont
• Dave Rappaport, Global Social Mission Officer, Ben & Jerry’s
• Meredith Niles, Gund Fellow and Assistant Professor, Department of
Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Vermont
• Marita Canedo, Migrant Justice
• Alissa White, Gund Graduate Fellow, Gund Institute for Environment,
University of Vermont
• Tom Bellavance, President, Ag Venture Financial Services, Inc.235- 240
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Date: Monday, November 23, 1:15-2:45pm ET
Session Title: Cross-sector partnerships for developing and scaling food system solutions in the northeast US
Main Outtakes of discussion:
• This panel represented a constellation of actors that are vital to advancing sustainable food systems solutions.
• Collaboration among key academic, private sector, policy, civil society, and on-farm partners is necessary to advance solutions and move sustainable food system ideas into broader action.
• The discussion focused on values and value-creation. Panelists described how partnerships generated real and tangible economic, social, and environmental value.
• Panelists highlighted the potential for greater value creation and capture because of the synergy that arises from the interplay between different partnerships.
• The kinds of partnerships discussed can transform what happens in a food system. Partnerships can catalyze a shift from transactional steps and interactions that surround the activity of growing food on a farm to deeper, more regenerative relationships among businesses, consumers, farmers, farm workers, and the farm ecosystem. This results in amplifying value for the many stakeholders.
• The session explored innovative food system solutions that can be replicated and scaled, such as:
o Innovative market mechanisms to enable farming practices that regenerate soil health;
o A pioneering farmworker-driven labor standards program in the U.S. dairy industry;
o Research programs on the social dimensions of food systems that show how and why farmers adapt to environmental change.
Bold Actions we will take:
1. Develop and implement frameworks that allow farmers to capture the fuller value of what they produce and the contributions of the farm’s operation
2. Ensure farm workers share in the value that’s created
3. Design market and policy systems to enable farmers to adopt soil health through ecological and regenerative practices on farms
4. Build stronger connections between consumers, farmers, and farms so that the market values appropriately and the distribution of value is equitable through the value chain
Note: Many stakeholders have important roles in realizing these bold actions. For example, an effective framework in the first bold action requires farmer and farm staff participation, business recognition and distribution of the value created, policy that supports the creation of new markets and adoption of practices, and research to inform program design and evaluation.2021-02-10 12:54:07204“Maintaining Functionalities By Building Resilience to Vulnerabilities”https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1260/- 203
68163711400353301074469832403304018253159713330How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Act with Urgency
The disruptions to food systems caused by Covid-19 have exposed the vulnerabilities in food systems across many African countries. This called for swift response from HIRED Consult to convene this dialogue for stakeholders and industry players!
Commit to the Summit
The outcome of the dialogue and discussions was to contribute to the overall preparation of the Food Systems Summit and by the end of the Dialogue period, Stakeholders and Participants will have identified the practices and policies that will have the greatest impact on the achievement of the desired future vision within their local food systems.
Be Respectful
The Dialogue took place in the form of discussions between a diversity of Stakeholders to explore convergences and divergent views on the guiding questions under discussions. Each participant was listened to, ideas and points were collectively welcomed. Diversity and Inclusion formed the foundation of the dialogue!
Recognize Complexity
Though Food Systems is complex in nature, the dialogue sort to unpack the systems in to smaller units thereby making each person fully grasp what is needed and better position Food Heroes to contribute meaningfully!
Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity
Building on diversity and inclusion, we opened up to every stakeholder possible including Chefs, Refugees, Farmers, Youth Voices as well as Foresters.
Complement the work of others
We cannot work in isolation when dealing with food systems. By working on a common goal and vision, we were able to address other underlying other global processes relevant to food systems.
Build Trust
Based on shared principles of accountability and transparency, we had an open and safe space for every to feel comfortable engaging with one another.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue made sure to embrace the rich diverse group of people from across the African Continent though we had other regional representatives. Building a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue also calls for morally dictated principles, and that was were we factored every aspect of the Principles of Engagement!Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?The Principles of Engagement are a critical component THAT SERVES as the guiding moral metrics for an engaging dialogue. An dialogue that does not conform and adhere to these principles cannot be accepted as a true reflection of Food Systems DialogueDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The focus of the Dialogue was on:
(i) environmental and economic shocks on African Food Systems caused by global pandemic
(ii) examining gaps and functionalities of African Food Systems
(iii) a comprehensive exploration of key players of Food Systems (including Chefs, Refugees, Youth Voices)235- 238
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KEY FINDINGS:
1. Africa’s rural areas and food systems will have to play a bigger role in absorbing young job seekers than they did in other regions, given the continued growth of rural populations.
2. There are more Opportunities in food systems for youth but very little is seen across board
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Invest not only in education but also more broadly in sectors such as transportation and energy infrastructure to create inclusive food system opportunities.
2. Create more vibrant rural economies, support policies and initiatives aimed at enhancing youth’s long-term economic prospects, which in turn will cultivate trust in government among young people to build resilient food systems.
3. Focus on broad-based growth, not just on youth, to create an economic environment in which food system businesses can thrive and generate jobs for both young and old.236- 238
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1. contribute to human health by preventing food-related diseases due to either malnutrition or overconsumption. Action to be taken by each and everyone of us. No one is left out of this action point
2. deliver good quality of food in order to meet consumer and cultural aspirations. Action to be taken by Government and agencies in the food sector
3. provide decently rewarded employment across the supply chain, with skills and training. Action to be taken by Business owners, and Government237- 238
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Strengths and vulnerabilities within food systems
Many were of the view that the vulnerabilities in food systems is due to bad governance whereas others also stated otherwise it is due to non-existent policies of what actually a food systems is
Areas that need further exploration
More participants had the notion that Food Systems was all about food. With experts in the dialogue, they were able to grasp few understanding of the general scope of food systems. This means more explorations needs to be done to further educate and highlight the importance of a robust food systems to productivity and efficiency
Practices that are needed for food system sustainability
Some of the submitted different answers were good governance, youth inclusion, realistic policies, technology and education.
Stakeholders whose interests should be prioritized
According to some participants, Youth must be the first prioritized whiles others made cases for Farmers as the first to be considered as without farmers, no food production.2021-02-10 14:40:23205Stage 1Towards a resilient food systemhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/4531/- 70
80153530344688451362512112551343924210How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Urgency. The FOOD research program is commissioned by the Prime Minister's Office; the government program stresses the urgency of action in regard to the SDGs.
Commitment. The ongoing civil society consultations of the FOOD program got new impetus from the awareness of a possibility to have a say in the global summit process.
Respect. Many of the participants know each other from the previous meetings. In a small country this is often the case an it is considered advantage for the society.
Complexity. Participants did ha experience in discussing these issues and were well aware of the complexity of the task.
Inclusiveness. It was clear that a number of aspects were not covered by the participants, even though certain participants raised points outside their own professional of regional circles. A particular difficulty is to reach actors of new type of businesses, as they tend to be less organized.
Complementarity. Collaboration with the Academy of Sciences is synergistic and cost-efficient. As there was an existing process of dialogue it was only logical to join forces for mutual benefit.
Trust building. There is a long tradition of civil society consultations and dialogue in the country. It is proven to build trust between interest groups and various parts of the society.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?look aboveDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is useful to join forces with existing actors and processes. (No need to invent the wheel a second time). Scientists are likely to be working in the same field of problemacy as the FSS. Therefore it is important to provide the researchers with a channel for getting the research results a global audience.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?As explained above, the curator and the Academy of Sciences joint their forces for the dialogue, end therefore the topics needed to be adapted accordingly. This turned out to be a good practical choice, as the participants were already familiar with the dialogue practices.
The chat window of the Teams meeting facility turned out to be a good way to collect a variety of views. It was actively used and the content was saved for further use.234- 238
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The research program FOOD of the Academy of Sciences is commissioned by the government. It is expected to give policy advise for further implementation of the government program, where sustainability and the overall set of SDGs is central. Therefore, the main focus for the program was to identify urgent research needs for policy advice.
As for the FSS dialogue, this served for the phase 1 of the national dialogue; collecting information and data, perception of the state of play and identifying the participants for the dialogue. The discussions, together with the search for existing documentation, helped to get an overall image of the situation. A compilation of existing research and data is attached to this feedback. Also, a report on the discussions is attached.
Research challenges:
What are the policy instruments to advance SDG targets? How to make change attractive for the actors in the food branch? How to bring along those who are hit by the change? What is the suitable pace of change, taking into account the urgency and the consequences for those who will loose. How to make consumers behave according to recommendations? How to combine national interests and global climate objectives?
The complexity and interlinkages between "tracks" makes it necessary to discuss without silo thinking, even under a specific Action Track.235For the phase 1 of the dialogue, this served well: a bunch of links to existing research and documentation was collected.
There is a need to enlarge the spectrum of participation.
Agreements, commitments, policy choice is to be dealt with in the next phases of the dialogue.
For the FOOD research program it was useful to get advise for further research.236Please find outcome of the discussions in the attachments:
1. Compilation of relevant existing research and documentation
2. A research report on indigenous peoples' food systems
3. Points raised at the dialogue working groups237Look above2021-02-13 01:56:40204Programme d'appui des jeunes dans l'agroalimentaire et la promotion de l'agriculture intelligente face au climathttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2025/- 56
0294101150010000051142000202100003021130001020How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?La mission s’était déroulée en quatre grandes étapes, à savoir, 1. La sensibilisation des parties prenantes ; 2. Identification des Experts Sectoriels ; 3. Pré-structuration du groupe des Experts multisectoriels et visite d’entretien ; 4. Tenue de la session du dialogue proprement dite.
Pendant la session du dialogue, le déroulement des travaux avait privilégié l’approche participative, s’appuyant sur des exposés, des travaux en groupes suivis de débat en plénières et des interviews des participants.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?La Concertation avait un caractère inclusif, représentatif et transversal, c´est à dire nous avons privilégié l’aspect « tous – acteurs et l’inclusion de plusieurs parties prenantes » Etat, secteur privé, société civile, Université-Étudiant et système des Nations Unies, pour créer l’adhésion et l’appropriation de tous les participants aux travaux.
Il y a eu, en premier lieu, un exposé d’orientation sur la problématique, la vision, les objectifs, et résultats final du sommet sur les systèmes alimentaires ; par la suite deux présentation en plénière sur les thématiques clés ; s’en est suivi les discussions et échanges participatifs, adoption et mise en commun des travaux ; le tout suivi par un plaidoyer
auprès des autorités nationales et partenaires actifs impliqués.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?« La vulnérabilité et la pauvreté sous toutes ses formes sont des maux qui rongent les communautés congolaises en général, et celles de 145 territoires ruraux en particulier.
Il convient aujourd’hui, face à l’impact de la COVID-19, de reconnaître que malgré sa bonne volonté d’actionner le
redressement national à partir de la base, l’Etat ne pourra pas tout faire. Du reste, l’État ne doit pas tout faire. L’initiative des opérateurs privées doivent être encouragées, y compris au niveau des partenaires paysans producteurs agricoles et ruraux pour booster le développement intégré de l’économie rurale en RDC.
D’où l’idée de rechercher et promouvoir des modèles structurant et innovants d’agrégations et Partenariats «Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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La tenue de la concertation a respecté les lignes directrices et les recommandations de référence des Coordonnateurs. Le dialogue était conduit de façon interactive en mode atelier- animation ; ce qui a permis l’implication active de tous les participants aux travaux du dialogue et voir même, l’appropriation par toutes et tous des résultats de cette activité en RDC.
Les jeunes ont été sensibilisés au programme d’appui dans l’agroalimentaire et la promotion de l’agriculture intelligente face au climat.
Les Étudiants en sciences agronomiques dans la salle étaient eux aussi, incité à installer des projets agro- alimentaires et à restituer les résultats du dialogue auprès de leurs paires dans les universités, avec les professeurs et les parents.
Le modérateur avait permis à tout le monde de s’exprimer librement et tous les points de divergence et de convergence ont été émergé dans la satisfaction de toutes et tous.
L’approche genre était également au rendez-vous, les femmes et les hommes s’étaient exprimés parfaitement sans aucune barrière.
Les causes et déterminants de la sécurité alimentaire ont été abordés dans les moindres détails ; les facteurs en interaction pour améliore les systèmes alimentaires, éviter les gaspillages et améliore l’état nutritionnel des enfants, femmes, jeunes ont étaient également abordés.
Les discussions-échanges et facilitation des groupes, avaient abordés au même moment, les interventions agricoles respectueuses de l’environnement et la nécessité d’adopter les bonnes pratiques agricoles intelligentes face au climat, pour la sécurité alimentaire, les revenus et l’atténuation des nuisances humaines sur l’environnement et émissions des gaz à effet de serre.
Tous les axes de la concertation avaient démontré que ce sont les revenus agricoles qui permettront d’améliorer durablement les conditions de vie de population congolaise.
Imaginer une République Démocratique du Congo, où la population vivrait mieux, tout en préservant l’environnement et généralisant l’application de bonnes systèmes alimentaire, à tous les niveaux : national, provincial, et des collectivités locales.235- 238
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Il sied de noter qu’il existe un défi agro-alimentaire majeur pour la RD CONGO.
Les conditions naturelles sont pourtant particulièrement favorables aux activités agricoles ;
Les précipitations en quantités suffisantes (qui permettent deux saisons culturales par an) ;
Important réseau hydrographique, fertilité des sols ;
Large ensoleillement. Le pays se caractérise également, du fait de sa taille, par la diversité des conditions climatiques et géologiques, ce qui permet une grande diversité des cultures.
Triste paradoxe de la RDC :
La population vit en deça du seuil de pauvreté et ne mange pas à sa faim ;
MAIS, seulement 10 % du potentiel agricole du pays est exploité ; Les données éco-climatiques sont partout favorables à l’agriculture.
Ce qui veut dire, qu’en terme de besoins et manifestation d’intérêts de la partie gouvernementale, il y a une manifestation et un engagement formel à ce que la décision d’étudier certains aspects spécifiques des systèmes alimentaires de manière plus approfondie.
Donc, il y a bénéfice d’urgence de lancer les activités d’envergure du Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA)en RDC, pour soutenir la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle et renforcer la résilience des communautaire236- 238
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Les résultats aux sujets de discussion ont rapporté que la RDC pourrait devenir l’un des plus grands pays agricoles de la planète car elle a l’opportunité de mettre en place des techniques durables qui sauvegardent l’environnement et la durabilité des systèmes alimentaire.
Ce qui justifie à suffisance l’intérêt que toutes et tous les participants avait manifestés lors de la session du dialogue du 7 janvier 2021. Cependant pour obtenir de meilleurs résultats et assurer la durabilité des actifs créer par la tenue de ce dialogue des Experts multisectoriels, une meilleure organisation et le renforcement des capacités des communautés au niveau national, provincial et local, par la formation et le suivi dans les différents domaines et pistes d’actions coché (1,2,3,4, et 5) d’intervention du CSA dans les systèmes alimentaires est nécessaire et urgent pour la RDC.
Ces interventions devraient se faire dans l’ensemble de 26 provinces et la capitale Kinshasa. Les partenaires d’interventions seront le Gouvernement, les privés, la société civile /ONG-Femme et Enfant, et les partenaires techniques et financiers, ONG Internationales et locales intervenant dans le domaine de la sécurité alimentaire. En raison de nombre de ménages en insécurité alimentaire, l’élaboration du Cadre Stratégique et la mise en place du Plan d’Action de la RDC pour renforcer la sécurité alimentaire et éradiquer la pauvreté est urgemment souhaitée. Ce Plan d’Action permettra la mise en cohérence de toutes interventions visant le développement et promotion des systèmes alimentaires durables.237- 238
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Durant la concertation du 7 janvier 2021, la facilitation et l’approche adoptée avait permissent une meilleure compréhension commune et inclusive de toutes et tous participants.
Il sied de noter qu’il n’y a pas vraiment des points des divergences au point de dégager deux tendances, mais,
certains ont affirmés que malgré la modicité du budget alloué aux secteurs du Développement Rural et de
l’Agriculture un accent doit être mis sur la recherche scientifique par le mécanisme de subvention des Instituts Nationaux de Recherche Agronomique au pays.
La stratégie et le plan d’action qui sera bientôt élaboré serviront de support pour la promotion des systèmes alimentaires durables en RDC.- Feedback form PDFhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DRC-IFSSD-7Jan2021Nala.pdf
- Media coverage https://7sur7.cd/2021/01/09/kinshasa-long-femme-et-enfant-organise-un-dialogue-independant-sur-la-securite
- Media Coveragehttps://actualite.cd/2021/01/07/rdc-long-femme-et-enfant-organise-un-dialogue-sur-la-securite-alimentaire-avec-les
- Social mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/solutions-for-congo
- Social mediahttps://m.facebook.com/Solutions-for-Congo-Action-de-Femme-ET-Enfant-Ong-111205207233062/?ref=bookmark
- Social mediahttps://actualite.cd/2021/01/07/rdc-long-femme-et-enfant-organise-un-dialogue-sur-la-securite-alimentaire-avec-les
- Social mediahttps://actualite.cd/2021/01/07/rdc-long-femme-et-enfant-organise-un-dialogue-sur-la-securite-alimentaire-avec-les
2021-02-17 08:41:58204Bites of Transfoodmation - Journeys of Transition in Food Production and Distribution Practiceshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2337/- 93
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54312122232631317302142111001067921829How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The BoT organizing team has selected a group of young and motivated individuals already (or ready to be) projected into the realm of food systems and provided them with a safe space to discuss, openly and creatively, the way forward for a more sustainable and resilient future. As such, both the organizing team and the participants understand the need to act with urgency and are committed, either personally or professionally, to contribute to the vision, objectives and outcomes of the FSS. The BoT participants aim to be agents of change and wish to contribute to the outcome of the FSS. David Nabarro’s intervention during the first BoT virtual meeting clearly inspired them and helped them better understand the process behind the Summit. In the organization of the Dialogue, the BoT organizing team made sure to embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity by inviting participants from different countries, backgrounds and sectors, including but not limited to civil society, government, academia and the private sector. It must be pointed out, however, that the Dialogue has been organized and carried out with a focus on the youth and on the Middle Eastern – Mediterranean region geographically speaking. The facilitators selected were all part of the organizing team, and had been briefed with attention to ensure the creation of a safe space conducive for dialogue based on respect and trust. A number of ‘principles’ for discussion were shared with the participants at the beginning of each sessions to foster this sense of inclusivity, mutual respect and trust. These included the need to complement the work of others, build on what the person before has said, challenge only when you have an alternative to propose, and finally seek compromise in order to arrive to a unifying message.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue focused on the future of production, transformation and distribution, whilst maintaining consumption as the entry point. The Dialogue is part of a broader set of workshops and events organized by the Bites of Transfoodmation team, which aim to take into account and discuss different aspects of the food systems, thus recognizing their complexity. The final aim is to achieve a political intention of the group, in the form of a Manifesto and Lines of Action, which will take a holistic and systemic approach to food systems transformation. Yet, as the very name Bites of Transfoodmation suggests, the idea is to propose some ‘bites’ of change which are coherent to and reflect the vision of the group of young change-makers and the themes identified by the group as key.
The principles of inclusivity, respect and trust were reflected in the design and roll-out of the Dialogue and have been an essential feature of the entire Bites of Transfoodmation process. The participants have not only been included in all stages of the project in a transparent and inclusive way but have been its very center. A real sense of trust has been created along the way, and this could be witnessed during the Dialogue for the participants felt they could express their views freely and openly, even when these did not necessarily reflect the views held by others. The Bites of Transfoodmation organizing team has received a lot of positive feedback from the group and is looking forward to the next Dialogue, which will take place on February 17th.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Thanks to the fact that there is a team working exclusively on the Bites of Transfoodmation project, a lot of information and knowledge sharing is able to take place both between the participants, and between the participants and the organizing team. The organizing team has ensured that various different avenues and spaces for exchange are created, both during and in the build-up to the Dialogues. This has definitely contributed to building trust as well as to keeping the momentum, engagement and commitment of the participants high.
Our advice to other Convenors would be to make sure, if possible, that there is a strong point of contact between the Dialogue participants and the Convenors. This allows for participant feedback and continued interaction after the workshops and Dialogue so that the ideas can be further refined, and knowledge further shared. Furthermore, it seems to be a valuable approach to choose participants with a diverse background in order to permit exchange about different realities, while working towards compromise and unifying elements.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The narrative that has emerged in the last years shows a massive reduction in biodiversity, a de-link to seasonality of consumption, more food sophistication, and a reduction in the time we devote to prepare food to adjust to our increasingly busy and quick lifestyles. Food used to be the main element of societal and family gatherings, and has slowly become more a matter of feeding and keeping us fit. This trend is also the result of globalization of trade that came about with colonization and reduction of the costs of production, opening the path to shifting from primary sector based economies to cheap labour based industrialization. After the Second World War and up until the 1990s, this trend was further accelerated by the massive use of marketing strategies, the fast urbanization of the population, the reduced average size of family units, the growth of pre-cooked food with the de-linking between rural and urban areas, all intertwined with rapid economic and tertiary sector growth. In this context, big data was already starting to influence and enforce specific narratives. Did this narrative work? Yes - but fundamental elements such as equity and sustainability were missing in the equation. The narrative started to change in the 1990s focusing on a technocratic language, slowly starting to shift the focus towards sustainability (ESG in financial terms), as well as to an increased rights-based approach to food while feeding a fast growing and urbanized population.
What about the narrative of the future? Our first two BoT worshops showed us that the future of food is an indicator of the new macro-narrative which tells us that time has come to embrace diversity, bring about a culture of empowerment, assure that in anything we do we are considering the true cost of what we are doing, and this implies that we need to rethink our habitats.
Why? Because we feel the requirement to do it and more importantly, we also can. We have all we need to do this. We have better knowledge of the true costs and the trade-offs; we are going towards personalized diets determined by health considerations; we know that inequalities exist and increasingly define social determinants of health related to food consumption; and that food marketing can be better tailored to drivers of sustainable modernization of food-related processes.
The major focus of the Dialogue was to discuss the future of production, transformation and distribution
systems keeping the evolution of consumption patterns as an entry point.
Participants were helped to project themselves into this subject by two showcases, namely a Swiss valley that reorganized its social fabric and structure with local organic farming and processing and the experience of a zero waste catering based on a defined traditional contest.
The discussion was focused around four main questions/discussion topics:
a) How can we link the need to rethink our urbanized habitats to evolving production systems? Will be proximity and diversification of production a way to unite consumers and producers?
b) Speaking about true costs, is food waste prevention and reduction a way to create awareness and commitment by both citizens and authorities?
c) In the evolution towards sustainable urban life habits, how will key components of civism like empowerment and rights based approaches be affected by traditions and innovations in the food chains?
d) Will reduction of inequalities in terms of food consumption depend on a total reshuffle of the transformation and distribution chains?235- 238
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The Dialogue was characterised by rich and animated discussions. The variety of participants' profiles in terms of background and profession allowed mutual learning and paved the way for new perspectives, while confirming the relevance of some central points such as the importance of embracing diversity through new and adapted traditions, to bring about a culture of empowerment and social proximity, to consider the true cost of what we are doing and the need to transform and adapt our habitats.
Participants acknowledged the need for a change of narrative, with a stronger focus on embracing diversity, bringing about a culture of empowerment, and rethinking our habitats while reconsidering the value of food with the lenses of a true cost approach. This implies that we look at sustainability, a key feature of a true cost based economy, beyond a technical ESG approach. For this, an increased awareness, passion, curiosity, knowledge and inclusion in all sectors of the food systems are guiding features.
Tearing down the invisible wall that has traditionally divided urban and rural areas, means linking sustainability with social proximity, where enacting through food a virtuous cycle of civism, responsibility, connectivity and education, will lead to new forms of social fabric.
One way to get there might profit from initiatives aiming at setting up a new tradition pattern, where our natural need for a sense of belonging couples with the revaluation of ancient know-how blended with innovative approaches. Often this can happen with an initial incentive, thus with a political will.
Critically in this respect are pre-conditions, where inequalities and power concentration is persisting as this might be a frustrating factor, especially in terms of accessibility. Changing the status of food from commodity to public good, might help. After all, food is a recognized right. This recognition leads to taking into account its true cost but also its true value. A fresh look into production, transformation and distribution towards a healthy and sustainable diet for all will bring us to profound systemic changes.
During the Dialogue, particicipants embraced the two real life examples of Valposchiavo and Altatto as positive and future-desirable realities. But how can they be connected, multiplied and expanded? Imagine the world of the future as one big and dense fabric, made up of smaller economic, social, natural and governing fabrics or networks. Within each of these, small, independent and well-functioning realities, such as Valposchiavo and Altatto, stand ready to be connected with one another. Common elements and shared values as well as communication, exchanges, new standards, incentives and norms enable this connection and ultimately form the building blocks of the world’s fabric. By creating more of these realities and reinforcing the density of the different fabrics, a unifying vision for a more sustainable and resilient future is both communicated and enacted. We keep hearing that these realities can not grow because they rely on a romantic perception that can only work on a small scale and among the wealthiest of the world. What about reconsidering the concept of the notion of scaling up? After all, the interconnectivity, the access to know-how, the change of the perception of reality introduced by the digitalization era is showing that, while an acceleration in terms of classic scaling up is occurring, at the same time a tissue of new forms of interconnected local economies blending new traditions, social proximity, sustainability and affordability is growing fast.
To have an inclusive conversation and truly embrace diversity, thus avoiding a Eurocentric (or romantic?) vision of the future, we must discuss and dive deeper into the topics of inequality, power concentration and accessibility.236- 238
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There is a strong need to focus on avoiding conflicts between urban and rural areas; trying to create a denser bond between theses two realities and destroy that invisible wall that divides them. Rural and and marginalised areas should have access to new technologies, while urbanized habitats should be reorganized with an eye on nature and urban/peri-urban food production and processing. Education and trust should be the entry points to create new important supply opportunities and consequently a higher quality of life for all.
We define this approach using the term of social proximity. This implies more sensibilization, awareness, passion, curiosity, knowledge, and inclusion in all sectors of the food systems.
A controlled and responsible use of new DNA editing technologies is accepted, only if these will not compromise traditions, typical products, biodiversity and health.236- 239
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Waste and losses of non-renewable resources do not exist in ecosystems. By considering the true cost of food (including externalities such as human and natural resources, transport, health, subsidies), the system will not produce food waste and losses anymore as the price will be too high.
A solution would be to have shorter and more circular supply chains, exchanging only the goods necessary for every community to have a healthy diet. We need transparency and trust, accompanied by a change in regulations in a way that waste and losses are considered either as expensive or as a resource to close a loop. We need to reconsider the status of consumers as queens and kings and accept what natural resources can give us without compromising their ability to do so for next generations. Lastly, concrete initiatives to reduce food waste and losses (such as the app "Too Good To Go”) are useful if they bring the system closer to the true costs of food, thus as a transition instrument.236- 239
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Tradition is a dynamic and complex concept due to its constructed nature. For this reason, it cannot be said that tradition and innovation are opposed, because the latter needs the former and innovation has always been part of development. The future often draws inspiration from the past and it would therefore be more accurate to speak of innovations as "new traditions". Moreover, innovation is necessary when the current situation does not produce sustainable results. In order to link tradition and innovation to create a better future in terms of food production and consumption, cooperation between the different generations is necessary as much as the reform of the education system. Finally, responsibility lies in our personal choices and for this reason it is essential that all those who care about the world and our future take a few small steps in the right direction.236- 238
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Producers need to be paid and supported in such a way that they can have a higher financial gain for their labor and work. This will also give them more autonomy in selling their products to a greater majority of people at an affordable price. Distribution needs to change its current way of working, namely to take the best products (in terms of product and nutrient quality) and send it to the bidder of highest price (wealthy nations or wealthy neighborhoods).
In order to achieve this transition, we need to give education and access to all communities, not just those with status, power, and wealth. We need to further connect networks of people, producers, consumers, distributors so that there is transition of information along the value chain, transparency, care, and understanding about how a product is made. This will imply changing the status of food from commodity to public good.
There is a necessity for change in terms of how we frame our food system. We can do this by collecting data at all points in the supply chain. This data should not serve as a marketing strategy or profit tool for retailers / brand owners but rather as a way to shape food and trade policy to support local communities, create new financial instruments to support producers, and create information that is useful for consumers.237- 238
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There were few divergences within and amongst the discussion groups, but participants highlighted some critical areas of divergence that involve difficult trade-offs:
1) The tension between locality/resiliency and affordability in order to scale virtuous food systems especially in light of population growth.
2) The tension between the efficiency of highly technological food systems vs. going back to nature and the multiple benefits in terms of health and environmental of diversification.
3) The trade-offs in terms of what are most important issues to tackle in terms of distribution practices: the competitiveness of low-cost imports versus local production versus the need to ensure efficient and nutritious food distribution; etc.
4) The risk of over-romanticize certain professions linked to agricultural production and farming as this over-romantization risks to impede connecting traditions which are revitalized by innovative approaches.
5) The trade-offs between consumers’ access (buying capability) and producers’ income.
6) The question on how to reshape and redefine agricultural and production incentives (including subsidies).
No clear answers have been identified to address these challenges, however there has been consensus that the majority of these questions could be better approached by using a true cost approach. These aspects will be explored further in light of the redaction of Bites of Transfoodmation manifesto.2021-02-18 10:24:24204High Level Dialogue on Finance at CFS 47 - Finance & Investmenthttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2880/- 93
148012706158662105316113328915152132114102020151251216How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The event was organized to convene between 100-150 guests to ensure the most diverse exchanges on the selected theme. The theme has been selected as a cross-cutting issue to the Summit and to generate some conversation outcomes across the Action Tracks.
Each participant was encouraged to engage in a multi-stakeholder process and for each discussion topic to:
a) Scope the problem that is the subject of their breakout room.
b) Identify ways to solve the problem.
c) Identify a collective action they can take that could be submitted to the Food Systems Summit action tracks.
d) Identify a policy recommendation to the Food Systems Summit.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?After the opening remarks and fire starter panel, participants were divided into sub “tables” in their own breakout rooms to discuss their topics and report back to the main room. There was a moderator and rapporteur in each breakout room to ensure everyone had an opportunity to be heard and voice opinions. Points of divergence were heard and noted in an open and productive manner.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?1) If breakout rooms are a part of your event. Ensure to have greeters in each breakout room to ease the start of the conversation and ensure guests are not left alone in a room.
2) Arrange for your rapporteur forms to follow the FSDs gateway feedback form to ease the reporting back and ensure the principles of engagements are adequately covered.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Food finance interventions in both the public and private sector do not yet add up to a coherent and commensurate response that will lead to a thriving, sustainable global food system. We need to tackle inefficiencies in the way food systems are financed, rapidly shift capital out of the old economy and into more sustainable food assets. We need to clarify additional capital requirements to transform food systems, disaggregated for different geographies and Action Tracks. While many measures are individually constructive, they are not shifting capital at the scale and speed that is necessary and we need targeted interventions to unlock/redirect public and private capital. This dialogue has allowed for guests to exchange on the below five topics.
ACCELERATION
Support to food systems financing through initiatives focusing on blended finance, digitalization, data, and long-term investment needs to accelerate with institutions, public/private financial service providers adjusting /developing systems and approaches. Actual accelerators active in the space of encouraging entrepreneurship and new ideas were present, though often are not joined up to global financial institutions. This need for acceleration is closely linked to finance as it will require the clarification of the costs of reforming food subsidies (both implementation and compensation costs) towards subsidy/taxation mechanism that offer positive incentives for sustainable food systems.
DERISKING
Many developing markets have challenges raising capital and farming itself is exposed to a wide range of risks because agricultural production relies heavily on the natural resource base and climate conditions. We need to appreciate the various sources of risk in the natural as well as institutional environments and address these as well. Similarly, shocks to the market from both domestic and international sources can result in price volatility. This directly affects the economic returns from agriculture, the livelihood of farmers, and in the long run, the capacity of farmers to invest and innovate. Derisking private sector financing could mobilize, an estimated, over $2 trillion of private capital towards food system transformation.
INCLUSION
Ensure inclusion of women and youth specifically around financing and access to finance. Support for financial inclusion also requires a systematic approach to impact measurement, including indicators for inclusivity, as well as information on financial and agricultural performance, and that calculate the true value of food. The World Bank recently made available the Global Financial Inclusion (Global Findex) database to measure and track the progress of financial inclusion. There are some indications that financial inclusion only helps to lower poverty and income inequality when overall economic conditions empower people to use access to finance for productive purposes such as expanding a business.
NATURE POSITIVE
Supporting farmer transition in adopting more sustainable agricultural practices through attributing real value to the stewardship of nature will be paramount if food systems are to respond to the Action Track work streams of protect, manage, and restore. A move to nature-based solutions will require efforts to achieve zero emissions, regenerative agriculture, and emphasis on a circular bio-economy while maintaining economic viability.
VALUE CHAIN FINANCE
The shift to long-term sustainable financing requires focus on inclusion and integration across the entire value chain while creating new financial services.235- 238
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ACCELERATION
Governments, financial institutions, research centers and investors as a whole need to partner to accelerate growth in the nutritious food production sector by facilitating access to funding. Banks typically must operate with a financial regulatory framework which, effectively, prevents banks from engaging in business activities that may have significant risk. Many ‘acceleration’ initiatives would not pass these regulatory hurdles and risk is the critical factor preventing ‘accelerated’ financial participation. Governments have a key role to play to provide the right environment to promote new financing modalities as even successful start-ups and high-growth opportunities must often be self-funded because the financial industry shows no interest until a threshold of EBITDA is attained. The need for acceleration will require the clarification of the costs of reforming food subsidies (both implementation and compensation costs) towards subsidy/taxation mechanism that offer positive incentives for sustainable food systems (payment for environmental services of food systems, better pricing of land and water; taxes for environmental degradation; and polluter pays principle for greenhouse gases) and financing for income support to poor households to increase the affordability of nutritious diets.
DERISKING
A strong political signal/leadership is needed to draw attention to opportunities in the middle of the value chain that can help to link changing consumer demand with the need for market-based incentives for farmers to take on risk and adopt new practices, inputs, food products, and processes. The environment farmers work in is full of risk and high borrowing rates compound the risks to farmers, and lenders in any case are unwilling to take on risk and prefer highly liquid or marketable collateral. There are various sources of risk in the natural as well as institutional environments and these need to be addressed. Technology can play an important role by providing specialized instruments that redistribute risk or directly cover against important specific sources of risk. It can also help by reducing transactions costs and hence the cost of borrowing, and by improving transparency in market functioning and reducing information asymmetries among borrowers, lenders, and other market intermediaries. It is important to take a larger perspective, embracing the whole value chain from production, transformation, distribution, and consumption.
INCLUSION
Ensure inclusion of women and youth specifically by addressing the problem of capacity building, especially for youth and startup companies and ensure that the voices of the youth are heard. This also includes the access to financing for women, improve their ability to start business and capacity to prepare a business plan etc; need for education for women; access to technology for women in rural areas; legislation to ensure that women can access the finance.
NATURE POSITIVE
A move to Nature based solutions will require the following: efforts to achieve Zero emissions; regenerative agriculture; and emphasis on a circular bioeconomy while maintaining economic viability. Therefore, its necessary find ways to valorize nature-based solutions – such as attributing value to biodiversity, carbon sequestration (carbon trading systems exist but the methods to reliably measure are not yet available). Other options include green bond issues, carbon credits and sequestration which could all create income for farmers to cover costs of transition – for ex. planting cover trees and using their carbon sequestration capacity to generate income while other crops grow to maturity underneath. There is a need to harness assets and technologies that were not available 5 or 10 years ago to develop out-of the-ordinary solution thinking: use of satellites/drones to monitor progress across multiple small holding reserves; and cheap monitoring sensors that were not previously available to help with issues like fertilizer, water, soil carbon etc. Academia and food producers must collaborate to reflect the realities at different scales for better policy and impactful finance.
VALUE CHAIN FINANCE
Value chain finance is obstructed by high transactions costs arising from lack of information, lack of understanding and trust between participants, lack of standards and regulations, and simple logistical challenges, all of which make it hard to measure and manage risks (as required to allow financing to flow). The responses mainly focus on different ways of reducing these transaction costs. Technology is key to overcoming informational challenges leveraging also financial innovations and improved warehouse receipt systems, improved regulations and standards also help overcome information gaps.236- 238
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ACCELERATION
Risk is the critical factor from start-up through scale-up with, typically only 4% of the funding comes from government. To get private sector engaged Government can and needs to play the role of catalyst and specifically focused on risk reduction, not just investment risk but also government stability within and across regions as the agriculture sector is highly fragmented, with diverse and context specific production, financial and investment costs. Incentives are needed to encourage banks to provide faster and context specific financing to SMEs. Government needs to play the role of catalyst and specifically focus on risk reduction. Banks typically operate with a financial regulatory framework, but this framework prevents them from engaging in business activities that may have significant early-stage risk as is the case in agriculture. To overcome regulatory hurdles to supporting early-stage companies and start-ups banks sometimes participate in higher risk financings by forming arms-length investment arms or by attracting other financial institutions to provide financing. Creating a financial structuring vehicle through partnerships which are geared at establishing a pool of individual loans can de-risk them and will attract investment.236- 238
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DERISKING
To get the world’s small farmers to drive a food systems transformation, their situation, characterized by high risk and extreme consequences of failure, needs a strong political signal to draw attention to opportunities to link changing consumer demand with the need for market-based incentives for farmers to take on risk.
There needs provision of greater incentives for financial institutions that understand farming to provide new instruments that support new practices, inputs, food products, and processes. Blending of public and private finance can lead to new financial instruments that increase the size and tenor of loans for transformational (as opposed to incremental or otherwise insufficiently large) investments.236- 238
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INCLUSION
Governments should invest in educating the youth on business, technology, and entrepreneurship from an early age. Capacity-building especially among women and youth through training to resolve the lack of human resources and technical skills for easier access to finance is critical. Such education usually takes place at the tertiary level, but this is considered too late. This includes a focus on CFS Voluntary Guidelines on land tenure which could guide country policies on land governance and land tenure.236- 238
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NATURE POSITIVE
Governments need to invest in developing tools and methods that create a level playing field globally and that can be used to valorize nature-based solutions. Public sector needs to provide standards and framework to define the prices of food by focusing on water, nutrition, and emissions. Investment in big data informatics and analytics can help with true pricing on natural capital/natural resources to quantify better the value of nature positive approaches, inclusiveness, or positive nutritional outcomes designed to position the primary producer.
Investors and donors should prioritize climate-smart investments across food systems and value chains. Green bond issues, carbon credits, and sequestration should create income for farmers to cover the cost of transition to more sustainable agriculture. Affordability is key for many consumers so assess the risk of food prices going up.236- 238
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VALUE CHAIN FINANCING
A strong functioning middle value chain contributes to derisking; value-chain aggregators can help overcome scale-efficiency issues and can support collective action among producers. Multi-sectoral partnerships are needed for storage and food preservation, re-insurance, innovation, and technology transfer. Financial needs assessments are required for funding programs to ascertain if they match needs of farmers as well as tailor-made solutions, recognizing local context. Encourage digital payment options such as mobile banking to reduce information asymmetry and link warehouse receipts to financial system to support farmers’ access to credit.237- 238
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Not many areas of divergence were brought up due to time constraints. On the topic of derisking, there was debate whether the fund would be better directed toward small enterprises, which clearly have need, but lack the resources and know-how to become an engine of transformative change. A strong case was made for investing in mid-sized firms that have the capacity and demonstrated staying power to lead transformative change now. These firms have the best chance of driving and catalyzing transformative change.
Trade was emphasized as highly important, but there is a sense that the Summit process is not paying adequate attention to this topic.2021-02-19 08:18:05204 High level Round table - For Ethiopia Food Systemhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/4202/- 68
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03221125111011321722115310822227How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Core sector representatives of the Ethiopian Food system, and development partners including Global panelists were invited to get the maximum input and contribution from stakeholders. Moreover, research findings were also presented to participants, to g.et scientific and customized suggestions to address the FSS issue.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The event and its objectives were communicated to participants ahead of time, and they were well prepared to provide useful inputs during the meeting.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Engaging Global panelists, development partners and practitioners are very useful to incorporate best practices and insights.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The major focus was on discussing current Food system in
Ethiopia, challenges opportunities and game changing
solutions for future actions. Best practices from
international experience, and research findings were
presented. Global panelists and background paper
produced by the FSS core group were presented for
discussion that led to recommendations to produce a
position paper for FSS.235- 238
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Similar dialogues to be conducted in the coming couple of months engaging private sector players.
The current task team will synthesize and share the proposed Game changers to the panel.
H.E Dr Lia will establish a multi sectoral actors’ task team to develop a National document.
The task team will Identify partners/multi stakeholders to develop a medium and long-term action plan with multisectoral dimension, and actors including financers.
The national document will be presented to the panel to further develop various program documents.
All panelists and participants committed to continue supporting the Food System initiatives in Ethiopia.236- 238
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Possible Game Changers for Actionable, Scalable and Sustainable Food System.
Combine the agenda with N4G and let the public and the private make a pitch, bringing different players together and make changes.
Massive stimulus for private sector engagement through creating enabling business environment, trade policies based on best practices, science, innovation, incentives including tax holidays for more fresh foods.
Support public procurement for promoting healthy diet, as a way understanding of access to healthy foods.
Support and Introduce Bio fortification to add nutrients to staple foods, and Introduce Cold chains solutions for vaccine, and all sorts of fortifications.
Attract Small and medium enterprises through innovative financing to produce diverse nutritious foods.
Support R&D, and nurture Larger businesses in Eth to make informed decisions on investment, Industrial Parks to produce more nutritious foods.
Policy reviews, to ensure actions are coherent, not only nutrition and diet, but also water management, education, and other policy agenda. Example, the successful initiative- the Sequta Declaration.
Support nutritious foods supply at workplaces, industrial parks, canteens.
Reinforce social protection including school feeding programs.
Influencing African union to get FTA implementation.237- 238
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Increasing the number of private sector players for similar dialogues is agreed by dialogue participants.2021-02-20 23:41:46204APPROCHE COMMUNAUTAIRE DES SYSTEMES ALIMENTAIRES D'ICI 2030 EN LIEN AVEC LES ODD DANS UN VILLAGE COSMOPOLITE EN COTE D'IVOIREhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2160/- 50
76845194423420201140449427282110314How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Bien avant d’organiser le dialogue indépendant, nous avons participé aux sessions de formation organisées par l’équipe des Nations Unies en Charge du Dialogue. Après la formation sur la coordination, nous avons procédé à la formation des facilitateurs et de l’animateur, tous membres de l’ONG conformément au manuel des concertations mis à disposition sur la plateforme du sommet. Certains membres de l’ONG ont également participé à la formation en ligne pour renforcer leurs compétences. Des séances de préparations ont eu lieu avec les communautés rurales pour mieux comprendre le processus et les principes des dialogues sur les systèmes alimentaires. Les sujets abordés étaient en rapport avec les domaines d’activités des communautés liés aux systèmes alimentaires à savoir la production, la commercialisation, la transformation des produits locaux, la gestion des déchets etc… Le jour du dialogue, l’animateur avec l’appui des coordonnateurs a présenté les principes et les objectifs du dialogue aux participants. Cela a été relayé également dans chaque groupe de discussion.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Agir avec diligence ; nous avons informé la communauté que ce dialogue pourra être utile dans les échanges au cours du sommet mondial sur les systèmes alimentaires. S’engager pour le sommet ;nous avons échangé avec les participants sur le processus du sommet mondial sur les systèmes alimentaires, sur les objectifs et bien entendu sur les différentes actions choisies dans le cadre de ce sommet. Être respectueux: les discussions avec les participants se sont déroulées dans de bonnes conditions avec le respect des uns et des autres même si certaines opinions étaient divergentes. Il y’ avait une courtoisie dans la prise de parole entre les participants. Reconnaitre la complexité: les participants étant de différents secteurs activités du système alimentaire ont compris la complexité du système alimentaire. Adopter l’inclusion des parties prenantes. Effectivement les participants communautaires exerçant dans différents secteurs d’activités des systèmes alimentaires se sont joints à d’autres parties prenantes au cours des discussions. Compléter le travail des autres. Les participants dans les échanges ont su qu’il existe des innovations dans les différents secteurs des systèmes alimentaires dont ils pourront aussi s’en inspirer. Bâtir la confiance: Nous avons discuté avec les participants sur la disponibilité de toutes les informations sur la plateforme dédiée au sommet.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Notre dialogue a été organisé dans une communauté rurale dans le village de Gboyo dans le département de Jacqueville qui est un village dont les activités principales sont la pêche l'élevage, l'agriculture et le commerce. Nous avons été confrontés à des difficultés que par expérience nous avons gérées. Nous devions trouver des traducteurs locaux qui pouvaient bien expliquer le processus et les principes du dialogue aux participants. Nous avons donc organisé plusieurs séances de travail avec la chefferie locale avant le démarrage de notre dialogue pour s’assurer qu’il comprenne mieux le processus et les principes. Ces séances de travail, nous ont permis d’identifier des traducteurs locaux qui étaient à la fois des autochtones et des allogènes. Nous avons été confrontés à une autre difficulté liée à l’absence de certains facilitateurs formés à la veille de l’évènement pour des raisons indépendamment de leurs volontés. Le coordonnateur, son adjoint et l’animateur se sont donc transformés en facilitateurs pour le bon déroulement du dialogue.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Notre dialogue s’est focalisé sur les pistes d’action 1,2, 3 et 4. Les discussions sur l’approche communautaire des systèmes alimentaires d’ici 2030 ont permis de comprendre la vision des communautés rurales des systèmes alimentaires. En effet la projection pour une amélioration des systèmes alimentaires tient compte des difficultés constatés à leur niveau sur les questions de production, de disponibilité de terre cultivables, de conservation des produits frais, de transformation des produits locaux, de la gestion des déchets, de la pollution de la lagune, de l’intensivité des activités de pêche, la non diversification des produits vivriers et également la commercialisation des produits qui met en mal la disponibilité des produits alimentaires sur le marché local pour des régimes alimentaires sains . Les communautés dans leur approche ont émis des idées qui pourraient impactés de façon positive leurs secteurs d’activité mais aussi fournir en quantité suffisante des produits alimentaires en vue d’améliorer les régimes alimentaires d’ici 2030. Ces solutions sont entre autres : la mise en place d’une brigade locale pour veiller sur la lagune sur des risques de pollution lié à des individus, l’appropriation des techniques culturales innovantes durables respectueuses de l’environnement pour faire face à la réduction des terres cultivables, une inclusion financières importantes pour les activités, une autonomisation des jeunes et des femmes, une production accrue à travers la mécanisation des moyens de transport qui reste rudimentaire pour les activités comme la pêche, la réutilisation des déchets agricoles pour le compostage, la production de biogaz et l’alimentation des animaux.235- 238
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Le dialogue indépendant mené avec la communauté rurale de Gboyo a tenu toutes ses promesses car elle a vu la participation de plus de 70 personnes exerçant dans divers domaines d'activités du système alimentaire au niveau local. Il faut noter que cette communauté est une communauté cosmopolite composée de populations autochtones et allogènes. Sa situation géographique à proximité d’un parc national et en bordure de la lagune a été bénéfique pour mener notre dialogue. 1) Les participants au cours des discussions ont retenu que les activités de pêches, d’élevage et agricole doivent rester durable tout en préservant l’environnement. 2) les parties prenantes doivent travailler ensemble pour favoriser un meilleur revenu à ceux qui sont dans les différents secteurs par la subvention des produits d’entretien et des engrais. 3 Aider à la mécanisation des moyens de transport pour la pêche.5 favoriser la transformation des produits locaux pour pallier aux problèmes de conservation surtout dans les zones rurales qui ne dispose pas d’électricité. 6) Aider par des programmes de diversification alimentaire à autonomiser les jeunes et les femmes. 7) les parties prenantes doivent travailler en synergie sur des programmes d’éducation nutritionnelle mais surtout permettre aux zones rurales d’accéder à des techniques innovantes pour pallier aux difficultés de terres cultivables. 8) les parties prenantes doivent s’impliquer davantage dans les questions de gestion de déchets surtout en zone rurales. La consommation des produits sains et nutritifs à travers la diversification alimentaire au sein des communautés rurales revêt d’une importance capitale surtout qu’elle permet de maintenir la population dans un bon état de santé. Il est important d’améliorer les connaissances des communautés sur les bonnes pratiques culturales et les bonnes pratiques nutritionnelles à travers des programmes bien établis. La reconversion des jeunes et des femmes dans différents secteurs activités agricoles comme les jardins potagers, l’élevage reste important. Les associations ou les coopératives villageoises doivent être encouragées pour une bonne inclusion financière des activités liées aux systèmes alimentaires d’ici 2030.236- 238
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La question de la transformation des produits a été abordée dans le groupe de discussion dédié à cette thématique. A travers les échanges, les participants ont notifié que certains produits issues de la pèche ne sont pas transformé mais vendu frais sur le marché. Par contre d’autres produits de pêche généralement les petits poissons sont fumés pour être conservé et vendu directement ou transformé sous forme de poudre sur le marché local. Le village ne disposant pas d’électricité est confronté à des problèmes de conservation. Pour les participants, ceci est un handicap car ils peuvent développer l’activité autrement. Pour les produits d’élevage comme les porcs généralement, ils sont vendus sur le marché sans être transformés sous forme de saucisse. Les produits qui subissent la transformation sont le manioc mais les difficultés d’acquisition de matériel de transformation limite une production massive. Comme perspective les participants envisagent d’accroitre leurs productions par l’acquisition de matériel de transformation et surtout par l’acquisition d’électricité qui pourrait davantage régler les problèmes de transformation auxquels ils sont confrontés.236- 241
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La gestion des déchets issue des produits de pêche, de l’agriculture et autres est chaotique pour les participants. Les participants ont signifié qu’ils n’ont pas de dépotoirs pour les ordures ou des déchets issus des produits de la pêche et de l’agriculture. Généralement, ils déversent ces déchets dans la lagune et selon leur dire, ces déchets pourraient servir à l’alimentation des poissons. La notion de gestions des déchets est donc problématique surtout pour les participants, ils n’ont vraiment pas de notion de gestion de déchets. Les déchets du manioc par exemple sont utilisés dans l’alimentation des animaux. Les participants dans l’ensemble souhaiteraient assainir leur environnement et surtout ériger un centre de compostage pour l’agriculture et bien entendu produire du biogaz à travers les déchets.236- 238
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Les participants à ces discussions sur la diversification des produits vivriers ont mentionné pour ce qui concerne la zone que la production de manioc est plus accrue que les autres produits maraichères du faite que l’alimentation de base de la population est le manioc. De plus en plus, on ne trouve pas de terre cultivable et donc même pour le manioc la production locale ne suffit pas. Ils sont obligés de payer le manioc dans d’autre contrée. Il existe des marécages dans la zone et donc personne ne cultive dans cette zone parce qu’il ne maitrise pas la culture du maraichers. Les participants étaient unanimes qu’il était important de diversifié les cultures vivriers surtout qu’elles peuvent être très rentable et aider les jeunes et femmes à être autonomes. Les perceptives de grande production viendraient des techniques innovantes de culture.236- 238
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Les pêcheurs, premiers acteurs dans la commercialisation des produits de la pêche ont relevé la raréfaction des ressources de la pêche (crevettes, poissons, crabes) depuis un certain nombre d’années. En effet, de plus de 20 kg de produits pour une journée de pêche, il y a environ 10 ans, ils se retrouvent souvent avec moins de 2 kg ces dernières années, avec la taille des produits de plus en plus très petite. Selon leurs explications, cela est dû aux changements climatiques et à la surpêche. Cette surpêche étant non seulement liée aux moyens utilisés pour la pêche (mailles de filets très petites qui attrapent les alevins, utilisation de produits toxiques non conventionnels, etc.) ; mais aussi à l’augmentation du nombre de pêcheurs. La surpêche empêche les ressources de bien se développer. Ils ont aussi soulevé le problème de la conservation de la production ; le village ne bénéficiant pas pour le moment de l’électricité. Pour les commerçantes du village intervenant dans la commercialisation, elles voient leurs chiffres d’affaires baissés puisque la quantité de produits disponibles s’est effondrée depuis quelques années. Elles aussi sont obligées de vendre à crédit aux grossistes qui viennent de la ville qui n’achètent pratiquement jamais cash la production. Elles aussi ne sont pas à mesure de conserver les produits du fait du manque d’électricité et sont donc obligées de vendre à vil prix les produits frais demandés par les grossistes.
Pour les commerçantes, une inclusion financière importante avec l’accès aux crédits leur permettra de mieux mener les activités.236- 238
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Concernant la conservation des ressources halieutiques, les participants ont relevé que les produits péchés dans la zone sont les poissons (carpes, machoirons), crevettes et les crabes. Les produits péchés sont fumés ou conservés dans des glacières avec de la glace là-dessus. Les poissons, crevettes et crabes sont vendus directement avec des acheteurs. Ceux qui ne sont pas vendus sont conservés dans des paniers. Ils sont ensuite réchauffés et vendus trois jours plus tard sur les marchés environnants du village d’Irobo. Pour les participants le village doit être électrifié car y habite plus de 2 000 personnes. Ils pensent également dans les perspectives de se fédérer en mutuelle pour les intervenants de la chaîne de la pêche (fabricants de matériels de pêche, pêcheurs, vendeurs) afin d'avoir accès aux crédits bancaires. Cela pourrait Impacter leur cadre de vie avec un accès de la population a une meilleure santé et un bien-être social.236- 238
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l'un des points abordé était l'offre des produits issus du maraicher. Les participants sont unanimes que pour l’offre des produit vivriers, il est insuffisant au regard de la demande locale. Ces produits sont le manioc, la banane, l’aubergine, le piment, la tomate, le gombo l’arachide et le maïs. Les cultures se font généralement dans les basfonds afin de profiter de l’humidité. Les jours de marché sont prévus tous les mercredis et permettent aux habitants de commercialiser leur production et d’acheter ce qui leur manque. Les terres dédiées à la culture maraichère sont insuffisantes. Les terres cultivables sont utilisées pour les produits de rente (Hévéa, palmier à huile, etc.) ; La période favorable aux cultures s’étend de juin au mois de janvier suivant, et celle défavorable, s’étend de février à mai. Le changement climatique perturbe également ce calendrier ; La rentabilité des cultures est faible par manque de produits d’entretien et d’engrais, Il se pose un problème de conservation des produits car il n’y a pas d’électricité et le village n’est pas desservie en eau potable ; Les parcelles de culture ne sont pas sécurisées et souffrent de vol récurrent de quidam. Les participants ont recommandé que des terres soient réservées exclusivement à la culture maraichère et que les produits d’entretien des plantations soient subventionnés pour réduire leur coût (engrais, herbicide, fongicide, etc.). Les agriculteurs ont également besoin de formation sur l’itinéraire technique des cultures afin de mieux produire, Que des systèmes de canalisation soient encouragé pour la maitrise de l’eau afin de produire en contre-saison.236- 238
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Pour les participants, les produits commercialisés en général à GBOYO sont l’arachide, Le manioc et l’attieké qui provient de la transformation du manioc. Pour les participants, l’attieke qui est le l’aliment de base connait des difficultés de vente. Les femmes sont nombreuses à commercialiser l’attiéké et il n’y a pas de clients en dehors des villageois. Celles qui ont pu se réunir en coopérative arrivent à écouler leur marchandise à des clients venant de la ville. Les produits sont souvent vendus au prix proposé par le client et donc entraine une mévente. Les participants souhaitent s’organiser en coopérative ou association pour commercialiser rapidement leur production à des personnes venant des villes et même d’autres pays et aussi acquérir des matériels de transformation pour produire l’attieké en grande quantité.236- 238
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Sur le sujet des terres cultivables, le village étant à la limite d’un parc national et de la lagune, il est ressorti des discussions que la disponibilité des terres cultivables reste problématique surtout pour ce qui concerne l’alimentation de base qui est l’attieke transformé à partir du manioc. Les femmes sont obligées d’aller très loin acheter le manioc. C’est une zone à grande production de culture de rente tel que le palmier à huile, le cacao et l’Hévéa et donc limite la production de produits vivriers. C’est pourquoi dans les échanges certains participants ont proposé comme solutions de trouver des techniques culturales qui pourraient augmenter la production des produits locaux sur le peu d’espace cultivable et également dans les espaces des cultures de rente comme l’hévéa. Cependant d’autres participants sont restés sceptiques sur la question de production massive sur le peu d’espace cultivable car pour eux ils n’ont pas encore été confrontés à ces techniques innovantes qui respectent l’environnement.237- 238
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Les pêcheurs ne sont pas unanimes sur une vision commune de leurs activités. Ainsi, certains parmi eux aimeraient que leurs activités soient règlementées en interdisant la pêche durant certaine période de l’année tout en leur finançant d’autres activités secondaires tel que l’élevage et l’agriculture vivrière. D’autres en revanche, n’envisagent pas une autre activité si ce n’est la pêche. Cependant, ils aimeraient tous avoir les moyens financiers pour motoriser leurs pirogues traditionnelles afin de mieux exploiter les étendues d’eau auxquelles ils ont accès.- Une discussion avec une facilitatricehttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0267-scaled.jpg
- Un piroguierhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0128-scaled.jpg
- Discussion avec les participantshttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0305-scaled.jpg
- Des poissons et crabeshttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0332-scaled.jpg
- Echange entre commerçantes et pecheurhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DSC_0236-scaled.jpg
- https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2160/
2021-02-23 10:46:59205Stage 1First National Dialogue for the preparation of UN Food Systems Summit 2021https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2568/- 23
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Dialogue was organized to solicit inputs and insights for the Food Systems Summit and to gain an understanding of ideas on pathways to food system transformation, along with challenges contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Dialogue brought a diversity of stakeholders from the Government, Private Sector, UN Agencies, Developments Partners (Donors, INGOs and NGOs), Civil Society and Academia – working across the food system from production to consumption. The Convenor and the team went through the training for convening the dialogues to reflect that the reflects were incorporated and enhanced during the National Dialogue.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue reflected most aspects of the Principles, which particularly includes Act with Urgency, Commit to the Summit, Be Respectful, Recognize Complexity, Embrace Multi-stakeholder Inclusivity.
Bangladesh was the third country to host the National Dialogue on Action Track 1, followed by the USA and Cambodia which demonstrates the urgency and the commitment of the state.
In terms of Being Respectful, the six working groups facilitated during the National Dialogue focused on nutritious and safe food, with a broad lens ranging from production to consumption (seed to stomach) as well as vulnerabilities and inclusion. As a result, the linkages with other tracks were also discussed during the working group facilitation. The Chair of the Action Track 5 emphasized on resilience and climate change at the National Dialogue.
In Recognising Complexity and Embracing Multi-stakeholder Inclusivity, the policy makers, public sector, private sector, UN Agencies, INGOs, NGOs, Civil Society Organisations and Academic highlighted the significance of working in coordination. In addition, the importance of incorporating the voices of the youth and need to bring system changes to mitigate the challenges linked with food system and its complexities formed an important part of the discussions and deliberations. In one of the working groups, emphasis was placed on generating further evidence related to food safety.
As the first national workshop was to familiarize with the UNFSS and Action Tracks, the Complementarity of the Work of Others among stakeholders will be addressed through the subnational dialogues to strengthen coordination and collaboration among different stakeholders to work collectively. As part of the process, after the subnational and individual dialogues, the secondDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Firstly, the National Convenor of Bangladesh focusing on Action Track 1, recognises that it is crucial to organize dialogues with participation from multisector and multi-stakeholder agencies, considering the complexity of food system. In addition, it is critical to develop a small working group with multiple stakeholders, including private sector and youth to show the interconnections between the different action tracks. It will create the options to facilitate dialogues on different issues around food system, beyond merely focusing on one action track. The principles of engagement for learning is highlighted in the feedback of second question.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The major focus of the dialogue is to improve food and nutrition security through food system approach. In the discussion of the dialogue, Action Track-1 i.e. ‘Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all’ was considered initially. However, connections with the other Action Tracks were also considered for the improvement of food and nutrition security situation in Bangladesh. In the group discussion session of the dialogue, the following six thematic areas (discussion topics) were considered: i) Availability of diversified, safe and nutritious Food; ii) Transformation, delivery, access and role of private sector; iii) Vulnerability and inclusion (youth, gender, hard to reach areas, disability, social safety net); iv) Consumer behaviour; v) Nutrition and food safety (rules, regulations, compliance); vi) Governance and coordination.
For ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all, it is important to include all vulnerable population in the social protection programme. Government of Bangladesh has given emphasis to support people affected by the flood, drought, natural disaster, other adverse climatic events. In addition, it is also important to support people residing in the marginalized and geographically hard-to-reach areas, and families which are economically and socially vulnerable to food and nutrition security. Communities afflicted by food insecurity for a long period of time are very prone to suffer from depletion of their productive assets and health, disruption of education of children and youth, and diminished future productive capacity and income. A well-targeted nutrition sensitive social safety net program is needed to prevent food and nutrition insecurity along with re-building their productive assets. A well-designed target program can benefit the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups especially children, adolescents, lactating mothers, aged, disabled, minorities, those living in remote marginalized areas, urban slums, and displaced migrants. Besides, special training programs and agricultural sector rehabilitation and mitigation measures could benefit these vulnerable and excluded people.235- 238
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Bangladesh has achieved the status of self-sufficiency in terms of food production. It is the high time that Bangladesh should go for food quality rather than quantity and move towards healthier nutritious food production and consumption. For this reason, it is important to focus on food system approach to ensure food and nutrition security and to achieve all 17 SDGs. Like most of the countries in the world, existing food system of Bangladesh is based on quantity, so it is essential to convert the quantity based food system to quality based food system. Food supply chain including production to consumption and all steps need to be considered and other components of food systems like food environment (including food availability, food accessibility, food quality), consumer behaviour and diet should be prioritized for better food system.
The role of multisectoral and multi-stakeholders in national development is significant to ensure nutrition sensitive food system. Having effective coordination with private sectors including all players of food supply chain and involving civil society, scientists and academia are likely to bring more innovations to the existing system and add value to the important task of achieving food and nutrition security. Thus, creating an enabling platform for multi-stakeholder engagement is required to strengthen national food system and ensure safe and nutrition food.236- 238
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• Availability of diversified, safe and nutritious Food: Outcomes
- Diversified, safe and nutritious food needs to be made available for vulnerable people through the proper nutrition sensitive food system. It is essential for nutrition and food safety to be incorporated in the interventions related to agricultural production including fisheries and livestock.
- It is essential to establish adequate number of cold storage/warehouses for proper storage of perishable food items. It is also important to ensure diversified use of agricultural commodities which can be enabled by establishing location specific agro-processing industries. e.g., mango juice plant in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj and pineapple processing plant in Modhupur and Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
- It is vital to improve the transportation and logistical systems for agricultural product to minimise spoilage during transportation.
- Expansion of the production of captured fish need to be ensured to get nutritious fish as the culture fish production is increasing rapidly which does not contain adequate micronutrient while captured fish are tastier and more natural.
- Establishment of sanctuary for captured fish particularly in haor, baor areas is essential. During dry season some portion of haor, baor can be dug out for preserving and protecting mother fishes, which could increase production of captured fish.
- Excess vegetables produced in haor (wetlands) and char (islands) areas can be processed and dried by using solar dryer which can be made available for the consumption of haor and char dwellers. Location specific awareness creation activities must be undertaken in these areas on consumption of dried vegetables.
• Transformation, delivery, access and role of private sector
- It is important to establish an enable environment so that the farmers can sell their product directly to the market. Steps should be taken to allow farmers to get fairs price for their produces in the market.
- Awareness building campaign for consumer should be undertaken to choose nutritious and safe food options.
- In order to check food adulteration, monitoring process should be more vigilant and capacity of agencies charged with monitoring and vigilance needs to be strengthened further.
- Modern food storage and processing institutions should be established, for which co-operation and a responsible attitude in enhancing food systems from private sector actors and business associations are central.
• Vulnerability and inclusion (youth, gender, hard to reach areas, disability, social safety net)
- Urgent action is required for vocational training and support programs for small-scale farmers to produce high-value nutritious crops, fruits, and vegetables with a special focus on the haor, baor, hills, and hard-to-reach areas. For these actions, the Ministry of Agriculture should take necessary actions and the progress could be measured by the production volume of high-value crops in those specific areas. The possible challenges include farmers’ adoption of high-value crops and marketing facilities.
- A well-targeted, nutrition-sensitive, and equitable social safety net program especially for the vulnerable groups including the women and adolescents need to be run. Reducing the mistargeting of social safety net programs and increasing the food-based support program were the proposed suggestions in the participants’ discussion. An evaluation of the existing social safety nets programmes needs to be conducted. Government of Bangladesh has formulated the National Social Security237- 238
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From the dialogue, it was identified that the post-harvest loss in horticultural product is one of the major challenges in the food system of Bangladesh. Agro-processing have a lot of potential in the country. However, small and medium industries cannot compete with large players with a lot of marketing budget. Besides, market instability and lack of efficient market management also pose challenges for food supply chain. Moreover, inclusion and investment of the private sector is also another key challenge to address in coming years. This has also been highlighted in the Food and Nutrition Security Policy 2020.
The vulnerabilities related to adverse climatic shocks and economic shocks were discussed in the group discussion. In addition to the supporting program, vocational training focusing on high-value crop production should be organized for the farmers in disadvantaged areas. Social safety net programs targeting children, adolescents, and lactating mothers should be strengthened both in the rural, peri-urban, and urban areas.
Some areas of divergence discussed in the dialogue includes the following: low reduction rate of stunting, lack of awareness on proper nutrition and inadequacy of funding in nutrition specific interventions. It is also important to strengthen implementation of the acts specially Food Safety Act/BMS Act, and give emphasis on the research on pure nutrition. It is also important to provide more incentives for the food producers/suppliers. The linkages with the nutrition outcomes with the food system have to be developed as a plan on action in all the relevant Ministries, since food system is inherently complex and more than 22 Ministries implement nutrition sensitive interventions.2021-02-24 10:08:52205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue (The Planning Subcommittee of The Council of Food, Agriculture and Rural Area Policies)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/6074/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?In the Planning Subcommittee of The Council of Food, Agriculture and Rural Area Policies held on 25th January 2021, MAFF explained the outline of FSS including the purpose, the key issues of sustainable food system etc. The members of the council from various sectors made comments on that.234- 238
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In this dialogue, we discussed challenges and opportunities related to all Action Tracks.235- 238
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
・It should be more emphasized that Japanese diet is good not only for health but also for environment.
・To promote Shokuiku(food and nutrition education), more data and evidences showing that Japanese cuisine is excellent in environmental aspect should be collected.- Japan National Food Systems Dialogue(The Planning Subcommittee of The Council of Food, Agriculture and Rural Area Policies)2021-02-24 10:20:07
- The Planning Subcommittee of The Council of Food, Agriculture and Rural Area PoliciesLink to Dialogue event webpage on the Gateway https://www.maff.go.jp/j/council/seisaku/kikaku/bukai/ (Japanese Only)https://www.maff.go.jp/j/council/seisaku/kikaku/bukai/
2021-02-24 10:16:02205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue (The Evaluation Expert Committee on Promotion of Food and Nutrition Education)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/5831/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?In the Evaluation Expert Committee on Promotion of Food and Nutrition Education held on 11th December 2020, MAFF explain the outline of FSS including the purpose, the key issues of sustainable food system etc. The members of the council from various sectors made comments on that.234- 239
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In this dialogue, we mainly discussed challenges and opportunities related to Action Track2: Shift to sustainable consumption patterns, especially focusing on the role of Food and Nutrition Education235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are below.
・It is very important for every country to consider how to make domestic food production more sustainable for contributing the achievement of SDGs.
・It is important not only for farmers to promote organic farming and other eco-friendly measures, but also for consumers to understand the importance of these farmers’ efforts.
・Japan should demonstrate its domestic efforts to promote the understanding of consumers about ”Ethical Consumption” based on the Basic Act on Shokuiku (Food and Nutrition Education).
・In Japan there is not much progress on the understanding of nutritionists and researchers about importance of sustainable consumption considering not only health but also environmental impact. The related data including the EAT Lancet report should be provided to nutritionists and researchers to promote their understanding of this issue.
・The situation that per capita GHG emissions from food current consumption pattern of Japan is relatively very low(the second lowest of G20 countries) should be widely recognized by the public and the factors of the low emission including cultural background and the way of keeping the current diet pattern should be disseminated.2021-02-25 15:22:41205Stage 1National Dialogue for the Food System Summithttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2723/- 176
800934307020600411333741323164220120432136054220060311226How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Yes, the instructions for the dialogue curator and facilitators highlighted the principles.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The dialogue was in two parts - the first part was in the form of an seminar highlighting general aspects of food systems and giving inspirational examples. The second part focused more on the summit itself and circled around 10 vision statements that the participants discussed in small groups.
1) The knowledge- and innovation system contributes to increased productivity, innovation and circularity in the food chain as well as to sustainable* production, transport and consumption of food.
2) Consumers have high confidence for foods that are offered and can easily make well informed, sustainable and healthy choices at a reasonable price
3) The rules and conditions contribute to a competitive and sustainable food chain.
4) Food producers are reasonably paid and have good conditions, including working conditions, to produce sustainable and healthy food.
5) Private and public financial- and support systems, as well as rules and regulations, encourage that food is produced sustainably and is healthy.
6) Trade agreements contribute to sustainable production, transport and consumption.
7)The food system is constructed so that socio-economic prerequisites do not hinder good dietary choices.
8)The food system can handle challenges regarding food security and nutrition for the entire population, the profitability of producers as well as environment and climate change
9) Collaboration and organisation of actors in the food system contributes to healthy food that is easily available and sustainable.
10) The majority of food sold to consumers at stores, markets and restaurants is sustainable and healthy and food loss and waste is reduced or recycled through circular methods.
*Sustainable refers – at all times -to all three dimensions of sustainability235- 238
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There was a great interest in participating and contributing to the discussions. Many of the participants had concrete suggestions and proposals. Several examples of how to tackle matters of importance in the food system were shared. Around 100 suggestions, comments and proposals were put forward and are currently being analysed by the organisers of the event. The conclusions will be taken forward and further explored by regional dialogues as well as thematic dialogues. A number of trade offs were also identified for further consideration.236- 238
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Please view attachment 1.237- 238
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For further information please view attachement 1.- Summary of discussions during the Swedish national dialogue 25th of January 2021https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/report-english.docx
- Publication on food systems by the Swedish FAO Committeehttps://www.svenskafaokommitten.se/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-02-02-fao_eng-publicering-online.pdf
2021-02-25 16:20:57204Advancing equitable livelihoods in food systems: a UN DESA Global Policy Dialoguehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1589/- 203
88607429426503772652448862022143181320215669How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?To support the UN system’s efforts towards eliminating hunger, and to underscore the interlinkages between SDG 2 and the rest of the goals, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) held a Global Policy Dialogue in December 2020 with partners on food security, particularly IFAD, in the context of demographic change and rural development. Internationally renowned experts and professionals on food systems, population trends and rural development were invited to join as panelists to discuss this urgent and multidimensional issue. Local farmers were part of the panel as well as the interactive audience. A special effort was made to include young people in the discussion, as well. The event also served as a Food Systems Summit Dialogue aligned with Action Track 4—Advance Equitable Livelihoods and Value Distribution, giving participants an opportunity to contribute to designing the food systems of the future by informing the Summit process.
To enhance engagement, the event was held on Zoom and streamed live on UN DESA's Facebook page. Participants were invited to submit questions online at the time of registration and in the Zoom and Facebook chats during the event. A survey also was conducted throughout the event, through the Zoom platform.
In addition to supporting the Food Systems Summit, the results of the discussion have been shared with UN leadership and will inform future UN DESA policy briefs on the economic and social impacts of the pandemic and strategies for better recovery, as well as the Department’s support to the Decade of Action.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Our Dialogue embraced multi-stakeholder inclusivity by including in the panel representatives of the UN system, academia, the private sector, civil society and, especially, farmers. The panelists included experts from all continents, more than half were women, two were youth, and half represented developing countries. All panelists treated each other with respect including during the preparatory meetings when they were invited to meet and
Furthermore, the event brought together people from these multiple sectors to because UN DESA recognizes the complexity of food systems and how we need to look at the issue from a lens beyond just SDG 2, Zero Hunger. We need a broad integration of the entire 2030 Agenda, with all stakeholders' voices amplified. Our Dialogue built on the ongoing work of the UN System, in particular our work at UN DESA and that of our partner for this event, IFAD.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?We would recommend a journalist be used as the moderator for these types of discussions because the journalist skill set allows for sharp, to-the-point conversations.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 241
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Eradicating hunger and achieving food security remain major challenges to humanity and to sustainability. At the global level, hunger and food insecurity were on the rise in 2019. An estimated 25.9 per cent of the global population – 2 billion people – were affected by moderate or severe food insecurity in 2019, an increase from 22.4 per cent in 2014, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that there are nearly 690 million people in the world who are hungry, or 8.9 per cent of the world population – up 10 million people in one year and nearly 60 million in five years. and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem. At the same time, food systems in their current form contribute considerably to green-house gas emissions, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. Today, food production accounts for about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture and about a quarter of the world’s productive lands are degraded.
These challenges to securing adequate nutrition to all of the world’s people, generating equitable livelihoods and adapting to, as well as mitigating climate change stand to become even more daunting. Building sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition patterns have been identified by the Global Sustainable Development Report 2019 , as one of six entry points to achieve transformational change toward sustainable development in ways that capitalize on synergies while minimizing trade-offs. On the global stage, 2021 will be a year with food security at its core. In early 2021, the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on Population and Development will take on the theme of “Population, food security, nutrition and sustainable development.” In July, the annual High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development will review Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 aiming to zero hunger, along with other closely associated SDGs such as those targeting poverty eradication and climate action. Finally, the Secretary-General will convene the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit in September.
To support the UN system’s efforts towards eliminating hunger, and to underscore the interlinkages between SDG 2 and the rest of the goals, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) is holding a global policy dialogue in December 2020 with partners on food security in the context of demographic change and rural development. Internationally renowned experts and professionals on food systems, population trends and rural development will be invited to join as panelists to discuss this urgent and multidimensional issue. The event also will serve as a Food Systems Summit Dialogue aligned with Action Track 4—Advance Equitable Livelihoods and Value Distribution, giving participants an opportunity to contribute to designing the food systems of the future by informing the Summit process.235- 241
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Overall, panelists stressed the importance of access to food as a fundamental right for all people and an inextricable part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Both food producers and consumers carry responsibility to create a more equitable food system and further noted that food producers also suffer from poverty and hunger, arising from inequalities and injustices.
In order for food systems to be more inclusive, sustainable and healthy, further efforts are needed to 1) create jobs, 2) raise incomes across food value chains, 3) reduce risks for those most marginalized within the system, and 4) increase value distribution. Additionally, there must be special attention paid to gender equality in food systems, including the need to provide more opportunities for women in agricultural value chains, such as access to land, markets and decisions.
Furthermore, panelists highlighted how the three components of the “livelihood-nutrition-environment triangle” are key to eradicating both hunger and poverty and said that moving agricultural production from input-intensive to knowledge-intensive systems and expanding employment efficiency and diversity into value chains are the two priority actions to ensure a positive and harmonious triangle. With regard to the upcoming Food Systems Summit, the stakeholders look forward to working together to transform a wealth of ideas, evidences and recommendations into concrete and practical solutions to advance equitable livelihoods in the food system.236- 241
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Key takeaways from Panel 1: The impact of COVID-19 and population movement on food system livelihoods
The first panel discussed recent trends and challenges for ensuring sustainable food system livelihoods from a macro-perspective, in particular the impact of population movement and the COVID-19 pandemic on food systems in developing countries.
With regard to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food system livelihoods in developing countries, several panelists noted that digital tools and people’s solidarity were key to remain resilient during the pandemic. In Indonesia, Ms. Endah Murniningtyas, the former Deputy Minister for National Resources and Environment at the Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia, and co-chair of the Independent Group of Scientists that produced the 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report, noted that the immediate impact of the pandemic was felt through the weakening of national food demands and the closure of many businesses such as caterers and hotels, which led to excess of food production by local farmers. However, people remained resilient by utilizing IT tools to enable “direct selling” by small agricultural producers to local consumers, which ensured many women farmers to continue their businesses and promoted youth participation as digital mediators of food value chains. Digital platforms were also utilized to donate excess food from producers to those most in need, and she cited one recent study which found about a 72 per cent increase in food donation during the pandemic.
Similarly, Ms. Izabella Teixeira, former Minister of Environment of Brazil and member of the UN High-level Advisory Board for Economic and Social Affairs, noted that in Brazil, digital tools and e-commerce were utilized as part of national food value chains to connect small and organic farmers with consumers across the country. In this regard, she noted that digital platforms have a bigger role to play beyond providing supply chains and traceability of products. She suggested that e-tools could help optimize production to minimize food waste.
On the impact of population movement on livelihood and food systems, Mr. John Wilmoth, Director of the UN DESA Population Division, highlighted that urbanization, which is particularly significant in Africa and Asia, has caused shifts in people’s diets from agricultural staples to more animal-based food and processed food, which requires adjustments in agricultural production patterns. Growth of urban populations is further advanced by the fact that, overall, farms are becoming larger in scale and more mechanized, which is causing declines in demand for agricultural labor and is pressuring many rural farm workers to find alternative labor opportunities in urban areas.
In response to a question by the audience regarding the vulnerability of export-based food systems—an element exposed during the pandemic—panelists stressed that countries must ensure more inclusive, transparent, resilient and environmentally friendly agricultural supply chains, both at global and local levels. Furthermore, one panelist noted that producers must cater to more diversified food demands by consumers236- 241
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Key takeaways from Panel 2: Sustainable rural development to ensure better food livelihoods
The second panel consisted of local agricultural practitioners and researchers and a technical specialist from IFAD. The discussions focused on sustainable rural development as a pathway to ensuring better food system livelihoods, by citing practical examples and solutions from country experiences.
Panelists agreed that inclusivity and equity, based on a people-centered approach, is key to ensuring better food livelihoods in rural areas for vulnerable groups including women, youth, indigenous peoples and other communities with distinct livelihood systems. Several panelists noted that skill development, including digital skills related to drones and satellite data, as well as access to finance, are important enablers for transforming farmers into competitive entrepreneurs. This would ensure better economic empowerment of women and attract more younger workers. One panelist also stressed the importance for countries to better target government subsidies to the most vulnerable to maximize inclusion and ensure equitable livelihoods.
The importance of partnerships was also underscored, which would enable multidisciplinary collaboration among farmers, NGOs, governments and international organizations to design projects that can connect small farmers with international markets. Panelists noted that better coordination among government ministries is crucial because support for food systems requires the support of multiple ministries.237- 241
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The two youth panelists strongly emphasized that more training is needed for their generation, to keep up with changing digital technologies and not miss opportunities because of lack of finance or because class is canceled because of the pandemic.- https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Summary-of-Global-Policy-Dialogue-Series-Food-Dec-final.docx
- UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue Serieshttps://www.un.org/en/desa/policy-dialogue
2021-02-27 07:10:32204Adaptive Approaches for Food System Sustainability in Nigeriahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2931/2515251510521151352228113342103212How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Food Systems Summit was organized with the aim of bringing diverse individuals or stakeholders to discuss measures for Food Systems Sustainability. A virtual dialogue was organized on Zoom platform to deliberate and harvest inputs from participants on what are needed to attain sustainable food security in Nigeria through a functional Food System.
It was ensured that the summit commenced at the proposed time and the activities time were adequately managed. Every resource person invited for content delivery performed within the allocated time while not affecting the quality of the session delivery. The speakers were able to deliver their content richly and participants were engaged in the chat section of the Zoom application and after the session.
Strategic plans were made on the choice of speakers so as to achieve the purpose of having the dialogue, for this an academia, an entrepreneur, a change agent with experience with farmers’ challenges and cravings among others were involved in the discussion. This is to have a panoramic collection of thoughts and ideation to make a sustainable food system in Nigeria.
This strategy incorporated principles, reinforced and enhanced principles on organizing dialogues.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue theme “Adaptive Approaches for Food System Sustainability in Nigeria
” is an urgency call to right the wrongs in the Food Systems in Nigeria. It demands from every participant actions to bridge the gaps for sustainable Food System. Adaptive approaches were discussed and action calls have been made right from the basic unit of food production to processing down to the consumers in the system.
Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity: The enrichment of the diversity of the participants encouraged a multi-facet inclusion in the dialogue, rich contents from the speakers and contributor, and complaints as they affect their respective sector.
Commit to the summit: participants were pleased with the dialogue and are ready to commit to ensuring sustainable food systemDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The major focus of the dialogue was to deliberate on the measures that are needed to be implemented to make Nigeria a food sufficient country. It is lucid that there are lapses in the functionality of the food systems in Nigeria due to the food security status as caused by many factors. The dialogue was aimed to focus on the factors affecting food systems, what adaptive approaches can be done to mitigate their effects and how.
The summit addressed the importance of a sustainable Food System, the implications from an erred system, the precautionary and correctional measures, and the roles of the youths to the development of sustainable Food System in Nigeria.
Sustainable Food Systems
The discussants were able to make clear the need for a functional and quite sustainable food system in Nigeria. The rationale for a food security was stressed given the implication on citizens and the socio-economic effects in the country. Food Systems was defined to be a complex web of different food section components and not same as Food Supply Chain.
Fragility of non-functional Food System
The fragility in the food system and the underlying factors were discussed. The resultant effects of the factors were practically analyzed with possible adaptive measures.
Adaptive approaches and youth inclusion
The factors affecting food sustainability are ever-available so, adaptive measures to respond to their incidence must be adopted. Climate Smart Agriculture, incorporation of Geographic Information System and other technologies into the Food System etc have been said to be adaptive. Purposeful collaborations with the government on approaches advancement will help better the Food System. Active participation of the youths was said will proffer solutions to the developing constraints in the food system and encourage innovation in the Food Systems.235- 241
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For Food System Sustainability:
Pests and Diseases effects should be adequately controlled;
There should be collaboration between Food Systems Stakeholders including youths and the government;
There should be sufficient investment into Food Systems Research and Developments;
Training on sustainable practices be given to farmers to make the Food System in Nigeria better;
There should be capacity building for Agricultural Extension services;
There should be adoptable policies and planning for sustainable Food Systems.236- 238
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In the discussion on “Adaptive Measures for Food System sustainability in Nigeria”, the following are some of the outcomes;
Governance and sustainability are major issues concerning food system in Nigeria. It was said that an appropriate government intervention and adoption of sustainable measures will enhance the productivity of the Food Systems in Nigeria.
The degree of food wastage negatively affects Food Security. Many food losses which debase the Food Security status of the nation results from not only pre-harvest practices but majorly post-harvest. However, value addition to food crops will reduce the degree of food wastage.
It was concluded that adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Geographic Information System, Technology, Crop selection etc will enhance an adaptive and sustainable Food System in Nigeria.236- 238
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In the discussion on “Covid-19 – Exposing the fragility of our food system”, the following are some of the outcomes;
A post-pandemic survey was carried out and it was discovered that there are more male farmers in the North and most farmers in Lagos State are female. This is to keep one abreast the participation of the two sexes in farming and to help during decision making on interventions.
Farmers in Lagos and Benue States received supportive interventions from private sectors. It depicts that it is not the governments work alone to make the food system better, every unit, sector, party, local, zonal or national body has roles to play.
Pests & Diseases, drought and flooding are pressing challenges affecting farmers and need urgent attention.
Among the challenges farmers encounter after harvest is bribery to Forces for transportation of their produce to the market. This has been recurrent and even is discouraging to farmers to transport their harvest to where they can be highly valued. It was concluded that swift actions should be taken to address this act.236- 239
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In the discussion on ‘’Role of policy towards achieving small scale farming sustainability: future outlook’’, the following are some of the outcomes;
Policies should be adaptive and inclusive and specific to suit different communities and regions across the country.
Policies should help to address issues around our local food security sustainability before exporting to the international market.
Intentional promotion of framework around agro ecology as the help to preserve the soil.
Creation of more sustainable engagements with small scale farmers for a swift paradigm shift as the population grows.
Urgent attention by the policy makers around policy that drives small scale farmers’ productivity.
There should be a strong linkage and interaction between all actors across the entire value chain for a sustainable food system using the top bottom approach.236- 238
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In the discussion on “Building effective advocacy youth in agriculture movement for sustainable and equitable food system development in Nigeria”, the following are some of the outcomes;
Youth inclusion and intervention in the food systems will bring about a change in the trajectory because of their creativity.
Collections and implementation of individual solutions from the youths will help meet our food sufficiency and sustainability needs.
Youths were implored to connect and engage with Agriculture Movements to explore the possibilities of adaptive Food Systems in Nigeria.237All voices of participating stakeholders were heard and there was an open space for everyone to make a contribution. There were no points of divergence but some points were felt as very strong to those who brought them up.2021-02-27 18:53:06204Food Systems, Climate Change & Youth Powerhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/6540/- 203
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?We had a presentation which lasted 20 minutes to explain the summit, the importance of food and the power of youth in food and then we had a facilitator facilitate the discussion section with was an hour long.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The discussion section allowed people to engage meaningfully, people opened up and told stories of food insecurity and solutions to food insecurity in their local area. We collectively explored solutions and our motivators. We had a diverse group of people taking part which made the discussion really interesting.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Sometimes it was difficult to get people to speak so having questions and comments on hand was very helpful to get the conversation started.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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We discussed problems and solutions specifically grassroots solutions and what support is needed for these solutions to scale up.235- 238
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- There's a huge issue with expired food being sold to young people in school canteens across the US this has caused a distrust of young people towards people supplying food to them. They don't believe some organisations have their best interests at heart.
- Refrigerators have been set up where community members can stock food and people who need the food can take it but how can these be scaled up globally? For this to work it needs to be backed by the community.
- Food needs to be linked more widely to health and wellness
- Community gardens are a great solution to food insecurity and education around food. This gave the community a voice in what they wanted on their plates during the week and it gave them more choices for meals as they didn't have to pay for the food.
- When food banks had to close due to under funding the community ensured that the gardens stayed open. This also allowed for inter generational learning, the longer the garden stayed open.
- Indigenous participants talked about the community not having access to shops as they are just too far away so they have no choice but to eat food that lasts the longest which are the unhealthy foods.
- A lot of young people only get their food meals from school so not having access to school has hindered their food security.
- Some students still maintain their school garden as it give them an income as locals can buy from them.
- The need for community initiatives to be supported but not to be scaled up too much as they have to stay local and not be taken over.
- A lot of school feeding programmes are run t a federal level which results in a lot of food going to waste we need to make federal guidelines more flexible to local situations.
- In schools before covid there were sharing tables set up so any student who had food they didn't want put it on this table and anyone could take it, this decreased food waste dramatically in canteens.236- 238
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- There's a huge issue with expired food being sold to young people in school canteens across the US this has caused a distrust of young people towards people supplying food to them. They don't believe some organisations have their best interests at heart.
- Refrigerators have been set up where community members can stock food and people who need the food can take it but how can these be scaled up globally? For this to work it needs to be backed by the community.
- Food needs to be linked more widely to health and wellness
- Community gardens are a great solution to food insecurity and education around food. This gave the community a voice in what they wanted on their plates during the week and it gave them more choices for meals as they didn't have to pay for the food.
- When food banks had to close due to under funding the community ensured that the gardens stayed open. This also allowed for inter generational learning, the longer the garden stayed open.
- Indigenous participants talked about the community not having access to shops as they are just too far away so they have no choice but to eat food that lasts the longest which are the unhealthy foods.
- A lot of young people only get their food meals from school so not having access to school has hindered their food security.
- Some students still maintain their school garden as it give them an income as locals can buy from them.
- The need for community initiatives to be supported but not to be scaled up too much as they have to stay local and not be taken over.
- A lot of school feeding programmes are run t a federal level which results in a lot of food going to waste we need to make federal guidelines more flexible to local situations.
- In schools before covid there were sharing tables set up so any student who had food they didn't want put it on this table and anyone could take it, this decreased food waste dramatically in canteens.237na2021-03-01 09:13:34205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue (Association of Consumer Organizations (SHUFUREN))https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/6079/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF explained the outline of FSS including the purpose, the key issues of sustainable food system etc. to the members of the Association of Consumer Organizations (SHUFUREN) on 10th February 2021. The members made comments on that.234- 239
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In this dialogue, we mainly discussed challenges and opportunities related to Action Track2: Shift to sustainable consumption patterns, especially focusing on the challenges to the completion of sustainable food system.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) Many of the foods we are familiar with are imported, such as beef and palm oil produced on deforested land. In order to change this into a sustainable form, it is necessary to change the awareness of consumers.
(2) We believe that changes in dietary habits and increased demand for beef and other products due to economic growth in developing countries have increased the number of livestock raised in other countries, which has become a factor in the increase in GHG emissions. Each country should promote sustainable agriculture in its own.
(3) Farmers engaged in urban agriculture in Japan are listening carefully to the voices of local consumers, reducing the use of agricultural chemicals, and engaging in organic farming. Such efforts for local production for local consumption are beneficial to both producers and consumers, and should be further promoted.
(4) Regarding reduction of food loss and waste, it is necessary for various stakeholders to work together.
(5) The next generation who will be responsible for the future, such as young people, should be made aware that food issues are also linked to environmental issues, with the SDGs at the center.
(6) The promotion of Food and Nutrition Education to support sustainable food has been highlighted in the discussions on the next Basic Plan for Food and Nutrition Education, and efforts based on this plan should be promoted.2021-03-02 14:58:17205Stage 1U.S. National Food Systems Dialogueshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1871/- 194
76181217321361221813121662610231113How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?In recognition of the urgency of organizing the Food Systems Dialogues as contributions to the Food Systems Summit, the United States acted expeditiously to host its first National Food Systems Dialogue on January 13, 2021. The United States was the first country in the world to host a National Food Systems Summit Dialogue. The event embraced the Summit principles of engagement: Act with Urgency, Commit to the Summit, Be Respectful, Recognize Complexity, Embrace Multi-Stakeholder Inclusivity, Complement the Work of Others, and Build Trust. See below for specifics.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The U.S. National Food Systems Dialogues seek to empower U.S. domestic stakeholders to participate in the preparation of the UN Food Systems Summit. The first National Dialogue, which was held virtually, embraced multi-stakeholder inclusivity and included stakeholders from across the food system, ranging from U.S. producers, agricultural organizations, food industry, research and academic institutions, farm and food workers, and civil society groups. The second and third stages of dialogues will expand the number of participants while retaining the participation of those who participated in the first. Through multi-stakeholder inclusivity, the Dialogue provided a forum in which participants could share diverse perspectives, learn from each other, and collaborate to identify challenges and impactful solutions.
Small group discussions at the Dialogue emphasized respect and building trust through facilitation guided by neutral U.S. government experts and researchers. The Chatham House Rule of non-attribution encouraged participants to engage in frank discussion and a collaborative approach. Dialogue discussion topics highlighted the complex challenges and tradeoffs of food systems policy interventions and solutions.
To build trust, promote transparency, and accurately reflect the voices of U.S. food systems stakeholders, readout reports and summaries went through multiple levels of review and validation. Two notetakers sent their anonymized notes from the breakout rooms to facilitators, who developed anonymized reports that were shared and validated by participants before incorporation into the final official UN Dialogues Gateway feedback form. A complementary report highlighting high level outcomes is posted on the USDA Food Systems website.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?The Chatham House Rule of non-attribution encouraged participants to engage in frank discussion with a collaborative approach. Only dialogue participants, a facilitator, expert researcher for consultation, and two note-takers were permitted in each dialogue breakout session. International and domestic observers were invited to observe the opening and closing plenary sessions but were not invited into the small breakout sessions.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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This report represents the views of U.S. stakeholders, it does not represent the official views of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or United States Government.
In following with the guidelines of the UN Dialogues Toolkit and ensure a systemic, comprehensive approach to assessing food systems, the first stage of the U.S. National Dialogue focused on identifying challenges to building more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable food systems in the United States. The discussions were broken into five main challenge areas aligned with the UN Food Systems Summit five “action tracks” and structured around four general question prompts outlined below.
Each breakout session focused on one of the five “action track” challenge areas. Participants were assigned to one of the five challenge areas:
1. Safe and nutritious food for all: What are the challenges in ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition and reducing the incidence of non-communicable disease, enabling all people to be nourished and healthy?
2. Increased consumer demand for healthy diets that are sustainably produced: What are the challenges in increasing consumer demand for healthy diets and foods that are sustainably produced? What are the challenges in reducing consumer food waste?
3. Environmentally sustainable production: What are the challenges in optimizing environmental resource use in food production, processing, and distribution, to reduce biodiversity loss, pollution, water use, soil degradation and greenhouse gas emissions?
4. Equitable livelihoods across the food system: What are the challenges in promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all actors along the food value chain and enabling entrepreneurship and addressing the inequitable access to resources and distribution of value?
5. Resilient food systems: What are the challenges in ensuring the continued functionality of sustainable food systems in case of natural disasters, pandemics, economic shocks, conflicts, and other sources of instability?
Discussion Questions: To encourage a systematic assessment of challenges, each breakout discussion considered four general questions:
1. What are the major challenges to advancing sustainable food systems in the United States related to your major challenge area?
2. What are the primary divers/causes of the major challenges?
3. What are the tradeoffs among social, economic, and environmental sustainability objectives? What are the distributional characteristics of the major challenges? If the group discusses potential solutions that target one dimension of sustainability (for example, social sustainability), what are the potential impacts on the other dimensions of sustainability?
4. What are the evidence gaps? What kind of evidence would be needed to motivate and support action to address these challenges, drivers and tradeoffs? Does the evidence exist or are there knowledge and evidence gaps?235- 238
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The focus of the first-stage U.S. National Food Systems Dialogue was to identify challenges to improving the sustainability of food systems. While the discussion topics were organized around the five UN Food Systems Summit Action Tracks as outlined above, the discussions did not fall neatly into these silos. Instead, participants broadened the discussions to holistically consider challenges and tradeoffs across food systems, and goals related to sustainability and resilience. Three overarching challenges emerged: 1) information gaps about healthy diets and sustainability produced food, 2) inequalities, and 3) environmental degradation and climate change.
• Overall Challenge #1: Information gaps about healthy diets and sustainably produced food
Dialogue participants identified divergent and confusing information about healthy diets and sustainably produced foods as a major challenge. Some participants expressed concern that information gaps hinder uptake of healthier diets and the promotion and adoption of more sustainable agricultural production practices.
• Overall Challenge #2: Inequalities
Dialogue participants identified inequalities in food systems as an overarching challenge. Some participants identified inequality as a primary driver of disparate access and uptake of healthy diets, and as a barrier to improving the livelihoods of farm and food systems workers and expanding business opportunities in agriculture and food supply chains. Some participants expressed the view that underlying, long-standing inequalities have had a negative impact on food systems’ resilience.
• Overall Challenge #3: Environmental degradation and climate change
Dialogue participants identified environmental degradation and climate change as overarching challenges. Some participants expressed concerns about challenges to farmers and producers related to clear guidance on environmentally sustainable practices and barriers to international trade based on sustainability standards that are not based on science. Some participants highlighted challenges associated with the distribution of the costs of more environmentally sustainable production practices across the food system, raising concerns that farmers and low-income consumers could bear the brunt of potential cost increases.
In all the discussion groups, participants discussed where they thought research or scientific evidence is needed to better characterize challenges and possible solutions. On the topic of healthy diets, some participants expressed the view that more information is needed on the effectiveness of consumer education and food assistance programs, including national data on the needs of food banks and their effectiveness serving vulnerable communities. In addressing inequity, some participants noted a lack of data on and models for investing in communities, including land ownership. Some participants noted evidence gaps related to environmental and carbon footprints of food and the links between environmentally sustainable practices and productivity yields.
In each discussion group, participants discussed the tradeoffs that might arise in building more sustainable food systems – and the challenges of managing these tradeoffs. The types of tradeoffs discussed are well described in the discussion of food prices and whether they are too high or too low. Some participants pointed to the high cost of nutritious foods (perceived or actual) as a challenge to achieving healthy diets for all. On the other hand, some participants noted high rates of food waste and hypothesized that the low cost of food (some participants noted that food is like a “free good”) leads to people throwing it away. When discussing environmental sustainability, some participants hypothesized that food is too cheap since the price does not factor in the true cost of environmental inputs or negative environmental externalities. Some participants noted that because environmental costs are not priced into agricultural production—especially in commodity agriculture—there are few immediate financial benefits to producers who improve their practices. Some participants noted a tradeoff between affordability and wages, noting that low farm and food worker wages may increase food affordability but could adversely impact the economic livelihoods of those workers.
Some participants highlighted the need to include diverse stakeholders, including environmental groups, more farmers, including more and BIPOC (black, indigenous, peoples of color) farmers, the financial sector, data scientists, land grant universities, food companies, anti-hunger groups, and media. Some participants agreed that knowledge gaps could be addressed by receiving input from different stakeholders.236- 238
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Participants identified divergent and confusing information about healthy diets and sustainably produced foods as a major challenge to improving diet quality and the sustainability of food systems.
Some participants noted that U.S. food systems are extremely complex, and many consumers lack clear understanding of how to achieve healthy diets and shop for sustainably produced foods. Some participants felt that labeling can cause additional confusion since many labeling claims, such as “natural,” are difficult to understand. The discussion highlighted that confusion is exacerbated by conflicting information from industry, advocacy groups, and consumers themselves. Some participants felt that these information gaps make it difficult for consumers to make informed decisions and that uninformed consumer demand could lead to less sustainable outcomes. For example, one discussion group noted that in some cases, food fads or even “food bullying” by a group of usually affluent consumers can drive food consumption trends that do not improve nutrition or the sustainability of the food system and can sow distrust and confusion.
Some participants noted that misinformation about agriculture could discourage farmers from adopting new technologies that could improve nutrition and/or the sustainability of food systems, such as genetic engineering and genome editing. Some participants were of the view that misinformation about agriculture could also influence consumers’ acceptance of new technologies and that disagreement about sustainability goals could create challenges to coalition building to achieve shared goals.
Some participants suggested that the reasons for divergent and confusing information include the lack of clear guidance from government and scientific groups about what constitutes sustainably produced food. For consumers, some participants hypothesized that information gaps are also driven by insufficient consumer (and school-level) education, including lack of education on existing science research on healthy diets and sustainably produced food and lack of outreach on how people can shift to healthier diets. Anti-science attitudes, low public trust, and a proliferation of misinformation were also mentioned by discussants as reasons for confusion.
Evidence and research gaps identified by some participants included lack of information about best practices and opportunities for improved communication across sectors. One group noted that sustainability analysis is complicated by differing standards of evidence across environmental, economic, and nutrition and public health domains. At the same time, some participants highlighted that traditional impact analysis should incorporate a wider array of approaches, such as citizen science and traditional cultural practices, to inform policy and programs and engage actors across the food system. Some participants highlighted the gaps in dissemination of information that already exists, including on basic science, technology, and nutrition. Some participants noted need to collaborate across sectors to increase student nutrition knowledge and acceptance of healthy foods offered in school meals.236- 238
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A major overarching challenge identified by dialogue participants was inequalities and inequities in food systems. Participants raised the issue of underlying, long-standing inequalities in food systems and the effect of these inequalities on access to healthy diets, fair labor and business opportunities, and food systems’ resilience.
Some participants discussed that inequities in access to healthy diets can manifest in food distribution and affordability. Some participants discussed that food access could be unequally distributed with some isolated groups such as tribal reservations having difficulty accessing fresh produce and other items. Similarly, in both urban and rural areas, some participants discussed access difficulties because of location of housing and proximity to the nearest grocery store, or lack of transportation. Some participants suggested that the financial ability to access foods for a healthful diet is part of the challenge.
Some participants noted that structural and systemic racism and gender-based discrimination are drivers of inequality. Some participants noted that dimensions of inequality that can detract from equal participation in food systems include unequal access to capital and credit, land and land tenure, infrastructure (roads, transportation, digital broadband), and healthcare. Some participants noted that inequity can create barriers to entry for new food producers and farmers. Some participants mentioned that public programs based on welfare models can perpetuate inequality and should instead strive for beneficiaries’ empowerment.
Some participants raised concerns about the tradeoff between efficiency and resilience, citing how the closing of large meat processing facilities during the pandemic caused supply chain shocks. Some participants hypothesized that market concentration had led to a lack of resilience in food systems. Some participants were concerned about who should bear the costs of providing well-paying food systems jobs, and the tradeoffs with food affordability. Another tradeoff some participants discussed was between access to fresh food and food waste. An example some participants raised was that while the provision of fresh produce by food banks or in food boxes may increase access to nutritious, food, it may also be associated with increased food waste.
Some participants noted that evidence gaps related to the effect of inequalities on access to healthy diets include analysis of the costs and benefits of investing in diet-related health promotion and disease prevention versus treatment of diet-related health conditions. Some participants suggested that evidence gaps related to the effect of inequalities on fair labor and business opportunities included lack of information on economic mobility in the agriculture sector. Some participants recognized a lack of data on how models of investing in communities work, including land ownership.
Some participants stressed the importance of funding for research on innovation that increases agility within food systems and addresses distributional challenges revealed by the pandemic (some participants defined agility as ability of agricultural production infrastructure to meet the needs of farmers of all sizes). Some participants hypothesized that creative solutions from the COVID crisis include shortened farm-to-consumer chains, the increased ability of food assistance participants to shop online, and pandemic food assistance benefits for families whose children were unable to access school meals.236- 238
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Participants identified environmental degradation and climate change as overarching challenges to agricultural production and resilience across the food system.
Some participants emphasized that variability in growing conditions due to climate change poses challenges for agricultural productivity. Some participants also mentioned lack of harmonized rules, regulatory and trade burdens, and differing uses and approaches to technology as additional challenges for global market competition and resilience. Some participants discussed how racial inequality is exacerbated by divergent exposure to pesticides, water quality, and other environmental conditions.
Some participants hypothesized that a driver of environmental degradation is lack of access to infrastructure to bring diverse crops to market such as diverse marketing and processing outlets. Without diverse outlets, farmers may not be able to diversify production or redirect product to higher-valued market options.
Some participants were concerned about who bears the costs and who should bear the costs of implementing environmentally sustainable and climate adaptation and mitigation practices at scale, and the tradeoffs with food system livelihoods and food affordability. Some participants asked “Is “tradeoffs” always the right lens? Are there opportunities for economic and sustainability wins or synergies?” and noted that we should aim for solutions where foods are both nutritious and sustainably produced. Some participants highlighted that meeting the needs of producers and consumers is a tradeoff, with increased sustainability sometimes meaning higher prices for producers and consumers. Some participants emphasized that when food insecurity is an issue, sustainability it not a high priority. In addition, some participants noted that imports of less expensive products from countries with less stringent environmental production protections may result in a more affordable, but less sustainable food supply.
Evidence gaps identified by some participants included the environmental and carbon footprints of food and the scientific links between environmentally sustainable practices and productivity yields. Some participants discussed the need for research about productivity and sustainability to investigate the assumption that producing food sustainably inherently reduces yield. Some participants noted a lack of sophisticated modeling of the impacts of dietary shifts considering international trade and shifting demand elsewhere in the world. Some participants expressed the need for articulation of multi-stakeholder agreement around desired, quantifiable outcomes for a sustainable food system and for environmental costs to be included in agricultural production. Some participants noted the issue of evidence gaps to accelerate the rate of adoption and the diversity of applying conservation agriculture practices, as well as data to assess downstream effects of increased production and processing costs.237- 238
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A notable area of divergence that emerged in one of the discussion groups was disagreement about the sustainability of U.S. agriculture. One participant felt strongly that “U.S. producers are the best of the best” and do not get enough recognition on the global stage for their sustainable production practices, while some participants said that we need to recognize sustainability problems “right here in our home.” The group’s discussion started and ended with a recognition that there are no silver bullet solutions, although it is tempting to try to create silver bullets by pushing for changes that help one aspect of sustainability but not all aspects, and there was consensus on the need for integrated approaches and representation from the entire value chain.
Some participants expressed divergent views and disagreement about whether the price of food is too high or too low. Some participants pointed to the high cost of nutritious foods (perceived or actual) as a challenge to achieving healthy diets for all. On the other hand, some participants noted high rates of food waste and hypothesized that the low cost of food (some participants noted that food is like a “free good”) leads to people throwing it away. When discussing environmental sustainability, some participants hypothesized that food is too cheap since the price does not factor in the true cost of environmental inputs or negative environmental externalities. Some participants noted that because environmental costs are not priced into agricultural production—especially in commodity agriculture—there are few immediate financial benefits to producers who improve their practices. Some participants noted that while the low cost of food helps with affordability and access for some, it also creates economic and social complications for low wage earners if wages are kept low to keep food prices low.2021-03-08 07:54:17204Empowering women and youth to better contribute to transforming food systems in Malawihttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/5560/- 112
20712131721122111025122233How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The independent dialogue began and closed with presentations on and about on-going initiatives that highlighted promising innovations to transform the food system. Both presentations provided space for participants wanting to engage partnerships and collaboration to reach out after the dialogue. Prior to the opening presentation, the concept of Food System was explained succinctly and simply, to ensure all participants have the same level of understanding.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Commitment to the Summit and acting with urgency: Participants were encouraged to explore the Summit web page and various resources and to participate as much as possible. In addition the independent dialogue was organised as a means to have local voices heard as part of contributing to the global summit.
Respectfulness: All participants listened attentively to the inputs of others, including listening to views that differed from their own.
Recognizing complexity: The dialogue ensured that participants were from multiple disciplines and various levels within those disciplines,in recognition of the complex nature of even local food systems. This allowed for the identification of actions across the food system - at various levels and to be led by different stakeholders.
Embracing multi-stakeholder inclusivity: Invited participants were carefully selected to include a diverse range of actors from various disciplines and stakeholder groups.
Building on the work of others: The dialogue opened and closed with presentations highlighting the work of others that showed promising innovations, with participants encouraged to reach out after the dialogues to presenters to explore connections.
Building trust: All conclusions from the dialogue are shared via this feedback form and conclusions are not attributed to a single individual but curated and consolidated as an outcome of the dialogue. This 'safe space' approach is a core of Youth Enterprise Services (YES) Malawi and alignDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Ensure participants have access to the Summit resources, so that they appreciate the approach and principles. This also helps participants to understand the importance of dialogue and that local actions can and w ill contribute to the overall Summit outcomes and actions.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The YES Malawi Independent Dialogue brought together women and youth from Malawi engaged in agriculture and the food system. This included Malawian youth and women engaged in farming and agribusiness, policy makers from both the agriculture and health sectors, agricultural researchers and scientists and youth still in education.
The dialogue built upon the practical work of Youth Enterprise Services (Yes), and highlighted the pervasive challenges hindering youth and women from fully contributing to transformation of the food system into one that is sustainable. Participants then engaged in discussing game changing solutions focus on a key question: How can the youth and women, in Malawi, be empowered today to ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all in the future?235- 238
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The main finding of the Youth Enterprise Services (YES) Malawi independent dialogue is that no single solution, especially on its own is a panacea to the challenges faced by youth and women in the food system. However there are game changing solutions that can go far in empowering youth and women to effective actors in transforming food systems, these include:
1. Increased access to affordable tech solutions. Current cost for access to the internet and to technological based solutions in the developing world is prohibitive. Youth and women cannot leverage technology to overcome many of the challenges they face because these are expensive.
2. Establish local information hubs that provide up to date and emerging information, in the relevant vernacular language for communities, practitioners, and traditional authorities on all various aspects of food systems and for various players (farmers, agri-SMEs, consumers, field practitioners).
3. Need for more tailored finance that is responsive to the unique needs of youth and women in developing context food systems.
4. Strong political will that facilitates the implementation of all these solutions above and which works towards putting in place a policy environment that enables creativity and the implementation of solutions that are practical and tangible.236- 238
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YES Malawi discussion topic 1: How can youth and women be empowered today be empowered today to ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all in the future?
Participants views are provided below:
1. Advocacy: Field practitioners should carry out massive awareness campaigns to understand the gap of women and youth exclusion in the food system;
2. Practitioners, government and private sector stakeholders should provide information to women and youth to build their knowledge and capacity to enable them to better engage in the food system. This should be with the aim of changing mindsets and equipping them with knowledge and skills to effectively participate in the food system;
3. Government should make deliberate efforts to incentivize women and youth to participate in the food system. This can be done in various way:
-Legal frameworks should have a special focus on women and youth smallholder farmers for
example in Malawi this can mean enforcement of the Cooperative Act to ensure the effective
engagement of women and youth
- Government should set up institutions to govern the marketing of agricultural products
- Ensure the financial inclusion of women and youth
- Government should monitor integration of the operating framework of state and non-state actors
as disintegration leads to contradicting [agricultural advisory] messages at grassroots level
- Promote the engagement of women and youth in seemingly simplistic innovations such as
backyard vegetable farming and home Irrigation farming, which for the poorest members of
society can be very empowering.236- 238
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YES Malawi discussion topic 2: What actions need to be taken in the next 3 years to ensure the empowerment of women and youth for better participation in the food system?
1. Government support needed in various areas:
- Setting up business incubation schemes for women and youth
- Review existing relevant policies and ensure that youth and women roles / challenges in food
systems are mainstreamed, which should the strengthening of youth and women groups and the
deliberate provision of income earning opportunities for them.
- Establish special loan facility for youth and women agri-entrepreneurs, but ensure effective
management, accountability and impact.
2. Development practitioners and local organisations (such as YES Malawi) to facilitate the creation of cooperatives among women and youth in the food system for better financial inclusion
3. Financial institutions to develop youth focused finance packages, such as those with lower interest rates, non-traditional collateral and re-payment terms that are contextualized to the type business that women and youth are engaged in the food system.
4. Women, youth, all participants and citizens: need to play our part for a radical mindset shift. Children should be trained and groomed by families to have a better understanding of the food system and what actions they and all can take (at the local level) for resilience and sustainability. Local organisations (such as YES Malawi) need to work with community groups, traditional leaders and families to make information available and to create tools that families can tap into, tools should be relevant and in the vernacular to allow understanding.
5. Government/private sector/ Academia and Research/ private entities (such as YES Malawi): Work collaboratively to develop, market and make available low cost technologies or the mechanization of agriculture and other processes within he food system. this will make engagement tin food systems attractive for youth and less tedious for all including women (involved in the primary production stage).236- 238
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YES Malawi discussion topic 3 (Off-line): How to empower youths and women in Food Systems in relation to Health?
1. Conduct action based research as an entry to programme planning and design on food and nutrition programs targeting youth and women
2. Involve youth and women in the design and targeting of all food security and nutrition action plans.
this should include the provision of education about the links between nutrition and good health for individuals, groups and their families and food systems
3. Develop local food security networks to discuss and share information on food systems and nutrition and the role of youths and women.
4. Need for good leadership and political will to have youth and women empowerment programs.
5. Need for changes to policy, legislation and planning in order to:
- protect girl children from teen marriages and pregnancies
- safeguard and increase women’s access to, and control over, incomes and other resources
- enhancing women’s and youth and women’s participation in microfinance facilities
- explore creative approaches to reduce women’s time constraints e.g. provision of improved water
supply
- increase women’s involvement in decision making at all levels237- 238
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One solution provided for youth and women to better engage in the food system was the lowering of standards or the contextualization of standards for food products / agricultural produce. Some felt this would limit the ability of agribusinesses from the country to effectively engage in regional and global food systems that have set standards that all must adhere to in order to have their goods enter those markets.2021-03-08 14:37:52204Food Nutrition security, Nutrition security, agriculture and climate crisishttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/3917/- 92
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?We organized the dialogue based on all the principles of engagement. We invited stakeholders from most food systems stakeholders in Israel, from farmers to academics and activists. We emphasized the importance of respect throughout all processes and chose prominent leaders to be the facilitators at each table.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue reflected the urgency, respect, diversity, trust, and other principles. This manifested in the feedback we received during and after the dialogue, which was very positive, and a wish to continue the dialogues and implement the solutions.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?We would advise following the principles of engagements and the FSD method. We have realized it helps create a very positive and productive process.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The focus of the dialogue was food Security, Nutrition Security, Agriculture, and Climate Crisis. The dialogue consists of seven teams: 1. sustainable agriculture and food production; 2. climate crisis and food security, and agriculture; 3. Livestock food systems; 4. native food security (Arab sector); 5. Nutrition and food security for all; 6. Local and municipality food systems; 7. Food waste and food loss.
The compass of our FSD was the 17 SDG's and the right to food. Proposals were focused on ensuring food security for all: assuring healthy and sustainable diets at all times, including times of crisis.235The major thems were:
Theme 1: Establish a national food and nutrition masterplan to assure national and nutritional food security in the present and future.
Proposal: Systematic screening and data collection, which is nutrition insecure
Proposal: budget allocation to support the nutrition insecure population
Proposal: reduction of meat consumption to comply with healthy and sustainable diets and transition toward Mediterranean diet.
Proposal: Promotion of a holistic view, focusing on local agriculture as a primary provider of food security, with emphasis on quality and not only quantity and eco-friendly agriculture
Proposal: Promotion of agricultural law and legislative infrastructure, supporting farmers' needs for local production such as stable customs on import, affordable water prices, foreign workers, and R&D, including workforce saving technology
Proposal: substantial budgeting for research as a permanent part of the masterplan. Setting measurable goals in all aspects: health and nutrition, economy, welfare, education, etc.)
Proposal: collecting data and researching food loss and food waste through the whole food system – from agriculture to households. Legislation of coerced treatment of food loos and food waste throughout the food systems – from livestock and plant agriculture to industrial and municipal food waste.
Theme 2: the establishment of an inclusive regulatory authority for national food and nutrition
Proposal: mapping and solving conflicting policies through system thinking according to the masterplan
Proposal: establishing Big Data integration center to cope with the huge challenges of contradicting regulation and lack of data in significant parts of the food system in Israel (lack of data on antimicrobial resistance, food insecurity population, the nutritional composition of agriculture production)
Proposal: the healthy and sustainable food basket recommendation of the Israeli ministry of health for nutrition insecurity population should be the compass for policies and implementation – fields dedicated for certain plantation (allocations of agricultural land to specific yields, guidance to which food can be donated and which food cannot be donated for the nutrition insecure population and more.
Theme 3: Regulation and policies:
Proposal: create incentives and penalties throughout the food system:
To reduce food waste, a different waste stream system, such as households paying per weight waste, incentives for farmers to reduce agriculture waste and for consumers to buy "ugly" fruits and vegetables. Solutions such as taxes on ultra-processed food and differential VAT on healthy food create incentives to consume healthy diets on the production and consumption.
Proposal: reducing food waste – promoting better consumption and purchasing through policies.
Theme 4: sustainable and healthy nutritional and agricultural education for children and adults
Proposal: sustainable nutrition should be part of the educational programs within the educational system from the early ages until graduation.
Proposal: Allocation of resources and land in cities, especially to the underprivileged, to grow food
Proposal: Education for all ages, promoting closer contacts between farmers and consumers, and changing nutritional habits that will increase local agriculture base in food security. These will be in congruence with the national dietary recommendation.
Theme 5: technologies are needed to better adaptation and mitigation
Proposal: to make sure the technologies that are being developed are used to support health and sustainable diets and not produce ultra-processed food.
Proposal: use of technologies (special apps) to reduce food loss and food waste –including on retails, catering services, restaurants, and neighborhoods.
Theme 6: healthy and sustainable livestock food system
Proposal: creating a benchmark for the whole livestock: from agriculture to food waste. Including data collection and transparency to prevent Antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic disease development.
Proposal: the target of lowering livestock-related foodprints should include both the imported meats and the country's local-grown meats.
Theme 7: local food systems are central to the solutions. Municipalities can take part in all SDG's
Proposal: since food systems are so complicated, each municipality or region must have an inclusive food and sustainability council led by the mayor and lead the region's healthy and sustainable policies.
Proposal: connecting the municipals' private sector to be part of the solutions to changing the local food systems to healthier and sustainable ones.
Proposal: creating incentives - financial and logistics- for sustainable treatment of metropolitan's food waste.236Food loss and food waste:
In-depth analysis is needed to treat food loss in the field, agricultural depreciation, post-harvest as a critical stage, including legislation to change expiry dates system, retailer's chains purchasing systems, and infrastructures designed to detect waste optimize utilizing all products.
At the agricultural level: climate changes increase depreciation (this year, the depreciation of apples in the north of Israel has reached 40% when it is usually 15-20%, caused by heatwaves). New technologies and applications are emerging, and more research and collaboration with academics are needed to find solutions to agriculture losses and find other more sustainable alternatives to preservatives, fertilizers, and during transportation and storage. Optimization of all the processes.
At the policy level, we tend to set long-term goals, while in this issue, we need much more short-term goals.
The situation with institutional kitchen is too many restrictions on using "old" food, because of food safety issues, it is in contradiction to the need to reduce food waste. Better mechanisms to maintain food safety and reduce food waste are needed. It is challenging to predict food amounts to prepare when it is a big institutional kitchen, so solutions to the food not eaten should be prioritized.
At the public level, we need to strengthen good habits, promote sustainable cultures and find how to reach out to people and make an impact. The awareness of food waste is very low in Israel, and there is a fear of shortage. We need to connect food waste to costs and explain that it is also a waste of money. Also, emphasis on the positivity and fun part of food saving, the creativity involved.
Solutions: Differential pricing, active policies, and actions inside specific target populations to reduce food waste. As for households – the solutions should focus on education and changing the culture around food storage. Urban community centers, changing agents like teachers, parents, health practitioners, and NGO's campaigns could be trained to educate for reducing consumption in all its forms. Communicate the message of the urgent need to reduce food waste at all levels.
Municipalities are the main actor in changing post-harvest food waste: In retail chains, in restaurants, institutional kitchens, and households. For example, waste tax, "pay as you throw," at all these levels. An interdisciplinary council that will include all parts of the local food system is needed.
How: Identifying "hot spot" for wasting (for example, specific sectors, specific ethnicities) and targeted interventions, requiting the education system to teach children about food waste, media campaigns, Local Food Council (Food Security Administration), and solutions tailored to different populations and different sectors (emphasis on the essential part that municipalities have)236Promoting sustainable local food systems and the role of the municipal authority: At the national level, processes are moving very slowly. On the municipal authority, the macro and the micro can be addressed. The municipality should lead processes of assimilating a healthy and sustainable food system. Moreover, those who need to lead this issue are the high-rank officials committed to creating in-depth changes. It is mandatory to appoint a nutritional safety and security committee in each city and publish a municipal nutrition appendix. The idea of a nutrition appendix is to form the urban specification for all aspects of nutrition – from purchasing food for feeding programs for schools, the elderly and other centers to urban community's kitchens and cooperation between authorities. We need to learn how to incentivize the local private sector and include it in the process. Food is a topic that connects communities - activities around the food systems are connecting and non-threatening. Focus shifted from food baskets to local production and local agriculture to eliminate the need for food baskets.
Waste: The cost of food waste to the cities is enormous. 40% of the local authority's waste is organic waste. There is a huge saving for municipalities and individuals. Changing waste policy to the European model - those who reduce waste will be compensated, and payment will be according to the amount thrown away. The solution to food waste needs to be implemented at the municipal level first.
Food rescuing: One of the main barriers is the Ministry of Health restrictions on the use of reusable utensils and on the use of saved food for the feeding program. The MOH requirements for school caterings are for a variety of 4 fruits and vegetables a week, which cannot be controlled when using rescued food. This problem can be solved by communicating and cooperating between authorities.
The business sector has a powerful impact on health and food systems, and is a part of the problem - including it needs to be part of the solutions.
Community gardens - this is a type of outdoor community center, a place for physical activity, a meeting for the elderly, etc. if we could turn these areas to be more productive and produce local agriculture, it can help reduce nutritional insecurity especially in low-income neighborhoods. This should happen without taking on the community nature of the garden. The refugees and statusless usually come from places that live mainly from agriculture. A high percentage of them were farmers. Giving them land to grow food on it is an idea worth more exploration.
Solutions:
1.Cities should move toward edible cities or at least edible neighborhoods. Planting fruit trees in the city, together with a productive community garden. These are solutions, even if partial, for food security.
2. Municipal kitchens for educational institutions and social periphery – to support local employment and local food production.
3.Education program for a healthy and sustainable diet: returning nutrition classes to the education system.
4.Harnessing business sector, who currently detached from the urban food systems.
5.Reducing food losses and food waste by rescue food. Focus on vegetables and fruits (cooked food is more problematic for transfer and donation).
6.Cooperation is required between government ministries and local government. Part of the challenge is that the current food systems comply with supply and demand economic mechanisms.236Nutrition security, climate and agriculture:
Our agriculture has to be more focused and efficient and less squander than today.
The food waste including the livestock industry which partly thrown in the nature feeds the wild animals with destructive effect on ecological systems.
Climate change and crisis's ahead, will influence agriculture capabilities that must be taken into account in our strategy to assure food and nutrition security for all.
Israel's poultry and meat consumption are of the highest in the world, much higher than the recommended amount in the Mediterranean diet. We need to recommend reduction of meat consumption which aligns with the healthy and sustainable recommendations in the Eat Lancet report, with the target of achieving the SDGs in 2030. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is the most researched and the recommended by the ministry of health. We are able to support the population food needs based on the MD. There are multiple pressures on land use especially in small populated Israel. There is possibility for dual or even triple use of the land that should be targeted.
Our strengths: Knowledge and entrepreneurship relating irrigation and soil management, replenish the missing ingredients to the soil.
Weakness: Our farmer's average age is around 60. Where are the future farmers? To change we need political will. We need to turn it into a national security issue, which it is. We have to change the notion today that food is a commodity and only that free market will solve it.
Threats: Chemicals in the food are a threat, but can turn to be an opportunity. As leaders in research in agriculture, we can lead precise and healthier use of biological and chemical uses in agriculture.
The climate crisis will likely cause rise in food prices, as temperature rise, droughts, water shortages, fires, floods and more are tackling many areas of the world.
There is a threat for change in the nutrition composition of the food grown because of the climate crisis.
Solutions:
Israel's agriculture can supply the core of the healthy and sustainable dietary recommendations to day and major parts in the future.
Change in the livestock agriculture, where Israel is leading in Food Tech.
There is a need for professional guidance to the farmers.
There is a need to engage the private sector: with tighter regulation on one hand and a call to join forces for the good of all. They are part of the problem, but should be part of the solutions, based on public health interests.
Technology based solution to cope with the change in quality as well as quantity.
In addition to reducing animal-based food consumption, as major change towards the planetary diet pattern, there is a need to change the livestock systems to a much more sustainable and healthier.
We cannot forfeit the food to the free market. The same food can be harmful or contribute to health depending how it was grown, what chemicals where used or food was fed to the animals thru their life.
It is there for crucial to build a national food and nutrition strategy and plan, that will map all its needs and a roadmap to support our farmers to grow the heart of the plant based national recommended Mediterranean diet, assure the prices of the basic healthy and sustainable food basket is affordable to all. The livestock industry must transform on the whole process how it is being grown, density, food, antibiotic and medication use etc., as major factor in assuring healthy and sustainable food system.236Healthy and sustainable nutrition security:
The challenges: the government does not take responsibility on the issue: there is no permanent budget or legislation to frame solution, there is no inclusive body that integrates the multidimension of the problem, data solutions, thru the different government ministries.
Lack of data: How many nutrition insecure people as a permanent screening process, what kind of food baskets do they get, etc. There is lack of crucial data on how many NGOs supply food for the insecure population. What is the total budget of the all the NGOs together? What is the percentage of the food which is donated by the food industry? And how much of it complies with the ministry of health foods recommendation to be included and how much of it complies with the list of foods to be excluded from such food baskets to the nutrition insecure.
Today, only the government can handle the food prices. There is conflict of interests between the importers to the local producers.
Short term solutions: solutions to the nutrition insecure children at the corona crisis
Long term solutions: Education – to include again, healthy and sustainable nutrition education as core subject at the education system: from the early age thru graduations as it is crucial to their development and health thru their lives. As well education for the nutrition insecure adults as part of any program for nutrition security.
Inclusion of healthy nutrition demands from any food program for children or insecure population.
The health aspects of the nutrition insecure population is part of any policy and program.
One of the challenges is that the insecure population is not always familiar with the different pulses or even vegetables the get in the food boxes. Therefor the healthy professional nutrition guidance is an integral part is crucial. On the other side, most of the products on the food packages are consumed, which can turn to a significant vector to improve their health.
There is a major question relating the whose responsibility is the nutrition security? What are the reciprocal relations between the government and civil society relating food security? The government today is working detached from the NGOs. The complexity is big. The government should guide but also establish pronounce budget to solve the problem.
There is the dilemma between supporting Nutrition insecurity by food boxes or by credit card enabling independent procurement.
Food rescue: is another aspect, with the need of the government to recognize of its advantages and support it.
There is huge question on the ultra-processed food donations which eventually are major part of what is called "food rescue", that is given to the nutrition insecure population. However, the ultra-processed foods are in contradiction to the nutrition recommendations for health, especially for this population with high rocket rates of obesity, diabetes and all their complications. Therefore, there is a need for differentiating the policy relation food rescue, with recommendation to the government to budget rescue of fruits and vegetables and healthy food as recommended by the ministry of health, but not the ultra-processed food.
We need to determine that food baskets will be based on healthy foods.
Equality and dignity should be integral part of the nutrition security policies.236Traditional societies (Food systems and health in the Arab sector):
The traditional nutrition and food system are very healthy, accessible, affordable, and economic, emphasizing food saving and food storage. The nutritional transition and globalization caused the disappearance of the traditional kitchen and the traditional culinary culture. The young population lacks awareness of the Arab diet culture and is characterized by high consumerism in all areas, particularly in food consumption patterns.
The high accessibility to meat, which was introduced into Arab cuisine in the last years, led to the inclusion of meat in most dishes and a dramatic increase in meat consumption. People are not aware of the health and environmental consequences of this pattern.
Hospitality and generosity as cultural values are manifested in the increase in food waste. The quantities of food offered in Arab restaurants are critical for the waste of food.
It is recommended to develop an Arab nutrition model and promote it within the Arab sector. Simultaneously, it is important to regulate unhealthy and processed food advertisements and educate for better consumption patterns. Alongside these, we need more information– research on health, dietary consumption, and dietary patterns in the Arab sector.
50% of the children are nutrition insecure, and most of them are poor. Going back to family agriculture and family production of food could improve nutritional insecurity. A nutrition security model adapted to the Arab population should be developed and implemented, based on better nutritional screening and addressing overweight and obesity that are rising, developing nutritional orientation and solutions for the changing structure of the traditional family.
Solutions:
1. Encouraging traditional home self-production, encouraging children to produce healthy nutrition in the household backyards and other lands.
2. Education programs for consuming healthy food, saving food, and reducing consumption of unplanned food.
3. Collecting data and more research about effective strategies for food security, awareness, industrial development, and agricultural practices.
4. Social campaign from bottom up. For example - the olive harvest season as a family experience, more community gardens.
5. Integration of local councils.236Animal-based food systems
1. Economics - more than half of the grain imports to Israel are for the livestock industry. Animal-based diets in Israel set dependence on imports at times of global hazards. Israel is small and populated with high consumption of meats that are not aligned with health and sustainable recommendations.
2. Health and sustainability need to set meat reduction targets based on health and sustainable recommendations and equality.
3. It is important to promote healthy, sustainable, and affordable substitutes for animal-based proteins.
4. There is a need for a transparent, professional supervisory system with accountability on all livestock food systems. The regulation has to be clear to who supervises the indicators and must be coordinated among all parts. The hazards of livestock systems endanger public health on a high level, from different pathogens such as Salmonella and Campylobacter thru Zoonosis as Tuberculosis, Anti-microbial Resistance, and pandemics such as aviation flu, the Spanish flu, and the covid-19. As we all realize today, the broken food systems, especially from the livestock industry, set a global danger and must change to suit the global resources and human health.
5. We have to solve the conflicting policies which on one side encourages meat and animal-based food consumption by incentives to the livestock agriculture and even for marketing and tax-lowering on meat and even processed meat imports, which distorts the consumer decision as the prices do not reflect the real cost of these food products. Moreover, this while the ministry of health recommends reducing - avoid ultra-processed meats as they are carcinogenic on high-level evidence-based.
6. The agriculture ministry did not take into account the environmental parameters. Lowering the import taxes on meats harms the local farmers and does not calculate health, sustainability, and welfare.
7. We have to tackle this issue in a holistic way to help all stakeholders join for the good of all.
8. There is a lack of a national holistic food policy. Each ministry works independently without any coordination. There is a need to include animals' welfare in the general policy.
9. We have to work according to safety standards for safe food. There are gaps. We do not have enough data and transparency. There is a shortage of budget to gather the data on the complex issues of antibiotic use, infections, etc. In comparison to Europe
10. The needs reliable information sources on healthy, sustainable, and safe nutrition
Solutions:
1. Raising the public awareness
2. A course on sustainability and health to different governmental ministries with learning on the ground to see and learn the problems
3. Creating change in the social norms as was with other health issues
4. Find solutions to the workers in the livestock industry while reducing the production and consumption
5. Demanding transparency, traceability, ecological footprint, and reporting obligation on environmental and health hazards
6. National nutrition security authority that the livestock and animal-based food system will be part of it.
7. Annual report on the use of anti-microbial use as is in many countries. The data should be available at all times.
8. Limitations on all kinds of animal-based foods
9. Promotion of innovations of healthy and sustainable animal-based food replacements.
10. Updating the food basket under governmental price supervision to be based on the healthy and sustainable food basket based on the Mediterranean diet. Now it includes butter, cream, and salt, to name some.236Sustainable agriculture:
1. Promotion of a holistic view, focusing on local eco-friendly agriculture as a primary provider of food
2. Promotion of legislative infrastructure, supporting farmers' needs for local production such as stable customs on import, water prices, workers, and workforce saving technologies
3. Promoting contacts between farmers and consumers and increasing the share of local agriculture in food security
General approach
• Food security - Fresh food must continue to be produced locally
• Promote Sustainable intensification
• Support organic farming without the use of fertilizers and pesticides
• waste separation and organic waste should be sent to a designated site to be composted in each region
• Good enough is not enough in food- the emphasis should be placed on quality beyond appearance.
• Smart logistics systems need to be built to support also direct agricultural marketing
Legislation
• Agriculture is a strategic resource - an Agriculture Law needs to be enacted, water subsidized for farmers, and direct support to farmers.
• The agricultural sector, limited by rising water prices, increasing imports, and imposing fees on foreign workers, must not be neglected. The state has set goals of local production and self-sufficiency - farmers have met targets and have not been compensated
• Ensure the next generation of farmers - the number of farmers has been decreased local production is not guaranteed
• Agricultural land and available water must be ensured. There is a decrease in output in many crops (including crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and various fruits) and, at the same time a large increase in price, contributing to less accessibility to fresh produce. Research is needed to understand why there is a decline in production.
• Investment of public funds in agriculture should be efficient and with a significant component of R&D, including manpower-saving technology
• Regional reference is needed - each region is different in environmental, agricultural and social aspects
• The current focus is on the cost of food only, dealt mostly by import and causing uncertainty and unprofitability. Holistic approach, including the need to produce quality and accessible food, is needed. To this end, costumes on food products can be removed only in the framework of trade agreements.
• Plans to reduce harmful food - comprehensive vision and policy advancement- are required to cooperate with all government ministries.
• Focus on the quality of the food and continuous monitoring of the nutritional values of foods grown in Israel, including appropriate legislation (e.g., monitoring the selenium/magnesium values)
• The state should be responsible for its food prices, which should be tailored to the poor rather than the wealthy consumer
Public behavior
• Education for adults as well and not just for young people - move from mostly discussing quantity and price to a holistic vision that also includes quality
• Education from an early age to consume healthy foods, especially fruits and vegetables
• A change in consumption and dietary habits is required to enable food security based on local agriculture, a reduction in animal food consumption and food waste
• We need to strengthen the connection between people and their environment and the ability of citizens to know the sources of the food they consume
• Bring the population closer to food sources and producers, and producers to their consumers237Divergence related to meat consumption reduction, focused on respectfully manage the topic. There was an opinion that today there is a tendency to "shaming" of meat consumption. Representatives of the meat alternative industry expressed this opinion.
On the other hand, the necessity to reduce meat consumption, especially in Israel, one of the world leaders in meat consumption per person, was expressed as an urgent and robust solution that must be adapted for the population's health and the globe. This solution was based on the epidemiological, public health, and environmental sciences.
Another divergence reflected the tension between the agricultural and environmental issues. Israel is a small and very populated country with scarce natural resources, especially land. The struggle to grow the major healthy and sustainble food basket and at the same time to reserve natural land creates conflict of interest that must be addressed.2021-03-10 14:59:02204Catalyzing finance for young food entrepreneurshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/3390/- 203
13003376172261690752022352200214351403140000719283733052400120How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The event was organized with a specific focus on multi-stakeholder participation and with panels added to the group dialogues properly designed to enable young food entrepreneurs to voice their views and experiences in person, rather than having others speak on their behalf. A dedicated effort to identify and give visibility to relevant existing initiatives was also made.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?See above.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?n/aDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The main focus of the dialogue was how to empower many more young food entrepreneurs to access finance, as well as the complementary services and skills required to use finance to develop new business models that can transform food systems, particularly at the SME level. The theme is relevant across the FSS ATs, though the event was particularly connected to the At4 process.235- 238
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Participants discussed potential game-changers in six areas of action related to mobilizing finance for young food entrepreneurs. These included coordination among different actors in the financial ecosystem, approaches to de-
risking financing, how to strengthen the entrepreneurial capabilities of young women and men in the food economy, how to mobilizing more finance for small agri-tech companies,how to improve information flows for young entre-
preneurs, and how to harmonize bankability metrics among lenders to agri-SMEs. The dialogue reinforced the critical roles played by agri-SMEs and, in particular, by young women and men as food entrepreneurs, all across food
value chains and in food and agri-related services and innovation. It underlined the importance of bridging the financing gap for these small and medium-scale entrepreneurs and the fact that this requires working both on the "demand
side" of finance - particularly through effective platforms and initiatives to support access to information and skills development (including financial skills development) for young (aspiring) entrepreneurs, and on the "supply
side", through better use of de-risking capital, shared metrics to assess investibility of new or existing enterprises, and better coordination among lenders and investors.236- 238
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Discussion topic 1: Building young people’s capabilities as innovators in food and agriculture
Key game-changer proposals:
a) A “One-Stop-Shop” bringing together Agri-SMEs, investors, and diverse business development service providers, with global reach but anchored into in-country activities, offering a menu of services including:
• Peer-to-peer SME learning and networking
• Partnerships among BDS and other supporting organizations to connect their respective initiatives and
avoid silos
• Curating a database of entrepreneurs and sharing the same approach to mapping their functions and supporting needs (building on ISF/SAFIN taxonomy
• Facilitating dialogue with investors
• Building financial literacy and skills
• Training
• Guidelines and toolkits
• Mentorship and coaching.
b) A community ecosystem accelerator including that would be accessible to women and youth with capacity to develop start-up business solutions to needs at the community level, enhancing local self-sufficiency and self-reliance from a food system perspective. This would address a number of key needs including:
• Training programs for women on basic financial education
• Access to finance to start business.
• Bringing markets to SMEs, develop the mechanism to bring produce to markets.
• Solving challenges of post-harvest value chain
• Supporting youth innovation
Measuring success:
a) Annual Tracker of progress on the various activity lines of the Platform, compiled into an annual publication (similar to the African Investment Outlook Report) Such a Tracker would allow demonstration of impact e.g., development of human capacity, number of employees, turnover, demonstrate the changes and growth of individual entrepreneurs, development in sectors of activity etc.Efficiency of training may also be measured by evaluating knowledge before and after (several organisations already do this).
b) Measurement of impact would focus on the community level, but much impact is expected to be of intangible value. Tangible metrics would include: number of work working with start-ups that have built programs directed to them; analysing the social improvement of the life of women once they improve their livelihoods and education (e.g. changes in domestic violence for instance, psycho-social impact, social cohesion); number of women’s groups created; impact on child nutrition; jobs created; access to markets.
Who can contribute/realize these game changers:
a) There are many stakeholders across different sectors – universities, training and support organisations, NGOs, youth associations, international organisations, governments (inter-ministries), banks, and other financial institutions – who can contribute to the proposed one-stop platform. A mapping of this ecosystem is needed to clearly understand who can be engaged. The key is to build on what is already in place by connecting across initiatives and actors rather than starting anew for this platform.
b) Acceleratorsmust be in a cohort; they have to be geographically located or around enough critical mass to make a difference.Aggregation is key to help women to position themselves in a more empowered position and the cohort aspect helps to bring a better understanding of what a group needs. As for who we should seek to involve in an ecosystem accelerator, that includes first of all community leaders and then also relevant development partners and networks (including Slow Food, IFAD, etc.)236- 238
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Discussion topic 2: Information systems empowering agripreneurs to navigate the financial sector
Key game-changer proposals:
a) The most effective information systems are those that are close to users – whether closeness means accessibility of information services via digital tools (e.g. phones) or via radio or small-group training organized directly with young (prospective) entrepreneurs in the field. For either approach to be really game changing though we need a lot of curation of information content, as this needs to be really relevant to young people’s practical needs, accessible (not too abstract or “fancy”), and focused on concrete experiences and lessons learned. This may be packaged into a multi-lingual app with localised content related to specific markets, commodities, and financial systems, or it may be delivered through local information points e.g. in mini business centers located in postal offices.
b) Asecond proposal is a platform that would facilitate global investment matchmaking for agripreneurs, providing an easily accessible and comprehensive information package to agripreneurs including reliable and timely financial data and resources, tools to build their investment readiness, and information about potential investors. This platform would be a one-stop-shop to help businesses ‘from start to scale’ find tailored funding and financing support. The platform would be integrated with existing stakeholder initiatives across different countries to achieve impact at scale.
Measuring success:
a) Level of uptake of information/use of the system (app?), but also success stories of information shaping entrepreneurs’ decisions and number of young people that managed to get funding.
b) Relevant metrics would be:
• Successful transactions and deals closed on the platform
• Matches made between investors and agriSMEs
• Number of agribusinesses registered and able to access resources on the platform
• New jobs created by the SMEs
• Sales and revenue growth recorded by the SMEs.
Who can make this happen, and what can each of us contribute?
a) Policymakers have major roles to play, but also development agencies and financial institutions.
b) Ecosystem groups and associations, entrepreneur networks, and youth bodies who must be involved in the development, growth, and broad dissemination of the platform to agriSMEs and
other value chain actors.
This will also ensure that the end users are involved in all stages of the platform growth. Other key actors are investors and SMEs. Nourishing Africa volunteered to take the lead in further conceptualizing this given that the Nourishing Africa platform already focuses on agribusinesses, albeit with an Africa-only focus.236- 238
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Discussion topic 3: Financial de-risking of investment capital for young agripreneurs
Key game-changer proposals:
a) There is need for much greater focus on de-risking by reducing transaction costs associated with financing small scale enterprises and young entrepreneurs, strengthening due diligence to increase the chances of successful investments, educating investors, and improving value chain functioning and risk-sharing across value chain actors - rather than only on financial de-risking of specific transactions.
b) Game-changing solutions require a combination of better financial tools and products meeting the needs of young food entrepreneurs, incentive mechanisms for FSPs and investors, and common metrics and standards to reduce transaction costs and improve transparency and competitiveness in the financial ecosystem.
Measuring success:
• Farmer continuity and improvements: Measure the number of farmers that are able to continue operating, including those that are able to grow their operations.
• Supply and demand for education: Compare a measurement of the amount and nature of information (i.e. training, knowledge sharing, etc.) that is being offered to FSPs and Producers, as compared to that of the demand for information.
• Fund disbursement time: Track the variations in the time required for funds to be disbursed, especially to younger entrepreneurs, starting from the moment an application is made.
Who can make this happen, and what can each one of us contribute?
Large corporates can use their convening power to mobilize and align value chain actors, and participate in the development and circulation of knowledge around agriculture production and financing practices. TA providers can develop the knowledge base required to better inform FSPs and producers.Public sector actors at the local level can have a mandate and capacity to engage in de-risking activities (education and partnerships), particularly those that promote young entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector, given its importance for job creation and GDP. International public actors (e.g. World Bank and EU) can contribute through funding, influence over policies and knowledge sharing across regions.236- 238
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Discussion topics 4: Enhancing coordination among different types of capital and financial service providers
Key game changer proposals:
a) Increased coordination by regional bodies to develop road maps on priority sectors for development in the agriculture space that can guide entrepreneurs and investors. “One” voice/body would give the different stakeholders confidence but should also be resourced appropriately to support acceleration of investment activity and ultimately crowd in investors from across the capital structure (i.e., business development teams to work with entrepreneurs, structuring of incentives/grants, etc.).
b) Increased participation from strategic investors (broadening the investor landscape). Increased focus beyond the “usual” financiers i.e., commercial banks, impact investors, private equity, DFI’s. This would allow enterprises to benefit from more operational support (if the value proposition for both parties is clear). With the changing investor lens (increasing focus on impact and sustainability), enterprises can be a core part of the strategic players for value chain transformation.
c) Reviewing the economics of funding vehicles(esp. private equity) to enhance their ability to provide operational support to enterprises versus solely a focus on financial competencies/returns. Entrepreneurs are asking:Are the vehicles being set up to support their businesses they invest in? Is there mentorship? Is this an equal partnership? In addition, development of investment vehicles that take a platform approach i.e., consolidate various businesses that feed into their eco-system e.g., feed-mill business, poultry business, retailer/off-taker which minimizes risk across each of the value chains but also increases collaboration/learnings between different parties.
How would we measure success around such initiatives?
• Vocal and effective regional bodies with actual participation from the private sector, able to signal to investors clear priorities and how they will be supported.
• Investment vehicles effectively structured to enhance financial and operational performance over longer term investment horizons.
• Increased participation from strategic investors and recognition that target enterprises can feed into their supply chains and enhance their financial, social and environmental impact.
Who can make this happen, and what can each one of us contribute?
There is need for actors involved in these types of strategic investment focusing and facilitation initiatives to share experiences across geographies and facilitate also dialogue and mentorship among entrepreneurs when possible.236- 238
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Discussion topic 5: Enhancing investor coordination through shared bankability metrics
Key game-changer proposals:
a) The main proposal was to develop common standards and metrics for assessing SMEs. These would be used to better target Technical Assistance to SMEs and provide a shared understanding of needs and risks. It would also allow better tracking of progress achieved and alignment between TA and capital providers. The standardized metrics should include climate change and adaptation assessment areas to inform green investments and allow quantification of benefits (some of which could be monetized).Overall, the metrics should be adapted to different value chains and sectors and the use of the metrics by stakeholders across the ecosystem.
b) A second proposal was to develop a platform of capital providers that could create a pool of capital that allows for shared risk facility and provide a continuum for investments.
c) A third proposal was to use large scale organizations like chambers of commerce to Build a database of agri-SMEs members to improve their access to finance and partnerships.
d) A fourth proposal was to build a sort of "LinkedIn" for agriculture - a network for entrepreneurs and investors operating/interested in the agricultural/food sector.
e) A fifth and final proposal was to better track and coordinate development finance at the source given that it is difficult to track the large number of operators. In short, donors could publicly disclose the projects they fund and create a comprehensive database/visual geo-localization of all projects. They should also request new entities asking for their support to develop synergies with at least 2 ongoing initiatives form this map. Blockchaincould be used to trace the resources at the level of end-beneficiaries to foster synergies and avoid duplication.
Measuring success:
a) For bankability metrics, success would be measured by adoption rate, reduced transaction cost and due diligence cost, and adaptation/improvement on the FAO EXACT impact tool related to climate and enterprise investments.
b) For the platform of partners, success would be measured by improved transparency and synergies created around investments and by increased investment of different types of finance matching the various SME needs.
c) For the fifth proposal on donor coordination, success would be measured by improved transparency around donor interventions and number of synergies among donor-funded projects.
Who can make this happen, and what can each one of us contribute?
All participants in the group stated their interest, and also noted the need for broad-based support from the FSP and agri-SME communities and from key donors to agriculture, potentially led by IFAD given its credibility in the space and its experience in leading financial coordination efforts in the agricultural finance ecosystem (global and at country level).236- 238
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Discussion topic 6: Financialservices and products for ag-tech innovators
Key game-changer proposals
a) The challenge to be addressed lies primarily in developing new fin-tech solutions that are suited to local needs and contexts (e.g. in different market conditions or degree of coverage of IT infrastructure). Game-changing solutions to this challenge need to rest on multi-stakeholder collaboration is critical and capacity to convene different stakeholders in the areas of technology, policy, finance, agriculture, and more. A specific game-changer may be a convening space for public and private actors to discuss their respective roles in supporting young food entrepreneurs in fintech innovation, to be organized around the FSS.
b) Scoring models that can guide the development of financial models for agri-SMEs and technology solutions providers.
c) A global competition allowing small entrepreneurs to access large pools of capital based on random selection, to be used for innovation piloting.
d) Local investor networks pooling resources to tap and finance local tech innovations
e) A global townhall initiative for agtech innovations to showcase innovations and share experiences/support each other.
f) A global blended facility or country-level blended facilities pooling capital for start-up ag-tech entrepreneurs to pilot their innovations.
Measuring success:
a) Success for a convening alongside the FSS would be measured by the range of actors involved, including FSPs and technology companies, farmer organizations, governments, inter-ministerial agencies, and private investors, as well as youth groups.Success would also be measured by the depth of knowledge and experience sharing across different regions.
b to f) For the other game-changers, success would be measured by access of small entrepreneurs to new investor networks and improved product offering among FSPs.
Who can make this happen, and what can each one of us contribute?
a) AGRA and Nourishing Africa agreed to take this forward.
b) For the other game changers, there is need for broad-based engagement of governments, local agtech entrepreneurs, and IOT stakeholders as well as commercial investors.237- 238
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The dialogue did not bring out areas of divergence per se but it did underline the challenges of connecting different actors and initiatives in the financial ecosystem around agri-SMEs and around young entrepreneurs in particular, including difficulties in aligning around shared approaches, standards, and metrics in assessing investment risks, limited availability or ineffective use of derisking capital in this space, and fragmentation of initiatives and of information systems and platforms.2021-03-11 03:34:36205Stage 2Preliminary discussions for moving forward with food fortification in Cambodiahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7273/- 39
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?This was a preliminary meeting, designed to lay out the main areas of interest and to identify different stakeholders . The group was kept deliberately small to serve as a planning event in a sequence of dialogues planned for April and May 2021. Given the need to act quickly and to operate under increasingly restrictive measure to combat COVID-19, the meeting was held online with a small group each selected to represent diverse interests. In response to the request for discussion by IFC, CARD was able to quickly mobilise support from different elements of the SUN Movement already active in the area of food fortification and knowledgeable of other parties and their possible interests. The imperative to act and the inability to conduct large meetings mean that we need to move quickly into the in-depth discussions for Stage 2 and to mobilise interest and commitment to the dialogue around key topics.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Knowing that we need to work as quickly as possible to fulfil the requirements for a national dialogue and widest possible representation and inclusion, the imperative now is to initiate multiple dialogue events across a wide variety of topics. Each small event is designed as an effort to recruit interest from multiple stakeholders and to engage a wide cross section of interests. The discussions on food fortification were respectful of the long history of involvement of the Ministry of Planning and agencies such as WFP, UNICEF and HKI in food fortification efforts in Cambodia. The small panel involved was a reflection of the diversity of stakeholders and the dialogue was designed to identify other stakeholders to join in follow-up dialogue.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Keeping working to ensure women are adequately represented in dialogue eventsDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?This event was conducted in line with more conventional online meetings. There was clear chairmanship under the Convenor and opportunities for the organisers to declare their interests before all participants were given opportunity to provide input. The organisers presented a summary of ideas and action points to enable an ongoing process of dialogue when it is envisaged that the methods recommended in the Manual will be followed.234- 238
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The focus of this discussion was on access to safe and nutritious food for all and the shift to sustainable consumption patters. The discussion considered how food fortification can serve both as a cheap and effective measure for providing access to nutritious diet and as an attractive product in the eyes of health conscious consumers. The discussion recognised that the use of food fortification as a means of providing a social safety net may stygmatise fortified foods in the market place, and that there were some key challenges for expanding on food fortification in Cambodia especially in relation to rice as the staple food with a very large number of short localised supply chains and local processing. The meeting considered some of these challenges, the need for a supportive regulatory environment, and technical issues for food processors. Successful strategies for food fortification in Cambodia and other countries was also discussed.235- 238
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Rice will be the main commodity for food fortification efforts by the institutions concerned in Cambodia but the efforts to promote food fortification will go beyond rice to look at rice-based products and other types of products as well.
The points raised in this dialogue will be the basis for discussion in the following dialogues on this topic and for actions to be taken in the after the workshop. This will include gathering existing information on which micro-nutrients should be included in food fortification or promoting research into this topic. Examining evidence from Cambodia and other countries to determine the factors contributing to success for market based approaches to food fortification. These topics will ensure there is a clear plan for dialogue in any workshops to follow.
The characteristics of the rice supply chains in Cambodia including multiple, small-scale processors, mobile millers and local chains make it very difficult to introduce fortification, to regulate the activities or to make fortification in any way compulsory.
A market approached based on an aspirational product contributing to good health appears the most likely approach to success for commercial fortification of rice, outside of the provision of fortified rice as part of social assistance measures.
It is very useful to listen to successful entrepreneurs like the Director of Ly Ly foods who have experience in micro-nutrient fortification and the sale of healthy alternative snack foods. There are other examples, including an instant noodle manufacturer (exported product) keen to explore nutrient fortification of noodles for the local and export .market.
WFP will help to progress dialogues for food fortification working closely with the National Sub Committee for Food Fortification (NSCFF). Two separate dialogue topics are planned to cover both the creation of an enabling environment for small to medium scale processors and secondly for exploration of the operational issues for the processors.
A further event is planned and will be led by IFC in the first week of April with additional interest from international private sector representatives to join the dialogue.236- 238
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1. Plans in place for follow-up dialogues
2. WFP and NSCFF to coordinate efforts for future dialogue events with IFC and Cambodian Rice Federation with support from HE Silo of CARD as convenor of National Dialogues
3. Private sector involvement in dialogues (both national and international) will be widely encouraged
4.Focus on good health and nutrition as the benefit of fortification under a market based-approach237- 238
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One area of divergence emerging in this discussion related to the possible view of consumers in Cambodia that fortified foods are associated with poverty. This is related to the country experience with malnutrition and poverty in the past. This may present challenges in marketing fortified foods in the country as it rises in income status and moves away from Least Developed Country status. The solution to this appears to be in promoting healthy lifestyles including healthy foods and fitness where fortified foods can be more appealing to consumers. Independent evidence will be important in establishing the basis for any health claims for fortified foods.2021-03-11 10:23:50204Good Food For Allhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/3940/- 91
4886315133111111274113162How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Act with Urgency
World Vision Ireland partnered with the Chefs’ Manifesto to organise the first Independent Dialogue in Ireland.
World Vision’s strategy is directly working to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in 6 crucial areas: mother and child health, economic empowerment, water, education, child protection, and food and agriculture. Participating in the UN Food Systems Summit, by organising an Independent Dialogue, not only offered the opportunity to participate in an UN event focusing on food/agriculture, but also to contribute to it by bringing stakeholders form diverse backgrounds in Ireland together and focus on Ireland’s role in sustainable food systems. By organising the first Independent Dialogue in Ireland, World Vision expressed the urgency in which action needs to be taken here as well as globally.
Commit to the summit
The Independent Dialogue was organised following the guidelines set out by the Food Systems Summit. Members of the organising team participated in training sessions and used the handbooks as a close guide.
Recognize Complexity
This Independent Dialogue recognised the complexity of the topic and focused on the role of Ireland in sustainable food system. By narrowing the topic, it has been acknowledged that the topic is too broad to simply cover in one evening.
Embrace Multi-Stakeholder Inclusivity
To embrace and encourage multi-stakeholder inclusivity, the event was promoted on diverse social media platforms. In addition, a diverse panel was invited to frame the discussion and by also promoting the event on their channels, a wider and more diverse audience was reached. The background of individuals was identified within the registration process and this information allowed to create more diverse discussionHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?World Vision Ireland recognized the need for urgent action and organised the first Independent Dialogue in Ireland.
Partnering with the Chefs’ Manifesto and inviting additional speakers to the panel discussion allowed to reach a wider and more diverse audience. By bringing stakeholders from diverse backgrounds together, the complexity of the issues pertaining to food sustainability and the diverse perspectives and priorities were recognized, accepted and valued. The discussions proved to benefit from the multi-stakeholder inputs.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?The Principles of Engagement offer a blueprint for the successful run of an Independent Dialogue.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The Independent Dialogue “Good Food for All” focused on Ireland’s role in sustainable food systems. To do this the dialogue session looked at how to increase the availability of nutritious food, making food more affordable and reducing inequities in access to food; how to eliminate wasteful patterns of food consumption; and how diets can transition towards more nutritious foods that require fewer resources to produce and transport.
Action Track 1 and Action Track 2 were the basis of this Independent Dialogue. Action Track 1 works to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition and reduce the incidence of non-communicable disease, enabling all people to be nourished and healthy. This goal requires that all people always have access to sufficient affordable and safe food products. Achieving this goal means increasing the availability of nutritious food, making food more affordable and reducing inequities in access to food. Action Track 2 works to build consumer demand for sustainably produced food, strengthen local value chains, improve nutrition, and promote the reuse and recycling of food resources, especially among the most vulnerable. This Action Track recognizes that we need to eliminate wasteful patterns of food consumption; it also recognizes that we need to facilitate a transition in diets towards more nutritious foods that require fewer resources to produce and transport.
“Good Food for All” examined what individuals can do to ensure more sustainable food systems. It addressed the need for the young generation to be involved in shaping the future food systems and addressed the link between climate justice and global sustainable food systems.
The following topics were discussed in groups:
Topic 1: A world where no one goes hungry: everyone has access to nutritious and affordable food.
Topic 2: Children and youth are actively involved in shaping our food systems
Topic 3: People make informed choices based on reliable information about how and where food is produced.
Topic 4: Climate Justice is at the heart of the global response to more sustainable food systems.235- 238
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The Dialogue showed that a social justice approach is needed when talking about food systems. Access to education, information and participation, as well as basic human rights, such as the right to a healthy environment and the right to be involved in important discussions, were addressed as key elements in the transformation of food systems.
Engagement in education on all levels has been identified as one of the main findings of the Dialogue. Education on food systems needs to be introduced much earlier in school curricula and it needs to continue far into adulthood, with a greater understanding of the true cost of food. Education about food systems needs to go beyond formal education and should reach into implementation.
The Dialogue has also shown a desire of the public to be involved in the process of transformation and decision making. The voice of the consumer needs to be taken more seriously on both the industry and policy level. The diverse perspectives of all involved need to be taken into consideration when approaching the complexity of sustainable food systems.
A need for cross-departmental cooperation has also been identified as important in creating holistic and meaningful policies.236- 238
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Topic 1: A world where no one goes hungry: everyone has access to nutritious and affordable food.
The right to food should be engrained in all policies. All governments (department of agriculture, trade, health, urban development, rural affairs, etc.) should ensure policy coherence, synergy and compatibility, and have common aims when it comes to food. Participation of those who are further down the food chain, such as farmers and consumers, must be ensured in decision making processes, and the general public needs to be included in this discourse. Education, therefore, is vital for a holistic view of food systems and understanding the true cost of food.
Climate action and change require us as individuals in Ireland to change our food choices and habits as it is developing countries who are feeling the worst impact. But also, at policy level, we need to have courageous conversations about some of our approaches which are centered on production and expansion.236- 239
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Topic 2: Children and youth are actively involved in shaping our food systems
The concept of Food Systems needs to be made more accessible to young people and integrated at a sooner stage into the school curricula. Young people need to understand the complexities and trade-offs involved in shaping food systems.
By making the language more accessible to young people, they can be included in this dialogue. They should be actively involved in discussions and decisions around shaping future sustainable food systems. More dialogues and forums for discussion are needed in general, with systems and processes put in place to ensure the voice of young people is heard at these. Consideration must also be taken of how young people tend to communicate, with a focus on digital communications.
Young people should be encouraged to develop innovative approaches to shaping future food systems. Collaborative approaches such as social entrepreneurship initiatives have the potential to create a high level of engagement.236- 238
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Topic 3: People make informed choices based on reliable information about how and where food is produced.
One problem with today’s food systems is that choice is not universal. In order to move food systems forward, good and nutritious food needs to be available to all. Choice affects the quality of food. Tackling food poverty is a priority in achieving sustainable food systems.
The trade-offs between production and export need to be re-examined, as Irish agriculture is focused on dairy and meat exports, very little land is used for crops (human consumption) and most grain (60%) is grown to feed animals.
Education on nutritious and native food needs to start at a young age and beyond. Accurate information needs to penetrate. Reliable information - Farm to fork at EU level - giving more information to consumers through labelling. Countries need to work towards an EU standard.236- 239
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Topic 4: Climate Justice is at the heart of the global response to more sustainable food systems.
Having different conversations with different views will work towards a more involved solution. Important to get a systems perspective in a multi-lateral dialogue, that is non-polar, but takes different niches into consideration.
The SDGs with their indicators offer a blueprint to move forward and to measure what has already been achieved.
Access to land right has also been identified as an issue that needs to be challenged in order to achieve more sustainable food systems.237- 238
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The need for simplifying the language around food systems has been highlighted. However, at the same time it has been emphasized that there is a danger in not recognizing the complexity of the issue. The challenge remains in simplifying the language without simplifying the issue.
The true cost of food has to be recognized and rewarded, while making food available and affordable to all.2021-03-11 19:36:12204Walking the talk: healthy & sustainable food systems through aligned, evidence-based communication & policyhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1256/- 203
10001056295475351311123313110640203500002122711340212316278How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?To ensure respect of the Principles of Engagement, the following measures were taken:
- Several members of the two co-hosting organisations took part in the FSSD training sessions, and conveyed the message to the rest of the organising teams;
- Facilitators and notetakers were all encouraged to attend the trainings, and the importance of th Principles was further reemphasized in the dry-run sessions held before the event;
- The participants were made aware of the principles during the plenary session, and were encouraged to get further familiar by referring to the link in the Dialogue’s chat box.
- The principles were highlighted in the interventions of the keynote speakers and incorporated into the discussion topics of the breakout groups.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Acting with urgency
o the Curator’s introduction stressed the importance of an urgent action, highlighted by the keynote opening by two UN representatives
Committing to the Summit
o participants were invited to keep thinking, to stay in touch, to recap the actions and honour commitments, to disseminate the outcomes, to organise follow up dialogues, and to keep working towards (and beyond) the Summit
Being respectful
o participants were encouraged to make the best of the safe environment, to kindly listen and respectfully challenge each other, to understand & appreciate the differences, always with a constructive dialogue etiquette in mind
Recognising complexity
o our dialogue connected the often fragmented nutritional and environmental conversations, while recognising the fact that the very definition(s) of the food systems carry the weight of numerous angles
Embracing multi-stakeholder inclusivity
o while a Brussels-focused event at its core, the dialogue gathered a spectrum of actors across sectors, covering Europe at large, including:
science: nutrition, food science & technology, environment, behaviour, agriculture, climate, food systems;
food value chain: food production, processing, packaging, retail, HoReCa;
civil society: patients, educators, practitioners, consumers, communicators youth;
policy: European Commission, Parliamentarians, International Agencies
Complementing the work of others
o The Dialogue followed on the landmark documents, including Farm2Fork strategy of the EC, the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Healthy Diets of the FAO & WHO, the SOFI 2020.
o The topics specifically built on the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems & Nutrition and on FSS Action track 2
Building trust
o the core element of the dialogue, as evidenDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The Dialogue “Walking the talk: healthy and sustainable food systems through aligned communication and policy” acknowledged the complexity of challenges on our way to healthy and sustainable food systems, with their numerous distinct causes that need to be tackled differently, triggering actions that may result in trade-offs, or even in creation of new issues.
Starting from a premise that a shift towards sustainable food systems can only be achieved by enabling and empowering citizens to make healthier and more sustainable food and lifestyle choices, the dialogue was set to bring EU stakeholders around the table, to ensure a paradigm shift and break the silos in addressing the urgent need to combat all forms of malnutrition and environmental degradation. The focus of the dialogue was to find solutions for empowering citizens to adopt healthier and more sustainable behaviours - by increasing trust in science and the use thereof, and by securing aligned, evidence-based communication & policy.
With that backdrop, this dialogue has directly contributed to the work of the Action Track 2: Shift to sustainable consumption patterns, but also to the work of Action Tracks 1 and 3.
The format, details of the programme, and key messages of the keynote speakers are offered in the Annex to this Report.235- 238
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The following FIVE OVERARCHING CONCLUSIONS could be identified:
The complexity of the food systems must be acknowledged:
o by taking a stepwise, cross-sectoral approach, to:
avoid resistance that a “big bang” approach could trigger;
allow working in a complementary fashion
facilitate (re)building trust in the food systems;
o by aligning on a definition of sustainability, as:
we must be clear on where we are heading, if we are to develop successful solutions;
the existing divisions could lead to further confusion & loss of trust among food systems actors.
Citizens are recognised as central to the success of food systems transformation. To secure their buy in into healthy sustainable behaviour:
o tailored education & communication must be ensured;
o optimal food environment should be secured, making healthy & sustainable food choices easy also for underprivileged;
o citizens should be involved in the co-design of research and policy.
Education is key in achieving mindset transformation. It should be:
o relying on solid science, with health at its centre;
o interdisciplinary and holistic in its nature, recognising complexity of the food systems;
o ensuring a knowledge build-up across educational levels;
o tailored to different target groups:
to general public, on healthy and sustainable food choices;
to farmers & food producers, on efficient management of natural resources/production systems;
to businesses, on their impacts and dependencies on natural capital;
o blended with policy & food environment.
Policy frameworks are critical for ensuring sustainable food systems. To secure success, their features should include:
o strength, ambition, transparency, science at their core;
o robustness against vested interests;
o comprehensiveness, convergence and coherence:
across agri, trade, health, environment, education, aid, development, and other frameworks
at different levels, from municipal to global;
o the One Health approach, critical for both people’s and planet’s health
Trust is paramount to ensure success of most of the recommendations proposed.
This Dialogue resulted in both INDIVIDUAL JOINT COMMITMENTS, across different fields. The participants have committed to:
In the field of research, education & communication
o Conduct research to understand consumer behaviour, taking into account the relation between food, culture and identity;
o Shape programmes within their specific roles, e.g. the curricula of MSc programmes and research editorials;
o Support national consumer organisations in educating citizens;
o Carry out awareness campaigns on food storage and the use of date-labelling;
o Raise awareness among policy makers and health professionals;
o Educate businesses
to understand their impacts and dependencies on natural capital, to better manage risks and dependencies, to take better informed decisions.
to help them take specific food waste actions and teach their employees about food waste;
In the field of best practice sharing & capacity building:
o Learn from successful initiatives in food sourcing, processing and reformulation;
o Bring cities together
to learn from each other’s successes & failures,
to improve capacity building & good practice sharing.
o Bring policymakers together to
learn from each other
harmonize policies
reduce frictions;
o Expand the dialog to non-usual actors.
In the field of policy:
o Tackle inequality through the Childhood Obesity Taskforce in London
o Influence legislation on food waste, e.g. by addressing taxation to make food donation easier;
o Push for adoption of ambitious & stringent policy tools in support of initiatives like the Nutri-Score or introduction of reformulation targets;
o Support adopting national science-based policy recommendations;
o Advocate for food system policies & policy convergence;
o Bridge data gaps in to provide basis for smart & effective food systems policies.
In the fields of food safety, food packaging, food waste:
o Collect more data on food waste;
o Improve packaging and commit to circular economy
o Make surplus food available and donation easier through digital platforms & tools;
o Continue to act on solutions easy to implement and proven to work (e.g. doggy-bags).
Across environmental, social and ethical dimensions:
o Develop tools to measure environmental impact that are easy to understand, and that include externalities into food prices
o Support projects that build consumer trust, re-connect people with food and with innovations in the food system;
o Work with local actors on social dimension to buying food, at first in local markets;
o Commit to sustainable sourcing (of ingredients), processing & reformulation, to the farm to fork code of conducts within industrial agreemen236- 238
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PRODUCTION, CONSUMPTION AND IN BETWEEN: THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE FOODS WILL SECURE THE INCREASINGLY SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION.
How to exploit the demand? Can we transition from short(er) chains to tight(er) interactions?
The state of affairs:
• With the topic being debated among scientists, and the overwhelming and often contradicting information in the digital sphere, it is of no surprise that citizens can hardly grasp the concept of healthy and sustainable foods. Even if well understood, healthy and sustainable choices are not necessarily the easiest ones.
• Equally unsurprisingly, citizens have little trust in novel production methods, even when they are sustainable and safe.
• People’s decision-making around foof does not happen in a vacuum, it is influenced and shaped by the social and cultural norms and policy environment.
The below calls for actions were made, aimed at:
o helping people navigate the food environment,
o rebuilding trust in the food systems,
o increasing demand for sustainably produced food products.
To governments / policy makers:
o to create enabling environments for sustainable production;
o to regulate other aspects of the food system, incl. the labelling and marketing of food products;
o to harmonise food labelling at international level;
o to ensure policy coherence: producers should be able to rely on a solid and coherent framework, resilient to e.g. loose trade rules that challenge the level playing field;
o to allow adequate time to adjust to new rules, as well as support access to modern technologies;
o to secure that the rules of public food procurements follow the rules of both healthy and sustainable nutrition.
To food producers (acknowledging that proposed actions are not equally accessible nor meaningful to producers in the Global North and South):
o to react to the consumers’ and public health demand for more sustainable and healthy food;
o to responsibly consider marketing and labelling as elements that influence consumer choices;
o to work together with policy makers to create stimulating food environment, which will make healthy and sustainable choices easy choices;
o wherever possible, to use sensible production methods and to (keep) implementing innovative technologies that allow more sustainable production.236- 239
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EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE - FROM SCIENCE, OVER CULTURAL AND SOCIAL NORMS, TO PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE - WILL UNDERPIN HEALTHY SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLES.
(incl. healthy diets, physical activity, food waste prevention, intra-household food distribution, food safety, optimal breastfeeding & complementary feeding).
How will connecting the knowledge dots get us there?
The state of affairs:
• With malnutrition in all its forms now recognised as the key factor behind global public health challenges, people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of nutrition for their health, but also of the impact that our food production, consumption and disposal make on the health of the planet.
• Any change in nutrition habits and pattern is difficult, but it can start from education, and get supported by social, cultural, economic, policy and other aspects of the environment. This all, acknowledging that there is a need for more evidence on sustainable diets.
• Knowledge about food systems must come from many different fields to enable us to resolve the issues. In order to act across different sectors of the society, we need to start acting early, learning how to collaborate, and how to think out of the box.
• Education is a field of huge possibility and flexibility, crucial for the food systems transformation, but in order to demonstrate its full potential it must be made more resilient, fit for both challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
To make a difference, the following actions were suggested:
• Switch to sustainable education systems, which includes moving away from subject-oriented learning to inquiry-based learning (problem- & project-oriented studying), to interdisciplinary, interactive, blended learning.
• Focus on interdisciplinary education across educational levels, including that on healthy sustainable lifestyles at primary & secondary schools, and on food systems at secondary schools and higher level education.
• Ensure holistic, aligned communication on sustainable food systems, by:
o educating the public about the versatile aspects of the food systems,
o breaking the communication silos,
o avoiding generalisation and tailoring the messages and formats to specific audiences,
o framing healthy sustainable diets around culture, social norms, and values,
o integrating practical aspects that people can relate to and directly benefit from (e.g. cooking classes, weekly menu planning, sustainable grocery lists, food waste reducing practices).
• Hold multi-stakeholder dialogues to facilitate the exchange between science, policy and “real-life”, by:
o carefully putting the science at the heart;
o translating, but not banalizing, scientific messages into policy and broader communication;
o addressing systemic barriers to translation and implementation of science.
• Use the momentum, employ innovation & creativity, reconnect people with their food!
o let the kids know how we grow food, what happens in the field, what is healthy, fresh, local, seasonal; what foods we import; how do we ensure versatile, balanced diets; organise school gardens and cooking classes;
o encourage talking about food, promote bidirectional intergenerational learning; encourage people to cook for each other, to shop for food together, to share excess food within community, to jointly prevent food waste; organise communal gardens and cooking classes;
o visually capture the sustainability concept– how is that for a food labelling challenge?236- 238
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SECURITY AMIDST ABUNDANCE: SPILLING OVER WILL SPILL OVER FROM AFFLUENT TO LESS FORTUNATE.
What are the missing links in food security? How to ensure decent livelihoods for all?
Context of the discussion:
• Participants agreed on the high complexity of the topic. Root causes are many, and all need to be addressed in a (semi)coordinated way, recognising that different parts of the system need to be addressed differently, and that actions may result in trade-offs.
• The discussion touched upon both local and global aspects, as well as the internal and external impact of EU policies and actions.
• The One Health approach was assessed as critical, as food system transformation is about both people’s and planet’s health.
Recommendations for action:
• Reduce food waste:
o Obtain sufficient data on where food is wasted along the supply chain, to develop tailored system solutions for reducing it at the source;
o Develop approaches to collect and redistribute excess food in a fair way to vulnerable groups (“revalue” the waste);
o Educate people on how to use and cook with fresh foods and reduce waste at home.
• Empower farmers and food producers:
o Invest in farmers and local food supply systems (e.g. in providing farming communities with the necessary infrastructure, such as good quality broadband in rural areas, or use public procurement to support farmers transitioning to more sustainable practices);
o Educate farmers and food producers on efficient management of natural resources/production systems and on setting prices to improve their negotiating power in the food chain;
o Consider the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and others working in rural areas.
• Utilise technology:
o Maximise the use of available solutions and be on the forefront of implementation of new technologies (e.g use block chain technologies for ensuring food chain transparency and reducing waste).
• Ensure coherent EU policies (internal and external):
o Conduct a transparent review of agriculture-based EU policies that could undermine food security and healthy nutrition, and identify opportunities to encourage sustainable agriculture in the EU;
o Ensure coherence between EU aid policies and national policies developed by the aid-receiving nation;
o Consider sustainability in the context of trade agreements.
• Create a better definition/vision of the sustainable food system that we aspire to achieve
o knowing where we are going will help develop solutions for transforming the food system.
• Foster dialogue and exchange, improve representation of the key food chain actors
o Due to the complexity of the challenge, and to address the needs of different people and environments, we need to ensure all stakeholders are represented in defining solutions. Civil society groups and farmers are often left underrepresented.
• Propose mandatory EU food labelling that quickly communicates to consumers accurate information on nutrition and sustainability indicators.236- 238
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FOOD WASTE: EDUCATING FOOD SYSTEM ACTORS WILL TURN WASTE REDUCING BEHAVIOUR INTO A SOCIAL NORM.
How to leverage education, communication & policy to ensure this shift?
The state of affairs:
• Food waste and loss happen at all stages of the food value chain, from pre-harvest food loss, over the impact of packaging and transport, all the way to food waste in retail and in households.
• To devise efficient interventions to reduce food waste at critical points in the cycle (which admittedly significantly differ between Global North & South), a data driven approach should be taken.
• At the same time, a mindset shift is required from the one in which we must produce more food to feed the world, to the one in where we must produce foods that are more nutritious and more sustainable, waste much less, and shift towards a plant-rich diet.
To make a difference, the following recommendations were proposed:
- Ensure data driven approach:
o conduct research into food waste and losses at different community levels to focus interventions on where the problem is most critical, and to tailor them to local specificities;
o test the effectiveness of interventions, then promote and scale-up the most effective ones;
o collect data for food aid necessity - at (inter)national, but also local and neighbourhood level - to understand where the excesses can spill over to where there is a need.
- Adapt the regulation framework around food waste, to:
o send the right incentives to all food chain actors, from farmers to consumers;
o prioritize food donation for human consumption (over that for animal feed);
o facilitate food donation through taxation (using e.g. tax breaks);
o make the best use of expiration date;
o adjust the price of food to the food systems reality (cheap food is expensive for public health, and easier to waste), while considering the needs of underprivileged.
- Work on a local level
o municipalities are the ones to deal with packaging and food waste disposal;
o they can effectively promote local markets and protect smallholder farmers;
o they can effectively exchange best practices and build on each other’s knowledge.
- Make use of innovation & technology
o develop the economic potential of food waste through innovation (e.g. restaurants making beer from old bread);
o increase and facilitate access to refrigeration and freezing in developing countries;
o spill over the knowledge and best practices.236- 238
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ATTITUDES & ADVOCACY: CITIZENS AS CHANGE AGENTS WILL BUILD A BRIDGE TO SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOUR AROUND FOOD.
What will secure construction of solid, sustainable cultural bridges?
The discussion context:
Instead of the Bing Bang, the next big thing is a lot of small things that work in a complementary fashion and are focused on education; food availability, pricing and convenience; economic and financial levers and incentives; rebuilding trust in the food system; and policy.
Actions in the following focus areas were identified as crucial:
Education
• Start early with food, nutrition, sustainability and food system education
• Make it practical and consider cultural context;
• Walk the talk: match the classroom ‘talk’ with food served in school canteens.
• Be mindful of transition into adulthood, when teenagers develop their own agency and execute choice
• Change the narratives on food choices to support the adoption, focus on practical and easy things to engage and empower.
Availability, pricing and convenience
• Impact the choices
o Consumers’ choices are influenced by marketing, pricing and accessibility; both policy and industry practices must strive to influence them towards healthier and more sustainable;
o Nudges should be used in creating healthier food choices
o the economic means should be ensured to help consumers break through their choice patterns and make them more sustainable.
• Encourage behaviour change
o by making it feasible and practical
• Use pricing is a driver of food choices
o particularly for people from challenging socio-economic backgrounds: strike the balance right to interest them in healthier diets, without neglecting the economic hurdles they face.
• Ride on the pandemic wave
o Seize the momentum and build on the fact that during COVID-19 pandemic people started cooking again; encourage more of the same
o others have reconnected to local food supply chains - make sure to keep them connected.
Economic and financial levers and incentives
• to consumers: make the VAT lower for fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains;
• to farmers:
o incentivize small-holder farmers to food system transformation by ensuring that they have a sufficient maneuvering space to take risk and change the way they operate (currently, they have a small profit margin (1-2%), so making changes requires taking relatively large risks compared to other food system players);
• EU CAP: financial incentives should be available to drive radical change, e.g. to mitigate risks for stakeholders and enable risk interventions; there is plenty of money available, but not distributed such to support production focused on sustainability and healthfulness;
• Spark interest in alternative proteins, incl. legumes, as they can contribute to resilience and EU self-sufficiency; legumes grown in the EU are not price competitive and would lead to an ultimate loss for the farmer; in a fair food system, growing food should allow one to be self-sufficient and should not require subsidies.
Rebuilding trust in food systems
• Involve citizens in innovation processes from early on, to secure a buy-in and get ownership of the process;
• Communicate better by informing consumers but also food handlers with clear guidelines (e.g. Nutri-Score)
• Make use of professionals in the food systems, incl. nutritionists, to get information across clearly, and explain why differing opinions on certain points may exist.
Policy
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FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL IN SEVEN-LEAGUES POLICY BOOTS: THE EU FARM TO FORK POLICY FRAMEWORK WILL IMPACT BEYOND EUROPEAN BORDERS.
Can we leverage the F2F strategy globally? How to ensure the impact?
The discussion context:
- The leading role of the EU was recognized and Farm to Fork (F2F) considered a great initiative. While there is a need to embrace it globally, it first has to be consolidated at EU level. It was suggested to establish a European Food Policy Council and include stakeholders.
- The sustainability of food systems is a global issue, facing diverse challenges, so the response must be global. The attention to the external dimension of the F2F is especially important, as Europe’s agricultural and food system impacts outside Europe.
- An integrated approach should be embraced with third and developing countries, and align the trade, development policies and decisions in standard setting organizations. Developing countries need support to transition towards sustainable economies due to multiple negative impacts (COVID-19, climate change, non-communicable diseases, food insecurity), all the while requiring a change in diets and a reduction of food waste.
To make a difference, the following recommendations were proposed:
• Promoting research and innovation and coalition building
o Food research and innovation are key for making informed decisions, but also for monitoring success.
o The value of information sharing, communities of practice, coalition building on food systems transition was recognized. Dialogue is key to conciliate divergent views, but some actions should not be based on voluntary actions but need to be enforced.
• Promoting increased transparency along the food chain: a shared responsibility
o Food chain actors must support healthy and sustainable diets and transform their production and operation methods. This requires human and financial investments and therefore should also bring economic returns.
o Increased fairness and equity along the chain is required to succeed in transitioning towards sustainable food systems.
o A fair and transparent policy (open communication, fair prices, risk sharing) promoting more transparency along supply chains and better distribution of value is needed.
o Capacity development is key, especially for farmers groups and MSMEs, providing support to operators in meeting required economic, social and environmental standards.
• Providing incentives towards sustainable food systems
o Investments & incentives by public and private sector are needed: encouraging responsible food supply and consumption with neutral or positive environmental impact (tax incentives, procurement), responsible businesses, labelling, and work on legislative measures.
o Consumers need to be represented and have a stronger voice in the food system. They also must understand that the price of food is generally low, and does not include externalities.
o The farmers, fishers and other operators in the food chain who have already undergone the transition to sustainable practices, be in local or global markets, should be rewarded as to encourage the transition for the others, and create additional opportunities for their businesses.
• Reconciling local and global food systems
- Tradeoffs between local and global food systems need to be reached. There is no single solution in complex and interdependent systems.
- To move towards food systems approach, managing change, breaking silos, and leveraging resources and measuring impact will be critical.236- 238
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PLANT-BASED: FROM PLANT-RICH TO A RICH-PLANET, THE DEVIL IS IN THE GRAINS, FRUITS, VEGGIES AND NUTS.
How to leverage communication & policy to ensure a shift to plant-rich diets as socially & culturally established?
General overeview:
- Changing people’s eating practices and patterns takes time, and transition to the plant-rich diet will require a gradual rather than radical shift, combined emphasis on health & sustainability, and acknowledged cultural differences.
- To ensure impact, a holistic approach is necessary to gather insights from different angles (e.g. health, environment, agriculture, tourism, education) and to bring together different perspectives towards a common goal.
- On the road to plant-rich, there are both explicit and implicit decisions and actions for all stakeholders. We need to focus on both these levels in a concerted way.
To make a difference, the following actions were suggested:
• Actions directed at consumers:
o School food policies: it is important to ensure that fresh and healthy foods are affordable and accessible, replacing highly processed and meat-based products.
o Education: consumers must be equipped with knowledge on how to prepare healthy plant-based foods.
o Accessibility: plant-based diets need to be accessible for the lower income families, which might entail a different, targeted approach, counteracting negative influences, such as unhealthy marketing/food environments).
o Nudging towards balanced diets:
o plant-based protein should be progressively incorporated into the diet, instilling the notion of consuming less meat but of higher quality, and more plant-based products;
o healthy/plant-based foods need to taste as good as options that are less healthy or less sustainably produced.
• Actions directed at supply chain:
o Engage private sector: to increase the uptake of plant-based foods by consumers, incentivise food brands to advertise healthy and sustainable products.
o Measure the environmental impact: encourage manufacturers and retailers to measure the environmental impact of food they are selling.
o Pay attention to the animal and livestock sectors. With debates ongoing in European countries about pricing and taxation, animal welfare schemes could ensure that animal products are of higher quality and lower environmental impact.
o Reverse the production focus from of animal- to plant-based protein.
o Logistical drivers should be considered in providing plant-based foods into different regions/countries.
• Actions directed at the policy makers:
o Use policy tools to encourage plant-rich diets
o Public procurement: through campaigns promoting plant-rich diets
o Labelling: use nutrition labelling to highlight the health benefits of plant-based products, and sustainability labelling such as carbon labels to highlight the environmental benefits.
o Fiscal measures: level up the prices for plant-based products with meat products, for example for milk and milk alternatives.
o Use healthy lifestyle interventions as a part of health system to encourage a shift to plant-based diets, as the main dietary contribution to healthy nutrition.
o Food environment: the food offer should be regulated, starting with the cities where interest is high to change to healthier and more sustainable food offer.236- 238
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FOOD ENVIRONMENT: MAINSTREAMING HEALTH AND FOOD IN ALL POLICY WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
How will policy make a difference to people’s food choices? What policy?
The discussion context:
Policies can make a difference in establishing food environments supportive of sustainable healthy diets, but they need to be well designed, holistic, combining mandatory and voluntary measures.
Various critical points emerged, as summarised below:
Mindset change is key for changing the food system, acknowledging its complexity. There is no simple solution: a well aligned set of solutions is required, allowing for diverse positions, opening up, and finding a common ground.
Education and environment: education and food environment should be considered together and not as ‘false dichotomy’. Education is important to give people the skills to navigate the food environment, and food environment needs to make the healthy and sustainable choices the easy ones.
One-health policy: putting health at the centre, underpinning all policies, and educating people on the link between sustainability and health is important.
Holistic approach: the environment and people’s behaviour should be targeted simultaneously, through a mix of complementary mandatory and voluntary interventions, while considering socioeconomic and health aspects, and having in mind the ‘triple wins’ of sustainability - health, planet and economy.
Lived experience: exploring how policies affect people’s lives, in the ‘lived experience’ of food environments, provides key information on why people behave the way they do.
Pricing:
- the environmental costs are insufficiently reflected in food prices;
- food price should ensure that the producer gets a fair value;
- poverty is not to be not overlooked, however, as higher prices might increase inequity, as people of a low socioeconomic status cannot necessarily afford choices better for health and planet.
Demand vs. supply: to achieve change, comprehensive and integrated strategy is needed including the supply side. Expecting change through consumer demand, having consumer ‘pay the price’ is both difficult and unfair.
Labelling: although a much-researched topic, combining nutrition labelling with other types of labelling (e.g. on sustainability) remains complex. Labelling policies are key to support influencing people in making healthy choices, but there is a need for EU-wide legislation and harmonisation of national labelling systems
Changing behaviour: More research is needed to understand the choices people make, and how their behaviour can be influenced. A prerequisite to stimulate any change is to make alternative choices accessible and palatable. Targeting young people and children will be inductive of changes in the next generation.
Healthiness of alternative foods: plant-based alternatives can contain a lot of salt, fats and refined carbohydrates, which is to be kept in mind.
Digital food environment: the digital food environment is largely hidden, and includes marketing of unhealthy foods (to children), but also unhealthy meals that get ordered online.
More data: absence of data is key hurdle, and the integration of key performance indicators for policies is key. Currently there is insufficient to assess the effect of interventions and to ensure they are on the right track.
Gap between research outputs and desired outcomes: the impact of interventions on health and sustainability happens in long-term and impact indicators are often proxys. Also, it is difficult to link outcomes to specific interventions.237- 238
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There were no major divergences among participants. However, points critical for food systems transformation came to the surface, including:
- the need for comprehensive definition of sustainability;
- acknowledgement of complexity & interdependency of food systems;
- the need for holistic, cross-sectoral, multi-level approaches to multifaceted complex issues;
- the lack of education on healthy lifestyles, and especially on healthy sustainable food systems;
- the need for comprehensive, interconnected, evidence-based policy;
- the lack of data as key hurdle, and integration of key performance indicators;
- the need to improve representation of businesses/industry, as well as of farmers & citizens in the FSSD, who all must be part of the solution;
- existence of vested interests, and the polarisation that they can lead to;
- the need to recognize the true cost of food;
- the need for tradeoffs between local and global food systems;
- the need to recognize differences in production, consumption, and the different needs of the food systems transformation between Global North & South.2021-03-13 04:59:31204Financing Food Systems & Nutrition Transformationhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2119/- 203
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The dialogue was organized with urgency, as contributions to the Food Systems Summit and to the elaboration of pathways to food systems transformation contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It took place in the form of discussions between a diversity of stakeholders to explore convergences and divergent views on the guiding questions under discussions. We had an open and safe space for every to feel comfortable engaging with one another. Each participant was listened to, ideas and points were collectively welcomed. We emphasized the importance of respect throughout all processes and chose prominent leaders to be the facilitators at each breakout room.
We used the principles available online here as guiding principles in the design of this event as it was described in the handbook for Convenors of Independent Dialogues and in the link below:
https://summitdialogues.org/overview/un-food-systems-summit-principles-for-engagement/How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue made sure to embrace the rich diverse group of people from financial institutions, foundations, investors, and entrepreneurs to identify and discuss the barriers to private capital investments in nutrition, as well as explore and develop new solutions for increasing these investments across the food system, including innovative financial products, prioritizing nutrition impact as well as an adequate financial and social return on investment. Building a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue also calls for morally dictated principles, and that was were we factored every aspect of the Principles of Engagement. We demonstrate the importance of inclusivity in building food system partnerships. We also highlighted trust as a key element of effective multi-stakeholder partnerships. This manifested in the feedback we received during and after the dialogue, which was very positive, and a wish to continue the dialogues and implement the solutions.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?The Principles of Engagement are a critical component that serves as the guiding moral metrics for an engaging dialogue, we would advise other dialogue convenors to follow them.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The event was organized as a multi-stakeholder dialogue focused on identifying barriers to entry for financiers and developing innovative solutions to address the needs of SMEs at all phases of development seeking to impact health and wellness by increasing access to healthy, affordable food will require engagement from different sectors and stakeholders such as:
● Public institutions
● Financial institutions and other development banks and funds
● Foundations and other philanthropic organizations
● Entrepreneurs in the food sector
● Social impact investors
● Nutrition experts
● Policy makers with focus on agriculture, nutrition and public health
● Private sector and food industry
Central themes and discussion topics included:
1. Key challenges and possible game-changers for access to finance for agri-SMEs operating within food value chains.
2. The role of blended capital structures in de-risking and enhancing investments in the food and agri-SME space.
3. Challenges, trends, and promising solutions in smallholder finance.
4. Generating investable asset classes around nutritious foods.
5. The role of nutrition impact metrics as facilitators of alignment among investors, nutrition professionals, and agri-SMEs.
6. Connecting ideas, capital, and place: overcoming barriers for entrepreneurs to catalyze healthy, sustainable food access in economically disadvantaged communities.235- 238
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Investment in ‘nutritional food’ is likely to have a significant positive impact on government health spending globally. For instance, US federal spending on health is expected to be over 20% of the GDP. A study carried out by Cleveland Clinic suggests it can drop down to 7% with healthy habits and healthy eating. Some of the savings can be allocated to funding:
o Research for alternative sources for protein in animal feed to reduce the feed cost. This will contribute towards affordability. a) Infrastructure for logistics and cold storage to reduce food wastage b) Subsidies for finance cost for SMEs
o Campaign to create awareness and encouraging consumption of healthy food. This is likely to create demand and increase capacity utilization.
o Tax exemption for foreign investments and capital investments on Education for SMEs on policies and how to deal with government bureaucracies.
There is a need to build good credible investment pipelines: establishing and funding of independent platforms with the required industry-specific know-how, finance, legal, investment, and policy-specific expertise along the entire value chain of investing in the nutritional food asset class to identify, structure, and match attractive sustainable and scalable investment opportunities with potential investors.
There is also a need for:
• Bundling finance with inputs, knowledge, marketing partnerships
• Better define the benefits across all outcomes of investments in nutrition-sensitive agriculture – also environment, social, etc.
• Innovation at serving lower-income consumers – rather than just medium and higher-income consumers
• Linking nutrition goal to poverty alleviation role
• Designing blended structures with a deliberate agenda of data generation, financing innovation, learning, and informing policy, rather than just with an agenda of mobilizing capital on a time-bound basis.
• Aligning metrics to make new investment products for food system capital (e.g. for nutrition and other areas of impact) both impact-meaningful and investor-meaningful, and not too complex.
• Integration of value chains to the smallholders’ benefit with the right technology: digitizing value chains, enabling digital wallets on smartphones, monitoring individual plots enabling farmers to access pre-harvest advances when the need for finance is at its peak. Creating more traceability/transparency throughout the value chain.
• Data infrastructure for metrics and standardized metrics, perhaps through the ESG lens, applying success from other sectors for a pathway to impact - we open ourselves to women’s empowerment, access to healthy foods and nutritious foods, etc.
• Agreement on standards we use for healthy/unhealthy diets and how to identify gaps
• Consensus on healthy/non-healthy diets and what guidance is used; then determine is there a viable business opportunity for investments in stimulating certain productions of foods
• Identifying and credentialing new metrics that privilege nutrition and purpose, alongside profit, to uplift social enterprises and entrepreneurs who are creating solutions specifically for poor communities.
• Developing and funding financing vehicles focused on financial return and nutrition impact, specifically serving underserved people and communities.
• Creating networks to link SMEs to investors, including pathways for NGOs to support for-profit solutions, mitigate risk and develop effective proof of concepts.236- 238
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Discussion topic #1: Key challenges and possible game-changers for access to finance for agri-SMEs operating within food value chains:
Direct tools and finance instruments should include:
• Digital innovation a.o. to reduce transaction costs, filter deals, and link them to finance
• Bundling finance with inputs, knowledge, marketing partnerships
• Risk management – how to change the equation
• Micro-loans
• Smallholder financing through coops
• An “Uber” for farm implements and TA
• Size and cost of the investment case
• Small ticket financing – ready for SMEs
• Eligibility for incentives from governments
• Nutrition-positive accelerator
Other action improving finance for nutrition include:
• Role of SME in improving nutrition – support, pilots, financing
• Better define the benefits across all outcomes of investments in nutrition-sensitive agriculture – also environment, social, etc.
• Clearer investment policies and tools – including subsidies
• Link nutrition goal to poverty alleviation role
• Poultry, eggs in SSA
• Long term investment, due to pay-back time of investments
• Grains industry is very competitive and political
• Partnerships: who is going to join us?
• Innovation at serving lower-income consumers – rather than just medium and higher-income consumers
• Technical support to build our business plan – and help us to deal with bureaucracy
• Have both women and men have access
• Adapt technology developed in Western countries
• Working through cities
• Follow the Food Systems Dialogues at the national level and find country-owned solutions, including demand-driven research
• Network formation, peer benchmarking, access to resources
• Food Systems Leadership approach
• Making staple crops more nutritious
To tell if these actions are being successful:
• Nutrition Key Performance Indicators
• Income of farmers
• Sustainability of the business (“are they still alive after 5 years?”)
• Social returns: reduction of chronic diseases
• Benefits for the entrepreneur
• Benefits for the enterprise
• Benefits on systems-level
• Country-level metrics
• Metrics on finance:
o Cost of finance
o Maturity available
o Volume
• Gender-equity
• Need for “localized” metrics
What contributions will our organizations make?
• Nutrition Accelerator
• Networks connecting SMEs
• Developing metrics that measure the impact of investment in nutrition
• Food Systems Innovation Hubs (also with WEF amongst others)
• Digital Finance Service Innovations and Platforms236- 238
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Discussion topic #2: The role of blended capital structures in de-risking and enhancing investments in the food and agri-SME space.
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion topic?
• Disaggregating the investors’ market and the areas of investment needs/recipients of finance in food systems and develop a clear mapping of what types of needs or investments are best suited to specific investors or types of capital.
• Innovate in the product offering space, e.g. in designing and issuing large bonds that combine nutrition and other dimensions of sustainable food system impact.
• Design blended structures with a deliberate agenda of data generation, financing innovation, learning, and informing policy, rather than just with an agenda of mobilizing capital on a time-bound basis.
• Aligning metrics to make new investment products for food system capital (e.g. for nutrition and other areas of impact) both impact-meaningful and investor-meaningful, and not too complex.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Cost of capital for agri-SMEs and smallholder farmers should be less than it is today
• More capacity to invest in this space among national and local financial institutions
• Company-level impacts for agri-SMEs in particular236- 238
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Discussion topic #3: Challenges, trends, and promising solutions in smallholder finance
WB / FAO estimate 95% of farmers can be classified as smallholders (500 mln) producing 45% world’s food, 70% of the food deriving from Africa, SE Asia, and Latin America. Despite constraints (training, logistics, cheap imports, climate change effects), they obviously put food at tables worldwide. Still: 700 mln people are hungry, 3 bln people lack access to healthy food, particularly in developing countries, and due to scarce resources, food needs to be produced much more sustainably. So, there are opportunities, but what’s hampering smallholders to take them?
In this session, we moved into a natural flow by discussing:
It’s not about smallholders only (self-subsistence or emerging or exporting), but it’s about the ECOSYSTEM with and around them, including SMEs, the mom and pop stores, producer organizations, and cooperatives.
• The Profit we need with business models and business cases, and the need to address this ECOSYSTEM with technology, leapfrog smallholders to the innovation potential with digitization and new financial solutions such as carbon credits as the new currency
• The Planet we need to have benefit from new nature impact solutions by connecting the smallholder ECOSYSTEM to agroforestry projects or nutritious production such as fruit trees or cold chain solutions in the ecosystem with less food loss & waste.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• If smallholder farmers can organize themselves (more cooperatives, producer organizations):
enables financing that is usually hardly possible -> increases rural livelihood enables cooperation to improve market position -> increases equitable livelihoods
• If farmers have a voice themselves: where are they in the FSS dialogues? We hardly hear their voice.
• If we see successful, scalable new and innovative business models: such as the project ACORN that was showcased as a Firestarter (see: https://channels.ft.com/foodrevolution/marketplace-for-change/) combining agroforestry with nutritious fruit trees, technical data and GPS monitoring (provided by Microsoft to smallholders) and carbon sequestration with new ways of income for smallholders.
Integration of value chains to the smallholders’ benefit with the right technology: digitizing value chains, enabling digital wallets on smartphones, monitoring individual plots enabling farmers to access pre-harvest advances when the need for finance is at its peak. Creating more traceability/transparency throughout the value chain.
Via Partnerships: such as the project Seed NL that was showcased (see annexed presentation): public-private money spent on seed and propagation materials as a catalyst for transformational change
Blended Finance models: de-risking the new partnerships and innovative business models such as the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP).236- 238
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Discussion topic #4: Generating investable asset classes around nutritious foods,
Investing in nutritional food must be one of the new investment themes for the next decade. The ageing population, increasing urbanization, excessive build-up debts, fiscal deficits, climate change commitments, and innovation all make a compelling case for governments globally to create a separate line asset class for Sovereign Wealth Funds and Development Funds. The aim must be not just an increase in life span but the quality-of-life span with a significant reduction in health costs and enhanced productivity.
The following are the key game-changing ideas proposed for the UN Food Summit for creating nutritional food as an asset class:
1. Financing
• Creating an asset class for ‘nutritional food’ will attract significant capital from institutional investors and funding agencies.
• Investment in ‘nutritional food’ is likely to have a significant positive impact on government health spending globally. For instance, US federal spending on health is expected to be over 20% of the GDP. A study carried out by Cleveland Clinic suggests it can drop down to 7% with healthy habits and healthy eating. Some of the savings can be allocated to funding:
o Research for alternative sources for protein in animal feed to reduce the feed cost. This will contribute towards affordability. a) Infrastructure for logistics and cold storage to reduce food wastage b) Subsidies for finance cost for SMEs
o Campaign to create awareness and encouraging consumption of healthy food. This is likely to create demand and increase capacity utilization.
o Tax exemption for foreign investments and capital investments on Education for SMEs on policies and how to deal with government bureaucracies.
• Forestry and growing fruit and vegetables offer the cheapest & long-term option for earning carbon credits for fossil fuel and heavy energy-intensive industrial production. This is critical when globally CO2 emission will need to be reduced by 23 Gigatons by 2030 if the Paris Climate change aspirations are to be realized by 2050. This has a great potential to generate new and cheap capital for farmland.
• Compared to conventional asset classes investing in farmland:
o Has generated excess returns o is relatively less volatile o is uncorrelated
o Is resilient to economic cycles
o Represents a good hedge against inflation
This is likely to encourage institutional investors to invest in farmland as a yielding asset. This should provide fresh capital for investing in nutritional food.
2. Building Good Credible Investment Pipelines
Establishing and funding of independent platforms with the required industry-specific know-how, finance, legal, investment, and policy-specific expertise along the entire value chain of investing in the nutritional food asset class to identify, structure, and match attractive sustainable and scalable investment opportunities with potential investors.236- 238
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Discussion topic #5: The role of nutrition impact metrics as facilitators of alignment among investors, nutrition professionals, and agri-SMEs.
We need:
• Facilitated dialogues to create alignment -- we need to bring government, private sector, nonprofit, scientists, researchers, regulatory altogether and determine how to use the information we have to facilitate dialogue to figure out how to match gaps with solutions
• Data infrastructure for metrics and standardized metrics, perhaps through the ESG lens, applying success from other sectors for a pathway to impact - we open ourselves to women’s empowerment, access to healthy foods and nutritious foods, etc.
• Agreement on standards we use for healthy/unhealthy diets and how to identify gaps
• Consensus on healthy/non-healthy diets and what guidance is used; then determine is there a viable business opportunity for investments in stimulating certain productions of foods
• A clear roadmap of products that investors can go to invest in
• Global theory of change for investing in nutrition SMEs to identify pathways to impact: along the lines of Lancet series that sets out best practices/ pathways across contexts (which will require very rigorous pilot level M&E), which would then allow us to use more process level/ intermediary indicators for larger-scale ongoing investments that are made according to that evidence-based roadmap.
What are the lighter touch ways we can get more of a sense of what works?
• Pick a few investments to spend a lot of money on M&E
We need a global theory of change for investing in nutrition SMEs to identify pathways to impact: along the lines of Lancet series that sets out best practices/ pathways across contexts (which will require very rigorous pilot level M&E), which would then allow us to use more process level/ intermediary indicators for larger-scale ongoing investments that are made according to that evidence-based roadmap.236- 238
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Discussion topic #6: Connecting ideas, capital, and place: Overcoming barriers for entrepreneurs to catalyze healthy, sustainable food access in economically disadvantaged communities.
Game-changer solutions include:
• Identifying and credentialing new metrics that privilege nutrition and purpose, alongside profit, to uplift social enterprises and entrepreneurs who are creating solutions specifically for poor communities.
• Developing and funding financing vehicles focused on financial return and nutrition impact, specifically serving underserved people and communities.
• Create networks to link SMEs to investors, including pathways for NGOs to support for-profit solutions, mitigate risk and develop effective proof of concepts.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Entrepreneurs will have an understanding of how to access multiple pathways to capital at all stages of the development process.
• More models that create nutrition access in underserved communities will be piloted, evaluated, and scaled through traditional investment and NGO/SME partnerships.
• The number of financing vehicles focused on financial return and nutrition impact will grow.237- 238
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• Challenges in data quality, data integration
• Issues around the demand side are also important – progress requires also developing more absorptive demand for the capital that blending can mobilize among local financial institutions and investors. It also requires more capacity to absorb finance among agri-SMEs – who very often need a lot of TA investment not only to be bankable but also to deliver fully the positive food system impact they can potentially deliver- and more demand for nutritious foods.
• Challenges in the incentive frameworks governing most blended vehicles and the time frame in which they typically operate, which does not encourage data generation, building local financial capacity, learning, or transparency in reporting.
• Decisions about nutrition happen in complex environments at the household and individual level; we should not assume that fixing finance is going to solve that.
• Local currency lending is another challenging area.
• Market-level challenges affecting the capacity of nutritious foods that are not fully “up to standards” in terms of size or appearance to reach the markets where consumers who need these foods are located, with resulting losses in terms of nutrition but also of incomes for farmers/aggregators/transporters etc.
• There are many different types of metrics -- metrics for donor-driven nutrition measurement -- anthropometry, mortality outcomes, height for age, development outcomes
• There is a lag in terms of metrics that have evidence-based that have been invested in and where programs and projects have been defined to test those metrics
• There is no silver bullet to incentivize or a single indicator to measure
• We need enough data to make linkages between dietary quality and health outcomes - it then becomes easier to identify indicators for success
• Healthy, unhealthy - green, yellow, red measurement systems are not effective because who defines this?
• Determine whether investors are going to invest because of a positive impact on nutrition or because there is an economic incentive for investments to make a positive impact on nutrition -- if the latter, who makes decisions on incentives?
• Reduce uncertainty around investments; build consumer value around food (what is nutritious); explore how ESG metrics were originally designed to manage risk and how they can be applied on a pathway to impact
• SMEs providing nutritional, perishable food at low cost to communities are challenged to create economies of scale-need to create shared learnings around supply chain management.
• Technology is critical to reducing costs, but adoption by businesses and by consumer base is challenging-need to create proof points around adoption/test hybrid solutions that respond to all levels of technological competency.
• A lot of capital available in developing markets is restricted, time-bound, philanthropic aid – need to work with donors to create an understanding of the impact on business, provide funding in a way that enables SMEs to thrive while not undercutting traditional charitable efforts.
• Perception of “social enterprises” among investors as less profitable than traditional for-profit counterparts need to create a set of metrics that privilege social impact, especially related to nutrition.
• Access to data and data ownership (we need a global framework, maybe the FSS can provide guidance): how can we boost data collection and ensure data design with smallholders’ interest at heart?
• More transparency and traceability in the value chain: by coalitions of corporates and connections between the key players in the agri value chain
• Metrics / framework for real True Pricing and True Cost Accounting (via the Science Group of the FSS?)
• Information asymmetry
• Poor infrastructure
• Risks – production, yield, weather
• Market infrastructure
• Internal SME issues: Financial controls, accounting etc.
• Expectations of returns and duration of the financing
• Micro-financing shows good repayments when based on proper support
• Women secure good repayment track records
• Connection between policymakers and SMEs is crucial national FSD
• Assume more risk with development programs and learn of the failures
• Small tickets to overcome minimum amount for investment
• Lack of collateral, missing land rights or ownership structures
• Market dynamics require more flexible financing structures
• Knowledge with financiers
• Finance combined with capacity building – business case, how to deal with the market, how to work in a demand-driven way, how to deal with the public structure
• If you’re not “the best”, you won’t get finance – you have to be the winner – especially also when age counts
• Aid skewing the marketplace2021-03-13 12:11:27205Stage 1NIGERIA NATIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS DIALOGUEShttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2736/- 135
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The participants cut across the various facets of the food system. The urgency of actions to make the food systems work for everyone and the environment was stressed during the preparations for the inception dialogue, and in all speeches, good will messages, and presentations. None of the action tracks was given more importance than another.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Recognize complexity: The lead paper ‘Nigeria’s food system: challenges, prospects and the way forward’ brought the complexities of the food system to the fore with a call for a holistic course of action that will ensure that Nigeria’s food system Deliver high quality diet and affordable nutrition, be inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable, and work for everyone.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Need to plan for dialogues based on the challenges of the new normal with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic – consideration of the mode of participation (virtual or physical or both). Infrastructural limitations with internet access and quality will be a limiting factor to participation of people in areas with limited infrastructure.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The major focus of the Inception dialogue was a comprehensive exploration of the Nigeria Food Systems along 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.
It was clear from discussions that excessive focus on agriculture and food security 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.235- 238
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▪ We have a unique opportunity to build our new national food systems narrative into our key national development plans for 2025, 2030 and 2050. This will require radical thinking, smart partnerships, but strong political will and courage to advance the food systems transformation we need in Nigeria.
▪ We need to find a narrative that brings everyone into a shared space in ways that create the right connectivity across the various subsystems and domains and helps us to align around the most important functions of our food systems and enable us work towards achieving one that is sustainable and well-functioning while leveraging the power of our diverse strengths and perspectives.
▪ We need to set up a food systems focused development agenda that prioritizes healthy diets and affordable nutrition, and that is inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable, while working for everyone, will rebuild our economy, create jobs, spur growth across sectors and sustain our ecosystems.
▪ We need to develop a narrative that supports nourishing and goes beyond feeding, that makes human health and nutrition a priority, that emphasizes the primacy of diet quality, that would eliminate hunger while addressing all forms of malnutrition, considers planetary health, and is pro-growth while supporting job creating and livelihoods and sustainable economic development on the long term.
▪ We must counter the prevailing powerful but outmoded narratives that have guided our policy, research and investment priorities and practices to date, which focused on increasing yields, based on export-oriented models, informed by external influencers rather than country contexts and priorities, commodity focused, with no significant considerations for human health and nutrition, planetary health, and sustainable development (Global Alliance Health Narrative, 2020).
▪ While these transformations will be a journey, we must start by taking some strategic and immediate transition steps – the suggested steps include
- Transformative policy reviews rooted in a new and common narrative and anchored on philosophy of food as a human right in line with UN conventions.
- Operationalize a coordinated Food Systems data transformation agenda
- Scale/Democratize proven innovations that considers the common man at the common market
- Ramp up investment in Food Systems research & development
- Depoliticize, expand, and modernize social protection programs in Nigeria.
- Promote optimum breastfeeding practices
- Operationalize resilient financing mechanisms by leveraging domestic and international facilities
- Ramp up investment in infrastructures that support critical innovations & opportunities with special focus on rural infrastructures
- Build critical leadership, technical and human and organizational capacities
- Operationalize key guidelines rooted in transformed policies, data & the new narrative
- Engage in fair trade, taking relevant country and global contexts into consideration
- Foster transformative and smart partnerships
- Revise and implement the National Resilience framework
- Redirect Policy – aim at getting youths engaged in the agriculture sector using technology and e-commerce.
- Implement plans to mechanize agricultural production to enable innovation and increase resilience and productivity with a focus on nutrition
- Scale up sustainable technologies including cold chain technologies to tackle post-harvest food losses
- Pass the food quality and safety bill into law
- Change the culture of adequate food consumption by concentrating on the new generation, e.g., children
- Put in place a monitoring framework to ensure implementation of all recommendations for the improvement of food systems by all actors236- 238
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Group 1: Poor people are able to eat nutritious foods that will not make them sick
Actions urgently needed
Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality
• Provision of vouchers that can be exchanged for food at decentralized levels (e.g., LGA level or through religious centres)
• Increasing food production and reduction of postharvest losses
• Involving the private sector to address hunger in their immediate communities and in the workplace.
• Use public hospitals as a delivery platform for reaching the poor with food within the catchment areas of such facilities
• Public works programmes to enable the poor earn cash for food.
• Increasing purchasing power of the poor by increasing access to credit through schemes such as TraderMoni
Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods
• Scaling-up household processing methods that reduce food loss and waste
• Scaling-up food demonstration sessions in health facilities
• Expand the availability and consumption of biofortified crops
• Increase the production and consumption of neglected indigenous foods
• Promotion of aquaculture among women and youth
• Food fortification
• Genetically modified foods to address reduced productivity and yields due to land ageing
Strand 3: Ensuring safe food
• Pass the Food Safety Bill and legislate food safety
• Provision of portable water in markets and other public facilities.
• Increased focus on market sanitation to ensure that markets are clean, including paving of vending areas so that food is not displayed on muddy ground.
• Regulation of street food vendors and restaurants
• Greater regulation of ingredients in industrially produced foods
• Developing guidelines for food safety that would be widely disseminated, and getting consumers to demand safer food.
Cross-Cutting
• Public education around production of safe foods, including responsible use of agro-chemicals; as well as nutrition education to promote adequate consumption of nutritious foods, including promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and enforcement of the code on marketing of breast milk substitute
• Homestead food production addresses all three strands. Home gardens can prioritize nutritious foods (track 2). Growing one’s food ensures safety from contamination with agro-chemicals.
• Ensuring nutrition-sensitive and food safety conscious social protection programmes
• Development of food based dietary guidelines
• Reduce the layers of personnel and bureaucracy involved in public policy implementation and increase the ease of compliance with guidelines
• Increase modern biotechnology research, financing for the food sector, including financing of SMEs
• Establish credible and integrated data base for detailed food systems information
• Establish clusters of SMEs to foster business-to-business partnerships
• Establish a Food Systems Bill to provide legal framework for strengthening food security and nutrition programmes
Who should take the actions?
• Food industry actors need to develop products that can improve nutrition of the base of the populat
• Private sector to address hunger in their immediate communities and in the workplace.
• Health facilities will provide nutrition education
• Governments at all levels should implement food for public works program
Ways in which progress could be assessed
• Improved quality at input level of food production, including training and extension services.
• Quality standards defined for all raw materials.
. Good manufacturing practices
. Strong M&E framework established
. Availability of a communication system236- 239
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Group 2: Shift to Healthy and Sustainable Consumption Patterns
Actions urgently needed
1. Policy redirection and strategies to involve youth in urban agriculture e.g., use of technology such as e-commerce within the value-chains.
2. Innovative agricultural practices such as urban farming, which are climate friendly, reduce food loss due to proximity of farms to consumers and will improve nutrition security by retaining the quality of food produce especially fruits and vegetables using hydroponics, aquaponics, vertical farming etc.
3. Create awareness and communicate with policy makers about food systems: translating data and available information into materials for effective engagement of policy makers as well as at community level, media, and society. Employing next generation /life cycle approach by building healthy and sustainable diet into the school curriculum.
4. Health sector priority: Investments in Primary Health Care has great potential for engaging gatekeepers, traditional rulers, community actors, mothers, and children in the shift towards healthy consumption.
5. Product formulation: Nutrition considerations must be embraced much more by industry and food processors. There is also the need for a common set of country guidelines for nutrition that will be useful for consumer protection.
6. Coordination: It is necessary to advance a joint work plan and implementation strategy especially for cross-cutting activities that can drive this shift that we desire to see.
7. Data generation and management: Improving data generation, management and integration into policy-decision making will aid the functionality of Country Nutrition Programming.
Who should take the actions?
• Technoserve: experienced and has vast capacity in value chain development for entrepreneurship and nutrition and making value chains more nutrition sensitive.
• Choices International: for technical support in developing nutrition guidelines/standards for processed foods and front-of-pack labelling.
• Sustainable Development Goals Talks initiative: awareness creation especially for the youth through various media such as photos, online messages, and content.
• FAO: promoting school gardening to engage pupils and students as agents of change in the community. The programme also teaches other skills, including entrepreneurial skills, marketing skills, and equipping learners to contribute positively to the economy as adults.
• Scaling-up Nutrition in Nigeria: CS-SUNN already works with youth leaders recognized by the SUN Global Movement and supported by SCI. The organisation can therefore use this platform to reach out to the youths.
• Universities and research institutes: For research and training. Some have mandates for improving the value chain for most of Nigerian staples and food crops. The results need to be curated and harvested for more productive use.
Ways in which progress could be assessed
• Reduction in stunting, micronutrient deficiencies, NCDs
• Number of people reached with information
• Reduction in food waste, number of innovative drives in reducing food waste
• Reduction in post-harvest losses.
• Increased discourse and formal dialogues in food systems in Nigeria
• Increased investments in food systems innovations, especially cold chain infrastructure
• Number of policies that encourage consumption of healthy diet
• Consumers demanding more of healthier food products.
. Increased number of youth entrepreneurs
. Increased number of front pack labelling
. The number of family life extension programs into agricultural extension scheme.236- 240
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Group 3: Global Food System at Crossroads: Policy Landscape and Governance Factor for Boosting Nature Positive Production at Scale in Nigeria: The Right to Food Approach
Actions urgently needed
1. Reorientation and refocusing of the philosophical approach
▪ Philosophical framework – (Right to food - Food as a fundamental human right in Nigeria)
2. Enhancing sustainability of planetary nature
▪ Policy framework – National Food and Nutrition Policy
▪ Sustainability Framework (National System for Food and Nutrition Security NSFNS)
3. Building Resilience of Nigeria’s food system
▪ Resilience framework (National Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security Resilience Framework NSFNSRF)
4. Develop Policy/framework for Organic Agriculture
▪ There is need to popularise Organic Agriculture because it reduces exposure to harmful chemicals, facilitates healthy soil formation, combats the effect of Global Warming etc
Issues raised during discussion
• Huge investment and awareness in biotechnology are needed to boost, sustain, and protect agriculture- The use of biotechnology to develop crops that are climate smart (Develop seeds that are resistant thus reducing the use of chemicals thus protecting and sustaining the ecosystem). Biotechnology can also be used to produce Functional foods (fortified)
• Use of technology to mitigate environmental effects of agriculture production.
• The need to have a framework supporting the ecological market (Carbon Market).
• Family farming is not promoted in Nigeria. The family farming concept is good in supporting sustainable agriculture.
• Urban Food Production and systems. This would help the youths
• R&D and extension system. Farmer led research (demand driven) bottom-up participatory approach in research and extension.
• The importance of value chain in the food system.
• The capacity to add value across priority value chains is needed for the development of the food system.
• Establish regional food industrial raw materials hub in Nigeria. This should be private sector driven.
• Water policy. Improve the State of water asset and optimize the water asset for agriculture, portable water, and power.
• Integrated agriculture would also help water management and protect the ecosystem e.g., crops and livestock
Who should take the actions?
• Making available improved high yielding, pest resistance and climate smart seedling as well as nutritionally enhanced seedlings – Federal & States’ Ministries of Agriculture, Research Institutes, National Seed Council, Private seed marketing firms
• Resuscitating the agriculture extension services – Federal and State governments
• Agricultural Policy consistency – Federal Government & Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development (FMARD)
• Promote policy in organic and ecosystem farming – (FMARD)
• Policy advocacy, policy brokerage and policy action research on the actionable proposals during implementation (Farm and Infrastructure Foundation-FIF)
Ways in which progress could be assessed
Through monitoring and Key performance indicators using timeline and regular interactive meetings with all the key Stakeholders
• Proportion of farmers that adopted and planted improved variety of seeds or inputs
• Number of states that has revived Agricultural extension services
• Number of states with functional and funded Agricultural extension services
• Proportion of farmers or and farming entities that adopted and are practicing organic and eco-friendly agriculture.236- 241
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Group 4: Advancing Equitable Livelihoods in Nigeria
Actions urgently needed
1. Deliberate efforts to improve technology uptake in agriculture with a focus on access by vulnerable people and the poor, creating opportunities for technology transfers:
• mechanization, improved seeds/crops, alternative pest control and yield enhancing techniques
• Digital inclusion to enhance market intelligence penetration in rural communities (prices, demand);
• Use technology to promote food safety e.g., Aflasafe uptake
2. Ensure viable links to market networks for smallholder farmers, especially youth and women.
3. Address key systemic issue that mostly affect women, such as
• Boost irrigation through climate-friendly technologies, e.g., such micro-irrigation to allow year-round production based on demand rather than seasons, while avoiding water depletion
• Adequate food storage infrastructure to address waste and post-harvest losses.
• Ensure access to credit and land, including tackling social and legal norms especially in areas where women choices on income and land tenure are restricted
• Generate knowledge on reduction of post-harvest losses and crop diversification and ensure deployment of female agricultural extension workers to enable bespoke advice and improved relations with women farmers.
• Longer-term, develop a coordinated, multi-stakeholder agenda for social inclusion to address gender imbalances in food production, commercialization, and access.
4. Address key systemic issues affecting youth. Some of them can be tackled with similar actions as for women. Other specific actions are:
• Enable a financial protection framework for youth, including insurance for crop loss.
• Adequate access to financing to support adequate land beyond subsistence farming and adequate technologies for viable yields and quick returns.
• Improve options for vocational and agronomy / agro-processing studies.
5. Push a deliberate implementation of the multisectoral nutrition and food safety policy to boost food and nutrition security and healthy diets. This may include specific tools to protect the most vulnerable:
• Tax waivers / subsidies for healthy foods, given that the poor are those who cannot afford healthy diets.
• Taxes and other normative actions to reduce consumption of unhealthy products, e.g., sugar taxes, labeling, communication on the impact breastmilk substitutes tailored to poor and people with limited literacy.
6. Dietary /nutrition- food safety principles/ eating nutritious food deliberate policy. Research should not be only driven by demand, but also have the goal of ending poverty, such as shifting research priority from cash crops and export-driven staple foods to marginalized crops that are often more climate adaptive.
Who should take the actions?
All actors are involved: government leading, but also academia, technical agencies, private sector and the international community (through technical and financial assistance but also a more coherent approach to international food trade).
Ways in which progress could be assessed
• Proportion of youth in food and agricultural jobs.
• Demonstrable change in access by women to credit, land, and technologies.
• Demonstrable policy change around consumer protection, food safety and healthy diets promotion, including evidence of bespoke fiscal and labeling policies
• Demonstrable infrastructural investments and budget allocations form climate-smart agriculture and food processing reform
• Longer-term: verifiable changes in consumption patterns and uptake of healthy diets.236- 242
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Group 5: Building the Resilience of Food Systems in Nigeria to withstand Vulnerabilities, Shocks and Stresses
Actions urgently needed for Improved Food availability for resilience
a. Put in place structures (such as silos, warehouses, cottage processing facilities, cold chain logistics) to reduce post-harvest losses in order to have increased food reserve that is safe and nutritious.
b. Supply of /improve access to quality agricultural inputs to farmers in a timely manner
c. Implement the National Agricultural Resilience Framework and Strategy Document
d. Improve key agricultural practices to have all year-round production by having a robust dry season farming/irrigation
e. Observation that the Nigerian agricultural sector is quite resilient given its performance during the 2016 and 2020 economic recessions the country experienced. So, the 2 aspects that are challenging now are insecurity and environmental stresses. Need for local solutions. So, Empower/build the capacity of local communities/institutions to be able to address some of the challenges especially security and environmental issues that are militating against agricultural production.
f. Engage in environmental extension services with a clear approach to control the norm in the society as against the traditional agricultural extension
g. Evaluate or audit interventions that have been done especially those on smart agricultural practices on in the time past and do a modelling of impact and strategize on the way forward
h. Improvement in the traditional food systems and indigenous foods to build resilience which have been used by the communities to navigate and cope with shocks
i. Employ the services of security men to also check the menace of banditry, kidnaping and farmers/herders’ conflicts.
j. Promote access to funds by young and women farmers to increase productivity and also build household food and nutrition security
k. Review, update and implement the Nigeria population policy to address the population growth and align with rate of food production to reduce gap as well as proportion of hungry people in Nigeria
l. Multisectoral coordination of the Nigeria food system with one plan and one monetary framework by the MB&NP to bring all stakeholders to one table
Who should take the actions?
• Academia to assist by conducting demand driven researches that will promote resilience
• Government to invest more on research activities in various higher institutions of learning, collate research findings that can help in building resilience. ARCN to take the lead
• FMARD to lead the key stakeholders in the private, non-governmental and development sectors to review the existing National Agricultural Resilience strategy documents to include the emerging issues of resilience and also ensure their implementation
• Use of multi-sectoral approach to achieve sustainable food systems that is inclusive and sustainable to be led by MB&NP
Ways in which progress could be assessed
• Proportion of households using ecological food production techniques.
• Number of soil conservation projects implemented
• Records of quantity of food produced within community per season/cycle
• Existing cooperatives, available rural credits, and producers with access to credits237- 243
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1. At the core of a lot of divergences is that some stakeholders prefer processes that rely on individual/household level change (demand side actions), while others prefer processes that rely on institutional change (supply-side actions). Both types of actions are necessary. There is a need for institutional actions, such as regulation of the food environment, but there is also a need for individual change that would make consumers demand a better food environment. To manage divergence, there is a need to broker disagreements so that each side accepts that other arguments are valid. It is necessary to ensure that each side will get at least some of their concerns addressed. How do we build resilience around insecurity – need to do a deep dive to find out the root causes and address
2. Reduction of fiscal space: this requires a rational prioritisation of measures within food systems reform that are more likely to succeed in tackling inequality in livelihoods, as well as manging competing priorities beyond food systems that can have the biggest impact on GoN strategy priorities within its various economic and development plans.
3. Lobbying and interference by special interests: to achieve an equitable access to affordable healthy diets, the Government of Nigeria will have to commit to strongly reduce the influence of interest groups within the food systems, such as Big Food multinationals and local industries that have near-oligopolist footprint in food systems. Only with an open market focused on what people really need, rather than what food companies what consumers to buy, there can be a shift to better eating and more affordable health foods.
4. Social norms are difficult to change as a section of society may have vested interests or incentives to ensure that the balances of power (elites vs. poor, men vs. women, urban vs. rural) do not change. Hence the need for deliberate approaches to enforce policies for redistribution and social norm change, especially for the benefit of women and the youth.
5. The assumption that youths would want to work in agriculture or agro-processing / food manufacturing needs to be assessed by asking the question of “what the youth want”: any job? Urban jobs? Safe white-collar jobs? Well-paid jobs? – the assumption that a large proportion of youth is ready to be employed in low-paying, low-tech industries might be misplaced, and the answer to these questions can drive youth and demographic transition policy design.
6. Need to ensure that innovation and technology transfer is fair: “for the common market and the common man”, and not just for businesses and entrepreneurs with the right relations and networks.
7. Stakeholders working in silos - Various organisations have different foci, interests and commitments which sometimes create variances that may hinder collective actions to shift to healthy and sustainable diet and food consumption patterns in Nigeria. This calls for intentional efforts for synergy and coordination of partnerships to reduce overlaps and to help operationalise and coordinate the food system and nutrition in Nigeria. The question then is - who should drive Food systems coordination in Nigeria? As the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning currently coordinates food and nutrition at the national level, there should be drives for food systems capacity strengthening; partners can second food systems experts for technical support. In addition, the role of the SUN movement multi-stakeholder platform can be explored in the coordination of food systems dialogues. The SUN platform can be relevant regarding private sector engagement, which needs to be streamlined and more profitably engaged. It is also suggested that the Governance structure of the National Food and Nutrition policy should be fully operationalised particularly considering the State and LGA levels, as well as the diversity of sectors involved.
8. Preponderant national emphasis on undernutrition: The longstanding emphasis on undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies may lead to a push-back when the issue of shift towards healthy diets is put forward and overnutrition with non-communicable diseases rise to the front burner. In framing discussions on healthy and sustainable food systems, the focus on the role of diet in the control of NCDs is important regarding reformulating products to reduce trans fats, salts, and sugars. This way, the food system approach will target the double burden rather than focus on undernutrition and micronutrient deficiency
9. Trust deficits: Observed trust deficit among various groups (e.g. government and civil society, government and private sector, etc) may also be a hindrance, and should therefore be addressed.2021-03-13 20:50:57204Towards the Sustainability of Local Food Systems and Public Policy Design in Méxicohttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2643/- 120
2601015100111531312162516111How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?MY World México, GreenPretzel and the Center for Social Innovation and Food Security began the dialogue with the idea of bringing together all those interested in promoting the SDGs through the analysis of local food systems in Mexico. We invited all possible actors within the food system context of our region, with the idea of having a diversity of opinions that will help us better understand the problems that afflict local food systems in Mexico.
We invite producers, small local businesses, producer organizations, students, schools, universities, business leaders, researchers, media, local governments and consumers. We requested the support of those interested in improving the local food system with the idea of having all the approaches, recognizing the complexity, being respectful of all, with the idea of acting urgently on the actions, promoting confidence to increase the participation of the greatest diversity.
In addition, several meetings were held to prepare the dialogue where the issues were discussed, facilitators were sought out, training for facilitators was organized, a work plan for the dialogue was generated, and tasks were observed.
A dissemination campaign was also started on the social networks of the participating organizations.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The topics we addressed in the dialogue such as food education, innovation, farmers, supply and demand for local products and women, are aligned with the principles of the summit on food systems. We seek, with these issues, to adopt an inclusive and diverse approach, recognizing the complexity of the issue and understanding that if we do not act to improve our local food systems, immediately, problems such as public health and the lack of healthy food will increase the problem making it difficult to handle in the future.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is important to take into account each of the principles with the idea of incorporating them in each of the specific topics and improving ideas on how to solve the problems discussed. An inclusive approach is essential so you should consider a diversity of ideas and solutions.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Our dialogue is called "Towards the sustainability of local Food Systems and the design of public policies in Mexico" and it is attempting to analyze how we can promote each of the five proposed courses of action. For this, our dialogue aims to discuss local food systems; What are the problems? What are the causes of these problems? And what effects do they have? In order to promote actions, mechanisms and public policies in Mexico that improve local food systems for the benefit of the most vulnerable population in our country.
For this, we organize our dialogue in five round tables with themes, which we believe are the most relevant for the local food systems in Mexico, expecting to make it healthy, inclusive, resilient, sustainable and sustainable.
We are aiming to address and discuss these issues considering next topics.
Education on health and nutritional food.
Peasants and food producers as a fundamental link in food systems.
The supply, demand and distribution of local food.
Innovation processes in food production
Diversity and gender perspective in food systems.235- 238
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Table 1: "Education on nutritious foods and health", ignorance about the comprehensive and multifactorial vision of food systems was identified as a central problem, which has three main causes: the first is crystallized information (that is, little diffused), that it does not reach all levels or contexts mainly due to problems of access, distribution, and infrastructure; the second cause is the stigmatization of food and dietary systems, caused by the bad habits from the psychological, practical and experience, and the third cause is the abandonment of farming practices or regional practices, caused mainly by the transformation of socioeconomic systems, a decontextualized nutritional education and the abandonment and ignorance of sustainable practices such as backyard production and family production systems, such as the cornfield. The greatest effects of this main problem are the lack of accessibility to holistic knowledge, disconnection, decontextualization and eating disorders and environmental deterioration.
Table 2: "Peasants and food producers as a fundamental link in food systems", a structural problem of production and consumption systems was identified (production with an economic objective leaving aside the social objective), due to three main causes: the first is the invisibility and devaluation of the role of peasants in the value, production and education chains, the second is the existence of a broken, individualized and non-collective peasant social fabric and the third is low access to financing and technological innovation. The main effects of this problem are inappropriate current public policies on local agriculture or poor small producers as well as generational and gender gap for access to land.
Table 3: “The supply, demand and distribution of local food”, the lack of adequate spaces in quantity and characteristics to sell local agricultural products was identified as the main problem, this is because globalization benefits large global supply chains and it excludes local food systems, also because there is little political will, in addition to unequal quota charges to sell and
a few knowledge about food systems; therefore, the main effects of this problem are two, producers waste their local products, lack of spaces that make local production visible, which ending up in of a food dependency.
Table 4: "Innovation processes in food production", it was identified as the main problem that innovation in food has an economic objective, so it is not proposed as an objective to meet the needs of the entire population, this is due to the following causes: lack of regulation in the production of food, a culture of production for profit in the preparation of food that leaves out other segments of the most vulnerable population; and finally lack of innovation adapted to the specific local needs of the towns and regions of Mexico, which translate into the absence of nutritious and quality local food and the increase in the consumption of ultra-processed products from global markets, this has the effect compared with than the general population, mainly those with the most limited resources, present problems of malnutrition (malnutrition, overweight and obesity) and food deserts in colonies and outskirts populations.
And finally, in table 5 "Diversity and gender perspective in food systems", it was found that the problem is that commercial agricultural production is mainly male task and this conception is maintained despite the growing participation of women, we found five main causes: the first is that the contributions of women in production, food and nutrition are not properly recognized, the second is that the potential / capability of women to produce food is not recognized, the third reason is that women have much less access to land ownership than men, the fourth reason is that women do not have the same time as men to dedicate themselves to productive activities, and the last reason is that women are not empowered in a significant way. This problem has the following effects:
The perpetuation of machismo, the exclusion of women in decision-making, the loss of opportunity to improve biodiversity, nutrition and resilience faced due to external factors, and the decline in the health of people and ecosystems.236- 238
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Lack of knowledge about the comprehensive and multifactorial vision of food systems, the lack of accessibility to holistic knowledge, the disconnection of education about food, the decontextualization of health and nutrition, generate public health problems (overweight, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, among others ), this overconsumption of unsustainable products also generates serious environmental damage.236- 239
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Lack of public policies on local agriculture or small producers, inappropriate policies to address local problems in food and nutrition and strengthening of local production, the broken, individualized and non-collective peasant social fabric and a generation gap and gender for access to land.236- 238
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Lack of adequate spaces in quantity and characteristics to sell local agricultural products, little political will to support markets for local products and their consumption, low prices for local products, lack of spaces that make local production visible and food dependency.236- 239
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The economic objective does not meet the needs of the entire population, lack of regulation in food production, a culture of production for profit in food processing that leaves out other segments of the most vulnerable population, lack of innovation adapted to the specific local needs of the towns and regions of Mexico, increasing the consumption of ultra-processed products from global markets, problems of malnutrition (malnutrition, overweight and obesity) and food desert and outskirts populations.236- 238
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Commercial agricultural production is a mainly male task and this concept is maintained despite the increasing participation of women, the contributions of women in production, food and nutrition are not properly recognized, the potential / capabilities of women to produce food, women have much less access to land ownership than men, women do not have the same time as men to engage in productive activities, women are not significantly empowered, perpetuation of machismo, exclusion of women in decision-making, loss of opportunity to improve biodiversity, nutrition and resilience to external factors, and the decline in the health of people and ecosystems.237- 238
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The work tables were held with a high level of discussion and points of view on the issues raised, we did not find large areas of divergence but there was consensus in most of the conclusions.
In general, the differences founded were on how to give a more social approaches to public actions and public policies to improve local food systems. How the heterogeneity of the territory and the conditions of the peasants complicate the design of actions and policies for their attention. How to address problems specifically or view the problem in a systemic way. How the food system is a reflection of the existing disparities in the social system as a consequence of actions in public policies.2021-03-14 04:52:38204Pathways to sustainable and resilient food systems and communitieshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2965/- 24
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319351030375432537133287392171757130267How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?All principles were incorporated
we advocated the need to act with urgency, complemented the work of others, were , had facilitators build trust and work to further cooperation beyond the dialogue, were inclusive, took and discussed the issues from a systems perspective, emphasized the need to appreciate systems, the complexity, need to align actions to global goals in terms of the 17 SDGs the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster risk reductionHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue reflected principles through active engagement, participation, more time for dialogue and less time for speeches, the format followed the prescribed format and inserted an additional opportunity for reflections after the plenary provided by facilitators. All ideas were recorded and a green light thinking approach was utilized. All volunteers were coopted into the dialogue. Participants were asked for agreement on being recording and a framework for engagement was establish well after the dialoguesDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?The opportunities for reflection after the plenary was a good insert
As part of the welcome chat message share the group discussions and have members choose discussion groups but still give the IT opportunity to balance the group
Use the polls and surveys to assist with the who is in the audience and use a prompt poll as a filler while IT is establishing the rooms
The co facilitators is a good idea as a contingency for internet connectivity issuesDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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This dialogue examined pathways to a more sustainable and resilient food system.
The Discussion Topics were
1. Sustainable Consumption and Production
2. Food Waste
3. Sustainable Nutrition and Diets
4. Sustainable City and Community development
5. Sustaining Sustainable Livelihoods and resilient community development235- 238
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Notes from Groups
Need for curriculum reform
Need for alignment of food systems and actions to Global Goals (SGDGs, Sendai Framework and Paris Agreement)
Need for accelerated action and support for accelerated action on mitigation, adaptation and building community resilience
Need for stronger governance arrangements and sustainable procurement at all levels. There is a need to give preference to sourcing healthy nutritious and affordable food
There is need for improved support systems to regional farmers to create an improved market and a sustainable reduction of price of locally produced food
There is a need for innovative and circular economy strategies to reduce food waste and to use models to create economy for informal sectors
Need to turn waste to value. Composting, bio gas, bioenergy and so on
Need to listen and learn from each other, the farmer, the community and to create fora for ongoing engagement, interaction, cooperation and collective action.
Solutions
Turn waste to value driven initiative
Need for wider and ongoing engagement on the issues. Active engagement in the solution finding, solution design and solution execution and joint action in monitoring (studying) and improving actions implemented. There is need to implement a model of continual learning and experimentation to support the enhancement process.
A wider Deployment of Aquaponics as part of developing a sustainable and resilient food system. Integrating the concept into at risk youth intervention, offender reintegration and prison rehabilitation. there is need to invest in taking initiatives to scale and also supporting industry for ex prisoners on reentry into the society
There is Need to move from talk to more robust systems and action. Systems that support ongoing not one off engagement, systems that support thinking together, working together, learning together and implementing together, Systems that support ongoing grass root action and fund community led initiatives without intervention of state and government agencies. It was felt that government bureaucracy was a barrier in accelerating improvement in standards, engagement and innovation. it was also felt Government and multilateral financing provided through government was a sure fire way not to reach the small holder farmers and better representation can be made by civil society
There is need to find innovative ways to manage the supply, add value and extend the shelf life. Greater investments into the processing capability, capacity and competence would go a long way in improving supply. there is also Need for added value and providing support for sustainable manufacturing
Need systems to promote small farmers
Wider use of food safety standards
Quotas for fresh food and vegetables in supermarkets
Greater local content
Improve awareness of the nutrition value
Reduce volumes of food with little nutritional value
Consider the total cost of food with low nutritional value on the system....government system
Promoting and marketing
Increasing access to financing and support to assist small holder farmers to mitigate climate impacts and provide health foods to market
Partnerships and collaboration across value chain
Wider use of permaculture
Design for sustainability and resilience
Improve engagement and support infrastructure
Transport and logistics...….greening the transport system, wider use of sustainable fuels and transport in food system
More food cooperatives, pooling resources to enhance value,
Improved access to financing and incentives
Access to farming lands, connect vulnerable groups to opportunities and access to incentives
Crowd funding
Innovative sustainable financing
Sustainable agriculture as means of building self sufficiency, community food hubs, means of capacity building.....the need for investment in the vulnerable youth
Need to identify, mobilize and connect youth to resources and people
Greater investment in food sustainability
Need to sell agriculture as a viable option
Greater use of technology in agriculture
Diversification in farming technology to attract and sustain livelihoods
and co benefits-.aquaponics-.backyard, commercial, community gardens.
Training Development and Capacity Building
Connecting and aligning the need to reduce emissions, mitigate and need to address water, energy and waste
Connecting sustainable technology to support accelerating sustainable agriculture
Providing sustainable financing to help integrate agriculture
Research as well.. we need to fund and publish work and IP value that can add to the conversation on how our diets can be supplemented effectively
Explore opportunities in salt water agriculture. R&D intro seaweed…..explore need in other markets...
Need to control pests236- 238
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*WASTE* *MANAGEMENT*
*Facilitator* Desiree Valentine Attorney at Law St. Lucia
*Causes* *of* *Wastage*
•No proper machinery or proper processing plants
•High production cost generates no sake due to product being expensive
•Not having enough of what consume WANT & producing too much of what is in low demand
•Insufficient support for local produce as opposed to foreign
•Interdependence between Caribbean countries / not much collaboration
•Individual vs community farming
Suggestion that the Caribbean build our own technology
Proposed Solutions
•Target primary & secondary school children to buy-into the importance of food production / food security
•Also public re above note
•Address manner in which Agriculture is taught in schools / find new, innovative I formation dissemination methods
•Must collaborate with Environmental & Social stakeholders
• _Twinning_ - Two countries producing same product can exchange ideas, processes, technology, etc.
•Drying & preserving produce that can be
•Introduce farm cooking where consumers can purchase a meal made out of daily produce
•Form global Network - Integrate systems / technology / processes / KSAs
•Need to document & utilize Caribbean Agri studies
•Breed new, various varieties of produce
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES & CITY DEVELOPMENT
Facilitator
Clyde (?)
•Farmers in Caribbean not supported
•Youths not interested or encouraged
•Explore SMART farming/ Organic farming
•Get youths involved in group/community farming
•Integrate Agri into the school system from primary to secondary level as well as trade schools, as a sustainable core subject & not just an elective
•Need community support for students and the general public to engage sustainable behavioral change
•Government should get involved in in making land available for Agri on a national level
•Suggestion to allocate Agri land in residential areas & other developing communities
•Arima has been allocated seven (7) lots for Agri to date
•Start at the community level to promote sustainable food production
Agriculture is about high technology
Use this high technology as a means of pulling youths in237- 238
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The need for Quotas and Local Content regulations- Pathways to a sustainable and resilient food systemPress release and additional notes from the discussion groups2021-03-19 23:52:23
- https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Notes-on-Summary-of-Dialogue-on-Sustainable-and-Resilient-Food-Systems-March-13-2021-1-1.pdf
- https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FOR-IMMEDIATE-RELEASE-Food-Systems-Summit.docx
- Poll results Factors affecting sustainable and resilient food systemsParticipant feedback ro survey on factors affecting sustainable and resilient food systems2021-03-20 05:47:06
- https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG-20210318-WA0108.jpg
2021-03-14 05:59:55205Stage 2The voice of youth in strengthening food systems for sustainable developmenthttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7025/- 39
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The dialogue was organised and conducted principally by youth in an effort to encourage youth to speak openly and to express their views primarily in discussion with other youth. In introducing the dialogue, respect for one another's different views was stressed as an important principal. Participants were encouraged to allow for disagreement without being disagreeable. The dialogue was expressly organised to encourage stakeholder diversity in the National Dialogue and to promote the engagement and voice of youthHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?As above, participants encouraged to respect each others views and to give all present the opportunity to speak.
The feedback taken by the notetakers accurately and fully reflects the views expressed by the participants.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?We found youth were active and interested to take part in the dialogue. However, the number of participants was relatively small. We can expand on the outcomes using social media as a mechanism to test the views expressed. Online surveys via social media can test the strength of some of the conclusions with a wider sample of youth.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The focus of this youth dialogue was on the same topics as the first engagement event, which were on elaborating a vision for sustainable food systems in Cambodia in 2030 and identifying actions and levers for moving towards the vision.235- 238
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The vision is that the food system will provide food security for all Cambodian citizens, ensuring that local markets and local demands are met by local supply. Producing enough food to eat and adequate nutrition for the population, without relying on imports. Food is should be locally produced, following local and cultural practices, and in a sustainable way.
People will learn how to eat healthy food and the right amount of food thereby reducing food waste and keeping people healthy.
Encourage chemical free, healthy, nutritious, local product by using the efforts of all stakeholders to achieve this vision and to spread these messages. Youth can raise their voices to spread information about the importance of good nutrition and make good use of social media to do so.
Mainstream maternal, infant and young children’s needs for food as part of food systems for healthy diets in all circumstances.
Target all populations, with more emphasis on women, the elderly, young children, people with disabilities and youth.236- 238
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Topic 1: What is your vision of a sustainable food systems for Cambodia in 2030?
Ensure food security for all Cambodian citizens, ensuring that local markets and local demands are met by local supply. Producing enough food to eat and adequate nutrition for the population, without relying on imports.
Food is locally produced, following local and cultural practices, and in a sustainable way.
People learn how to eat healthy food and the right amount of food. Eating the right amount of food reduces food waste and keeps people healthy. Healthy diets will be included in the school curriculum, especially for young children so they will learn about healthy diets and food systems from a young age.
People will continue to raise their own animals and grow their own crops.
Farmers are the front line of our food systems, so policy and innovation should benefit their wellbeing. All farmers are affected by climate change and will need support from the government to develop resilience.
Improve agricultural production to produce at better standards, improved products and safer and more nutritious food.
Protect Cambodian food exports
Promote innovation and improved standards for food systems in Cambodia.
There should be a chemical free environment for the food system in Cambodia so people can trust food safety. This should be supported by an effective system of Quality Assurance.
By 2030, people should be eating more healthy food instead of fast food and junk food. All the food categories (food groups) should be readily available and accessible through markets.
Innovation will be an important element of the sustainable food system.236- 238
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Q2. WHAT ACTIONS WILL ALLOW US TO REACH OUR VISION
Encourage chemical free, healthy, nutritious, local product;
Joint efforts by all stakeholders to achieve the vision and to spread these messages.
Mainstream maternal, infant and young children’s needs for food as part of food systems for healthy diets in all circumstances.
Government has a key role. Government action is needed to ensure existing laws and standards are enforced and people are made aware of these standards and rules. Importers who are bringing in contaminated foods or time expired food should be punished. Review gaps of existing laws and close the loopholes. Identify if any new regulations and laws on foods are required.
Establish a government body to build sustainability and systematically conduct quality assurance, monitoring and control of foods and production at all stages, from farm to table.
Government actions required to educate farmers and share information to help them diversify production and to reach markets. Agriculture should be included in education so that there is wider understanding of the issues for the population. NGOs can also help to educate the next generation of producers.
Build capacity of provincial, district and commune government agricultural extension workers to deliver quality services to the community, by taking food systems for healthy diets as a central point of agricultural activities.
Make a law for controlling imported food from neighboring countries and take the law seriously by inspecting all imports. If people can access cheap imported food they will do so. To promote local produce the Government should introduce tariffs or quotas to limit access for foreign food. Be selective so that some imports are allowed to keep balanced relations with neighbors. Bring the price of exports up so that local produce is preferred.
Promote value chains by supporting farmers cooperatives and small business clusters and make linkages between producers, sellers and traders.
Provide subsidies for producers to improve food quality and nutritious produce.
Employ good agricultural practices through government extension services using improved agricultural technologies.
Develop a strategy for responding to climate change and resilience to shocks and disasters to ensure food security at all times.
Strengthen the focus on small scale processors and use simple practical guidelines appropriate for them.
Expand engagement with the private sector for quality food processing and healthy snack food production in response to the growing need of the population at all age groups.
Ensure adequate resources, especially better agricultural inputs, such quality vegetable seeds, fertilizers, fish seeds, and irrigation facilities and systems to optimize production.
Work with media outlets to intensify public awareness and conduct SBCC activities for food systems and healthy diets.
Education and behaviour change regarding food habits. For long term sustainability of the food system, food system for healthy diets should be mainstreamed in the national school curriculum.
Youth can raise their voices to spread information about the importance of good nutrition and use social media.
Host public forums at national and sub-national level to discuss the importance of food systems for healthy diets, and how systems can be strengthened. Educate people about the importance of local production and to encourage purchase of chemical free produce.
Target all populations, with more emphasis on women, the elderly, young children, people with disabilities and youth.237- 241
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Although the participants were not aware of the consequences, the protectionist views expressed clash with ASEAN trade policies and WTO. Whilst the participants were keen that Cambodia should enjoy trade privileges for export, they wished to restrict food imports and curb free trade agreements in the interests of producers. The consequences for consumers paying higher prices were not considered in the discussion. Protectionist policies supporting farmers are popular whilst there is a large proportion of the population involved in farming. However the trade off lies in the effects on other sectors, on consumers and on international relations.2021-03-15 10:52:12205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation(MeaDRI)with Nihon Hojin-Kyokai (Japan Agricultural Corporations Association)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7820/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?・MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
・MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) As other industries will make considerable efforts toward 2050 carbon neutral, agriculture sector should also make same efforts.
(2) As the decade to 2030 is crucial, innovation needs to be accelerated.
(3) In order to promote policies for creating innovation, it is extremely important to steadily promote existing policies, such as the consolidation of agricultural land and the full utilization of paddy fields.
(4) In order to make areas of organic agriculture as production areas widely recognized, it is important to secure a certain amount of land through the accumulation and consolidation of farmland so that these areas can be clearly distinguished from conventional farm land. It is important to accelerate the consolidation of agricultural land as a prerequisite for the steady implementation of strategies such as the wide use of drones.
(5) Although it is difficult for individual farmers to substitute compost for chemical fertilizers, it is technically possible to recycle them locally. Japan is faced with the problem of excessive nitrogen and phosphate input, and therefore, the establishment of a circular economy, including livestock manure, is necessary.
(6) In light of the current efforts for specially cultivated rice, it would be possible to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by half for paddy rice without having a sense of resistance.
(7) While the reduction of chemical pesticides and fertilizers must be dealt with, human and economic burden on farmers is considerably large. We will listen to farmers' opinions and work together.
(8) We should set ambitious high targets for 2050 under the assumption that policy recommendations will be realized.
(9) If the target is to be 2050, the share of organic agriculture in the arable land area should be around the EU level (25% of arable land).2021-03-15 11:02:23205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with JA-ZENCHU (Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7841/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) In order to increase the sustainability of agriculture, it is important to establish sustainable management systems that allow farmers to secure sufficient income while considering the environmental impact.
(2) It is crucial that, not only producers, but also consumers change their awareness on the environment. In order to significantly change their way of thinking in producing or purchasing, it is necessary to develop the awareness raising as a part of the national movement.
(3) When developing new technologies and varieties, more importance should be placed on the environmental perspective than ever before. This idea should be more easily conveyed to farmers so that they can change their way of thinking.
(4) Given the serious labor shortage, it is necessary to present concrete models such as labor saving and cost reduction.
(5) It is necessary to make concreate “green” policies for maintaining agricultural land and paddy field farming including the expansion of direct payments from the viewpoint of demonstrating multifunctionality and conserving environment.
(6) Since the impact on the related industries on the ground is large, it is necessary to support the transformation of the business model while sufficiently exchanging opinions on various issues including procurement issues with stakeholders.
(7) Specific numerical targets are necessary. Also, it is necessary to set targets that will allow the stakeholders to work enthusiastically for changing themselves. In addition, it is important to set targets for individual regions and items and indicate specific roadmaps along with technological innovation so that stakeholders on the ground can be convinced to work along with the strategy.2021-03-15 11:14:13205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation(MeaDRI)with farmers (vegetable grown outdoor/Fruits)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7844/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders(4 Farmers, 2 Multi-national corporations ) for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) It is important to clearly differentiate roles between machines and people and to consolidate farm fields suitable for smart agricultural machinery. On top of that, it is important to use various smart agriculture technologies on the ground.
(2) Due to the increase in scale of farming and the increase in size and efficiency of machines, the current agriculture tends to emphasize more on business than the natural environment. However, considering sustainable agriculture and livelihoods, it is urgent to establish policies to focus on the environmental aspects.
(3) In order to promote environment-friendly agriculture, it is crucial that consumers recognize its value. The request from the actual demand directly motivates the producer's efforts.2021-03-15 11:19:51205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation(MeaDRI)with farmers (Greenhouse horticulture/Flowers)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7847/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders(5 Farmers) for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) It is important to ensure that the global environment remains as good as it can be for the next generation engaging in agriculture.
(2) Greenhouse cultivation emits CO₂ by burning fossil fuels during winter heating. It is important to balance in the society as a whole while reducing emissions in agriculture, which is the sink side. Social mechanisms such as emissions credits are also important.
(3) The importance of acting from our side is recognized again. It is important to do what we can do by ourselves step by step.
(4) In the future, it will be possible for Japan to demonstrate leadership in the field of greenhouse cultivation with zero emissions.
(5) In order to further reduce chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers, it is essential to develop new technologies such as natural enemies available for various crops.
(6) To reduce chemical pesticides, technological developments such as resistant varieties, natural enemies, and biostimulants are necessary.
(7) There is a need for a policy to promote the carbon capture from local incinerators and their utilization for agriculture.
(8) In order to further reduce the use of chemical pesticides, initial control and discovery are important, and surveillance robots and pest detection systems are necessary.
(9) It is important to develop infrastructure that enables communication equipment to be used even in rural areas.
(10) In order to sustain agriculture, it is necessary to establish a system which evaluates farmers’ efforts as some kind of added value.
(11) Production facilities that make use of technology are necessary. However, it is not feasible without a sense of scale to a certain extent in order to set rules and act.2021-03-15 11:23:39205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation(MeaDRI)with farmers (paddy rice)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7852/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders(5 Farmers) for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) It is most important to change the consciousness of farmers. Making organic products and specially cultivated agricultural products should not be a burden to farmers. Also, policy makers should not make rules that significantly reduce agricultural productivity.
(2) It was felt that the reduction of pesticides and fertilizers did not affect the yield as much as farmers expected. These experiences should be shared with others for the further improvement for the future.
(3) The challenge of expanding the area of organic farming in paddy fields is weed control.
(4) It is expected to develop the technology which allows farmers to see the state of weeds.
(5) Consumers should be able to see producers’ contribution to the reduction of CO2 and the environmental impacts of pesticides.
(6) Technological development should not be led by the manufacturer’s capacity. It is necessary to develop technologies which farmers really need from the farmer's perspective.
(7) It is important that there is a person at the base of areas who can advise the technologies that suit the area.
(8) If there are many uncertainties about profitability, it seems to be difficult to proceed the activities at the production site.
(9) The extremely strict regulation is one of the big issues. Therefore, it would be great if the government could introduce something like specified districts more smoothly.2021-03-15 11:26:42205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation(MeaDRI)with farmers (upland farming)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7857/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders(4 Farmers) for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) If it becomes possible to reduce costs by combining infrastructure improvement and agricultural technologies, and reduce chemical pesticides and fertilizers by utilizing robot technologies, we will be able to see the bright future of agriculture.
(2) It is difficult to reduce the amount of chemical pesticides use since the current varieties require regular preventive control.
(3) The challenge in reducing chemical pesticides is herbicides. To reduce pesticide, evidence of pesticide use should be verified to high standards, such as European standards. Verification and analysis of pesticides used prophylactically and therapeutically is needed.
(4) Since livestock manure is the key to utilizing unused resources, cooperation between farming and livestock sectors should be promoted primarily.
(5) Regarding the usage of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, the reduction of chemical pesticides and fertilizers may be facilitated by establishing a mechanism and standards such as GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) and thereby promoting rules.
(6) There is also a problem specific to local areas. When pests are found after only one farmer reduced pesticide usage or conducted organic farming in the area, complaints will come to the farmer. In addition, it should be assumed that the pesticides drift issue will occur.
(7) In organic farming, connection with consumers and the balance of the ability to produce and sale is important for its continuation.
(8) Due to the lack of technical evidence, cooperation between the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization and farmers is very important for innovating.
(9) In order to secure a sufficient food supply, it is important to realize sustainable agricultural income and obtain public understanding so that domestically produced food can be selected.
(10) Not only the quality of the product itself, but also the quality including the environmental aspect must be evaluated.2021-03-16 16:09:15204Retail and Workplace Foodservice Food Systems Virtual Dialoguehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/3198/- 203
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Dialogue was designed and convened using FSD Principles. Curator and facilitators were previously trained in FSD Principles and had prior experience facilitating other FSDs.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Multiple trends and the global pandemic powerfully influence the food services industry as people seek out prepared foods that are safe, convenient, healthy, delicious and sustainable. Over the years the food services industry has helped influence and enable shifts in the global food system given its buying power, scale of infrastructure and user reach. Today, the business and institutional food services industry (tech, financial services, academia, entertainment, etc) has a sizable opportunity to positively advance the global narrative as well as consequent actions on sustainability, social equality and access to healthy, nutritious food.235- 238
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Please see FSD Summary Report attachment.236- 238
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Please see FSD Summary Report attachment.237- 238
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Please see FSD Summary Report attachment.2021-03-18 13:43:40204Bites of Transfoodmation - What will be the role of food in defining people’s health?https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/3657/- 203
4230102152718121173101016110215821417How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The BoT organizing team has selected a group of young and motivated individuals already (or ready to be) projected into the realm of food systems and provided them with a safe space to discuss, openly and creatively, the way forward for a more sustainable and resilient future. As such, both the organizing team and the participants understand the need to act with urgency and are committed, either personally or professionally, to contribute to the vision, objectives and outcomes of the FSS. The BoT participants aim to be agents of change and wish to contribute to the outcome of the FSS. David Nabarro’s intervention during the first BoT virtual meeting clearly inspired them and helped them better understand the process behind the Summit. In the organization of the Dialogue, the BoT organizing team made sure to embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity by inviting participants from different countries, backgrounds and sectors, including but not limited to civil society, government, academia and the private sector. It must be pointed out, however, that the Dialogue has been organized and carried out with a focus on the youth and on the Middle Eastern – Mediterranean region geographically speaking. The facilitators selected were all part of the organizing team, and had been briefed with attention to ensure the creation of a safe space conducive for dialogue based on respect and trust. A number of ‘principles’ for discussion were shared with the participants at the beginning of each session to foster this sense of inclusivity, mutual respect and trust. These included the need to complement the work of others, build on what the person before has said, challenge only when you have an alternative to propose, and finally seek compromise in order to reach a unifying message.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Dialogue focused on the relationship between food and health and on the plausibility of moving towards personalized diets, within specific contexts, in the future. The Dialogue is part of a broader set of workshops and events organized by the Bites of Transfoodmation team that aim to take into account and discuss different aspects of the food systems, thus recognizing their complexity. Previous dialogues and workshops have focused on the topics of sustainable consumption and on the future of production, transformation and distribution. The final aim is to achieve a political intention of the group, in the form of a Manifesto and Lines of Action, which will take a holistic and systemic approach to food systems transformation. Yet, as the very name Bites of Transfoodmation suggests, the idea is to propose some ‘bites’ of change which are coherent to and reflect the vision of the group of young change-makers and the themes identified by the group as key. The principles of inclusivity, respect and trust were reflected in the design and roll-out of the Dialogue and have been an essential feature of the entire Bites of Transfoodmation process. The participants have not only been included in all stages of the project in a transparent and inclusive way but have been its very center. A real sense of trust has been created along the way, and this could be witnessed during the Dialogue as the participants felt they could express their views freely and openly, even when these did not necessarily reflect the views held by others. The Bites of Transfoodmation organizing team has received a lot of positive feedback from the group and is looking forward to the next Dialogue, which will take place on March 16th.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Thanks to the fact that there is a team working exclusively on the Bites of Transfoodmation project, a lot of information and knowledge sharing is able to take place both among the participants, and between the participants and the organizing team. The organizing team has ensured that various different avenues and spaces for exchange are created, both during and in the build-up to the Dialogues. This has definitely contributed to building trust as well as to keeping the momentum, engagement and commitment of the participants high. Our advice to other Convenors would be to make sure, if possible, that there is a strong point of contact between the Dialogue participants and the Convenors. This allows for participant's feedback and continued interaction after the workshops and Dialogue so that the ideas can be further refined, and knowledge further shared. Furthermore, it seems to be a valuable approach to choose participants with a diverse background in order to permit exchange about different realities, while working towards compromise and unifying elements.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Our first three Bites of Transfoodmation workshops showed us the need for a change of narrative, with a greater emphasis on espousing diversity, whilst nurturing a culture of empowerment, reconsidering our habitats and reassessing the value of food through the lens of a true cost approach.
We acknowledged that shifting the status of food from a commodity to a public good can help in contemplating its true cost and value and we recognized that a new perspective in the way to produce, process and distribute food, orientated towards achieving healthy and sustainable diets for all, will lead to profound systemic changes.
Existing inequalities both in terms of access to knowledge and income often result in affordability and accessibility issues. During this Independent Dialogue, zoomed in on the points of difference within our social fabric. We embraced three cases of what we could define as extreme habitats (refugee camps, the realities of oncology, and high performing sports) that allowed us to dive deeper into the topics of inequality and accessibility and therefore to have an inclusive conversation, truly embracing diversity.
The discussion was focused around three main questions/discussion topics:
a) How could food systems and health systems be brought together to reduce the social and economic cost of illness? Should health and food be conceived as public goods? If yes, how?
b) How can we get to a point in which everyone has access to a diet tailored to his/her specific needs as some athletes currently do?
c) In a context of increasing migration flows due to climate change and political instability, how can we ensure healthy and sustainable food systems that allow for nutritious food and a thriving social fabric?235- 238
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By pushing a bit further the margins of non-mainstreamed food systems, we noticed that what emerged quite strongly was a divisive tendency with a focus on what divides rather than what unifies us as a group. It is clear, that in order to embrace the unifying power of food, we need to spell out the granularity of the unifying message of potentially divisive concepts. From the discussion, it came out clearly that diversity, which is perceived as a positive element, is countered by confusion. How can we make a choice that is sustainable both in economic and environmental terms in such a diversified context? This confusion leads to another potential opposition between personal responsibility and collectivity rights related to food habits in the future. This contrast can be linked to the dichotomy between the narratives (perceived as the truth) versus the trends (perceived as something of the moment).
The example of the refugee camp in Jordan, revealed the power of traditions and the fear of losing identities. Traditions, and food traditions in particular, were perceived as nourishing a sense of belonging, as one of the only things that make you feel like a human being anchored in a societal environment. On the contrary, innovation and personalized diets were considered as a mere response to health necessities, somehow taking away the human and social part of nutrition, and therefore the pleasure and celebration of food.
Within the group, we felt a feeling of opposition between the social and health elements of food. Potentially we can overcome it and have both. We need to dismantle these dichotomies to build our Manifesto as diversity does not imply confusion and fear, but rather the opposite.
When exploited in a positive way, food has a unifying power that works as a vector enacting a virtuous cycle of who we are, what we do and our sense of belonging. This implies new traditions, a new concept of sustainability and affordability (in its broad definition) and social proximity.
The day that we will be collectively able to bring diversity as a fundamental aspect of belonging will imply the creation of a new narrative in the shape of a clepsydra. Diversity will be the unifying factor and the narrative won’t imply a homogenization of diversity but will rather embrace it as a source of richness. This will imply the establishment of trust through an empowering culture.
In this narrative, we want new traditions that allow the creation a new sense of belonging. How can we get there? By embedding the issue of personalized diets and food in its broad definition encompassing social and health dimensions. The outcome will be a narrative that embraces, learns, joins, celebrates diverse new food traditions for cohesive, healthy, sustainable habitats where we all live and thrive.236- 238
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We all know that food is crucial to perform at our best in certain activities, such as sports. As, in this case, the main objective is to get to the best possible result, the customization of the diet is at the basis. But what if all of us followed a personalized diet with the goal of living a healthy life, without nutrient deficiencies and the risk of running out of food? Surely it would work at the health level, but there are still questions that need to be looked into at the applicability level. In fact, we are not only talking about health but also about wellness, as a personalized diet would have to be at the same time healthy and appetizing. Following this reasoning, how would a family with different diets manage the time and would it be sustainable in terms of waste? Who should tell us what our specific needs are? How could governments help in promoting the consumption of healthy products? A possible way would be to implement specific subsides both for consumers and producers and build up specific healthcare institutions. Healthy food should become a matter of public interest in order to make it work economically and start to have an influence on the whole food system.236- 238
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Food is closely related to health and in some cases it turns out to be the only cure. Very often this characteristic is not considered and food is taken for granted, undermining the fundamental role it plays for our health. This has led to an increase in the costs of health related to the consumption of cheap processed food, which is not good for human health. Knowledge and education are needed in all sectors to make food become a public and social good, thus giving back its true value. However, it has emerged that in the context of the current food systems it is still too complex to take a holistic approach permitting this new vision of food. In addition, an important role is also played by the image attributed to food: It would be suitable to present a positive image, leading to a shared awareness and, above all, to both an individual and a collective responsibility. We should also try to see food as a nourishment of the mind and be able to make free personal choices based on awareness and knowledge, without getting overwhelmed by the confusion due to the huge offer of choices which characterizes the current world narratives.236- 238
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Food is an important part of people's lives, cultures and traditions and can be seen as a powerful unifying force helping to create a sense of belonging within communities. This is also the case in refugee camps and more generally amongst people on the move, for that context food plays a central role in bringing people together and maintaining traditions alive. It is often, however, the case that food aid and assistance in these contexts privileges food quantity over food quality, and that the food delivered does not take into account cultural sensitivities. This could be due to the fact that refugee camps are seen as temporary solutions, although in reality these situations are increasingly spanning over a longer period of time. One solution could be to start projects which create urban food systems, through techniques such as vertical farming and hydroponics, within the contexts of refugee camps. In this way, migrants and refugees would have access to job opportunities as well as quality food, re-gaining agency and independence over their food choices as well as having the possibility to share their own knowledge and help to create a thriving social fabric. Food can, in fact, be a powerful linking factor between local communities and migrants, creating a new food culture bringing together different, multicultural communities and traditions. Food has both social and health elements and both are important; food can be seen as necessary for human nutrition but also as a celebration. In the context of migration, both elements should be taken into account to ensure that migrants and refugees have access to a healthy and nutritious diet, whilst at the same time being able to celebrate food traditions and to create new ones.237- 238
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Compared to the previous Bites of Transfoodmation workshops, during this Independent Dialogue, some stronger areas of divergence came out within and amongst the discussion groups. Particularly, participants highlighted some critical areas of divergence that involve difficult trade-offs for the following aspects:
a) The question of how we could attribute the true value of food including people's perception and public subsidies.
b) A tension in the definition of the terms: "healthy diets" and "personalized diets", how they should be determined and by whom. Participants had different understandings on the definition of these two expressions with stricter interpretations implying new technologies and DNA editing on the one side, and much larger interpretations implying eating what makes you feel good on the other.
c) The trade-off between tailored diets and its implication or interference with the personalized diets of others and the costs both in economic and environmental terms that such diets could have.
d) Within the group, we felt a feeling of opposition between the social and health elements of food. Innovation and personalized diets were considered by some participants as a mere response to health necessities, somehow taking away the human and social part of nutrition, and therefore the celebration of food and its anchorage to cultural narratives and traditions.
e) The risk of over-romanticize the "celebrative power" of food, as for participants food - in some some circumstances -can be a source of conflicts (when it is limited) and of mental stress with a particular focus on eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
f) When talking about the social and health aspects of food, and the prospect of moving towards more personalized diets in the future, the topic of pills (i.e. vitamins, supplements, etc.) came up. Some of the participants highlighted that pills were not the solution nor were desirable, as food is strongly linked to culture and traditions. Other participants, however, stressed that this is fast becoming a reality for industries and companies are investing in it.
g) Some participants suggested the idea to associate strict personalized diets (as the one adopted by professional athletes for example) with some sorts of rewards in the form of "cheat meals". However, others stressed out the idea that "cheat meals" can be perceived as a punishment and could therefore increase some negative consequences for mental and physical health (feelings of guilt). Furthermore, many pointed out that a "cheat meal" should not be necessary, as we should be eating food we like every day in a balanced way.
No clear answers have been identified to address these challenges, however there has been consensus that we, as a group, have the power to overcome these dichotomies between the social and health elements of food, between personal choices and sense of collectivity and between personalized diets and environmentally and economically sustainable diets. We need to dismantle these dicothomies to build our Bites of Transfoodmation Manifesto as diversity does not imply confusion and fear, but rather the opposite.- A new clepysdra narrativehttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/clepsydra-narrative.png
- The unifying power of foodhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-unifying-power-of-food.png
- Bites of Transfoodmationhttps://transfoodmation.com/
2021-03-19 11:52:47204Changing the future of food in UCC https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7356/- 91
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The moderator explained the Food Systems Summit and the importance of youth engagement with the food systems. Each speaker spoke about the importance of sustainable food system for students and we encouraged participants to get involved in discussion and send us feedback in the chat box and during the Q&A session.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?We encouraged open conversation between the panelists and participants, which resulted in respectful discussion and highlighted that students have the similar opinions and needs no matter where they are in the world. We had diverse participants and a gender balanced panel creating an inclusive dialogue.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Having a diverse panel and/or participants (eg. age, background, gender, occupations, etc) will encourage new people to get involved in food systems dialogues.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The main focus of our dialogue was to highlight the the importance of food security for students and discuss the problems associated along with solutions. Students have a reputation for struggling to afford nutritious food but through initiatives there has been small progress. We wanted to begin an open discussion between students who are working on grassroots initiatives and leaders and decision makers in the field of global food security to create a food security environment for university students.235- 238
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- Empowering youth and including young voices of people who are working in grassroots projects is so important to get different perspectives on student food insecurity and of students who have suffered from food insecurity.
- Hunger will only be solved through the collective action of students form all backgrounds, there needs to be a collective engagement between all members of the university community to create student food security.
- There is a lack of affordable nutritious food available on campus for students and action needs to be take on this matter.
- The point was reiterated that students should not have to make trade-offs between food and education. The responsibility of a student’s next meal should not be put on the shoulders of another student.
- Food security should not be viewed as an individual issue, there is ripple effect that comes with a continues lack of nutritious food including mental health, physical health, university grades etc.
- There are a number of initiatives on UCC campus helping students struggling with food, including food banks and now with covid, food vouchers, but when working on solutions we must ensure that not only are gaps plugged but that there is not a need for these food banks or initiatives in the first hand.
- Food security needs a holistic food perspective with bottom-up and top-down action. Macro-economic policies need to be created at a university and national level to support the most vulnerable on campus.237- 238
There was universal support from all panelists and attendees that work is needed to create a more food secure campus for students.2021-03-22 10:58:46205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with farmers (livestock)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8573/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders(5 Farmers) for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) One of the reasons why organic livestock production does not increase in Japan is the difficulty in securing feed for the organic livestock production.
(2) Consumption is the bottleneck to expanding organic area. Affordable price is the challenge to expanding consumption. It is difficult to increase consumption unless the price gap is bridged.
(3) The automatic steering of GPS is an effective ICT tool for organic dairy farming. By using this, the labor is reduced, and the yield and work accuracy are improved.
(4) Using smart farming for locating cattle on a large pasture has enabled to identify cattle position immediately, resulting in considerable time savings, although it is quite expensive now.
(5) It is important that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology work together to provide education that will urge the children of the next generation to think about the current situation and future.
(6) It is difficult in hilly and mountainous areas to use land with limited human resources and to improve efficiency.
(7) It is effective to create a compost center as a base where cow dung, pig dung, chicken dung, etc., are mixed and to create a mechanism that allows livestock farmers to spray them in agricultural fields for value.2021-03-22 11:02:24205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with farmers (Young and family-farmers)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8576/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders (5 Farmers) for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) Development of materials to replace chemical pesticides and development of pesticides with low toxicity should be promoted.
(2) It is difficult for family-owned businesses to purchase the automatic mowing robot. Therefore, it is desirable that a mechanism such as an sharing system be put in place.
(3) Pest control works should be mechanized because it requires manual labor and is a tough task for the elderly.
(4) The technology of embedding fertilizer directly deep in the soil by using machine makes it possible to utilize the active ingredients that otherwise evaporate into the air as a cause of greenhouse gases. These machines should be subsidized.
(5) Producers should be informed and educated while making clear which pesticides should be reduced as a priority.
(6) It seems that by establishing regulations to reduce chemical pesticides, technological evolution will occur and people's way of thinking will change.
(7) To significantly reduce chemical pesticides nationwide, we must change the awareness and knowledge of farmers who practice conventional cultivation. In this regard, if we introduce a system for farmers who work on pesticide-reduced cultivation with income insurance, it will help the progress toward to the chemical pesticide reduction.
(8) It would be desirable to create organic farming standards unique to Japan and a new system of using materials which replace chemical pesticides.
(9) New technologies such as the development of bovine breeding and feed for inhibiting generation of methane gas should be developed.
(10) It is necessary for producers themselves to proactively disseminate information to foster consumers' understanding of additional costs for sustainable production.2021-03-22 11:06:33205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation(MeaDRI)with the Norinchukin Bank (the national-level financial institution for agricultural, fishery and forestry cooperatives in Japan)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8106/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) It is necessary to recognize that while agriculture, forestry and fisheries are essential industries that produce food, they also place a burden on the global environment.
(2) One of the current challenges of investments and loans for the domestic agriculture, forestry and fisheries industry is that most of them are not necessarily for environmentally friendly industry and, therefore, these are not recognized as ESG investment. We recognize that it is the role of finance to facilitate the transition towards environmentally friendly industries.
(3) In some cases, the requirements for ESG investment and loans include obtaining external certification, clarifying the use of funds, and measuring the impact. Therefore, in order to increase ESG investment and loans for domestic agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, it is important to deal with the issues associated with the definition and certification of environment-friendly agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
(4) There are two possible means of promoting a shift towards an environmentally friendly agriculture, forestry and fisheries: restricting loans through negative screening of non-environmentally friendly borrowers and providing incentives to environmentally friendly borrowers. However, neither of them is easy.
(5) It is important to properly explain to consumers where and what kind of load is placed in the value chain. Regarding "safety and security," we need a concept that is easy for consumers to understand, such as an index of friendliness to the global environment.2021-03-22 11:11:44205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with Agricultural machinery manufacturershttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8108/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) With regard to zero emission of agricultural machinery, there are various technologies such as utilization of hydrogen, biofuel, and e-fuel as well as electrification. It is important to address the zero-emission issue by adopting these technologies in parallel, taking account of these characteristics.
(2) Currently, there is a technique for fertilizing and controlling pests based on the growth conditions of crops obtained from yield monitoring combine and aerial photography of drones. By utilizing these technologies and spraying the required amount where necessary and the amount of fertilizers and pesticides used can be reduced to the minimum necessary. These technologies should be further developed.
(3) Technology should be developed for establishing energy system based on local food production and consumption utilizing unused resources.
(4) Agricultural machinery manufacturers recognize that it takes time to confirm the positive effects of new technologies. Given this, it is important for farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and manufacturers to collaborate together to speed up the verification tests of the technologies.
(5) Organic fertilizers are inferior to chemical fertilizers in terms of effectiveness and, therefore, it is needed to spray them in large quantities compared to chemical fertilizers. In addition, organic fertilizers are sometimes not suitable for machine spraying because their hardness is soft. Therefore, it is necessary to improve both organic fertilizers and machines so that organic fertilizers can be sprayed by using machines.2021-03-22 11:17:22205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with pesticide manufacturershttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8110/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) Social concerns in carbon neutrality and environmental protection has significantly risen in recent years. Given this situation, it is important for the pesticide manufacturers to tackle this issue by changing their awareness.
(2) In addition to developing chemical pesticides with less environmental burden, it is important to focus on developing biological pesticides and biostimulants.
(3) It is important to contribute to the reduction of environmental burden by further developing the technology of coating seeds with pesticides and the spraying technology using drones at the production site.
(4) Since CO2 is generated when pesticides are manufactured and distributed, it is necessary to proceed with development with carbon neutrality in mind, such as reducing the weight and size of the formulation.
(5) Compared to Europe and the United States, Japan's agricultural fields are small where many types of agricultural products are cultivated. In addition, due to the different climate conditions, the pressure from pests and diseases is high. It is necessary to recognize these different characteristics in Japan.
(6) It is desirable that the innovations suitable for the Asian monsoon region are established, and then the government take the leadership and disseminate them to Asia.
(7) In the future, by further introducing disease-resistant varieties, improving the accuracy of pest forecasting, and utilizing digital technology and smart agricultural technology, it will be possible to spray pesticides in a timely and appropriate amount, and thereby the amount of pesticides usage may be reduced to some extent.
(8) It takes time and cost to develop chemical pesticides and new technologies associated pesticides. It also takes time and costs for farmers to introduce new technologies into the field. It is important for the government to support these activities so that these new chemical pesticides and new technologies can be used on the ground.2021-03-22 11:22:57205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with farmers (organic farming)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8589/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders s (including 3 Farmers) for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1)In Japan, which has different climates and environmental conditions, it is difficult to expand organic farming in grasslands and drylands as in other countries.
(2) Although the production technology of organic farming has been almost established, the social environment is still insufficient, which is associated with logistics, distribution of agricultural land, pesticide drift, etc.
(3) In order to expand organic farming, it is necessary to first create standards such as a 70% reduction in chemically synthesized materials and thereby attract more farmer to organic farming.
(4) From mass production and mass consumption, the balance of supply and demand should be adjusted by appropriate production and consumption that incorporates smart agriculture.
(5) Many customers are interested not only in organic products but also in sustainable procurement such as fair trade, FSC and MSC.
(6) In expanding the market, it is important to increase the opportunities of seeing the organic agricultural products and create an enabling environment where those products can be purchased on a daily basis.
(7) The reason why organic JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards) certification has not been widespread is that while all costs are paid by the producers and they have to be inspected every year, which is costly, there is no guarantee that these organic products can be sold at a price commensurate with the cost.2021-03-25 00:29:52204Pathways to Sustainble and Resilient Food Systems - 2https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2970/- 94
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571831442531145222521210532121013251332512How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The principles were included in the design and formulation of the team and in the mobilization of the participants, The dialogues was jointly organized by the Impact Youth Sustainability Jamaica Limited, Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers, The University of the West Indies, Members of the Scientific Community, Staff of the BSJ. and a cadre of private sector companies that work in and closely with the food sector Participants were mobilized from all stakeholders
The messages of the principles were shared and reinforced with all facilitators. On the day of the dialogue the principles were also incorporated in the execution and guided all facilitators, and panelist in their framing remarks and in the engagement processHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue reflected the principles in its design, mobilization and its conduct. The dialogue facilitators applied Chatham House rules, assured everyone had a chance to speak freely without attribution, gave everyone a chance to speak, mechanically divided participants into their discussion groups and foster an environment of trust, openness and space to freely share different views without beratingDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Assign co facilitators in case of technology failures
be flexible
Use polls as a filler while establishing the groups
Keep Framing remarks short and to the point
Communicate intent and objectives of the dialogue
Use dialogue as a basis to move from participation to partnerships
Establish whats app group of organizers
Start Testing Technology at least one hour before
Welcome all participants by Chat and by voice
Allow opportunity for participants to provide additional insights after plenary
Keep rooms to eight. If beyond start opening another group. Always have two additional facilitators present
Have information on opportunities that can help advance the work of the farmers on hand to shareDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The focus of the dialogue was a systemic exploration of regional food systems under the theme pathways to a sustainable and resilient food system. Participants examined ways to include more women, youth and vulnerable groups in the food system, financing sustainable low carbon food production and innovation, maintaining and sustaining supply chains, accelerating climate smart and resilient agriculture and addressing issues in the food, water, waste, energy and connectivity nexus.235- 238
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1. A systems approach to the food system and its supply chain is an imperative
2. More flexible innovative financing systems with modified systems of risk management, coaching and technical support is needed
3. There is need to examine the processes/bureaucracy involved in climate smart financing and develop investment regimes more aligned to SDGs that do not simply copy and paste traditional risk models and regimes of the banking sector
4. There is need to position financing regimes to better align and accelerate action on global goals and to better account for the risk in not taking action on climate risk. Reparation should also be aligned to discyssion and need to develop sustainable and resilient food systems
5. We not using what we have (natural resources). Make use of our natural resources. Use solar energy and reserve energy for other things.
There is a need to invest in and support greater deployment of energy and water efficiency technology. Global funds and grants should target and support investments that address the nexus
The circular economy models and principles and opportunities will be critical in navigating and addressing issues across the nexus, It would be critical to address need to reduce emissions, the need to address soil health, food and to assure that waste is managed in a more regenerative, sustainable and appropriate way. Food waste provides many opportunities for circularity and should also be a focus of investment
A significant emphasis should be placed on regenerative agriculture techniques, agro forestry and generating the data on the carbon sequestered from trees in agroforestry projects that promote the reforestation of indigenous trees and the conservation of indigenous species and biodiversity. Nature based climate solutions will be critical to protection of water ways, reduction of carbon and conservation of water and energy
Connectivity should also looked at as a sustainability issue and the impacts of e-waste on the food system should
There is need for standing regional, national standing committees and working groups focussed on addressing the ongoing issues arising from the NEXUS and there should be flexible pathways for accessing financing to address these nexus issues
Stronger action to protect natural waterways and governance of the commons (rivers, seas and other aspects of the natural environment) is needed and mechanisms for improved and sustained governance need to be implemented that support
we need nature based, biological, engineered, hybrid and semi engineered solutions that help to reduce emissions in the design and the various assets and all stakeholders need to work together to protect and engage in asset management
There are many opportunities in the nexus to develop sustainable livelihoods. Addressing issues in the nexus would support climate mitigation, adaptation, community resilience and building social cohesion
We need to design partnerships that are deeper and more profound than participation. We need to evolve mere citizen, CSO and private sector participation from one off events to ongoing entrenchment into the decision making fabric and process at national regional international. There is a need for new platforms and fora to examine these issues with different lens and flexible arrangements to impact on communities. We must find ways to allow communities to influence sustainable actions that affect their lives
There is need for an increase focus in agroforestry, as the practice reduces water utilization and improves yields whilst using less energy from utilities
Wider use of urban farming techniques that build on the circular economy concepts and models in water, energy and waste utilization. An increasing emphasis on green infrastructure, eco building design and utilizing eco friendly construction can help connect city development, energy conservation, water conservation and improved waste disposal etc
There is need to accelerate national, and regional action on standards for small and sustainable cities and communities such as ISO, LEED, Living Building, IWA and others promoting eco design concepts that integrate and promote greater use and application of integrated designs that manage the interaction in the food, water, waste, energy and connectivity nexus. There is a need to establish national and regional coalitions and partnerships that promote and implement actions on these standards
There is a need to develop a national and regional, informal and formal, systems/mechanisms/processes that support ongoing engagement and partnerships of interested parties such as CSO, academia, private sector , international donors, national and local governments in planning, implementing, studying and improving actions, interactions and impacts236- 238
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Find in attached document236- 238
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Find attached document236- 238
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Maintaining and Enhancing Sustainable Supply Chains.
Conversation topics:
1. There is need to look at the supply chain as a system for now and the future. We spoke about all the actors in a supply chain their financial capabilities and business continuity. There is need to develop support systems that improves resilience and business continuity in SME capacity to manage supply chains, Helping SMEs apply international standards especially related to traceability of raw materials is critical. Funding should support farmers, SMEs in developing low carbon supply chains and also help in their efforts to apply standards that improve their resilience and continuity
2. The role of middle men and their impacts on the supply chain needs to be further assessed. Do they actually help and hurt the small holder farmers? Consumers? and the System?
3. There is a need to engage in ongoing systematic assessment supply chain issues by key stakeholders together. Formal collaborative mechanisms that improve analytic capabilities, risk management and mitigation across the supply chain and food systems will make a difference
4. There is a need for processors/manufacturer to evaluate their inputs, consider replacing foreign inputs where practicable and consider shorter/regional shipping lanes
5. There is a need to build small holder farmers capacity to engage in contract farming
6. There is need to support farmers and processors to develop a culture of quality assurance, record keeping and traceability standards
7. There is need to develop capacity among actors in chain to see the value chain as a system and improve the interactions within
8.Consideration should be given to temporarily stopping the import of fruits vegetables and foods that we could create effective supply chains for 1 group of products at a time. This would ensure we build local capacity (we understood that effort must also be put in by every actor along that supply chain to make sure it becomes effective as was done with chicken in Trinidad)
9. Creating a school program where the culture surrounding each of the different fruits and vegetables and how they are used in different islands. We understood how it could help create a future generation that could take advantage of the local vegetation by creating useful products. We want to create a system where some would be encouraged in the school feeding programs, but also the curriculum included teaching about the vegetation. Develop a procurement regime that gives preference to local and regional supply chain
10. Creating a body that would be able to work on behalf of all actors in a supply chain 1 supply chain at a time for example an inter island coconut supply chain body. Sharing of information and education along the supply chains is key. We proposed a public private partnership that could help to share that training, information, security and advocacy. This would also help to encourage proper farming by contract that would sustain the needs of hoteliers and other purchasers while protecting farmers from the middle men.
There were broader conversations about regulation of the middle men... but the supply chain organization that had an element of public private partnership that would share information along the supply chain re prices, amount planted etc. to ensure the prices are amicable and sustainable for farmers and other actors along the supply chain.
11. Education and training was seen as the key way to improve the supply chain along with sharing information and communication. Technology can be leveraged across supply chain236- 238
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Improving water conservation through watershed management, better use of irrigation equipment and educational programs.
Improving animal health and welfare through strategic breeding and selection, practicing integrated farming systems, implementing the use of bio gas digesters on slurry type waste farms and using precision nutrition and feeding strategies to lower emissions.
Improving on soil health and focusing on the beneficial microbial populations and their synergy to impact the entire environment.
Improving and updating existing policies on plant and animal wildlife conservation strategies as a means of supporting a healthier and more natural environment through biodiversity.
Improving data management systems and information sharing systems to ensure a fair and up to date flow of research for all agriculture stakeholders. This initiative also stimulates much beneficial dialogue and provides feedback to focus on relevant areas of research and development.
Improving on biomass conversion, sustainable waste management and investing in
energy efficient technologies to lower the total dependency on commercial monopoly type energy sources.
Improving on the research and information of agrometeorological work done by several organisations to increase the chances of healthier food production, less wastage and a higher chance of managing climate risks in agriculture.
Improving on the genetic selection of higher producing varieties of crops and breeds of livestock, to ensure more nutritious food, as well as relating these techniques to more conservation type agriculture techniques.236- 238
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GROUP 5 – Notes
Food waste is a global problem. If crops do not meet some idealized standard, then food gets left behind. How do we change perception of consumers and just take food and turn into something wholesome to eat. Food waste contributes to significant emissions and achieving net zero requires a priority focus and attention be given to food waste and its treatment
In the Caribbean food waste different. In the region we do have waste as we have seasonal food. We need to find ways to conserve that waste. We need to market and change our indigenous populations’ perception on locally grown food. This should solve some of the issues. We can be successful if we do.
Greater intra-island participation to reduce waste, to assist with islands that don’t have the land space. Designate certain islands/caricom states to be food baskets. Have a regional standard in terms of food, so that there are no problems in terms of intra-island importation/exportation.
Reduce imports of foreign fruits and promote locally grown substitutes.
Question: Water-Energy-Food Nexus is about the interconnectivity of these systems. All of these systems are finite. How you think we can deal with the challenge of finite resources? What are some strategies on an individual, local, regional level?
Resource harvesting - there should be no issue as it relates to lack of water. It is inconceivable that islands have to import water. We are not using technology to harness and harvest resources. We need to make use of more technology. Water harvesting is a key issue as such. In relation, we need to do more with less. Vertical farming with high rise is a solution to limited land space. Butterfly and bees harvesting is a possible solution. SITAM is the way forward.
We not using what we have (natural resources). Make use of our natural resources. Use solar energy and reserve energy for other things.
There is a need to invest in and support greater deployment of energy and water efficiency technology. Global funds and grants should target and support investments that address the nexus
The circular economy models and principles and opportunities will be critical in navigating and addressing issues across the nexus, It would be critical to address need to reduce emissions, the need to address soil health, food and to assure that waste is managed in a more regenerative, sustainable and appropriate way. Food waste provides many opportunities for circularity and should also be a focus of investment
A significant emphasis should be placed on regenerative agriculture techniques, agro forestry and generating the data on the carbon sequestered from trees in agroforestry projects that promote the reforestation of indigenous trees and the conservation of indigenous species and biodiversity. Nature based climate solutions will be critical to protection of water ways, reduction of carbon and conservation of water and energy
Connectivity should also looked at as a sustainability issue and the impacts of e-waste on the food system should
There is need for standing regional, national standing committees and working groups focussed on addressing the ongoing issues arising from the NEXUS and there should be flexible pathways for accessing financing to address these nexus issues
Find Notes Attached237- 242
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Further exploration of the need for middle men in the supply chain
ways of determining fair compensation of farmers
Temporarily stopping the import of fruits vegetables and foods that we could create effective supply chains for 1 group of products at a time. This would ensure we build local capacity (we understood that effort must also be put in by every actor along that supply chain to make sure it becomes effective as was done with chicken in Trinidad). Protectionist policies may affect other critical partners ability to eradicate poverty and achieve SDG. Such practices need to be carefully analyzed for their systemic effects on Nations and the region- Dialogue Notes Adjusted2021-03-25 20:41:38
- Dialogue Notes Adjustedhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Notes-on-Group-Discussions-in-UN-Food-Systems-Summit-Independent-Dialogue-Pathways-to-Sustainable-and-Resilient-Food-Systems-2-1-2-1-adjusted.pdf
2021-03-28 21:27:49204Timing Seasonal supply of agro inputs and taking off of farm produces with the use of ICT https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8856/- 203
9183181223722593225123111How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The dialogue was organized through Zoom meeting. During, the meeting the Moderator muted the mic of all participants except the participant that was requested to give his or her presentation. Each speaker was allowed to share their opinion and enough time was reserved for questions and contributions among participants. The contributions of all the participants were welcomed and questions addressed satisfactorily.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue reflected each aspect of the outlined principles as follow:
1. Act with urgency; Being aware of the importance of the food system summit and the goal of reaching SDG 9 of industry, innovation and infrastructure by 2030, the Dialogue developed series of answers that will provide innovative approaches to having an improved food system and achieving the SDG 9.
2. Be respectful: The views of every participant from different regions and from different backgrounds were all respected, despite their cultures. Every context were evaluated to reach a better conclusion.
3. Recognize complexity: The Dialogue recognized that food systems are complex and also interconnected with other systems. Hence, it allowed the opportunity to consider other aspects in answering the questions
4. Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity: Stakeholders like small scale farmers and large scale farmers (who require reliable means to acquire agro inputs as well buyers of farm produce) and ICT experts who supplied answers to their question were all invited. Opinions from Individuals from various communities were also embraced to reach a better agreement on the outcomes.
5. Complement the work of others: The Dialogue was hosted to benefit from an existing innovation (ICT) that has not being fully utilized by most farmers in Africa. It complements the innovations already existing in information and technology sector and seeks to leverage on its tools for better food system as well as achieving SDG 9.
6. Build trust: This dialogue allowed opportunity for everyone to participate irrespective of gender, allowing mutual respect and trust. It is transparent, evidence based and accessible for decision making and planning.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?My advice for other Dialogue Convenors is for them to carefully observe the principles of engagement and show high level of commitment to enforcing it as it relates to their Dialogue Themes. This will help us have a successful report from which better planning and decisions can be generated to have an improved and Resilient Food systems.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The major focus of this Dialogue is to know how seasonal supply of agro inputs and taking off of farm produce can be monitored and timed with the use of ICT. When farmers are given the right farming inputs, their yield gets improved and when the yield is counted into productivity by being collected / off-taken regularly and on time with proper information management system, Farmers become encouraged to learn more effective ways in order to produce more! Many farmers in Africa need a digital platform where their voices can be heard. They suffer losses due to produce boom or glut and are left to tackle the challenges that comes with it on their own. Sometimes, government aids may take too long to come and when it arrives, it becomes irrelevant because farmers who needed such aids have moved on in life even to the point of quitting farming.
There is an urgent need to use Information Communication Technology as never before in salvaging the needs of farmers, input distributors, and farm produce off-takers for an effective service delivery towards more farm yields. The use of mobile applications, Social media, Web 2.0 and the ordinary GSM technology are tools already running in most country of Africa. This dialogue helped to answer questions on
• How we can utilize these digital tools as building blocks for a smooth running food system value chain.
• How to know when a farmer in ‘Town A’ is waiting for an off –taker in ‘Town Y’ who will definitely come despite another being on stand-by.
There is no better period than this digital age. Also, the use of information and communications technologies in farming systems will also promote smart farming and make it attractive for youths who easily deviate from farming because of the traditional method adopted by most local farmers in the remote places. Some of the objective of this dialogue are
• To identify challenges farmers encounter in receiving farm inputs,
• To identify challenges farmers and produce collectors encounter in off-taking farm produces and proffer solutions that will bridge the gaps identified towards giving farmers direct access to verified input distributors and produce collectors / off-takers.
• To create a road map for digitalizing information dissemination to farmers accessibility to inputs and off-taking.235- 238
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• It was discovered that most farmers experience huge losses during the sale of farm produce while the middlemen who buy these farm produce below cost price makes the profit. This is more evident with farmers who produce perishable products with low durability. They don’t always have better option than to sell off quickly to available middlemen who price down their products. This occurs due to the big gap existing between farmers and direct consumers. There is great need to promote the use of internet based applications or platforms where farmers can showcase their products directly to the consumers or connect with them in other to sell at a good price and attain high productivity.
• It was also revealed that farmers incur much expenses in purchasing basic agro inputs like seeds, feeds and fertilizer. Some of the middle scale and commercial farmers in West Africa spend so much money importing seeds from abroad because it is not easy to source it in their location, where as it exists in large quantity somewhere in their home country but because they have no knowledge of it, it becomes expensive to buy from far away countries who leverage on online technologies to sell their products. There is urgent need to raise the awareness of using affordable agro-commerce platforms or social media handles among farmers locally to trace where agro inputs are available and cheaper in their locality.
• Most farmers lack machineries for effective farming and this accounts for low productivity and high cost of labor. There is great need to establish functional farming equipment hiring services where these equipment can be leased and hired by the government or organizations whose duty is to assist marginalized farmers.
• Lastly, it was made known that there is weak marketing linkage and poor information management in the farming system. Therefore, there is need for actors and stakeholders like farmers, extension agents to frequently consult ICT experts to eliminate this challenge.236- 238
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Agro input challenges as faced by farmers ; Mr Chukwuemeka Ogbuagu opined that the lack of farm machineries (as agro inputs) which makes farming easier and faster can be addressed by possibly finding or establishing functional farming equipment hiring services where these equipment can be leased and hired. Such hiring services can be conducted online with the use of ICT for efficiency and ease of access. He further suggested that there is need for advisory services to go virtual. A good example is virtual adverts on sourcing farm input materials.
Role of Agro input Dealers Associations/ Cooperatives in improving the use of ICT in Food system value chain; Mr Edoja John, CEO of FarmerShop, an agro-commerce platform that creates a link and connects farmers to agro-inputs dealers and farm-produce buyers, suggested that farmers should take advantage of agro- commerce platforms to sell their products where they decide the price they sell their produce to avoid unnecessary losses. Platforms like this helps farmers to list their farm outputs and connect directly with their consumers to sell their products faster.
Application of ICT in Farming systems; Mr Iheanacho Patrick MD of Zardalic Consults listed the tools in ICT that can be used to facilitate different processes in Farming systems. Tools like Telephones for interactive voice response, Computers and websites for agricultural information and markets, Broadcasting for expertise sharing, advisory and information dissemination in communities, Satellite for weather, universal accessibility and remote sensing, Internet and broadband for knowledge sharing, social media, e-community, market platform, trading and so on. Sensor networks for real time information, better data quantity and quality, decision making. Data storage and analysis for precision agriculture and actionable knowledge.
How ICT can help close up emerging gaps in Food systems in event of a disease outbreak; Engineer Chikelue Nwabuike an artificial intelligence engineer and also the Technical state head at Globacom Nigeria suggested that artificial intelligence can be useful for farmers whereby images captured by drones and satellites could be modelled to predict weather conditions, analyze crops and evaluate farms for the presence of diseases. He further said that this can be used to advice farmers and serve as a guide to farmers.
How ICT Can work for farmers, Agro dealers and produce Collectors; Mr Buchi Ikeh an IT consultant, CEO Broad Digital Nig Ltd said that ICT can work for farmers and produce collectors by the use of cheaper digital platforms (Web, Mobile App, USSD, SMS) in accessing, sharing and exchange of agricultural knowledge, price info and sale of produce. He further state that this will help to strategize market activities as it is very useful in solving issues such as traceability, process control, transparency in market information, reduction in transaction costs, and identification as well as tracking of consumer needs.237- 238
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There was an opinion of some participants putting the blames on government for the low level of adoption of ICT in the farming system. They strongly believe that government should show high level of commitment in handling issues associated with food systems. While others argue that farmer should not depend on the Government for everything and that the Government has little or nothing to do with a farmer not making use of a smartphone and not having access to agro information already available on the internet.2021-03-28 22:42:02204Envisioning Sustainable Food Service by 2030https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1514/- 194
372259111262212141120122110112211045502How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?In email communication sent to all registered attendees leading up to the event, I included the Principles of Engagement as an attachment, and directed the group to review them. I also included the principles in trainings for the Facilitators a month before the event.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The participants were engaged in open dialogue, and the facilitators and speakers laid the groundwork for a trusting environment conducive to acting with urgency and complimenting the work of others as a collaborative group working toward a common vision. We discussed network weaving the and importance of diverging opinions, although each group experienced very little to no conflict or divergence in opinions during discussion sessions.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?I would encourage conveners to present the Principles to participants in advance of the dialogue to help frame how participants will work together, as they help inform the welcoming environment of the dialogue.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 239
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The major focus of the dialogue was to envision a future for food service centered on equity, sustainability and economic well-being for food and farm workers. Through six discussion questions which focused on Action Tracks #2 and #4, groups used a systems thinking approach to evaluate and propose food system ideas which benefit and relate to food service. Using "Advancing Equitable Livelihoods" and "Shifting to Sustainable Consumption Patterns" as a guide, we explored and shared key actions to take in the next 3 years to achieve a vision of a more equitable and sustainable food service industry by 2030.235- 239
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The main findings of the dialogue related to:
1. The importance of knowledge building and co-creation of solutions across stakeholder groups, to increase awareness through transparent knowledge building.
1a. Increase consumer knowledge about where their food comes from and how, to incentivize more direct, local purchases and sustainable consumption habits.
Proposed methods:
*Educational campaigns/consumer marketing campaigns to improve perception of the value of food and farm workers to the community at large.
1b. Product IDs which list the location/environmental impact of a consumable item
Proposed method: Transparent information on packaging ratings to guide decisions in markets/groceries, which encourage climate-smart choices, and reward consumers through financial incentives/rebates
1c. Sharing resources among farmers to co-create new solutions
Proposed method: facilitated community groups among farmers, embedding indigenous farmers to learn from the inherent wisdom of the past to solve for climate adaptation in the future
1d. Transparency of best practices for farming in the era of climate change can lead to less energy required to produce food, which could reduce the cost to the consumers (increasing fresh food access for consumers at an affordable price)
1e. For Consumers: education to change mindset to value quality over quantity, to increase inclusivity of the sustainable food movement, including imperfect foods and how to reduce waste and enjoy more of the food available.
Proposed methods: Education about diet related diseases and packaging impact on environment
Goal Outcome: to reduce convenience eating, and encourage a different environment in which eating occurs (slower, at a table, eaten on reusable plates even in schools and institutions)
1f. For Farmers: invest in beginning professional farmer training programs, free, transparent education for all farmers on agroecological practices that support the environment, especially in the face of climate change and severe weather patterns.
1g. For Food service workers: invest in education and empowerment, so that this entry-level profession can become a career path, acknowledging the trickle down effect to other industries. Include “food as medicine” education, climate education, and the value of sourcing close to home to support the local food economy.
Empowerment can lead to social change through climate-friendly menus, menu marketing, and better production habits that reduce waste, aiming at a closed loop system.
2. Relationship building to increase community connection and incite community-led action.
2a. Connecting the land-owner and farmer to co-create equitable land access.
Goal outcome: Could increase cooperation through co-creation and involvement in decision making by the operator of the land, in conjunction with the landowner.
2b. Connecting the consumer to farmer/producer to build livability of farmer profession and to increase responsible consumption by consumers.
Proposed solutions:
Connect institutions like schools more closely to the farmer, directly, by weaving school procurement into the educational programming in K-12 schools (next level Farm 2 School programming)
Embed indigenous food leaders into school food programming, to influence menus, and represent traditional, climate-smart foods that reduce packaging and can increase healthy food knowledge for food workers and students.
2c. Increase ability for WIC/SNAP dollar holders to spend money directly to farmers, including CSA shares, farmers markets, and community-owned groceries.
Proposed actions: Create financial incentives for farmers or local stores to improve access for more consumers at lower costs.
Increase cultural sensitivity of WIC/SNAP approved foods to promote inclusivity and reduce diet related diseases
3. Improving the living wage standards of farmers and food service workers, acknowledging the ripple effect of investing and empowering our entry level workforce as a lever to increase sustainability practices and advance equitable livelihoods, while security the future of food production.
3a. Political restructuring, more collaborative structures that support and increase value of food and farm worker jobs, which creates a sustainable ripple effect in our economy.
3b. Reimagine grocery stores that shorten supply chains and put more money directly into the hands of the producer/farmer
3c. Create accountability for land stewardship through consumer tax programs that invest in regenerative land practices (ie a public utility model to develop agroecological practices that benefit the ecosystem in and around developed areas).236- 238
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Discussion Topic: By 2030 we have reversed the way our food dollars are spent, instead of 15% to the farmer and 85% to the supply chain, it is now 85% to the farmer, and 15% to the supply chain.
Key outcomes: Remove or reimagine grocery stores to connect consumers more directly to the farmer and their food; increase education on healthy eating by way of revitalized home economics in schools, school interactive education with farmers, and through legislation with encourages more Urban Agriculture (UA) and diversity of farm owners. Goal is to reduce poverty by decreasing cost of food, through a shorter supply chain and stronger relationships between farmers and consumers, which creates community trust, support, community action.
Measures of success of these efforts evaluated by: an increase in number of farmers per capita, an increase in farmers with a livable wage, an increase of schools using farm direct sourcing, and an increase in number of farmers markets across neighborhoods (ie 1 market per neighborhood to increase food access).236- 238
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Discussion Topic: "Our food system prioritizes the health and education of farmers and food service workers, which helps reduce diet related disease levels in the community by 40%."
Key outcomes: national public educational campaigns can help inform consumer choices, by explaining the vital role of farmers and food service workers in the web of food systems, elevating their profession and creating more social capital to support their role in community food and health.
Education and empowerment for food and farm workers funded by the food industry, government, or public campaigns can shift food service toward supporting environmental and public health goals. Increasing cooperatives and social groups among workers helps build knowledge sharing and facilitates co-creation of solutions, empowering workers and creating social responsibility among consumers.236- 238
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Discussion Topic: Foodservice professionals help reduce hunger by 50% in the city, where they work in partnership with a range of community organizations
Key outcomes: Key coordination needed between food systems, climate change and education industries. Collaboration is critical to inspire "radical community food action," where there is autonomy for people to access and grow their own food to increase food security. Reaching a liveable wage is also critical, and we need policy change and urban agriculture land use regulations that can support economic opportunities for fresh food production within city limits. Decreasing food waste through a shifting of labeling regulations (ie removing expiration dates in favor of 'best by' dates) and leveraging technology to connect organizations as a method to utilize food before it is wasted. Consider alternative means of payment for food, like meal tokens, to increase access and reduce friction especially for fresh, healthy food.236- 238
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Discussion Topic: Chefs enable lower greenhouse gas emissions markedly by reducing packaging and guiding consumer trends toward climate friendly diets, where the average consumer eats 40% less meat in 2030 than in 2020.
Key outcomes: Government led sustainable solutions for packaging are critical; we need tighter regulations and financial charges for non-sustainable packaging, recognizing the true cost of packaged food on the environment. Help change perceptions and habits of consumers through take out food re-envisioned, where food can be enjoyed on a plate rather than in a wrapper. Educate consumers through transparently shared information to guide their choices, and consider including financial incentives that reward purchases of less packaged, plant forward foods. Creativity in the kitchen is key to promote plant-based diets to mass consumers, so education for food professionals and chefs on how to cook plants creatively, and balance nutrition without meat, is crucial. Consider relying on blockchain technology to inform consumers of packaging implications of the food they are considering, as well as the environmental footprint, especially important with meat-centered vs. plant-centered main dishes.236- 238
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Discussion Topic: By 2030, school and institutional menus include 40% less packaging and feature culturally significant, inclusive foods, while addressing public health and climate realities.
Key Outcomes: Need to change the mindset and environment in which people eat in schools and institutions, in favor of a slower, more community based meal format. Look to other countries as a model (ie Italy) for how budgets are balanced to support labor and equipment needs to reduce packaging and encourage reusables in meal settings (the refettorio model). Leverage the power of community to increase support of local farm direct produce in institutions, incorporate food into the curriculum, and increase connection to traditional food knowledge specific to a location by embedding local indigenous leaders into institutional food program planning and procurement (ie The Intertribal Agricultural Council in the USA; rural community leaders in Indonesia). Fund program innovations through existing federal and state money, in addition to community-supported funding by schools, companies, and consumers.- Formatting change request for main findings section The formatting saved after uploading the feedback looks hard to read! I've attached a document that may be helpful, if I can attach it to the feedback report? Thank you!2021-03-28 23:20:31
- Feedback Summaryhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/March-20th-Independent-Dialogue-Feedback-Summary.pdf
2021-03-29 10:21:14205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with The National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (ZEN-NOH)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9658/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) In order to increase the understanding of society on the cost increase, it is important that the value of agricultural products produced in environmentally friendly manner is recognized. For this purpose, labeling and information disclosure using digital technology are important.
(2) Innovation is important for cost reduction.
(3) Efficient application of fertilizers and pesticides is important. In order to improve efficiency, the major issues are the consolidation of agricultural land and the outsourcing of work in areas where farmers cannot handle it.2021-03-29 10:24:41205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with food industries and related organizationhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8113/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) Approximately 80% of greenhouse gas emissions in the entire supply chain of the food manufacturing industry are caused not through the manufacturing process but by upstream and downstream business partners. Regarding the upstream, it is important for the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industry that produces raw materials to decarbonize the food system.
(2) It is important to implement policies that lead to sustainable behavior of corporates, including SMEs which account for the majority of the food manufacturing industry.
(3) Food industries associated with food supply chain as a whole should cooperate and collaborate to address environmental issues such as decarbonization and human rights issues. Public-private collaboration under collaboration among governments is important, in addition to raising awareness of Japanese society and industry on the issues as a whole, such as through disseminating National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights.
(4) When using domestically produced raw materials with consideration for sustainability, shift to an internationally recognized sustainable production methods is important so that domestically produced raw materials can be selected compared to imported raw materials and also can be evaluated when exporting. In addition, it is also important to have a mechanism that allows food manufacturers to confirm and use them.
(5) It is important to raise consumer awareness of environment and human rights and thereby increase the recognition and dissemination of the background information on the reason why sustainable manufacturing and procurement are necessary. As the environmentally friendly lifestyle spreads, it becomes important to transform market, such as accepting costs arising from decarbonization and consideration to sustainability.
(6) As the time goes on, consumers’ concerns on health and the environment has increased, which has created another value for consumers on soy protein. Against the background, now that the soy protein factory is at full capacity, our impression is that consumers can change their minds over time. Therefore, it is important to examine marketing tools that encourage consumers’ behavior change.
(7) In addition to considering the sustainability of the production process, palm oil itself is an issue recently as it contains harmful substances. In this regard, regulations for palm oil are becoming stricter, especially in Europe. Since it takes cost to replace it with alternative oils or remove harmful substances, it is necessary to deal with the issue by such as receiving government supports and/or promoting price pass-through.
(8) Europe is often the center of rulemaking. Therefore, the Japanese government should strive to develop international rules so that Japanese companies are not at a disadvantage.
(9) There are multiple certification systems for palm oil, etc. It should be possible to make various choices according to various needs.
(10) One of the causes of low labor productivity in the food industry is the delay in robotization. Therefore, it is important to innovate business models using technologies such as AI.
(11) In order to reduce food loss and waste, it is necessary to optimize trading practices such as easing delivery deadlines and order lead times, forecast demand by using AI, and promote food banks.2021-03-29 10:28:14205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with fertilizer manufacturers and a related associationhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9691/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) We believe that soil preparation is important to realize labor-saving and low-cost sustainable agriculture without excessive dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Especially, improvement of soil fertility is important.
(2) Regarding organic farming, it is necessary to solve the problem that the hurdle of organic JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards) is high for the Japanese climate and the value of organic farming products is not accompanied by the cost. We are looking forward to innovation for the solution.
(3) How to give added value as "organic" and how to create a market are important, and the key point is a policy to incentivize consumers to prefer organic agricultural products. In addition, it is important to secure raw materials that do not depend on imports in order to ensure sustainability. As transportation cost is an issue for the use of organic matter, how to promote local production and local consumption is a key point.2021-03-29 10:30:46205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with Japan Processed Foods Wholesalers Association (an association related to food marketing and distribution)https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9700/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) Since wholesalers deal with a large number of manufacturers and retailers, the burden of logistics and data processing is extremely heavy. Because it is necessary to standardize and construct infrastructure for data linkage, we are working to realize it. However, it seems to be difficult to achieve this under the current situation.
(2) As the manufacturing industry, wholesale industry and retail industry have been optimizing themselves separately, there are some unoptimized parts within the entire supply chain. We are coordinating between industries towards data linkage throughout the supply chain. However, it is not easy to change the existing mechanism. In this regard, it is expected that involvement of the government will create transparency and fairness and will be a driving force for efforts.2021-03-29 11:56:11205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with fisheries stakeholdershttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9704/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) Although "Electrification and conversion to fuel cell for fishing boats " has many issues to be tackled, it is an innovation that will definitely be needed in the future. This cannot be helped by fishermen alone and requires support by national government. At the same time, it is necessary to raise awareness of the needs among fishermen.
(2) Transforming fishing boats to high-performance and environment-friendly ones will contribute to increasing the employment of young people who will lead the fishing industry in the future.
(3)It is indispensable for realizing carbon neutral to promote creating seagrass bets and algae and shellfish cultivation as these will promote CO2 fixation through utilizing blue carbon ecosystems and thereby contribute to reduction of environmental loads.
(4) It is necessary to develop technology for biodegradable plastic fishing gear and packaging materials without using plastic in the areas of processing, distribution and consumption.
(5) Raising consumer awareness on the importance of environmental consideration through the spread of ecolabels will contribute to the sustaining development of Japan's fisheries and fish food culture.
(6) For producers and distribution processors, in particular, those who operate small businesses, costs of acquisition and maintenance of ecolabel certification are particularly burdensome. Supports for the development of ecolabel products is also needed.
(7) Ensuring a stable food supply through aquaculture is extremely important. For that reason, the raw materials for the feed of farmed fish should be able to be circulated locally.2021-03-29 11:56:53205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with aquaculture industries and related organizationshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9697/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”.
MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) As the population grows, it is necessary to secure animal protein. However, as seafood has less environmental impact than livestock products, there is relatively more room for increasing seafood production.
(2) Offshore aquaculture has a high tolerance for absorbing environmental loads and is a proper direction from the viewpoint of sustainability and reduction of environmental loads.
(3) In addition to CO2 fixation, the conservation of seagrass beds is an indispensable for water purification, egg production and growth of aquatic organisms. It is important to respond appropriately to changing environment and to carry out activities in cooperation with fishermen and local residents.
(4) As I have been involved in the aquaculture industry for many years, I really feel the rise in seawater temperature associated with global warming. In fact, there are reports of the damage. Reduction of CO2 is a major challenge that we have faced.
(5) As blue carbon is an unavoidable issue, the government should move ahead the activities to tackle the issue. In Norway, efforts are under way to use seaweed not only as a CO2 sink but also as a nutrient.2021-04-01 01:07:41204Enabling Sustainable Food Systems through the Agricultural Value Chain in Nigeria.https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2333/- 135
63035171148157533366545352516534410553032302233How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The organization of the Dialogue ensured that various groups of stakeholders were informed and participated during the dialogue. This is reflected on the outcome of the Dialgoue.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Dialogue organization thoroughly analyzed the food systems and Agricultural value chain whereby key actors at all levels were reached to participateDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is pertinent that Convenors put in place a guiding document to help all attendees and speakers understand the key issue to be addressed.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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(i) Enhancing capacity of farmers, agri-food enterprises and value chain stakeholders as key drivers of
food systems.
(ii) Unpacking the established multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral food governance policies and legislation at sub-national and national levels.
(iii) Forge collective solutions to ensure that food systems transformation delivers on social good and expectations to ameliorate hunger and poverty.
(iv) Emphasize the application of tech as building blocks for an open-ended opportunity to sectoral players.
(v) Create a connection to ease information sharing amongst the various agricultural value chain stakeholders.236- 238
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Despite efforts by regulatory Agencies, food Safety is not evenly guaranteed across Nigeria. Lack of safe and nutritious food and the burden of unhealthy diets hit the poor more. Children around insurgent- wrecked north-west and communal clashes-prone areas in Nigeria are undoubtedly malnourished. High consumption of calories result in overweight and obesity, especially in children and young adults. There are concerns on monitoring of producers, processors and food vendors -the lapses linked to weak coordination of governance support systems in driving implementation of policy and regulation frameworks on nutrition, food safety and hunger eradication.
To strategically ensure access to safe nutritious food for Nigerians, it behooves on respective MDAs to work together to eradicate systemic and institutional inadequacies and amplify resources and programs in compliance with the AU Food Safety index to increase access to healthy and nutritious food from production and processing to table. Government is encouraged to effectively implement a sustainable national home grown school feeding program, taking lesson from Osun State.236- 239
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The possibility of easily shifting to sustainable consumption patterns seems uncertain. Dilapidated
infrastructures no longer support farmers and other actors within the Nigeria agricultural value chain. Unavailability of improved farming systems whether for subsistence (to metamorphose) or commercial farmers delimit application of innovations and investments in promoting healthy food production and packaging for consumption and waste management. Inadequate investment in proper food preservation contribute to high rate of food waste. For lack of proper supervision, unregulated private sector operators fail to produce food products that promote healthy and safe diets, thus putting consumers’ health at risk.
The importance of attaining sustainable consumption patterns can hardly be overemphasized. To
achieve this, the supply chain audit is needed to dissect vulnerabilities; build infrastructures; create
cluster for local farmers to share information and learn recycling, proper preservation and waste management techniques while synergizing cooperation among stakeholders in the agriculture and food ecosystem.236- 240
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Deforestation, land degradation, bush burning are some of the factors endangering nature-positive
food production in Nigeria. Inadequate data and early warning information systems on weather and
climate conditions cuts crop yield and risks adequate food supply, increases cost of food items and
causes hunger. Post-harvest losses alone is damning mainly due to lack of storage facilities -which
reduces the opportunity to explore value addition to boost income (for the producers) and increase local and national food supply chains.
In meeting the aim of Boosting Nature-Positive Food Production, respective Government agencies
have responsibilities of providing farmers with biofortified crop seeds and adequate training to boost
production of farm outputs as well as incentivizing regenerative food production. The Meteorological
Agency needs to start information dissemination in local languages on Radio to aid Farmers in
planning and tracking climate conditions.236- 241
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Advancing Equitable livelihoods to proffer economic recovery and growth solutions for the vulnerable
within the context of subsisting challenges is further hampered by lean access to agricultural inputs, distribution, transportation and value addition opportunities to uplift vulnerable people and communities in Nigeria. Non-compliance with (and lack of application of) digital and financial technologies solutions by farmers and other supply chain players deprives actors from the pull-and-push activities benefits.
The Dialogue called for concerted efforts by the Government and other stakeholders to catalyze agro- zones, reactivate localized investments and upgrade smallholder farmers (especially women, youth, the disabled) to become investable through adequate training and support, advisory services and
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The evolving nature of our environmental and social systems has rendered obsolete the traditional
measures of preparedness for shocks and stress and even ways we built resilience to vulnerabilities. Farmers and indeed everyone become too vulnerable to undue environmental, health and economic
shocks and inequalities. Rarely do farmers have reliable data on product, financial status and access to efficient commodity exchanges. Smallholder farmers lack the capacity to conduct proper monitoring and evaluation. The services of experts and/or Extension workers to train and retrain farmers on contemporary acceptable vulnerability and shocks preventive measures is in extinction.
It was strongly recommended creating access to finance and insurance for smallholder farmers, SMEs and agricultural value chain clusters/cooperatives (e.g. Nigerian Stock Exchange growth board) as a means to spur rural transformation and investment in food systems. Additionally, training these actors to adopt regenerative and circular practices as economic, social and environmental preparedness to future shocks and vulnerabilities.236- 238
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Insurance for farmers has not been widely discussed while bureaucratic bottlenecks continue to become a persistence barrier to turning policies to actions for short and long-term social good. Farming is unattractive to young people, who, for lack of participation, also lost out from the enormous benefits in the enlarged Agricultural value chain.
Categorically, all stakeholders (research institutes, CSOs, government, private sector) are called to
collaboratively design and adopt peer-to-peer national campaigns to educate and mentor youth as
active agriprenuers -introducing agrictech (such as hydroponic farming, digital procurement, e- commerce, smart farming, weather & climate services, digital finance).236- 241
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The alarming spate of insecurity across several States in Nigeria, which has led to killings and clashes between crop farmers and herders creates a siege psyche. Under this circumstance, shortage of food produce is imminent.
Workable synergies be activated between responsible public and private sectors to galvanize already
made efforts to eradicate insurgency and banditry, give confidence to farmers and other sectoral
players to contribute towards attaining sustainable food systems in Nigeria.237- 238
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a) Mechanism for monitoring and evaluation of government policies.
b) Human rights under-achieved
c) Unsustainable support system to farmers2021-04-02 09:37:11204Arab Stakeholders Dialogue on Food Systemshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7080/- 62
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How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Dialogue was organized according to the set principles of engagement of the summit. Participants were introduced to the summit vision, objectives, and the current status of the region in the introduction. An open discussion followed encouraging all participants to participate in providing their proposals. Four challenges were identified in the context of the Arab and participants proposed “Live” their proposals using the Mural application. Key stakeholders from Arab regional and national organizations, academia, private sector, civil organizations, research institutions, union, federations and others were invited to the dialogue.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Holding as virtual Dialogue necessitated the use of different approaches for engaging participants during the zoom session. Dialogue conveners encouraged active participation by recording the session, making it available for all participants. It also used the “Mural” application which allowed direct input from participants onto the board, allowed to see input from all participants simultaneously and allowed voting to prioritize issues and identify benefiters and actors for change. Furthermore, many were provided the opportunity to provide input directly from the floor or in the chat box and questions in relation to the action tracks were asked to trigger comprehensive input from all.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is recommended to present the Summit objectives and vision and action tracks with some facts and evidence-based information linked to the action track at the beginning of the session. This may promote further intervention from participants especially if these facts are related to the region/country. Using an application that is visual and allows direct input from participants showed to be efficient in collecting further views and addressing hot issues that may arise such as identifying responsibilities for each game changer proposed and prioritizing issues based on relevanceDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?Owing to COVID-19 restrictions, the dialogue was organized as a 90-minute online meeting using the Zoom platform. The dialogue modality allowed for active participation of stakeholders using a combination of tools including an interactive online platform “MURAL” where participants were invited to write their proposals live while broadcasting. Time was allocated for active discussions and interaction.
The Arab Stakeholder Dialogue was divided into two parts:
Part I presented the objective of the present dialogue, provided background information about the food system summit in general and the three types of anticipated dialogues. A review of the selected five action tracks and main drivers affecting food security within the context of the Arab region were presented. These drivers included conflicts, water scarcity, and climate change.
Part II used an interactive online discussion platform MURAL to allow participants to identify game changing solutions. Using “MURAL”, participants could review key and relevant facts, discuss and propose actions needed, and identify actors responsible for implementing these actions in each of the areas of interventions selected. As a result, Game changers actions were proposed on each of the four identified issues related to the action tracks namely Transitioning to Healthy Food, Advancing Equitable Livelihoods, Optimizing Sustainable Production, and Responding to Risks and Hazards. Afterwards, participants voted to identify the most relevant and impactful action from the proposed list and then identify the stakeholders concerned with implementing proposed and immediate beneficiaries. Following, time was allocated for oral discussions in relation to the actions.234- 238
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The dialogue aimed at addressing four priority issues were identified as most relevant to the Arab Region namely: Transitioning to Healthy Food, Advancing Equitable Livelihoods, Optimizing Sustainable Production, and Responding to Risks and Hazards. For each priority issue, key challenges and facts in the region were identified and game changing actions were proposed including actors and beneficiaries.235- 238
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The game changing actions identified across each of the four issues that were discussed and voted upon as priority based on experiences.
(a) Transitioning to Healthy Food
1. Provide incentives for healthy consumption and buying healthy food
2. Use innovative methods for food production (research - preproduction) (Most voted on)
3. Enhance marketing strategies (Identification of food groups for vulnerable groups)
4. Promote and establishing decentralized local markets, in partnership with small farmers, to ensure access to healthy food in light of crises
5. Train young men and women to be involved in sustainable land and agriculture.
6. Organize workshops on the benefits of organic farming and limiting use of chemicals
7. Promote incubators to increase technical expertise and scientific information
8. Increase awareness on post-harvest losses
9. Raise awareness on nutrition and promote the education on nutrition
10. Harmonize regulations within the region to improve exchange of commodities (2nd most voted on)
11. Provide a special platform for marketing sustainable agriculture products (3rd most voted on)
12. Consider access to healthy food a basic right whereby states need to ensure safe and affordable access to healthy food
13. Enhance coordination with all stakeholders to focus efforts on improving situation
(b) Advancing Equitable Livelihoods:
1. Enhance accessibility of farmers to technology mainly small farmers (most voted on)
2. Support and promote agro-processing in rural areas
3. Invest in solar energy and renewable energies especially in rural areas (2nd most voted on)
4. Increase awareness on the role of women in food systems and agriculture sector
5. Raise awareness on water consumption challenges by responsible ministries
6. Enforce land registration systems to help financial access (3rd most voted on)
7. Protect local food systems from dumping
8. Promote entrepreneurship and innovation for youth and women to improve job creation, increase income and improving livelihood in rural areas
9. Enhance land management systems that protect access to land
10. Promote use of efficient water management systems that are accessible to small farmers
(c) Optimizing Sustainable Production
1. Increase budget (public and private) provided for research on agriculture production
2. Enhance reliance on agricultural and industrial incubators
3. Invest in agricultural extension programs and staff
4. Better assess and understand limitations of existing natural resources to better respond to these challenges
5. Encourage innovation in the field of green biotech crops
6. Study potential of transforming desert plants to edible foods
7. Protect agricultural lands and reviewing national policies for land use
8. Support agriculture and ecology and limiting the use of chemicals
9. Promote agricultural research and improve access of producers to it
10. Increase interest in agricultural research and extension
11. Use of on modern technologies in irrigation to conserve water resources
12. The use of modern technologies in agriculture, water harvesting, and supplementary irrigation are important factors in sustainable production
13. Use of drought resistant crops in pilots and scaling up its use in arid areas
14. Awareness and capacity building in the use of modern and appropriate technologies
(d) Responding to Risks
1. Need for more agricultural insurance institutions
2. Improve knowledge sharing and exchange of experiences between governments and organizations
3. Adopt the triple nexus approach (Humanitarian/ Development/ Peace- HDP) in a participative manner during crisis contexts
4. Resolve the underlying causes of vulnerability to risks and drivers of crises
5. Provide social safety nets and risk prevention mechanisms
6. Adopt emergency policies, plans, and programs
7. Enhance risk-based decision making among populations
8. Enhancing capacities to cope with risks and Hazards as during these times challenges should be faced together and everyone should contribute
9. Engage women in agriculture and food production236- 238
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• Access to healthy and sufficient food at all time is a right and requires intervention from governments. Promoting and establishing decentralized local markets, in partnership with small farmers, enables the access to healthy food in times of crisis.
• Importance of role of the national private sector as it has a direct impact on the local markets. Having the private sector more involved in enhancing food security to enhance balancing between expectation and reality.
• Importance of Transfer of technology importance to empower small and to better empower entrepreneurs to come up with new initiatives, piloting them, recording their work modality and benefits so that farmers are encouraged to scale them up.
• Collaboration and cooperation between all stakeholders. Governments are the primary stakeholders to many of the actions related to enhancing productivity as any sustainable production process requires relevant policies and providing the needed infrastructure that enables stakeholder make use of needed technologies for sustainable production processes.
• Implementation of National emergency plans however due to instability in the region these plans are not being implemented. Also, a need for enhancing national reserves as they should be distributed across the country and are not supposed to be stored only in one area to reduce risks.
• Need to link between humanitarian response, sustainable production in times of conflict. Managing the root causes of vulnerabilities and investing in stopping conflicts and wars based on human rights are primordial. Humanitarian aid needs to be focused and promote locate food systems and that governments are required to make sure that the aid received considers national priorities that protect the most vulnerable people.237- 238
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The participants were knowledgeable of the main challenges in the region and stressed on the need to have urgent action and implementation.2021-04-02 09:43:35204Arab Youth Dialogue on Food Systemshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7085/- 62
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How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Dialogue was organized according to the set principles of engagement of the summit. Participants were introduced to the summit vision, objectives, and the current status of the region in the introduction. An open discussion followed encouraging all participants to participate in providing their proposals. Four challenges were identified in the context of the Arab and participants proposed “Live” their proposals using the Mural application. Key stakeholders including representatives from reginal and national youth organizations were invited to the dialogue.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Holding as virtual Dialogue necessitated the use of different approaches for engaging participants during the zoom session. Dialogue conveners encouraged active participation by recording the session, making it available for all participants. It also used the “Mural” application which allowed direct input from participants onto the board, allowed to see input from all participants simultaneously and allowed voting to prioritize issues and identify benefiters and actors for change. Furthermore, many were provided the opportunity to provide input directly from the floor or in the chat box and questions in relation to the action tracks were asked to trigger comprehensive input from all.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is recommended to present the Summit objectives and vision and action tracks with some facts and evidence-based information linked to the action track at the beginning of the session. This may promote further intervention from participants especially if these facts are related to the region/country. Using an application that is visual and allows direct input from participants showed to be efficient in collecting further views and addressing hot issues that may arise such as identifying responsibilities for each game changer proposed and prioritizing issues based on relevanceDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?Owing to COVID-19 restrictions, the dialogue was organized as a 90-minute online meeting using the Zoom platform. The dialogue modality allowed for active participation of young stakeholders using a combination of tools including an interactive online platform “MURAL” where participants were invited to write their proposals live while broadcasting. Time was allocated for active discussions and interaction.
The Arab Stakeholder Dialogue was divided into two parts:
Part I presented the background information about the food system summit and context for the Arab region.
Part II allowed for active participation of youth using a combination of tools including an interactive online platform “MURAL”. Participants were invited to write their proposals live while broadcasting, and identify game changing solutions based on their experiences and their needs, and finally identify the responsible actors for implementing these actions.234- 238
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The dialogue aimed at addressing four priority issues were identified as most relevant to the Arab Region namely: Transitioning to Healthy Food, Advancing Equitable Livelihoods, Optimizing Sustainable Production, and Responding to Risks and Hazards. For each priority issue, key challenges and facts in the region were identified and game changing actions were proposed including actors and beneficiaries.235- 238
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The game changing actions identified across each of the four issues that were discussed and voted upon as priority based on experiences.
For Transitioning to Healthy Food,
- Make laws that makes it illegal to waste food
- Reduce the consumption of junk food especially for children
- Raising awareness on the effect of malnutrition (diabetes, obesity, heath related cost, etc)
For Advancing Equitable Livelihoods
- Sop child forced labor
- Implement youth economic empowerment programs to reduce high unemployment rate among youth in the region
- Give equal right to women and men in accessing resources
For Optimizing Sustainable Production
- Capacity building for CSOs on using use solar power
- Use crops that are climate resilient and require less amount of water
For Responding to Risks
- Reduce import dependency by diversifying trade partners
- Build capacities of youth and civil society to adapt to climate change236- 238
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• Raise awareness on the effects of malnutrition and its cost on health and importance of consuming healthy food, reduce the consumption of junk food especially for children and provide system-wide solutions to address the issues of malnutrition and obesity
• Better understanding of the food chain so that people can come closer to the source of their food and appreciate its value and reduce its waste. This could entail subsidizing initiatives to reuse wasted food to make compost, energy and animal feed and raising awareness of young people in urban cities on importance of reducing waste.
• Give equal right to women and men in accessing resources, stop child forced labor and promote youth lead economic empowerment programs to reduce high unemployment rate.
• Review land and water tenure modalities to ensure equitable access to resources and allow land access to nomad Bedouins, make available different sets of food pricing to enable access to cheap food for the most deprived , and ensuring access to basic food as basic right for all
• Build capacity to improve use of green technologies that are affordable, use water saving technology to help farmers and promote use of nonconventional water resources
• Promote research, use of technology and renewable energy, use climate resilient crops that require less amount of water and save local seeds and improve agro-diversity
• Shift to plant-based protein consumption and reduce meat consumption
• Reduce import dependency by diversifying trade partners and increase trade on food products between Arab nations
• Going back to local food traditions instead of globalized ones as the local foods are the ones most adapted to local climatic conditions
• Subsidize environmentally friendly agriculture practices: permaculture and follow scientists’ recommendations on climate change issues and other hazards237- 238
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The participants were knowledgeable of the main challenges in the region and stressed on the need to have urgent action and implementation.2021-04-05 03:36:21204Pathways to sustainable and resilient food Systems - 3https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2987/- 94
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491928264222263333521541014214419How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?In organizing te dialogue we partnered with other local ngos, women organizations, youth led organizations and academia involved in food systems. Invitations were sent to participants representative of the diversity across the food system. The dialogue was organized using the standard format to ensure the active participation of participantsHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue was inclusive, participatory, holistic by design and had participation from the majority of CARICOM member states. It was certainly expansionary and interdisciplinary and the entire emphasis was on enabling pathways for a more sustainable and resilient food system regionally. The notes attached may provide more contextDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Keep framing remarks short
Utilize polls as a filler for establishing groups
enter zoom room early and name the breakout rooms and have facilitators assigned
As people enter begin mechanically assigning to breakouts
Use polls to help fill the gap in establishing the breakouts and activate discussions
Use the dialogue preparation material to assist
Have additional facilitators on standby in case of no show or internet challenges
Ensure facilitators are prepared and have prompt questions. Ensure facilitators do not attempt to prescribe what the participants should say but allow for open respectful dialogue on the discussion topic. Preparation is key and having prompt questions helps. Developing the facilitator skills through the training helpsDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The major focus was an exploration of pathways to a sustainable and resilient food system. Participants examined six discussion topics
1. Boosting Nature Positive Food
2 E Waste and Impacts on Sustainable Agriculture
3 Food Safety and Security
4. Regenerating and Protecting Critical Ecosystems and Biodiversity
5, Agro-Forestry and Integrative Agriculture
6. Environment and Climate235- 238
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As we move towards satisfying food production and human nutrition, there is a great opportunity to also influence changes of mindsets, policies and investments globally.
There is a need to now redesign each food system with a framework that supports the ecological processes, and better utilizing outputs from other operations to reduce the wastage and excessive inputs.
Engaging in circular economy activities such as the recycling of biomass (composting) and livestock waste (biofuels) can add great value to our environment, once done right. Simply adding compost or humus can have a positive impact on soil health, fertility, water retention and can even combat some effects of climate change. Sustainable financing regimes need to consider supporting and scaling circular economy projects, There should be increased investment and support in the design, development and sustaining of national and regional quality infrastructure and architecture that embeds the circular economy into the regional food system, biodiversity and ecosystem management framework. Greater investment is needed to support taking the circular economy projects to scale
It is felt that government should play more visible and facilitative role in the management of e waste. The facilitative role should enable and enhance partnerships among government, manufacturers, academia, civil society and the general public to be more aware and to work together in addressing the challenges associated with e waste and its impacts on soil health, water pollution, marine biodiversity and the food system in general.
There is a need to develop improved national and regional standards and regulations for the disposal, management, and treatment of e waste. On the other side of the risk involved from negligence there is significant opportunity for industry and sustainable livelihoods to be developed from the proper management of e waste.
There is a need for improved urban planning and land use reform to support food system enhancements.
It is necessary to promote the transition from monoculture to integrated low carbon
agriculture and to move away from the plantocracy styled economic model
We must develop enhanced systems that support agricultural development, e.g. seed banks, organic fertilizers
There is need to build capabilities and more widely educate farmers and processors in good agricultural practices, good manufacturing practices, safety standards, seed production, organic fertilizers. Capacity building should also include ways to optimize the use of animal and other waste on the farm to create organic fertilizer and where applicable, energy
There is a need to develop platforms and support systems that help connect farmers with markets. Increased investment and support should be aimed at helping the farmers to comply and exceed GFSI, FSSC, FSMA, HACCP, ISO and other standards applicable to food safety and security. A support system that helps farmers and processors to produce crops that are environmentally friendly and have lower carbon foot prints. The support system should also help to pay for the consulting, implementing technical requirements, testing and other process controls required by international requirement.
There is need to develop a national and regional organic certification program that supports fully organic and regenerative agriculture practices.
Standards and Technology is not sufficient to improve the regional food system. There is need to develop a culture that emphasizes quality, sustainability, resilience and ongoing learning and improvement. There is a need to develop a framework and model driven by evidenced based scientific principles that helps support sustainability individually and collectively, strengthens the management of the interconnections, helps manage gaps and strengthen resilience. The redesign needs to support ongoing learning, sharing and cooperation with stakeholders across the food system. Both State and private sector needs to align and act as a driver for improved sustainability and standards throughout the food system. Educating consumers on the meaning, value and benefit of proposed organic/regenerative certifications and healthier food choices are critical to sustaining a demand and market for high quality, safety and sustainably grown nature positive food.
Regional and national food safety and security technical committees should be formed to support efforts to develop and deploy standards. On the national level, the structure should be replicated on the county or municipal levels and a mechanism for alignment and funding should be available to help the councils in their work to assure that standards are deployed at the community level. The Councils should work closely with government agencies,236- 240
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In these modern times, the goal should now be to produce healthy and nutritious food for a growing population, while taking into consideration the regenerative measures to manage our natural resources such as soil, water and ecological biodiversity. There is need to establish an organic certification regime that supports the development of nature positive low emission agriculture practices. There is also a need for increased investment into education, training, capacity building and awareness needed to support nature positive production and consumption. Sustainable streams of financing needs to be made available to support demonstratable high impact agroecological and other forms of climate smart and resilient agriculture to take programmes to scale in mitigation and adapting to climate change. Financing regimes must be flexible and agile to enable efficient access and effective utilization by small and medium enterprises, small holder farmers and community-oriented organizations. Financing regimes should include ongoing coaching, mentorship and advisory support to help de-risk projects and encourage strong partnerships in design, execution, monitoring and improvement of science based, data inclusive, high impact mitigation, adaptation and resilience projects
More thought and emphasis has to be placed on the positive social impacts of agricultural production and how a healthier environment can have a better impact on
the way of life for all. Positive impacts are created to strategic use of nature positive, low emission and decarbonizing approaches to agriculture. Common examples of human health issues were found from the effects of the abuse of agrochemicals such as pesticides and antibiotics.
There is a need to now redesign each food system with a framework that supports the ecological processes, and better utilizing outputs from other operations to reduce the wastage and excessive inputs.
Engaging in circular economy activities such as the recycling of biomass (composting) and livestock waste (biofuels) can add great value to our environment, once done right. Simply adding compost or humus can have a positive impact on soil health, fertility, water retention and can even combat some effects of climate change. Sustainable financing regimes need to consider supporting and scaling circular economy projects, There should be increased investment and support in the design, development and sustaining of national and regional quality infrastructure and architecture that embeds the circular economy into the regional food system, biodiversity and ecosystem management framework. Greater investment is needed to support taking the circular economy projects to scale
The practice of Agroecology can offer many solutions and close the loops of linear production type systems as well as to enforce the linkages that build resilient agricultural systems. There is need for mechanism to support wider adoption of agroecological practices regionally/. A national and regional agroecology committee should be considered with the mandate of developing a strategic plan, aligning policies, legislation, processes and practices with nature positive agriculture, engaging stakeholders and bridging the gaps in research and the farming community.
Wider use of the agroecological standards and model can enhance biodiversity, bio capacity and reduce the carbon footprint of the food system across CARICOM. This system would be a great model for the CARICOM, as it incorporates species of plant and animal wildlife, from both terrestrial and aquatic environments,236- 238
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Solutions include:
There is need to establish interdisciplinary and multi sectoral regional and national committee/Working groups that treat with the issue in a comprehensive and systemic manner. Amongst other things the committee can develop standards for disposal, treatment and management of ewaste, for working with producers and manufacturers on product efficiency standards, extending product life cycles, refurbishing and reuse of ewaste and with avoiding the dumping of inferior quality electronic products in the region under the disguise of aid/charity
National and Regional Standards Bodies working with Academia and Scientific Community to Implement a rigorous regime of Soil and Water Testing, Supporting Small and Medium Holder Farmers, Rural communities with testing, sampling, and certification to standards. There is need to engage the communities in a citizen science regime and the data from the regime deposited in a national database to allow for strategic monitoring and decision making. It was highlighted that this is among the reasons the European Union has introduced traceability standards with respect to inputs (water, fertilizers and soil) into agriculture produce entering the EU Market. The idea of a Blockchain approach was also discussed to aid in traceability
A more robust national and regional e-waste public relation campaign needs to be done, and focus on a collaborative approach
The regional e-waste capacity building training and awareness approach should start in regional primary schools, then expand into secondary schools and universities. This will ensure that there is generational appreciation for the proper handling, disposal
and treatment of e-waste.
There is a need for enhanced body of standards and balances that helps to build product efficiency and lengthen the life cycle. All stakeholders need to be active engaged and participate in designing and implementing those standards
Actions to be taken fall within three areas of standards and regulations:
National- Bureau of Standards across the region need to develop standards for product and energy efficiency, product durability and reliability, and standards for disposal, handling and treatment of e waste;
Regional- A regional standard needs to be developed by CROSQ that helps align the work of all national bodies. The approach needs to be multidisciplinary and multisectoral involving private sector, civil society academia, state solid waste management authorities, the Basel Convention Regional Centre for the Caribbean (BCRCC), Caribbean Farmers Associations, FAO, Inter-America Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and other entities affected by the impacts of e waste on their sectors
UWI; International- International partnerships with amongst others ISO Committees, UN Organizations, WTO, United Nations University Step Initiative, UN GEF
From a sustainability perspective, small islands should consider moving away from a linear to a circular economy that will limit waste generation as well as reliance on the supply of virgin materials from outside.236- 238
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Academia and Ministries of food production need to work closer together to provide additional research and technical assistance in the communities and in putting research and development into action.
Regional Governments and donor agencies need to provide increased funding and support to Universities and Colleges through grants and other forms of assistance to enable them to better support sustainable community development endeavours. The Universities and Colleges should be allowed to be investors in social enterprises that help scale climate mitigation, adaptation, community resilience and other activities that give support to improving food sustainability, quality and safety.
National and regional bodies will need to examine how hydroponics and aquaponics can be brought into the organic certification regimes and framework. There needs to be a framework that caters to and validates any efforts being made. The standards development body needs to define clear quality, safety, environmental and security standards for container growth and green house production.
Develop and support a standards regime that facilitates the growing of safe and affordable food and taking it to market at scale. There is need to increase investment into the quality and safety infrastructure that allows for widespread commitment and application of food quality and safety standards
Centre the issue of equity in the heart of standards, technical assistance, financing programmes and offset regime.
Develop an improved risk management regime for farmers that include but not limited
to crop insurance regimes; regimes that transfer impacts from. polluters and carbon intensive industries to farmers and process that offset, especially if done at scale and in keeping with equity
There should be benefits and incentives tied to organic/regenerative agriculture practices in the crop insurance regime and other risk management services
Regimes should develop in such a way that allows for the cost of production, cost of certification to standards and the cost to bring safe and healthy food to market can be fairly prices and not become disadvantageous to farmers.
Assure farmers are fairly compensated for nature positive low emission decarbonized agriculture production should be central to any safety and security regime
The implementation of national and regional land use and urban planning reforms. An inclusive approach should be adopted that involves civil society, academia, technical societies, trade unions, technical committees, citizen advisory bodies, private sector, citizen assembly, local government, government members, opposition member and independent senators
Water and energy efficiency systems need to be more widely deployed in support of the food system
There is need for comprehensive educational reform to enhance an appreciation of local food, locally grown and processed and marketing local.food through festivals, fairs, school programs
Greater advocacy for land reforms that support distribution for food purposes. There is need for greater community involvement in land reform.policies that may include taking vacant lots and making agriculture plots as part of a promising community intervention. Efforts should be made to support backyard efforts, roof top efforts, community gardens and small holder plots
The initiation of a national and regional organic certification program. The program should also address animal rights/welfare and other social and labour issues.
Find Notes attached236- 238
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We need to place greater value on the intergenerational and indigenous knowledge of biodiversity. This knowledge needs to be categorized and recorded to maintain its full potency.
Legislation needs to be put in place to enhance the value of our biodiversity and provide guidelines and parameters for conservation efforts. It needs to be determined which species are endangered and thus put rules in place to protect both plant and animal species.
Effort should be made to explore permaculture design; using biogas to generate energy
It is necessary to move away from embrace in the concept of a monoculture which was an approach legitimized by slavery, and look into the ways in which varieties of plants and animals can provide sustenance and value
More research and development into the wealth of the Caribbean’s biodiversity needs to be done. It is crucial to focus on protecting the intellectual property of the region regarding any products created with our flora and fauna, and seeking to patent any processes that are indigenous. The enzymes produced by local mico-organisms may possess the cures to illnesses, this knowledge should be seen as viable.
There must be corresponding legislative development to enhance the protection of this intellectual property.
We must maximize on indigenous knowledge. There is need to mainstream indigenous knowledge into the standards and regulatory regimes being developed.
There is also a need to increase access to sustainable finance to support scaling indigenous approaches and practices
Education at all levels primary, secondary, and tertiary needs to focus on how important it is to value or biodiversity. There needs to be new subject on the curriculum which focuses on social studies and agriculture: Agro-civics. We can seek to engage stakeholders in the educational ministries and lobby effectively. The goal would be to adopt a multifaceted approach to enhancing an appreciation/value of our own biodiversity by creating a subject that complements traditional agricultural sciences and makes it more relevant to our regional needs, and the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Create regional food and agricultural festivals in order to heighten the awareness, and thus the value, of our local products and the diversity of these products.
We need to become primary producers of our biodiversity and seek to go up the value chain.
There needs to be regional sensitisation to the value of biodiversity.
Need to investigate how farms contribute to GHG and Methane emissions
There must be regional cooperation and collaboration. There is strength in numbers, and the stronger we are, the more effectively we can protect our biodiversity.
Small holder farmers need to seek to build their skill set and find ways to embrace mixed farming rather than monoculture. Also, embrace aquaponics and green housing. There is a need to support the capacity building, training, education and awareness of small holders in learning and later applying new knowledge and approaches
We need to tap into the huge market for organic products/raw products and sustainably produce more indigenous species, for pest control, natural beauty products, and consumption, and market them well.
The future generations need to be appreciative of the potential value of our local biodiversity.
There must be practical, monetary support of any local efforts to preserve
biodiversity, Finding ways to monetize offsets for low emission and carbon sequestration236- 238
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There must be a focus on the importance of training our future generations. Better training leads to better processes and better work. In today’s ever-changing challenges, the importance of training has never been greater. On the farm training is an indispensable way to keep our organization competitive
Highlighting the benefits of Plant-based food, which tend to have a lower planetary impact than animal-based foods. As such, as a global community, we can reduce our environmental footprint by increasing the proportion of plant-based products that we eat
Open up new growth opportunities with Cross Marketing; utilize various media when marketing and promoting
Having to compete with imports prices A farmer or company that has decided to export its product or service to a new market or to buy from a new supplier in a different country cannot take for granted that the transactions will be expensive, and competitive. An exporter must ensure acceptable and timely returns on their financial investment in proportion to the associated costs and risks. Finding trust worthy partners is of great importance.
We can ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all by involving manufacturers in the decision-making dialogues to ensure nutrition in food is maintained even while on the shelf. We can also do this by empowering more persons to participate in farming at home that way they can guarantee how it has been produced.
We can shift to sustainable consumption patterns by creating a resilient framework for farmers to be properly educated from a tender age about the entire process of farming skills; reshaping the conversation about the purpose and the benefits of agriculture across the Caribbean; and by involving agriculture into schools to educate younger population from an earlier age
We can advance equitable livelihoods in the food system by supporting local markets for local farmers to earn quality incomes; by marketing agriculture and creating more enticing jobs within the agriculture industry, and; utilizing more homemade products to support Caribbean food sustainability rather than depending on imported food.
We can build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress in the food system by investing in skills training, land spaces, technology, financial support and mentorship for agricultural purposes
Some things that might prevent the above solutions from happening are: Lack of cohesiveness between the systems in place to govern farmers; inadequacy of guided human and financial support, and; a gap between updated research and grass root activities236- 238
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Sustainable procurement practices need to also be more widely applied by the private sector. These should support preference for local and regionally produced foods
Expanding education programs on climate smart and resilient agriculture practices. Practices such as beekeeping, community gardens, no till agriculture, indigenous agriculture practices, agro forestry rainwater harvesting, stormwater management and mitigation
Utilize contract farming/sustainable procurement as means of reducing food loss, reducing carbon footprints and having farmers know exactly what varieties of crops to grow. This can support improvement in relationships and also support more collective approaches.
Support community led action and procurement of community produced food in local institutions such as hospitals, hotels, schools and juvenile institutions
A community organic certification is necessary. However, there must also be community partnerships with neighbouring communities to ensure no fertilizer being used throughout and protection of water sources occurs
The formation of community-based partnerships. Partnerships with CSO, state development communities, adjacent communities, research communities
Some institutions like hospitals already recognise the need to grow their own foods e.g. Point Fortin hospital in Trinidad. The initiative provides opportunity for Outpatients and the wider community to be involved in such activities. The institution supporting more community and locally grown food would also help create a more stable and viable revenue stream for local communities and for national and regional farmers.
Communities like Brasso seco and Lopinot coming together to implement rain water harvesting systems which are more sustainable and in keeping with climate smart agriculture practices.
Developing targeted and tailored education programmes for all age groups and communities is seen as critical to ensuring that all stakeholders are aware of
sustainable practices.
In our community we can take action by educating and creating awareness, encouraging persons to plant and also by setting up community gardens, backyard gardens, expanding school gardens, community food hubs and community based slow food restaurants. Slow food restaurants can be a niche for eco tourism communities that actively promote on organic and regenerative principles on a community scale.
To enhance resilience in the community scale bee keeping initiatives, nature-based methods and other hybrid methods aimed at providing additional covered areas has been proposed for bees.
It was felt that hurricane-resistant green houses as more profitable in long term.
Community based resilience can also be enhanced through the wider use and implementation of urban agriculture practices including aquaponics, grow box systems and vertical systems for urban areas or restricted space for agriculture.237- 238
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The necessity of fertilizer use- Accurate notes2021-04-05 05:39:03
- Correct Notes - All Attribution removed, Correct Convenor designation , Typos corrected, Correct file uploadedhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Notes-on-Group-Discussions-in-UN-Food-Systems-Summit-Independent-Dialogue-Pathways-to-Sustainable-and-Resilient-Food-Systems-3-March-27th-2021-Reviewed-1-1-1-2.pdf
- Correct Notes in Word Correct file uploadedhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Notes-on-Group-Discussions-in-UN-Food-Systems-Summit-Independent-Dialogue-Pathways-to-Sustainable-and-Resilient-Food-Systems-3-March-27th-2021-Updated-1-1-1-2.docx
2021-04-07 05:08:42204Rights of Nature as An Enabler to Transforming the Food Systems in Africahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/5731/- 203
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The areas of discussion were crafted in a way as to accommodate inputs from multiple perspectives, different knowledge areas and lessons learnt. The selection of keynote presenters and addresses took into consideration their area of expertise, gender and geographic location.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue respected the principles of inclusivity and trust. Each participant was given a moment to express his/her views and perspective as regard what s/he wants to see happen. All participants declared their continuous support and commitment toward ensuring the summit’s vision is met.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Yes, dialogues outcomes are meaningful when they reflect multiple views. This can only be achieved if each participant is given the opportunity to express his or her mind. The process of inviting participants should be carefully planned and should embrace diversity.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 240
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The dialogue had as focused to elucidate possibilities for advancing Rights of Nature paradigms in Africa while assessing current challenges and identifying opportunities in envisioning a Sustainable Food Systems for Africa.235- 240
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It was agreed by all participants that a clear implementation strategy be design in view to foster the rights of nature while substantially contribute towards a sustainable food systems transformation in Africa.236- 240
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The discussions identified the following action areas as priorities to foster Sustainable Food Systems Transformation in Africa through the lens of defending the Rights of Nature:
• Legislation: Recognizing legally that nature has fundamental rights to fulfill its natural cycles which are the basis of food systems nutrient cycle is critical. Moreover, the right of the population to live in a healthy and ecological balance environment must be view as a fundamental right. Safeguarding nature’ rights within the margin of our legal systems and policy making process ensures natural life cycles are respected thereby contributing towards building stronger and resilient ecosystems capable of regressing the effects of climate change while supporting continuous supply of nutritious food.
• Changing behavior: Adoption and integration of an ethical approach to food systems transformation through the promotion of ethics of respect and stewardship for nature especially for ecosystems relevant to food and agriculture productions will significantly accelerate food systems transformative process.
• Ecocide law: Use Rights of Nature as some of the tools to oppose prominent destructive agricultural practices which clearly are in violation of natural principles and values e.g criminalized ecocide.
• Promoting and Supporting Indigenous Food Systems: Native seeds, smaller farms and agroecology generally produce more and healthier foods and the Rights of Nature can support governments to promote these types of Food Systems because doing otherwise means continuous devastation of nature. Based on these understanding, promoting rather displacing food sovereign communities is a good step in securing healthy and nourishing agriculture.
• Education: Use formal and informal education to promote awareness, discussion and actions in support of Nature’s rights. Relearning Indigenous ideologies and practices is vital because most Indigenous philosophies are eco-friendly and have strong sustainability foundations. We have to transform our culture of exploitation and promoting the Rights of Nature can drive forth the cultural realization that humans are part of nature and the environment and cannot be view separately. The need for higher education in earth and ecological law was emphasized by most of the participants.
• Policy: Governments should recognize the protection and preservation of the environment as a public interest because our ability to produce food is directly link to the state of our planet, ecosystems and natural resources. We must use innovative policies tools to give nature a voice in decision making about how we treat the land. Having the right attitudes to align and implement these policies is key. To go about is to take our examples from indigenous knowledge which for over generations have brought out sustainable results.
• Partnerships: The process of transforming our food systems through the pathway of recognizing the legal protection and preservation of vital ecosystems will requires a cross-sectoral collaboration across political, environmental, socio-economic and development players.
• Empowering Indigenous communities, rural women and youth as drivers of change. This can be done through capacity building on leadership skills, advocacy and knowledge areas relevant in advancing nature’s rights in their respective communities.
• Adoption of nature-based approaches that does not disengaging from nature in the process of food production and consumption. Nature has to determine how we should produce food.237- 240
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Some areas of divergence stemmed from:
• Agreeing on a suitable approach for the implementation of the Rights of Nature in Africa in view to achieving resilient and inclusive food systems in Africa. Some participants proposed a Top – Bottom approach while other insisted that a Bottom to Top approach will work best.
• Controversies on which group should take leading role as an agent of change; individuals, women, youth, indigenous groups or community-based Organizations.2021-04-07 14:28:32204Enabling Agricultural Trade; An Independent United Nations Food Systems Summit Dialogue by the WTO Secretariathttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7013/- 203
400581422002651354077107571020253530713091475186133552015207142How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?•In the planning phase of our dialogue, we made sure to create a panel that represented a diverse range of stakeholders in the food system to allow the audience to gain a more complete view of the challenges faced in agricultural and food trade. There were several test sessions and active exchanges with participants on the topics which were to be discussed which aimed to build trust between the conveners and curators, making sure all parties were comfortable with the scope and format of the discussion that would take place. This enabled the discussions to flow more naturally.
•The dialogue included representatives of various international organizations, the FAO, the World Bank, and the OECD. It also included farmers, the agro-food industry and banking. This, in addition, to several WTO representatives specialized in initiatives and programs designed to help developing and least-developed countries build agricultural trade capacity and infrastructure.
• The questions directed at the panel aimed to explore various facets of how agricultural trade can be enabled, stressing the vital role that trade plays in global food security. Panelists discussed how agricultural trade policy can itself be transformed to be made more fit for purpose for today’s food systems. For example, global agricultural subsidies (which are second only to global energy subsidies) clearly need to be repurposed to achieve the goals of the United Nations Food Systems Summit and support sustainability.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Dialogue made clear that international trade affects the (1) availability, (2) access to, (3) price stability, and (4) utilization of food, and is a fundamental part of the food security puzzle. The Dialogue demonstrated that Global Value Chains (GVCs) have become a key feature of international food trading system. The FAO estimates that about one-third of global agricultural and food exports are traded within a GVC and cross international borders at least twice. It was made clear that to “enable agricultural trade” it would be important to de-risk participation in GVCs, in particular to allow for the inclusion of smallholder farmers who have low commercialization. The WTO used the opportunity to showcase its technical assistance programs. It explained the vital role of WTO Aid-for-Trade – a coordination mechanism which in the field of agriculture allows for greater policy coherence amongst donors, a better identification of policy priorities and a more efficient targeting of aid. It also explained how the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) works, and its vital role in enabling developing and least-developed countries to meet international food quality, safety, nutrition and other standards. In the Dialogue, the World Farmers Organisation allowed the views of smallholder farmers who are often excluded from the process of policy creation to be heard; Unilever provided insights on the importance of agility, innovation and sustainability in agricultural GVCs; Rabobank's inclusion allowed the discussion to explore the crucial role trade finance plays in facilitating trade. . Wider participation and interaction was also encouraged with the panel in a live Q&A format. The dialogue provided a holistic overview of the current state of the food system.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?1. Engage a broad range of speakers, the dialogue needs to needs to be truly multi-stakeholder
2. Ask the difficult questions
3. Address all the different facets of an issue
4. Allow ample time for Q&ADid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?Our dialogue was delivered in a panel format. The panel was composed of 6 stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and 2 WTO Secretariat representatives. The event was curated/moderated by Doaa Abel-Motaal from the WTO secretariat. The event ran for 2 hours. In these two hours there were 2 rounds of questions with questions divided equally amongst the panel. In the 3rd round those participating via youtube and teams in the audience had the opportunity to feedback/engage directly with the discussion through a live Q&A function and panellists had the opportunity to discuss the points raised by other panellists.234- 238
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•The dialogue theme was 'Enabling Food Trade'. The discussion examined the role of trade policy in ensuring access to safe and nutritious food that is produced and consumed sustainably. The role of international trade in food will only rise in importance with the onset of greater climate change, where many more parts of the world will have to rely on trade for their food security.235- 238
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• The main findings included that: (1) international trade in food and agricultural products is absolutely vital for global food security, and that its role would rise in importance in light of the climate crisis and the inability of some regions to feed themselves; (2) to “enable agricultural trade” it would be important to de-risk participation of smallholder farmers in GVCs, deploying adequate trade finance, technical support to meet standards in export markets, increased investment in infrastructure to support smallholder farmers with low rates of commercialization; (3) although international food trade is a fundamental part of the food security puzzle a better understanding of the 'political economy of trade' is needed so that negotiations on the transformation of agricultural trade policy can progress.236- 239
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•The repurposing of agricultural subsidies: It was agreed that a major overhaul of the current system of agricultural subsidies is needed to stop subsidizing “business-as-usual” which encourages unsustainable practices and start subsidizing “food system transformation”.
•The internalization of negative environmental externalities in international food and agricultural trade.
•The liberalization of agricultural trade, which will only become more important in light of the climate crisis and the inability of certain parts of the world to feed themselves.237- 238
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•Our dialogue highlighted the existing tradeoffs which present 'sticking points' in the progress of food systems transformation. One such issue is finding the balance between the desire to reduce trade restricting non-tariff barriers (such as SPS and TBT measures) to allow developing countries greater access to more lucrative export markets and the need for such barriers to safeguard against harmful foods and prioritize food safety.
•Most of the worlds farmers are smallholder farmers and through this dialogue, it was found that they needed a stronger voice at the negotiating table. Their interests should be prioritized moving forward in the discussions on food system transformation.- Event Posterhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Trade-Dialogue-Poster.jpg
- “Enabling Agricultural Trade” A United Nations Food System Summit (UNFSS) Independent Dialogue by the WTO Secretariathttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZF9j19Cd60&t=3867s
2021-04-07 17:42:22204What Farmers Need in Future Food Systemshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/4362/- 203
62043621102932118167162318673151651216How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Farming First Independent Dialogue was organised for our 200 supporter organisations within the Farming First coalition to come together and discuss what farmers need in future food systems.
Farming First is a multi-stakeholder coalition whose supporters together represent the world’s farmers, scientists, engineers and industry as well as a broad mix of agricultural development organisations working all over the world.
Farming First supporters all endorse a broad-based framework consisting of six interlinked principles for sustainable development:
1. Safeguarding natural resources
2. Sharing knowledge
3. Building local access and capacity
4. Protecting harvests
5. Enabling access to markets
6. Prioritising research imperatives
Returning farmers to the centre of policy decisions is fundamental to the sustainable food systems of the future. Governments, businesses, scientists and civil society groups must focus attention on the source of our food security and nutrition. All these groups must work together to enable the many millions of farming families, especially smallholders, to grow more productively and sustainably through effective markets, more collaborative research and committed knowledge sharing.
The Dialogue theme was chosen specifically to encourage Farming First participants to discuss a path forward for a farmer-centred, science-based, innovation-led approach to support our food systems. This includes an honest discussion not only of areas of synergy but also divergence.
Each of the five breakout sessions was facilitated by a Farming First supporter, and the session was curated by the President of the World Farmers’ Organisation, Theo de Jager.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Farming First exists to identify and promote the many ways in which sustainable agricultural development can be advanced worldwide. With one shared voice, Farming First highlights the importance of improving farmers’ livelihoods as well as the important contribution that agriculture can make to the food system, including in areas like food security, nutrition, climate change, and biodiversity. It also aims to build synergies amongst its supporters in promoting Farming First’s mission.
Our Dialogue was multi-stakeholder in that it reflected the full breadth of the Farming First coalition. The breakout sessions were held under the Chatham House rule, which helped to build openness and trust.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Food systems affect us all, and it is important to create a virtual space where all actors across the agri-food value chain feel comfortable sharing their priorities, aspirations and challenges in an open, discursive manner.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The theme of the Farming First Independent Dialogue was ‘What Farmers Need in Future Food Systems'. Five breakout sessions were organised, one for each of the Action Tracks.
Farming First supporters, including farmers from four continents, were asked to select which of the five breakout sessions they would like to participate in, and facilitators were selected to run each of the breakout sessions. They were asked to first allow participants to introduce themselves, then to discuss specific challenges experienced by the participants in their work and the solutions they offer in support of farmers, then to discuss how these overlap into synergies or trade-offs (either by theme or by region) moving forward.235- 238
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The opening and closing sessions found broad consensus across the group around several key areas:
• Young people will be most affected and will be most relevant in driving future progress across food systems.
• Farmers will face heightened pressure to deliver on consumer expectations and also to compete with non-traditional productions systems like laboratories and urban facilities.
• There is an urgent and continued need for robust data and innovation, and for food systems policies to be informed by and formulated based on science.
• The connection between farmers and consumers needs to be strengthened so that we all understand better how and where our food comes from and the conditions that farmers navigate to produce our food each day.236- 238
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Action Track 1: Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all
The participants noted:
• Farmers need support (and a rationale) to grow and sell more nutritious varieties of crops. It’s a big risk to many farmers to change what they’re currently growing, and it’s not necessarily more profitable to do so.
• Different regions experience different realities, both in terms of the agroecological and also the socioeconomic conditions where they operate.
• Technology and innovation are key to helping farmers be more productive and also to reduce food loss and waste.
• Educating consumers from a young age about nutrition and food systems is key.
• Support is needed not only at the farm level but across the entire agri-food value chain.236- 239
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Action Track 2: Shift to sustainable consumption patterns
The participants noted:
• Farmers and consumers need to be better connected, not only in terms of market access but also in terms of mutual understanding, which in turn informs consumer behaviour and expectations.
• Climate change is requiring more urgent and diverse need for innovation in terms of inputs, extension and access to information and finance. The policy environment must enable this.
• Farmers need to be incentivised to adopt various practices, especially in terms of consumer demand.
• To engage young people, it’s essential to level the playing field. This is especially true for smallholder farmers struggling to access resources.236- 240
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Action Track 3: Boosting nature-positive production
The participants noted:
• Agriculture is not the enemy; it is a solutions provider. There are win-win solutions that exist.
• It is challenging to identify clear recommendations that are scalable globally yet adaptable to local conditions.
• Access to technology does not need to be regulated globally: different technology will be beneficial in different locations.
• Farmers are not getting sufficient recognition for the continual improvements being made.
• New technologies are already helping farmers ‘grow more from less’, from disease detectors and moisture sensors to plant breeding innovations that increase productivity and lower the carbon footprint.
• Climate change is making it harder for farmers to know how to manage their production reliably and efficiently, for instance late rains washing away seeds that have just been planted.
• Farmers need support, in terms of incentives and research support, if they are to be tasked with carbon sequestration on their farms.
• Digital solutions are driving progress in precision agriculture.236- 241
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Action Track 4: Advance equitable livelihoods
The participants noted:
• Farmer livelihoods must be considered in balance with the demands of purchasers and their consumers.
• Farmers need access to markets, innovation, training and finance.
• Farmers must collaborate more effectively (e.g. via cooperatives) to have a larger voice in policy discussions and to be able to access bigger markets or partnerships
• There is an urgent need for metrics that make it easier to measure progress and outcomes.236- 242
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Action Track 5: Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress
The participants noted:
• COVID-19 has revealed the interdependence of actors across food systems.
• The pandemic has also revealed how innovations across the value chain have supported on-going production, from basic social distancing measures to shorter supply chains.
• Sustaining market access and trade is key in supporting resilience – with access to information across the supply chain essential for anticipating bottlenecks or addressing overlaps.
• Ensuring better and more consistently applied standards for planet and human health is also key.
• Climate variability and change makes it harder to bounce back and also to adapt and transform when necessary.
• Farmer needs resources and incentives to handle the additional responsibilities they are being tasked to deliver, for instance insurance, social safety nets and financing.237- 238
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There was broad consensus across the Dialogue participants on many priorities.
The areas of divergence often were centred around differences in regional contexts and needs rather than significant ideological differences.
Participants also noted a range of tensions that exist amongst different actors within a food system. These included:
• Rising consumer expectations vs. farmers’ ‘on-the-ground’ realities (and need for secure livelihoods)
• The promise of technologies (especially digitalisation) vs. the need to support farmers to be able to access them
• The promise of mechanisation vs. its effect on employment opportunities for large rural populations
• The need to respect local/traditional knowledge vs. the need to adapt practices in the face of climate change
• Growing expectations for farm level management of landscapes vs. the need for farmers’ incentives and capacity to implement them
• The need to acknowledge (and even celebrate) progress vs. the need for continued urgency in further innovation- AT1 summary cardhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Summary-document-–-AT1-horizontal.png
- AT2 summary cardhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Summary-document-–-AT2-horizontal.png
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- AT4 summary cardhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Summary-document-–-AT4-horizontal-543x305-1.png
- AT5 summary cardhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Summary-document-–-AT5-horizontal-543x305-1.png
- AT1 'vox pop' interview: What do farmers need to help improve the availability of nutritious food?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp7IsVYiIGU
- AT2 'vox pop' interview: What do farmers need to build more sustainable value chains?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2GTmHX9yiM
- AT3 'vox pop' interview: What do farmers need to optimise resource use and protect the environment?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AWDNZykFF0
- AT4 'vox pop' interview: What do farmers need to eliminate poverty and improve livelihoods?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7cdqMacM18
- AT5 'vox pop' interview: What do farmers need to strengthen resilience to shocks and stresses?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWQC4aOIBK8
2021-04-08 02:07:01204Independent Sustainable Food System Dialogue (SFSD) in Chinahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9970/- 45
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?2021-04-08 09:15:22204Dialogue on trade-offs in meeting Ireland’s climate change commitments while developing its agri-food sector. https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/3894/- 91
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Act with Urgency:
We structured the dialogue to focus on a vision for 2030. Keynote speakers were briefed to speak about whatever they wished but to keep it future focused and positive so as to ensure participants were in a 'change mindset' before the dialogues on the trade-offs' Reinforcing this, in the two Dialogue sessions the breakout rooms were facilitated with a view to design thinking with 20 mins each on Vision, Barriers,/Trade-offs and First steps.
Commit to the summit:
We did ask people to share actions they would do between the first and second events but this did not work. We structured the breakout sessions using design thinking (Vision, Barrier/Trade-off, First Steps)
Respectful:
Everyone's opinion was heard. We stuck to timings pretty rigidly to ensure this. Principles were reinforced at the start of the initiation session.
Recognise Complexity:
By focusing on trade-offs we emphasised the complex interactions in the food system (global v local, cost v quality etc.). Divergent views were important in clarifying how complex the system is.
Embrace Multi-Stakeholder Inclusivity:
We engaged as broad a range of stakeholders as possible from producers right through to processors, retailers, civil society, environmental groups, government departments and government agencies and consultants in the food sector.
Complement the work of others:
We included a recap of the main outcomes of a previous independent dialogue in Ireland and we have engaged with the steering Committee for the National Dialogue to ensure outcomes feed into that process as well.
Build Trust:
We operated based on Chatham House Rules and made this clear in every session. Outcomes were summarised and presented back to participants for validation before writing this report.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?There was very open and robust exchanges of ideas, but everyone recognised that there was a need for change and that each stakeholder had to do something.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Time management is critical. Don't let any one individual dominate a discussion. Ensure everyone gets a chance to speak. Remaining future focused from the outset is critical.
There is no point in having the same conversations between the same people that have been had many times before, you need new voices and perspectives in the room.
Having a truly 'independent' dialogue with no financial backing or agendas worked very well, but can be limited by your own networks and your own ability/capacity to engage stakeholders
Trying to pack everything into a single 2hr session gives very little time. We spread our Dialogue across 4x90 min sessions across three weeks(1 x Initiation session with key note speakers and limited discussion; 2 x Discussions sessions, with key note speaker and then break-out rooms for an hour; 1 x Consolidation session to validate findings). This allowed time for participants to reflect on what they had heard/contributed and to come back with more nuanced contributions. After each session we shared very brief outputs to encourage this reflection. We felt this worked very well as we had high repeat participation across the events.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?We used a very similar method to the one in the manual, but with a few differences.
1. We had four sessions over three weeks. Each session was for 90 minutes. The Initiation session included 4 keynote speakers and a representative recapping on an earlier independent dialogue. There was time for some discussion, but this was limited. This was followed a week later with two dialogues, one on sustainable and equitable consumption and one on sustainable and equitable production. Each of these was opened by a key note speaker before we broke into discussion groups (x4 in each dialogue). This gave a full hour for participants to have detailed discussions with three 20 minute blocks focusing on vision, barrier/trade-off and first steps. We then drafted the findings and circulated prior to a consolidation session a week later where they were validated, before completing this form.
2. We did not structure the break-out rooms according to the 4 questions in the facilitation guide. We used the design thinking model mentioned above. We felt this worked very well.
3. However, because we kept our discussion topics very broad, so as to engage as many stakeholders as possible, it meant oit was very difficult to delve in detail into any one trade-off and get commitment from participants to take action. The process was very much about setting the scene and opening people's minds.
3. We also did not collect names or details on participants. We possibly should have collected the details requested above, but as we used our own networks to invite people we felt it was not worth collecting all that information. The figures given in the first section are estimates based on total registrations for the first session.
Everyone did get a chance to speak and to be heard. We were very happy with the process we followed and have received nothing but positive feedback.
We had two excellent facilitators to support with the breakout sessions. Having people you trust to do that job is critical as is taking the time to run through everything and address any issues long before the sessions start.
Sticking to times is critical, it does not matter who is talking.234- 238
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Firstly we decided to focus on trade-offs as these are a great way of getting people to think about the consequences of what they are advocating for, decisions made and who they might effect rather than focusing on problems and solutions.
Secondly, we split our Dialogues into two with one focused on sustainable and equitable consumption and one on sustainable and equitable production.
These two topics were deliberately very broad to enable as much dialogue as possible. By having a very structured facilitation process we were able to manage the discussions without predetermining the topics.235- 250
The main findings are detailed in the outcomes section. Discussions were facilitated using the design thinking approach and the outcomes reflect this. There was an initial component on participant's vision of what a sustainable and equitable food system might look like. This was followed with a discussion on what the barriers/trade/offs might be in achieving this vision. Finally we asked participants what might be the first steps we could take to achieve the vision.236- 238
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The Vision
This is what a Sustainable Food System should include according to participants
• A definition of Sustainable Food based on science, that recognizes natural production and is clear and unambiguous.
• Healthy and nutritious food available at affordable prices that delivers safe and nutritious outcomes for all consumers
• A food system that is equitable to all actors (in terms of economic returns, decision making power and onus to change)
• Zero emissions and waste through a functioning circular economy
• A food system that enhances biodiversity and improves soil and water quality.
• A food system that supports socially sustainable communities
• Strong Animal welfare systems
• Increased consumption of healthy, nutrient rich foods
• Consumption of meat and dairy (animal products) linked to nutritional guidelines
• Consumers who understand the real value of food
• Clear, user friendly food labelling and credible marketing claims
• Proactive consumers demanding clarity on what they are eating, prioritising their health and safety.
• We need to have the capacity to manage and respond to the unknown, unknowns as the food system changes rapidly.
• Knowledge of the risks associated with new foods
• Moving focus from “Farm to Fork” to “Soil to Gut”236- 238
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Barriers / Trade-Offs
The following are paraphrased from the Dialogues
• “The current absence of hard scientific evidence and baselines for sustainability makes it difficult to understand sustainability. This leaves room for ambiguity in what is ‘sustainable’ which erodes trust between food system actors”
• “Does sustainable food have to mean more expensive food?”
• “With only 37% of Irish farmers being economically viable, what might be the impact on the rural economy if food prices don’t increase?
• “Terms like green, natural and sustainable have become hijacked, how can we build credibility for consumers?”
• “We shouldn’t assume that all fresh and locally produced foods have the same nutritional benefit”
• “Most Irish produce is targeted at the export market. What effect is Irish produce having on consumers and producers in our target markets?”
• “Will promoting local and organic provide the economic returns for Irish farmers who rely on exporting 90% of what they produce”.
• “How is animal welfare reflected in our measures of sustainability, if at all?”
• “Are the voices of Irish farmers being engaged effectively in policy discussions and are they being given equal weight to other stakeholders”.
• “What is the real price of sustainable food and will consumers be willing to pay it? If not, who will?”
• “What value do consumers place on food and is this really reflected in the cost?”
• “Should we tax highly processed low nutrient foods and if so, would this disproportionately affect consumers with lower incomes? Is this equitable?”
• “Cheap food is a driver of food waste.”
• “Ireland is taking a piecemeal approach to the Food System with multiple separate strategies and institutions doing disparate things. Do we need to take a different approach and develop a Food Systems Policy?”
• “The EU’s and Ireland’s policy debate needs more input from individuals, farmers and consumers, but policy and its jargon make participation unattractive for effective engagement”.
• “Is CAP a potential catalyst for more sustainable production practices or is it a barrier to them? What measures could be included in CAP (or other policies) to support farmers to engage in more sustainable practices at farm level?”
• “Is decreasing the national herd the only way to simultaneously reduce emissions, increase biodiversity, improve water quality and ensure food security, both in Ireland and globally and if so, how can this be reconciled with the current agri-food growth strategy?”
• “Most funding goes towards the ‘traditional’ sectors of dairy and meat. Building expertise and capacity in other sectors will take time and money.”
• “Can legislation and regulation stay ahead of new product development?”236- 238
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First Steps
These are the immediate actions identified by participants in moving towards Sustainable Food Systems
• Establish a fully representative Food Systems Council
• Create a framework that captures what we know, engages stakeholders and addresses gaps, aiming for incremental improvement.
• Develop education/awareness/behaviour change programmes for consumers as a whole (not just schools) that explain sustainable food systems from production through to consumption.
• Develop a process to manage the trade-offs to ensure progress and avoid unintended consequences.
• Identify the biggest problems and target those with ambition to tackle them first.
• Invest in research on how we can deliver affordable sustainable food
• Implement transparency in the supply chain to ensure equity to all stakeholders
• Address the issue of food waste.
• Sense of urgency is required, but we must bring all stakeholders along the journey.
• Invest in local food systems development
• Use taxation of unhealthy and unsustainable foods to finance sustainable food system initiatives
• Increase funding to horticulture and other underrepresented sectors.
• Raise awareness, educate and empower consumers on the 'value' of food
• Greater regulation of marketing and promotion of 'sustainable' foods.
• Greater investment in emerging technologies and foods to assess their sustainability credentials.
• Budgets for research need to be aligned with a vision for where our food system will be in 10 years.
• Refocus investment on nutrient content, quality (nutrition) and value addition and away from volume of production.
• Increase the production of more nutrient dense foods by exploiting new plant varieties, better animal genetics and better crop husbandry to deliver better outcomes with minimal additional cost.237- 238
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The areas of divergence are listed under outcome 2 above in the list of trade-offs identified. To summarize these two key areas of divergence were noted. It was also noted that participants felt that both of these 'divergences' could be explored further and that solutions could be found.
1. Local v Global
The majority of economic output from Irish farms is for the export market, yet there was a recognition that local production of safe and nutritious food for local consumption also needs to be addressed. Balancing trade-offs in the local v. global debate is a real challenge for Irish stakeholders.
2. Cost v. Value of sustainable food
Does sustainable food need to be more expensive? What do we need to do to ensure producers get a fair price? What value do consumers place on food and will they be willing to pay more for sustainable food? Will the cost of sustainable food place unfair barriers to access for less well off households?2021-04-08 09:38:25204Bites of Transfoodmation - Hands on the Bites of Transfoodmation Manifestohttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7905/- 203
4731151212663131431221110146916110How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The organizing team has selected a group of young and motivated individuals already (or ready to be) projected into the realm of food systems and provided them with a safe space to discuss, openly and creatively, the way forward for a more sustainable and resilient future. As such, both the organizing team and the participants understand the need to act with urgency and are committed, either personally or professionally, to contribute to the vision, objectives and outcomes of the Food Systems Summit. The BoT participants aim to be agents of change and wish to contribute to the outcome of the FSS. David Nabarro’s intervention during the first BoT virtual meeting clearly inspired them and helped them better understand the process behind the Summit. In the organization of the Dialogue, the BoT organizing team made sure to embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity by inviting participants from different countries, backgrounds and sectors, including but not limited to civil society, government, academia and the private sector. It must be pointed out, however, that the Dialogue has been organized and carried out with a focus on the youth and on the Middle Eastern – Mediterranean region geographically speaking. The facilitators selected were all part of the organizing team and had been briefed with attention to ensure the creation of a safe space conducive for dialogue based on respect and trust. A number of ‘principles’ for discussion were shared with the participants at the beginning of each session to foster this sense of inclusivity, mutual respect and trust. These included the need to complement the work of others, build on what the person before has said, challenge only when you have an alternative to propose, and finally seek compromise in order to reach a unifying message.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Dialogue re-grouped and focused on all the topics that were addressed during the previous four workshops, with a major focus on narratives and advocacy; knowledge, connectivity and digitalization; habitats and proximity; diversity of food systems; renewed traditions and empowered culture; affordability and true value of food. The Dialogue is part of a broader set of workshops and events organized by the Bites of Transfoodmation team that aim to take into account and discuss different aspects of the food systems, thus recognizing their complexity. Previous dialogues and workshops have focused on the topics of sustainable consumption and on the future of production, transformation and distribution. Some time has been dedicated to the unifying power of potentially divisive concepts. The final aim is to achieve a political intention of the group, in the form of a Manifesto and Lines of Action, which will take a holistic and systemic approach to food systems transformation. Yet, as the very name Bites of Transfoodmation suggests, the idea is to propose some ‘bites’ of change which are coherent to and reflect the vision of the group of young change-makers and the themes identified by the group as key. The principles of inclusivity, respect and trust were reflected in the design and roll-out of the Dialogue and have been an essential feature of the entire Bites of Transfoodmation process. The participants have not only been included in all stages of the project in a transparent and inclusive way but have been its very center. A real sense of trust has been created along the way, and this could be witnessed during the Dialogue as the participants felt they could express their views freely and openly, even when these did not necessarily reflect the views held by others.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Thanks to the fact that there is a team working exclusively on the Bites of Transfoodmation project, a lot of information and knowledge sharing is able to take place both among the participants, and between the participants and the organizing team. The organizing team has ensured that various different avenues and spaces for exchange are created, both during and in the build-up to the Dialogues. This has definitely contributed to building trust as well as to keeping the momentum, engagement and commitment of the participants high. Our advice to other Convenors would be to make sure, if possible, that there is a strong point of contact between the Dialogue participants and the Convenors. This allows for participant's feedback and continued interaction after the workshops and Dialogue so that the ideas can be further refined, and knowledge further shared. Furthermore, it seems to be a valuable approach to choose participants with a diverse background in order to permit exchange about different realities, while working towards compromise and unifying elements.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Our first four Bites of Transfoodmation workshops showed us the need for a change of narrative, with a greater emphasis on espousing diversity, whilst nurturing a culture of empowerment, reconsidering our habitats and reassessing the value of food through the lens of a true cost approach. We acknowledged that shifting the status of food from a commodity to a public good can help in contemplating its true cost and value and we recognized that a new perspective in the way to produce, process and distribute food, orientated towards achieving healthy and sustainable diets for all, will lead to profound systemic changes. Existing inequalities both in terms of access to knowledge and income often result in affordability and accessibility issues, with the risk of strengthening divisive narratives and limiting space for drawing useful lessons out of food systems in complex environments. During this Independent Dialogue, we decided to focus on the Manifesto and on some concrete projects and project ideas developed by the participants. After a short introduction, in which we recalled the journey already made together as well as the future path of this series of workshops, we created three groups around the following topics that have emerged since the beginning of the process: a) Narratives and advocacy & connectivity, knowledge, and digitalisation; b) Habitats and proximity & diversity and food systems; c) Renewed traditions and empowered culture & affordability and true value. Based on a draft version of the Manifesto, the goal was to find an inclusive, common and unifying language suitable for the whole group. After the group discussions, participants had the opportunity to present their projects to the plenary, in order to show possible future pathways and provide concrete lines of action.235The structure of this fifth workshop was a little bit different from the previous ones, because we decided to focus on the Manifesto and on the participants' own ideas and projects - and therefore did not envisage the participation of external speakers. What was important for us, was to allow the participants to really focus on some paragraphs of the Manifesto, try to project themselves into the future and find a common and unifying language. We perceived that during the groups discussions, where the main topics that emerged during the Bites of Transfoodmation journey were discussed, participants had a hard time sticking to the themes of their discussion group. Indeed, due to the interconnectedness of food systems, there was the tendency to include concepts already covered in other paragraphs. This showed us even more that a holistic approach is needed to truly understand and address pathways towards the future of food systems. Nevertheless, the groups managed to stick to their chapters, and eventually the Manifesto draft was modified to suit the whole group’s wishes, feelings and ideals. After the break-out sessions, participants that developed some concrete projects able to transform current food systems in line with the lines of action of the Manifesto, were able to make some elevator pitches to present their ideas to the plenary of the group. This opportunity was great for those presenting their projects, as well as for the rest of the audience, as the first could show their ideas and achievements and get a feedback, and the latter could listen, get inspired and connect for future ideas. Moreover, the presentations really allowed the whole group to see their ideas and visions gaining shape and be applied on the ground, in a true and feasible way. Certainly, through these projects, the Manifesto reconfirmed itself and gained even more legitimacy, as it allows for concrete and collective action.236- 238
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Group 1: Narratives and Advocacy + Connectivity, knowledge and digitalization
First of all, the group talked about narratives and advocacy. It underlined the importance of allowing for a multitude of narratives. More specifically, the group highlighted the need to change the binary nature of plant-based diets, where eating meat is classified as being bad and unhealthy and eating plants is good and healthy. Indeed, the group suggested that narratives should be inclusive, in the sense that nobody is obliged to consume or give up on something, and that a plant-based diet could for instance be complementary to any person's nutritional traditions, habits and culture. The idea is to open up the nutritional options and to improve accessibility of these kinds of diets.
Secondly, the group talked about connectivity, knowledge and digitalization. It suggested that, in order to shift our food systems, on one hand we need knowledge coming from family, school, etc. to know how and what to consume and on the other hand we need data to improve the provision of food in terms of diversification and personalization to make it more accessible. Indeed, by quantifying and analyzing the impacts of every single sector in the food system it is possible to understand the connection and correlation among all the sectors. The group also underlined the importance at the governmental and city level to provide knowledge through school/workshop/etc. to make sure there is easy access to information about food systems.Another proposal of the group envisaged the creation of a platform both connecting and informing different people about food systems, personalized diets, origins of food, etc. using a simple language that allows everybody to access the information.236- 238
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Group 2: Habitats and proximity + diversity of systems
Participants were asked to discuss two topics: the need to rethink our habitats by linking sustainability with social proximity, thus leading to a positive cycle of citizenship, and the narrative of understanding diversity as the main unifying factor of food systems of the future. Participants highlighted the presence of physical and cognitive invisible walls, somehow separating the rural and the urban world, and the need to tear these walls down to allow for a space of social proximity in which producers, transformers and consumers are constantly connected with feedback flowing easily in both directions. While the physical barrier was perceived as more explicit, which can partially be explained by unaware urban planning in terms of the chosen location of infrastructures (corporations, supermarkets, food processing plants, etc.), the cognitive barrier is linked to the predominant narrative that food production is only meant for rural areas. They considered that new technologies can play a predominant role in breaking down these invisible walls since, through new ideas and possibilities, they would be able to change the perception that food can only be produced on empty, flat spaces. Another proposition made was to recreate stronger linkages with per-urban areas and suburbs through the establishment of food/nutrition corridors between cities and their surrounding areas. Moreover, big corporations were seen as key actors in this separation and therefore participants suggested that the normative framework should address this issue. Finally, the group suggested that everyone, architects, civil engineers, lawyers and many other professions should be involved in the process of creating new spaces for production, exchanges, transportation, transformation, etc. Participants stressed the importance of promoting new forms of cross-sectoral professional careers as a means of promoting social change and allowing for a positive cycle of citizenship.236- 238
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Group 3: Renewed traditions and empowered culture + Affordability and true value
The group discussed two subjects which were outcomes of previous workshops : one about how renewed traditions can ensure a culture of empowerment, the second about how affordability is linked and relates to the true value of food, and eventually to seeing food as a public good.
First, about renewed traditions, the group underlined the importance of taking the best out of both traditions and innovations, as it would reduce the fear of losing something. It highlighted that while intergenerational dialogues are key, the voice of the youth should be strengthened in decision-making arenas, in a real and honest manner, in particular when it comes to taking actions with a sense of urgency.
Second, about affordability and true value, the group highlighted the need not only to account for the true value of food in the consumption price but also at each stage of the chain, redistributing at the same time accountability and positive side-effects across the chain in a fairer manner. The link between true value and well-being was underlined and the need for providing consumers with more and more easily accessible information highlighted. The group also talked about the multi-dimensionality of affordability which not only refers to the financial capacity of a consumer to access a good but also embeds awareness, education, information,… eventually relating to inequalities. It finally stressed the necessity of taking actions in a collective and holistic manner and not only individually.237- 238
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In the first group dealing with narratives, advocacy, knowledge, connectivity and digitalization there were only two points of divergence. First, some participants suggested that the narrative of reducing meat consumption in order to have a more sustainable impact on food systems is a western narrative mostly related to urban areas, while some others considered it to be interesting and feasible on a global scale. Moreover, some participants were more convinced than others about the importance of data in the transformative process: some considered that data are a “must” to tackle the major structural challenges of current food systems, while others believed that change must also originate from traditional knowledge sharing (school, education, workshops, etc.)
In the second group, discussing about habitats, proximity, and diversity of food systems, there was the need to solidify what we mean by the term “diversity”. Indeed, participants seemed to have different interpretations and eventually, a clearer understanding of the concept of “embracing diversity” was not reached. Moreover, a few participants were not convinced by the fact that a more specialized production might lead to more diverse systems allowing for personalized diets.
In the third group, dealing with renewed traditions, empowered culture, affordability and true value, the group did not have any sharp contention. Slight divergences (which were then settled through a common understanding) included the importance of intergenerational discussions versus the importance of strengthening the voice of the youth and the understanding of true value as inherently spanning across the chain or not.2021-04-09 08:16:48204Innovation Towards Boosting Nature-Positive Production in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Region https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/4170/- 203
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?We organized the dialogue based on all the principles of engagement. We invited stakeholders from most food systems stakeholders in the South East Asia region and beyond, from farmers to academics and activists. We emphasized the importance of respect throughout all processes and chose prominent leaders to be the facilitators at each table.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue reflected the urgency, respect, diversity, trust, and other principles. This manifested in the feedback we received during and after the dialogue, which was very positive, and a wish to continue the dialogues and implement the solutions.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?We would advise following the principles of engagements and the FSD method. We have realized it helps create a very positive and productive processDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 240
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The dialogue was held to provide a multi-stakeholder platform for stakeholders to explore various existing and emerging approaches that have the potential to deliver nature-positive solutions at scale and encourage collaborative action in the ASEAN region and beyond and to directly inform the United Nations Food Systems Summit process.
The food systems dialogue brought together state and non-state actors, to include policy research institutions, universities, farmer organizations, agri-business, agricultural financiers, civil society, policy makers, oversight bodies and the media.
The Food Systems Dialogue program will feature plenary sessions and theme-based break-away sessions. The dialogue will provide time and space for informal discussion groups, enabling participants to engage fully. Social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, will form part of the communications strategy to promote the dialogue as well as disseminate proceedings and outcomes.235- 240
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This was part of a 3-part series of 90 minutes each via zoom: 1) Ideas for Innovation; 2) Connecting Innovation Ideas with Food Systems; 3) Creating Tangible Recommendations for the UNFSSD
The major highlights:
There is a link between the Food Systems Summit and COP26, which happens in November, and the Food Systems Summit in September, and we need to hand carry the outcomes of the Food Systems Summit to COP 26.
Having the focus on climate and nature is key as it fits both agendas quite nicely of Food System Summit and a COP 26.
When looking at the portfolio of innovations being put forward by the region, it is crucially important that both these agendas are connected as there is a very strong climate dimension that makes it relevant, both to the Food System Summit and a COP 26. There is also very much a nature link, and obviously, this discussion has been linked to the actual track three on nature positive production. COP 26 this year with the UK presidency highlights the role of nature and can be aligned with the convention for Biodiversity as well.236- 240
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Investment in innovation, and the focus on R4D in the region - investment going into agricultural research and development, which is not necessarily aligned to climate or nature, as much as it should be, need to shift into climate foster nature positive pathways. It's not just reorienting investment; it's also increasing the investment to agricultural research and development, especially in under-investing countries. There is a need to address the innovation gap and more investments into innovation.236- 240
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Institutions – invest in the institutions that we have set up for innovation, even national institutions or international institutions, or set up to facilitate those innovation processes. We need to rethink the institutions, what they set up to achieve the SDGs, how they can be realigned, do we need new institutions, and think about coming together to create them.236- 240
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Scaling up innovation - when we talk about innovation, is it something new and useful? It can be a new idea, or it can be a new way of doing things. There are lots of excellent ideas out there, but why are they not being scaled? And this could be because there is no conducive policy environment and sufficient investment.236- 240
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Inclusive and evidence-based dialogue - we will not succeed unless we talk to each other, especially talking to people outside of our comfort zones, who are crucial for achieving scale. We need to bring people together on these innovations, their ideas, talk about complex issues that we might have because only by talking and having an open dialogue can we move forward.237- 240
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Not many areas of divergence were brought up due to time constraints.
Participants highlighted the importance of convergence of the two agendas, the Food System Summit and a COP 26.
Some critical areas of divergence that involve trade-offs:
1) The tension between resiliency and affordability in order to scale food systems especially in light of population growth.
2) The tension between highly technological food systems vs. going back to nature and the multiple benefits in terms of health and environmental of diversification.
3) The trade-offs between consumers’ access (buying capability) and producers’ income.2021-04-09 15:20:10205Stage 1Swiss National Food Systems Summit Dialogue “From Challenges to Actions”https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/5003/- 177
132066132107159288205673244015802229000012216435331406116128How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The first workshop of this Swiss National Food Systems Summit Dialogue (FSSD) was held virtually on 23 March 2021. It brought together more than 130 representatives from many sectors along the food value chains. During this event, the participants took part in BREAK-OUT GROUP DISCUSSIONS on topics related to food systems transformation. These discussions constituted the core of the event.
In order to build on each other's experiences, proposals and contributions and to promote a lively interaction, the discussion groups consisted of stakeholders who had SPECIFIC EXPERTISE on the topic discussed in their group, but also of participants who could bring a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. Each participant in the workshop was allocated to a discussion group prior to the event. The group discussions brought together a wide range of stakeholders and allowed for a CONSTRUCTIVE AND FRUITFUL EXCHANGE.
The CHATHAM HOUSE RULE applied to all the discussions in the break-out groups, in order to create a safe space for exchange in which NEW IDEAS could be generated and BOLD SOLUTIONS found. In addition, participants were reminded that mutual respect is the basis of a true dialogue, and that it involves listening and being open to different points of view.
The stakeholders were encouraged to be actively engaged in the workshop throughout the event. Besides the break-out group discussions, they were invited to submit questions and comments in the chat of the virtual platform during the plenary sessions.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?In order to address the challenges, potential and vulnerabilities of our food systems through a HOLISTIC APPROACH, MULTI-STAKEHOLDER GROUP DISCUSSIONS were organised. The topics discussed in each break-out group were formulated in the form of short, ambitious statements, to be realised by 2030. In their exchange, the participants were asked to think of concrete actions allowing to achieve the statement of their group, bearing in mind potential synergies and trade-offs.
The eight statements – discussed in ten groups – were developed on the basis of the FIVE ACTION TRACKS (ATs) OF THE FSS, and of the food systems approach of the 2030 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY put out for public consultation by the Swiss Federal Council, the executive branch of the federal government, until 4 February 2021, as well as of other strategies of the Federal Council.
With its 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy, the Federal Council sets out how it intends to implement the 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT over the next ten years. The strategy draws on the UN Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a reference framework.
In this way, the dialogue is contributing to the discussion in Switzerland on the development and implementation of various policy instruments.
We based the National FSSD of Switzerland on the 2030 Agenda and the Swiss Federal Council’s Sustainable Development Strategy, because we are convinced that food systems are essential levers linked to all the SDGs and that they have a transversal impact on each of them. The transformation of food systems is essential to the achievement of all the SDGs.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?N/ADid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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In preparation for the Food Systems Summit (FSS) in September 2021, Switzerland decided to implement a MULTI-STAKEHOLDER FOOD SYSTEMS SUMMIT DIALOGUE (FSSD) AT NATIONAL LEVEL. This Dialogue will take place in THREE STAGES, from March to June 2021. Through this innovative approach, interested actors will have the opportunity to contribute to the FSS by discussing their roles within their food systems, reflecting on new forms of joint action, and getting involved in building the food systems of the future.
The first workshop of this Swiss National FSSD was held virtually on 23 March 2021. Under the title "From Challenges to Actions", it brought together more than 130 REPRESENTATIVES FROM MANY SECTORS ALONG THE FOOD VALUE CHAINS, with the aim to address the challenges, potential and vulnerabilities of our food systems through a holistic approach, and to discuss concrete actions to support the transformation of food systems in Switzerland.
For this purpose, the participants were invited to engage in BREAK-OUT GROUP DISCUSSIONS on a specific topic of importance for the transformation of our food systems. These discussions constituted the core of the event. The EIGHT TOPICS proposed for this first workshop were: 1) Sustainable food environment; 2) Sustainable food demand and sustainable diets; 3) Sustainable production; 4) Climate change mitigation; 5) Adaptation to environmental changes, resilience and food security; 6) Food wastage (avoidable waste and losses); 7) Socio-economic dimensions of the agri-food sector; and 8) Entrepreneurship, innovation, science and technology.
These topics were formulated in the form of short statements, describing an ambitious situation to be realised within ten years and serving as a common goal for the discussion group. In their exchange, the participants were asked to think of CONCRETE ACTIONS to be undertaken by themselves IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS in order to achieve the statement assigned to their group by 2030, bearing in mind the synergies and trade-offs inherent to this transformation.
The eight statements – discussed in ten groups – were developed on the basis of the FIVE ACTION TRACKS (ATs) OF THE FSS, and of the food systems approach of the 2030 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY put out for public consultation by the Swiss Federal Council, the executive branch of the federal government, until 4 February 2021, as well as of other strategies of the Federal Council. In this way, the dialogue also contributes to the discussion in Switzerland on the development and implementation of various policy instruments.
This workshop was the first step in the process of the multi-stakeholder National FSSD of Switzerland, which provides us with a unique opportunity to support the discussion on food and agriculture in the country. In a second stage, in May 2021, a series of “City Dialogues” will be organised in three linguistic regions of the country to address possible solutions at local level. In a third and last stage, on 8 June 2021, a final workshop will aim at identifying pathways towards sustainable food systems by 2030 and discussing possible commitments from the different stakeholders.
The group discussions in the workshop held on 23 March brought together a wide range of stakeholders and allowed for a constructive and fruitful exchange. The results and conclusions reached in these discussions will be addressed in more depth in the next stages of the FSSD.235- 238
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The GROUP DISCUSSIONS of the workshop allowed for a constructive and fruitful exchange, in a pleasant atmosphere, and reached the following main results and conclusions:
(1) One major point that came out of the discussion was the necessity of a greater COHERENCE BETWEEN FOOD RELATED POLICIES, or even of ONE FOOD SYSTEMS POLICY encompassing agriculture, environment, nutrition and public health. The participants welcomed the development of the ACTION PLAN AGAINST FOOD WASTAGE. Addressing resilience, they supported a POLITICAL VISION with a ROADMAP for transparent partnerships and exchange of information. In general, they were in favour of a BROADER CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ON SUSTAINABILITY, a PARADIGM SHIFT TOWARDS MORE HOLISTIC APPROACHES and CIRCULAR ECONOMY. An independent office to assess sustainability along the value chains was proposed.
(2) POLICY FRAMEWORKS, such as the Swiss Agricultural Policy, are key in shaping our food systems. THE GOVERNMENT/PUBLIC AUTHORITIES should make INFORMATION available to citizens, and set up POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE INCENTIVES (re-orientation of agricultural subsidies, support to catering establishments for sustainable meals, or carbon tax). PUBLIC PROCUREMENT could be a powerful lever. MINIMUM/MAXIMUM REQUIREMENTS and BANS could complement these measures. Finally, the government could provide STEWARDSHIP in launching a long-term DIALOGUE amongst actors. At INTERNATIONAL level, policy-makers should further seek dialogue with countries from which goods are imported.
(3) Assuming that INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY is crucial to bring about change, in a bottom-up and inclusive approach, AWARENESS RAISING, EDUCATION, POSITIVE EXAMPLES and TRANSPARENT INFORMATION AND DATA can be decisive. CHILDREN and YOUNG PEOPLE should acquire good habits (limitation of marketing targeting them, promotion of comparatively more sustainable foods in canteens, or learning journeys to farms) as well as ADULTS (labelling, bonus points card for sustainable products, or direct sales from local agriculture). TOOLS could be developed to better assess the edibility of products and help recycle. In addition, participants recognised that the FOOD ENVIRONMENT AND SUPPLY influence our consumption. The PSYCHOLOGY and BEHAVIOUR of consumers must be taken into account to better understand potential resistances. One limiting factor in this transformation is the FINANCIAL MEANS, especially for lower-income citizens.
(4) Currently, FOOD IS TOO CHEAP. The participants called for the TRUE COST OF FOOD, for instance through a CARBON TAX, and for more TRANSPARENCY along the value chains. They debated if such measures should apply to Swiss products, or to importations as well. The DISTRIBUTION OF THE VALUE ADDED along the value chains should be more equitable. In particular, FARMERS play a central role in sustainable food systems, and they should be further EMPOWERED, through different approaches (cooperatives, “radical-local” agriculture, solidarity agriculture, rural-urban systems, or micro-diversified systems). From an ECONOMIC perspective, investments and market opportunities are necessary for transforming our food systems.
(5) Regarding FOOD WASTAGE, a great potential exists in the retailing, processing and agricultural sectors (FOOD DONATIONS, processing and marketing SURPLUSES, BY-PRODUCTS and “UNAESTHETIC” ITEMS, exchange PLATFORMS, use as ANIMAL FEEDS, or increased COORDINATION ALONG VALUE CHAINS). Bringing unsold food on the market at reduced prices offers multiple wins. To fight food waste, positive INCENTIVES (challenges and awards) and negative ones (fees) could be implemented.
(6) SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND INNOVATION – including practical and intellectual (systems) innovations – should be promoted, and their results better DISSEMINATED. The use of NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND DIGITALISATION should be considered as opportunities. A modification of the STANDARDS in the processing industry could lead to technical improvements on farms. Exchange between entrepreneurs and investors must be facilitated, and a MONITORING & EVALUATION AND REPORTING SYSTEM would help the financial sector carry out analyses. EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORIES could participate in alleviating negative anticipations from actors.
(7) To conclude, the participants called for a closer COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN ACTORS. Through their proximity with local populations, CITIES can (re-)build the link between URBAN CONSUMERS and RURAL PRODUCERS. The CATERING sector could team up with FARMERS committed to sustainable production. In addition, one of the groups proposed the creation of a NATIONAL FOOD DAY, which could be broadcasted and serve as a showcase for food systems transformation.236- 238
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TOPIC 1: SUSTAINABLE FOOD ENVIRONMENT
In this group, stakeholders discussed how the food environment in Switzerland could become more sustainable, involving stakeholders in the processing, retail and catering industries, and enabling consumers to eat according to the recommendations of the Swiss Food Pyramid.
I. PRIORITY ACTIONS
(1) The participants declared that COLLABORATION is paramount for the transformation of our food systems, and that a PARADIGM SHIFT is needed to scale up existing solutions.
(2) The stakeholders stated that currently FOOD IS TOO CHEAP. We should determine the TRUE COST OF FOOD and enhance TRANSPARENCY about the effects of food consumption. The DISTRIBUTION OF THE VALUE ADDED along the value chains should become more equitable.
(3) INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY AND BEHAVIOUR are key to bring about changes. AWARENESS RAISING, EDUCATION and the communication of POSITIVE EXAMPLES are important activities. Citizens should have their say in the definition of sustainable products, including young people. However, we should not transfer the whole responsibility on younger generations.
(4) Consumers must be able to take INFORMED DECISIONS. Transparent DATA AND INFORMATION, as well as the results of RESEARCH and INNOVATION, must be made available to them, for instance through “traffic light system” and labels on products. Amongst other measures: direct marketing by producers, including in urban areas; implementation of a solidarity agriculture; a better orientation of the local agricultural production on the market; or creation of an independent office for assessing sustainability along the value chains.
(5) The GOVERNMENT/PUBLIC AUTHORITIES should be responsible to require that the necessary INFORMATION is provided to consumers, to make UNSUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS MORE EXPENSIVE than sustainable ones, and if necessary to BAN the former. A positive INCENTIVE could be the support to public catering establishments that provide sustainable meals. POLICY FRAMEWORKS, such as the Swiss agricultural policy, can play a key role.
(6) Finally, several SYNERGIES and COLLABORATIVE ACTIONS, such as: increased exchange between actors, including at political level; or communicating that healthy diets tend to also be more sustainable.
II. POTENTIAL CHALLENGES
(1) Several TRADE-OFFS and TENSIONS were mentioned. Through advertising and subsidising foods such as sugar and meat, the State is viewed by some as an indirect supporter of unhealthy diets. Other such examples: an agriculture oriented towards production of food for people VS towards profits and remuneration; an agriculture based on human labour VS on technologies; or the political power of major agribusinesses VS of the civil society. The labelling and packaging of products can influence – positively or negatively – the choice of the consumers, but is not enough to (re-)orientate our consumption patterns.
(2) The participants came up with several RESPONSES. Agriculture needs both human labour and technologies. Data availability and the application of information technologies are crucial. The power within our food systems should be better shared and the value added better distributed.
(3) Finally, the participants also formulated QUESTIONS that remained OPEN. Who are the main drivers in today's food systems? Is it the marketing-driven processing industry, the technologies or the power relations? In addition, how much public intervention, in terms of policy framework, is needed for the market to re-orient itself?236- 239
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TOPIC 2: SUSTAINABLE FOOD DEMAND AND SUSTAINABLE DIETS
In this group, stakeholders discussed how to make people better aware of the importance of sustainable diets – in their environmental, socio-cultural, healthy and nutritional dimensions – and how to encourage them to better observe the recommendations of the Swiss Food Pyramid.
I. PRIORITY ACTIONS
(1) The participants underlined the necessity to ensure COHERENCE BETWEEN THE VARIOUS POLICIES RELATED TO FOOD. They specifically proposed that Switzerland develop a 2050 FOOD POLICY, encompassing aspects of agriculture, nutrition, environment and public health, and therefore exploiting SYNERGIES between them.
(2) EDUCATION AND AWARENESS RAISING are key. The participants expressed their preference to teach good habits to CHILDREN and YOUNG PEOPLE from the outset, rather than to strive to get new ones later in life. Such measures include: promotion of comparatively more sustainable foods (fresh fruits/vegetable VS animal proteins in the canteens or “apple automats”); food & nutrition courses and “taste education”; learning journeys to farms; or limitation of marketing targeted at children. ADULTS, as well, should realise how their diet impacts both themselves and the planet, in a holistic manner. INFORMATION enabling comparison of food items should be available and easily understandable – as many labels co-exist, such comparison is still difficult. Consumers should be sensitised about the added value of local agriculture – in terms of environmental impact, animal welfare and job creation – and made aware of the resulting production costs.
(3) CITIES, through their proximity with LOCAL POPULATIONS, as signatories of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, are major players to bring about changes in practice and to re-build the link between urban consumers and rural producers.
(4) Finally, participants addressed FOOD DEMAND, but also brought up issues related to FOOD SUPPLY, such as: responsibility of the retailers in offering more sustainable alternatives; collaborations between the catering sector and farmers committed to sustainable production; or innovative start-ups guaranteeing multiple wins for multiple actors when they simultaneously bring on the market unsold food at reduced prices, fight food waste, and raise awareness.
II. POTENTIAL CHALLENGES
(1) In terms of FOOD RELATED POLICIES, there is a need for clear targets and long-term objectives, which integrate the different interests and perspectives at stake, and which take into account the specificities of the Swiss context – for instance, we need to deal with the fact that an important part of the Swiss territory is not arable. On a related note, the TEMPORAL ASPECT of the transformation must be fully recognised – changes need to take place gradually.
(2) The VALUE OF FOOD and its MARKET PRICE should be re-thought. There is a need to ensure a fair and equitable remuneration of all actors – knowing that the expenditure by Swiss households on food are low in international comparison.
(3) COLLABORATION SHOULD BE SOUGHT ALL ALONG THE VALUE CHAINS, including to promote a better understanding BETWEEN PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS. Consumers should be actively involved in the transformation of our food systems. Two examples of trade-offs: the desire to have a diversity of products in winter VS our climate impact and seasonality; or the need to reduce our consumption of meat and sugar for environmental and health reasons VS the necessity to find alternatives and ensure that affected farmers are adequately accompanied in the transition.236- 240
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TOPIC 3: SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
Two groups discussed how plant and animal productions, as well as the processing, retailing and catering sectors, could promote a more sustainable agriculture, with regard to local conditions, biodiversity, animal welfare, nutrients, natural resources, as well as circularity.
I. PRIORITY ACTIONS
(1) The CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF SUSTAINABILITY should be broadened. Four areas of sustainability are needed: environment, social, health and animal welfare.
(2) It is necessary to strengthen the application of INNOVATIVE IDEAS, to support the use of NEW TECHNOLOGIES and to promote DIGITALISATION. Science must be prepared to develop new approaches without fear of not being able to come up with ready/complete solutions right from the beginning.
(3) PUBLIC PROCUREMENT is key to enhance this process by supporting innovative projects in order to enable transformation in education, collective catering, public canteens and raising awareness among the youth.
(4) A democratically developed COMMON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE POLICY is required, involving all actors of the food systems while building on critical thinking and independent research. Merging agricultural and health policies could be a crucial step.
(5) INCENTIVES in terms of policy measures on the information level are crucial. The focus must not lie on production only, but enhance dialogue with consumers as well as thinking in terms of VALUE CHAINS. Bringing all actors together can create solutions that reach across the value chain. The concept of STEWARDSHIP was mentioned, meaning that the government could create a system for long-term dialogue and knowledge exchange among all stakeholders.
(6) In order to consume differently, a pilot project on TRUE COST OF FOOD AND TRANSPARENCY must be launched. In addition, in order to enhance market power of farmers, their margins should be increased, and retailers should create a market for food that, because of its appearance, would not normally be consumed by people. To support the change towards more sustainable production, food production must have an adequate prize.
(7) MEAT AND DAIRY PRODUCTIONS need to be reduced, as well as locally adapted and site-appropriate.
8) Some participants pointed out that sustainable production could be promoted if access to land and farms were made easier for WOMEN. Several studies show that a higher proportion of women in agriculture can lead to more sustainability.
II. POTENTIAL CHALLENGES
(1) The groups identified TRADE-OFFS between production, environmental protection, climate and animal welfare. In addition, society demands more organic farming. The first step requires to admit that such trade-offs exist and to name them. They need to be discussed and prioritized with all stakeholders.
(2) Although large parts of the agricultural land in Switzerland is grassland, MEAT AND DAIRY PRODUCTIONS are not locally adapted and site-appropriate. The transition for farmers to sustainable production is difficult. In addition, meat consumption is still culturally very desirable and the share from sustainable production is too small.
(3) Concerning BIODIVERSITY promotion, it was discussed that the measures taken are often not sufficient to achieve the goals set. Farmers need to be provided with information on how to promote species. There is a need for an increased cooperation with farmers and consideration by the agricultural policy, so that biodiversity services are rewarded. When designing concrete measures, we also need measurable figures (DATA) and COMMITMENTS from the stakeholders.236- 238
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TOPIC 4: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION
In two groups, stakeholders discussed how to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of the domestic final food demand along the whole value chain in Switzerland and abroad, as well as the GHG emissions of the domestic agricultural production, acknowledging that this transformative process should ensure fair socio-economic conditions to affected actors.
I. PRIORITY ACTIONS
(1) Actors along the value chains should engage their INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY, in a bottom-up approach. We need to CHANGE OUR CONSUMPTION PATTERNS, rather than our agricultural practices – the participants regretted that the impact of food consumption often remains unclear. In their view, EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE and AWARENESS RAISING are the most appropriate means, including: sustainability labelling of products; promotion of cheaper and/or weekly vegetarian menus in canteens; sensitisation to seasonality; or cooking course for children. However, individual responsibility, though important, is not sufficient. Minimal requirements, or even bans, should be envisaged. The psychological mechanisms of consumers must be considered to understand potential resistances.
(2) One major activities proposed by one of the groups is the creation of a NATIONAL FOOD DAY, which would highlight good practices – communicating on WHAT WE MAY AND CAN DO. This event could: take place in schools, canteens and restaurants, and be BROADCASTED; constitute an annual stocktaking on food systems transformation; help exchange about sustainable products; or provide tips against food waste.
(3) The participants identified additional actions, such as: OPTIMISATION of existing processes (circular economy); INCENTIVES (bonus points card for sustainable products); DIRECT MARKETING; a modification of the STANDARDS in the processing industry, which could lead to TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENTS ON FARMS; or increased TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH.
(4) At economic level, a CARBON TAX and other measures aiming at setting the TRUE COST OF FOOD should be implemented. The participants debated if such measures should apply only to Swiss products, or also to importations, and how the UN could play a role. To be successful, these efforts require the endorsement of the whole society and the establishment of adequate framework conditions by PUBLIC AUTHORITIES. Public procurements could act as levers, and offer a safe market for producers.
II. POTENTIAL CHALLENGES
(1) A COMMON UNDERSTANDING and WELL-DEFINED OBJECTIVES are necessary. The setting of system boundaries is particularly challenging. Actions must be informed by SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE.
(2) INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY is important, but not sufficient. How much are citizens concerned with these issues? Without any economic incentives, are we ready to modify our consumption patterns and habits? The SOCIAL DIMENSION of sustainability is essential. For instance, meat consumption can have a negative environmental and health impact, but also bears a cultural signification for many.
(3) The CARBON TAX must be implemented in a fair manner and prove effective. A compensation mechanism should be put in place for low-income citizens. On the other hand, some participants pointed out that citizens who can afford to pay for it will continue to burden the environment.
(4) Finally, in terms of production, SPECIFICITIES of each country must be fully acknowledged. An important part of Switzerland is made of mountain and hill areas, which are not or hardly suitable for crop production. Animal production makes possible to exploit these areas.236- 242
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TOPIC 5: ADAPTATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES, RESILIENCE AND FOOD SECURITY
In this group, stakeholders discussed how the Swiss food system could become more adaptive to the consequences of global warming and to other environmental challenges, and more resilient to crises and shocks, while ensuring food security and nutrition for present and future generations.
I. PRIORITY ACTIONS
(1) In the overall, the participants perceived Switzerland as comparatively better placed in terms of resilience. However, the COVID-19 crisis showed that we are part of an interconnected system. We need a POLITICAL VISION, with a ROADMAP that foresees TRANSPARENT PARTNERSHIPS and the EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, to allow for long-term planning. This supports FOOD SECURITY, which can be managed through domestic production and imports.
(2) Regarding LOCAL PRODUCTION, we need to establish micro-diversified systems, and foster their INNOVATION. In addition, we need to further develop RURAL-URBAN systems. On-farm innovations must move towards standardised fair production. Exchanges between entrepreneurs and investors must be facilitated to encourage societal innovations. Exchange platforms would make possible to share information about sustainable food entrepreneurship. Improving productivity could allow for profitable soybean production in a small region like Switzerland, while improving the quality of the product with regard to climate shocks.
(3) CARBON reduction and BIODIVERSITY must be considered within diversified micro-systems of local agriculture around cities. In this, we need to move forward with technological as well as practical and intellectual innovations (systems innovations). SOIL CARBON SEQUESTRATION could play a decisive role – this approach, already partly implemented in Switzerland, needs to be accompanied by research. Transparent exchanges between different actors (NGOs, producers, politicians, entrepreneurs, etc.) must be promoted. With regard to biodiversity, the participants highlighted the access to, and conservation of, GENETIC RESOURCES. Finally, Switzerland could better address FOOD LOSS AND WASTE.
II. POTENTIAL CHALLENGES
(1) Analysing costs and opportunities to reduce waste implied KNOWLEDGE OF THE SYSTEM and the EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND DATA in a transparent way. Participants also stressed the need for a COMMON VISION, rather than working at micro level. If everyone aligned with the 2030 AGENDA, it would be a decisive step in the right direction. A vision should be worked on and a roadmap created based on an analysis of risks and opportunities, taking into account Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) aspects. Inconsistencies in policies need to be addressed. Finally, synergies between DIVERSITY and CARBON REDUCTION are areas where we need to work with research. In terms of GENETIC RESOURCES, some of the stakeholders underlined the obstacles they face in relation to patents and seed market rules, and argued that these issues should not be addressed at the Swiss national level, but at least at the European regional level.
(2) Some QUESTIONS REMAINED OPEN: What synergies should be sought to support diversified and interconnected rural-urban systems? Is a Swiss 2030 Agenda linked to food systems, which are highly complex, feasible? How can we introduce follow-up measures? How can we achieve a virtuous circle that brings information from the Swiss rural-urban circuit? Is it necessary to define a framework for monitoring the activities of the different actors?236- 238
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TOPIC 6: FOOD WASTAGE (AVOIDABLE WASTE AND LOSSES)
In this group, stakeholders discussed how to reduce avoidable food waste in Switzerland and avoidable food looses along the value chains of food consumed in Switzerland – ensuring that food produced in Switzerland and abroad reaches Swiss consumers.
I. PRIORITY ACTIONS
(1) The participants welcomed the development of a NATIONAL ACTION PLAN against food wastage, and expressed their satisfaction that progress was being made in this regard.
(2) There is still a great potential at retailing level, as well as in the processing and agricultural sectors, for FOOD DONATIONS. Food bank organisations have been working with retailers for a long time, but awareness raising amongst employees is still necessary. SURPLUSES and BY-PRODUCTS could be made more visible, and a related MARKET should be created, for instance via a publicly accessible PLATFORM to know where to pick up/save items. Innovation and research would allow to further develop existing platforms. In addition, the potential for FEEDING ANIMALS should be exploited (whey proteins instead of soy proteins). Finally, COORDINATION ALONG VALUE CHAINS could be improved, for instance through automatic IT systems ensuring that suppliers only deliver when stocks in the supermarket have decreased, and that factories only produce when the demand signals it. SURPLUSES could be PROCESSED (tomato sauce or broth), including for awareness-raising, by volunteers or schools.
(3) The population can be reached through AWARENESS RAISING and INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS (best-before dates). Vocational/professional trainings and basic education could be good entry points. SYSTEMIC ANALYSES are needed to gain a better understanding of the causes of waste in households. TOOLS could also be developed to make it easier to assess whether products are still edible (packaging that changes colour when the product turns bad), and apps to help consumers recycle.
(4) Finally, INCENTIVES should be used, such as through a "No Food Waste Neighbourhood" challenge and awards (POSITIVE) or food waste fees at households level (NEGATIVE).
II. POTENTIAL CHALLENGES
(1) Fighting food waste requires the BUY-IN OF THE POPULATION. As an example, a small restaurant can decide to reduce its reserves and stock up with leftover bread from a nearby bakery. But in doing so, it takes the risk to run out of some foods offered on the menu. To clarify, a direct contact with customers is important.
(2) A lot of potential exists in FOOD RESCUE, especially on farms (vegetables that do not meet the quality standards of the retailers). However, one of the limiting factors for this in Switzerland are the buyers, and logistics are complex. Overall, flexibility is needed. If SURPLUSES – typically from the agricultural production – are sold through ALTERNATIVE CHANNELS, this can have an impact on the market, resulting in a reduced demand for food supplied through "usual" channels. Participants also recognized that local PROCESSING of surpluses currently proves to be not profitable, but can contribute to raise awareness. In order to process BY-PRODUCTS for human consumption, substantial INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT are needed, and market opportunities need to be created.
(3) The participants recommended that the production of “unnecessary” products should be avoided, that the RIGHT QUANTITIES be produced, and that producers benefit from FAIR PRICES. In their view, FOOD IS CURRENTLY TOO CHEAP. There is a need for more cost TRANSPARENCY and the inclusion of negative externalities (TRUE COST OF FOOD).236- 241
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TOPIC 7: SOCIO-ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS OF THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR
In this group, stakeholders discussed how actors along the food value chains could benefit from a fair distribution of the value added and decent employment conditions, in Switzerland and abroad.
I. PRIORITY ACTIONS
(1) TRANSPARENCY should be promoted along the value chains. Existing measures with regard to consumers could be further developed. This should include measures taken by the Federal Office for Agriculture. All costs – and thus the prices along the value chains – should be disclosed. The resulting AWARENESS could steer consumption in a more sustainable direction. Measures included: DIGITALISATION (platforms for the dissemination of information); blockchain; “radical-local” or solidarity agriculture; or international partnerships. However, various participants considered these measures not sufficient, as (too) many consumers are not enough sensitised, or simply cannot afford it FINANCIALLY.
(2) In setting the TRUE COST OF FOOD, we would take into account often neglected costs, such as the unpaid work in production. This could create INCENTIVES to optimise our impact. Adjusting pricing could lead to a REDISTRIBUTION of these costs and stimulate a more sustainable consumption.
(3) The transformation of our food systems – though necessary – triggers fear among actors. So-called "EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORIES", through testing new economic models and promoting dialogue, could help alleviate it. These labs should be better supported financially, and their conclusions could be DISSEMINATED.
(4) The stakeholders agreed that PRODUCERS play a central role in sustainable food systems, and that they should be further EMPOWERED. At national level, they could implement a “radical-local” approach to better network and act together, and cooperatives with their own brand that would improve their negotiating position vis-à-vis wholesalers and retailers. In addition, direct payments and subsidies could be re-oriented to support more sustainable food systems. At international level, the profitability of cultivation could be strengthened through a transfer of know-how and a larger access to market, and facilitated through innovation. Policy-makers should seek dialogue with governments and producers in the countries from which goods are imported.
(5) Finally, the participants shared the view that Switzerland is well-positioned in SCIENCE in general, but could do still more in RESEARCH AND INNOVATION. The location of research is an important competitive advantage, which should be promoted. There are already well-established synergies between research and business.
II. POTENTIAL CHALLENGES
(1) The RIGHT TO FOOD / ACCESS TO FOOD FOR ALL was confronted to PROFITABLE PRODUCTION. Direct payments to producers could be re-thought, to become more sustainable incentives, and COHERENCE BETWEEN POLICIES relating to food is needed. The participants also criticised the effect on prices induced by intermediaries and retailers (food, inputs and means of production).
(2) In terms of DIETS, the group was under the impression that the criterion of HEALTH was often set against that of SUSTAINABILITY, while it should not be the case. In addition, they noted that subsidies are given to foods such as sugar and meat, which can be seen as bad incentives.
(3) Finally, a trade-off was pointed out between RAPID TOP-DOWN transformation, FREE MARKET and decision-making within the SOCIETY. Major change must be supported by the population at large.236- 242
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TOPIC 8: ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
This group discussed how to make the agri-food sector more sustainable, entrepreneurial and innovative, while considering its know-how and the quality of its products, applying results from scientific research and development, using the latest technologies, benefitting from digitalisation, being future-oriented and ensuring food security and nutrition.
I. PRIORITY ACTIONS
(1) THERE IS A NEED FOR REACHING EVERYONE, also those not already sensitised. This can be done through AWARENESS RAISING and CHANGES IN THE FOOD ENVIRONMENT. No longer offering non-sustainable products, labelling products in terms of sustainability and true cost accounting, organising exhibitions/informative events, creating campaigns to support the consumption of locally produced food and educating people about the recommendations of the Swiss Food Pyramid can be crucial steps.
(2) Often, farmers do not perceive actions and measures as opportunities but as a threat to their livelihoods. In order to achieve transformation in agriculture and trade, we need SOCIAL INNOVATION, INCENTIVES AND DIRECT CONTACT WITH FARMERS.
(3) BETTER FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS ARE NEEDED at all political levels. Although there are many good initiatives at grassroots level, the political framework often has its limits (for instance: in the area of spatial planning, availability of subsidies). So that a transformation is enabled also from a financial perspective, investments from banks are pivotal, and new markets and value chains need to be generated.
(4) A lot is happening at the COMMUNAL LEVEL. This shows that the transformation of food systems is a cross-sectoral challenge, not just an agricultural one. URBAN AND RURAL views need to be included equally. There is a lack of structure for exchange between cities. The federal government could promote such an exchange.
(5) CREATING DIALOGUE FOR AN OVERALL POLICY ABOUT FOOD SYSTEMS: there is the need for a bundle of actions across the food system, where science and civil society are included and in exchange with practice. Participants mentioned the importance of the results of the Swiss National Research Programme "Healthy Nutrition and Sustainable Food Production" (NRP 69). The second stage of the National Food Systems Summit Dialogue (FSSD) of Switzerland, the so-called “City Dialogues”, which will allow for an increased exchange between cities, and the national campaign against food waste will highly contribute to this.
(6) There is a need for a STANDARDISED MONITORING & EVALUATION AND REPORTING SYSTEM for food and biodiversity, which allows the financial sector to analyse potential beneficiaries, similar to what is being done for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This would help banks assess which companies to support.
II. POTENTIAL CHALLENGES
(1) There is a lack of structure for EXCHANGE BETWEEN CITIES.
(2) BETTER FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS ARE NEEDED at all levels (federal, cantonal, communal) to enable transformation, in particular for responsibility and financial reasons.
(3) Participants were of the opinion that lately, POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS concerning food systems, agriculture and environment had been frustrating. There is a need for a change towards a holistic food systems approach in order to actually generate solutions.
(4) A large part of food is IMPORTED. How can you influence production in the countries of origin? That is much more difficult than changing domestic production.
(5) The AFFORDABILITY of healthy and sustainably produced food is a challenge.237- 238
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The GROUP DISCUSSIONS of the workshop gathered more than 130 representatives, who affirmed their will to contribute to the transformation of our food systems, without denying nor shifting responsibilities to other stakeholders. Although participants tended to agree on the issues at stake, several challenges and trade-offs were identified:
(1) DIFFERENT VISIONS FOR AGRICULTURE, sometimes conflicting, were expressed by the participants (an agriculture oriented towards producing food for people VS towards profits and remuneration, an agriculture based on human labour VS on technologies, the political power of major agribusinesses VS of the civil society, or the fulfilment of the right to food VS profitable production). Participants recommended an alignment on the 2030 AGENDA. Finally, given that a substantial part of our food is IMPORTED, they agreed that we can have a say on our domestic production, but wondered how we can influence foreign production methods.
(2) A greater COHERENCE between policies and a HOLISTIC FOOD SYSTEMS APPROACH are sought, with clear targets and long-term objectives. Direct payments to producers could be re-thought, to provide more sustainable incentives. Better FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS are needed at all levels (federal, cantonal, communal) in order to enable transformation.
(3) In the same line, the participants discussed the sustainability of ANIMAL PRODUCTION in Switzerland, considering arguments such as the importance of grasslands in the country, the suitability of our mountainous and hilly topography for animal rather than plan production, the impact of livestock on the environment and of meat consumption on health, the necessity of a locally adapted and site-appropriated agriculture, and the cultural meaning of dairy products and meat. Several groups observed that, by advertising and subsidising foods such as MEAT and SUGAR, the State could be viewed as supporting unhealthy diets.
(4) The complex RELATION BETWEEN ACTORS, in particular PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND RETAILERS was noted. The power within our food systems should be better shared and the value added better distributed – the participants pointed out the effect on prices induced by intermediaries and retailers – but COLLABORATION should also be sought. Changes must be supported by the population at large.
(5) In particular, CONSUMERS should be involved. However, in terms of DIETS, some participants were under the impression that HEALTH and SUSTAINABILITY were often set against each other, while this should not be the case. The labelling and packaging of products can influence – positively or negatively – the choice of the consumers, but is not sufficient to (re-)orientate our consumption patterns. On the contrary, some participants believed that the consumers were often overwhelmed by the wide choice on supplied products, and that retailers were in a stronger position to bring about change than consumers. It seemed to participants that INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY was not sufficient. How much are citizens concerned with these issues? Without any economic incentives, are we ready to modify our consumption patterns and habits? Finally, the (UN)AFFORDABILITY of healthy and sustainable food was identified as a challenge in transforming our dietary patterns.
(6) For FARMERS, the transition to more sustainable practices is difficult, and they should be accompanied in this process, which might take place gradually. As one example, the participants argued that the measures for promoting and rewarding BIODIVERSITY services often could not achieve their goals, as farmers need to be better informed in this regard.
(7) Generally, food was considered TOO CHEAP in Switzerland. Measures aiming at setting the TRUE COST OF FOOD, such as a CARBON TAX, should be introduced. However, the participants warned that it should be accompanied by a compensation mechanism for low-income citizens. In addition, some participants pointed out that this tax will not have the expected effect on citizens who can pay for it. They also debated if such measures should apply only to Swiss products, or as well to importations, and how the UN could play a role. Overall, the actors along the value chains should have a fair remuneration.
(8) In several groups, DATA were considered insufficient, or uneasily available, and TRANSPARENCY lacking. As a consequence, participants stressed the need for more informed and evidence-based decisions and actions.
(9) A limiting factor for FOOD RESCUE are the buyers and the complex logistics. If SURPLUSES are sold through alternative channels, this can result in a reduced demand on the "usual" market. Finally, even though the PROCESSING of surpluses is currently not profitable, it can contribute to raise awareness.2021-04-09 20:49:31205Stage 1Primer Diálogo Nacional de Guatemala de cara a la Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarios 2021https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/4694/- 79
8309482243845239113431841112352612121068How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Se convocó de manera amplia y pública a los sectores y partes interesadas vinculadas a los Sistemas Alimentarios en Guatemala.
Se socializó de manera anticipada el contenido y objetivos de la Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarios, como de los objetivos del desarrollo del Primer Diálogo Nacional.
Se desarrolló un pre registro, para caracterizar y conocer la naturaleza de la organización, sus intereses y temas de intervención, así como las prioridades de temas en el marco de la Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarios.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?El Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores en representación del gobierno de Guatemala priorizó el Eje de Acción No.1 “Garantizar el acceso a alimentos sanos y nutritivos para todos”, en el que se establecen tres subtemas (1) Hambre Cero, (2) Alimentos Nutritivos y (3) Seguridad Alimentaria.
Para impulsar los procesos de diálogo intersectoriales se definieron tres grupos de trabajo (cada uno por subtema). Este fue el espacio en dónde se aplicó con mayor énfasis los principios de la convención, ya que se utilizaron los siguientes métodos:
-Cada grupo se conformó con representación intersectorial publica, privada, social, academia y de productores. Esto para generar un diálogo constructivo, inclusivo, respetuoso y complementario.
-Desde la primera convocatoria pública, se compartió información de la Cumbre y del Primer Diálogo Nacional.
-Se motivó a que las partes interesadas propongan iniciativas de corto y mediano plazo para el fortalecimiento de los Sistemas Alimentarios de Guatemala, partiendo de lo que ya se ejecuta como país.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?-Por el contexto nacional e internacional, es importante realizar un ejercicio de presentación y división de grupos en las plataformas virtuales. Esto para aplicar los procesos de invitación, inclusión, desarrollo de comentarios y listados de participantes, para asegurar el registro de los Diálogos.
-Por otro lado, es importante brindar las herramientas necesarias a todas las partes interesadas, para que exista una igualdad de participación y aporte de cada una de ellas.. Por ejemplo, acceso fácil a señal de internet para los representantes de sociedad civil, pueblos indígenas y mujeres.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Este primer Diálogo Nacional priorizó el Eje de Acción No. 1, denominado “Garantizar el acceso a alimentos sanos y nutritivos para todos” el cual se subdivide en tres temas específicos (1) Hambre Cero, (2) Alimentos nutritivos y (3) Seguridad Alimentaria. Este tuvo como objetivo diseñar e implementar un proceso que permita a las partes interesadas intervenir en el desarrollo de vías hacia unos Sistemas Alimentarios Nacionales Sostenibles en el marco de la Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarios, acorde a la Agenda 2030, para el Desarrollo Sostenible.
Para esta primera etapa se definieron los siguientes resultados:
Resultado 1: Los líderes de los grupos y las partes interesadas nacionales analizan las opciones para que los sistemas alimentarios nacionales sean inclusivos, sostenibles y resilientes de aquí al 2030.
Resultado 2: Se identifican aspectos o temas vinculados en asegurar sistemas alimentarios nacionales
en donde existen consensos y en donde existen desacuerdos.
Resultado 3: Se identifican las oportunidades, vulnerabilidades y retos de los sistemas alimentarios
Resultado 4: Se propone una estructura de participación para trabajar en conjunto en pro del
desarrollo de sistemas alimentarios sostenibles.
De igual manera, se desarrollaron los siguientes temas y aspectos relacionados a la Cumbre de
Sistemas Alimentarios y al proceso de diálogo en sí mismo:
• El proceso de Dialogo parte de la Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarios, 2021;
• La construcción de una posición de país para presentar en la Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarios, 2021;
• El fortalecimiento de los procesos que ya se están impulsando en el país y;
• La integración y búsqueda de las percepciones, posiciones, acciones, opiniones y pensamientos de los participantes.
Para dirigir el diálogo durante el trabajo de grupo, se desarrollaron los siguientes temas:
• Contexto de los sistemas alimentarios en Guatemala;
• Presentación del objetivo de cada sub tema;
• Presentación de las preguntas generadoras;
• Desarrollo del diálogo intersectorial y;
• El desarrollo del diálogo nacional.235- 238
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Considerando que el Primer Diálogo Nacional, metodológicamente estableció tres grupos de trabajo, se
presentan las principales conclusiones de cada uno.
1) Hambre Cero:
CAUSAS DEL HAMBRE:
- Guatemala, por ser uno de los países con mayor índice de vulnerabilidad, está amenazado ante desastres naturales, vinculados a inundaciones y/o sequías.
- Débil acceso equitativo a los servicios básicos, principalmente el agua, la vivienda y el alimento.
- Falta de coordinación y sinergia entre iniciativas públicas y privadas en el nivel territorial.
- Débil acceso de recurso agua para la producción y consumo.
- Brecha importante en la aplicación de prácticas agrícolas entre pequeños y grandes productores.
PROPÓSITO DE LOS SISTEMAS ALIMENTARIOS
- Acceso al alimento de forma equitativa, de forma saludable, y culturalmente pertinente.
- Incremento de la producción para el consumo y la comercialización de excedente.
- Aplicación de tecnología para la producción y procesamiento de alimentos.
- Fomentar el consumo de alimentos nutritivos.
- La mejora de la vinculación del mercado con los pequeños productores.
PROPUESTAS DE SOLUCIONES EXITOSAS
Se propone fortalecer la coordinación institucional, el enfoque holístico de atención a la familia, mejoramiento de los encadenamientos productivos y de los programas de protección social, desarrollar resiliencia, y la reorientación del gasto público, y financiamiento internacional.
2) Alimentos nutritivos:
¿CÓMO LOGRAR LA SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA PARA GARANTIZAR
EL ACCESO?
- Generar alimentos sanos que se articulen con la inocuidad, la higiene, las buenas
prácticas y el valor nutricional.
- Fomentar una dieta saludable y de calidad.
- Fortalecer la regulación generando un proceso de revisión y actualización.
- Considerar incluir propuestas de políticas públicas que provengan desde los sectores
sociales.
¿DÓNDE CENTRAMOS LOS ESFUERZOS?
- Fomentar el acceso a la disponibilidad y variedad de alimentos nutritivos.
- Fomentar la producción nacional de alimentos nutritivos.
- Fortalecer los programas vinculados a la atención en los primeros 1000 días a la madre gestante, como al niño/a.
- Asegurar el acceso de medios de vida para la salud.
- Fortalecer la agricultura familiar.
- Mejorarla atención integral de los programas del Estado, sobre todo a las transferencias condicionadas.
3) Seguridad alimentariaPRINCIPALES VULNERABILIDADES
- La introducción de productos alimenticios vía el contrabando.
- El inadecuado manejo de los recursos naturales: agua, suelo, bosque y desechos.
- La recuperación de los conocimientos de las comunidades indígenas y campesinas en temas de producción.
- El consumidor cuenta con poca información acerca de calidad e inocuidad de alimentos.
- La existencia de riesgo de contaminación de alimentos en la venta al por menor a nivel local.
OPORTUNIDADES
- Generar estrategias de producción, almacenamiento y distribución de alimentos.
- Fomentar la educación alimentaria
- Promover la formalidad en los sistemas alimentarios y la propuesta del incentivo agrícola.
- Reforzar las compras públicas responsables (El Estado como consumidor).
- Mejorar el uso adecuado del manejo de agua, suelo y conservación de la diversidad biológica.
POTENCIALIDADES
- Vincular los sistemas productivos de comunidades indígenas y comunidades locales a la producción de alimentos saludables.
- Fomentar las cadenas de comercialización de granos básicos.236- 238
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1) Hambre Cero
CAUSAS DEL HAMBRE:
- Guatemala, por ser uno de los países con mayor índice de vulnerabilidad, está amenazado ante desastres naturales, vinculados a inundaciones y/o sequías.
- Débil acceso equitativo a los servicios básicos, principalmente el agua, la vivienda y el alimento.
- Falta de coordinación y sinergia entre iniciativas públicas y privadas en el nivel territorial.
- Débil acceso de recurso agua para la producción y consumo.
- Brecha importante en la aplicación de prácticas agrícolas entre pequeños y grandes productores.
PROPÓSITO DE LOS SISTEMAS ALIMENTARIOS
- Acceso al alimento de forma equitativa, de forma saludable, y culturalmente pertinente.
- Incremento de la producción para el consumo y la comercialización de excedente.
- Aplicación de tecnología para la producción y procesamiento de alimentos.
- Fomentar el consumo de alimentos nutritivos.
- La mejora de la vinculación del mercado con los pequeños productores.
PROPUESTAS DE SOLUCIONES EXITOSAS
Se propone fortalecer la coordinación institucional, el enfoque holístico de atención a la familia, mejoramiento de los encadenamientos productivos, mejoramiento de los programas de protección social, desarrollar resiliencia, y la reorientación del gasto público, y financiamiento internacional.
2) Alimentos nutritivos
¿CÓMO LOGRAR SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA PARA GARANTIZAR EL ACCESO?
- Generar alimentos sanos, que se articule con la inocuidad, la higiene, las buenas prácticas y el valor nutricional.
- Fomentar una dieta saludable y de calidad.
- Fortalecer la regulación generando un proceso de revisión y actualización.
- Considerar incluir propuestas de políticas públicas que vienen desde los sectores sociales.
¿DÓNDE CENTRAMOS LOS ESFUERZOS?
- Fomentar el acceso a la disponibilidad y variedad de alimentos nutritivos.
- Mejorar la producción nacional de alimentos nutritivos.
- Fortalecer los programas vinculados a la atención en los primeros 1000 días a la madre gestante, como al niño/a.
- Asegurar el acceso de medios de vida para la salud.
- Fortalecer la agricultura familiar.
- Mejorar la atención integral de los programas del Estado, sobre todo a las transferencias condicionadas.
3) SEGURIDAD ALIMENTARIA
PRINCIPALES VULNERABILIDADES
- La introducción de productos alimenticios vía el contrabando.
- El inadecuado manejo de los recursos naturales: agua, suelo, bosque y desechos.
- La recuperación de los conocimientos de las comunidades indígenas y campesinas en temas de
producción.
- El consumidor cuenta con poca información acerca de calidad e inocuidad de alimentos.
- La existencia de riesgo de contaminación de alimentos a la venta al por menor o nivel local
OPORTUNIDADES
-Generar estrategias de producción,
almacenamiento y distribución de alimentos.
- Fomentar la educación alimentaria
- Promover la formalidad en los sistemas alimentarios.
- Promover la propuesta del incentivo agrícola.
- Generar compras públicas responsables (El Estado como consumidor).
- Promover el adecuado manejo del agua, suelo y conservación de la diversidad biológica.
POTENCIALIDADES
-Vincular los sistemas productivos de comunidades indígenas y comunidades locales a la producción de alimentos saludables.
- Fomentar las cadenas de comercialización de granos básicos.237- 238
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Durante el Primer Diálogo Nacional, se identificaron las siguientes recomendaciones por sector:
- Desde el Sector privado, se destacó la importancia de la actualización de la normativa nacional vinculada a los sistemas alimentarios y su sostenibilidad. De igual manera promover la producción y consumo de alimentos saludables, inocuos y nutritivos.
- Desde el Sector público, se destacó el fortalecimiento de los micro y pequeños productores de alimentos, como de la agricultura familiar, el desarrollo de programas de asistencia social. De igual manera, un abordaje responsable de las propuestas presentadas, por parte de la institucionalidad pública.
- Desde el Sector de las Organizaciones Indígenas, se destacó el rescate de los conocimientos tradicionales sobre consumo y producción de alimentos.
- Desde el Sector de las Organizaciones Ambientales, se destacó la importancia de impulsar el manejo sostenible de los recursos naturales y la conservación de la diversidad biológica.2021-04-11 16:07:39205Stage 1KUWAIT National Food Systems Dialoguehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8054/- 100
15641684511797526286151122531511011224511115441192034526312875How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Kuwait recognized the importance of hosting phase one of National Food Systems Dialogue as part of Member State Dialogue. Thus, Kuwait was the first Arab country to hold a member state National Food System Dialogue on 30 March 2021. The event embraced the Summit principles of engagement: Act with Urgency, commit to the Summit, Be Respectful, Recognize Complexity, Embrace Multi Stakeholder Inclusivity, Complement the Work of Others, and Build Trust.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Kuwait National Food Systems Dialogues invited multiple stakeholders from different backgrounds and sectors to participate in phase one of the National dialogue in preparation of the UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021. Phase one of the dialogue was organized by the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition (PAFN) - Kuwait and was held virtually. Participants included stakeholders from across the food systems, ranging from farmers, food industry, government, Non-Governmental Organization, activists, research and academic institutions, financial agencies, media, telecommunication, and most importantly school students. This diverse group of stakeholders provided a comprehensive view of the country's food systems. Participants shared diverse perspectives, and managed to identify challenges, discover opportunities, and suggested applicable solutions. There were five breakout rooms, each room had a curator and two facilitators. The Chatham House Rule of non-attribution encouraged participants to engage in the discussion. During the last hour of the dialogue, all participants returned back to plenary and a facilitator from each breakout room read aloud the important points that were discussed and covered in each breakout room.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is very important to appreciate the principles of engagement when preparing for the dialogue. Spending enough time to list all stakeholders is important for a successful dialogue. It is advisable to encourage women to voice their opinions as they have proved themselves in many developmental sectors such as academia, environment, social issues and more. It is also noted that the inclusion of school students added value to the dialogue and ensured that no one was left behind. Every opinion is important, and everyone shared their views in a very respectful manner.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Kuwait held a National food systems dialogue virtually on 30 March 2021 in preparation for the Food Systems Summit (FSS) in September 2021. Different stakeholders participated in the dialogue representing the different roles and interests along the food systems chain. More than 156 participants spent four hours exploring Kuwait food systems along the five action tracks and levers of the UN Food Systems Summit.
Participants conducted a thorough diagnosis of Kuwait food systems with the aim to address the challenges, potentials, and vulnerabilities of our food systems, and to come up with concrete actions to support the transformation of food systems in Kuwait.
Participants were assigned to one of the five break out rooms, each room addressing one action track. These action tracks are: 1) Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all. 2) Shift to sustainable consumption patterns. 3) Boost nature positive production. 4) Advance equitable livelihoods 5) Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stress.
It was clear from discussions that there was an excessive focus on the vulnerability of Kuwait's food systems that is import dependent and the need to have a clear vision aiming to transform Kuwait into a self-sufficient country.
COVID-19 pandemic exposed the suboptimal functions of Kuwait food systems and proved that it is vulnerable to shock and stress despite many years of investment in policies and programs. There is an urgent need of significant policy reformulation and shift in business models to strengthen national food systems.235- 238
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Kuwait has the capacity to build its national food systems, but this will require radical change in the country's government structure, public-private partnerships, and above all strong political will and courage to set up food and nutrition security action plan in Kuwait. This is achievable by establishing a supreme council for food and nutrition headed by a decision maker at the highest administration at the national level accompanied with proper legislations, implementation, and monitoring. This will enable all key players across the various subsystems and domains to align their action plans towards achieving common goals that are effective, efficient, and sustainable. Kuwait national development plan 2035 needs to include a food and nutrition security plan that focuses on prioritizing nutrition policies and healthy lifestyle behavior that is culturally applicable, resilient, and sustainable.
There is an urgent need to transform Kuwait from a country that depends on importation of all types of food to a country of self-sufficiency.
While these transformations might take some time to achieve, Kuwait must start by taking some immediate strategic transition steps that include:
- Forming Supreme council for food and nutrition security.
- Increase investment in Food Systems research and development.
- Enhance investment in infrastructures that support critical innovations and increase resilience and productivity.
- Engage youth and women in agriculture using technology.
- Educate children and youth about adequate food consumption.
- Put in place risk management in food systems.236- 238
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Nutrition surveillance results of the State of Kuwait since the beginning of the millennium indicate that one of the most important risk factors associated with chronic diseases are overweight and obesity, not consuming the recommended quantities of fruits and vegetables, and physical activity in all age groups, especially among school children and adult women are below the required standard for disease prevention.
One of the recommendations was to implement intervention programs to raise the level of community nutritional awareness, with an emphasis on school students to improve their nutritional health.
It is also recommended to adopt policies that strengthen partnership with the private sector: manufacturers, producers and suppliers of food and supporting small enterprises and youth initiatives to adopt the WHO and FAO recommendations to locally produce and import food commodities with low content of added salt, added sugar and free from trans fatty acids. This will improve the nutritional status of the population and reduce risk factors associated with chronic diseases, while aiming to reduce the cost of these food products to facilitate their availability.
It is also important to support farmers by providing smart technologies in all stages of agriculture. It is important to identify and exchange experiences with the countries of the region regarding success stories of increasing local production of fruits and vegetables using modern scientific methods that ensures sustainable water usage to reduce waste and access to quality products.
It is important to revise the currant food subsidies policy that includes food that does not comply with the recommendations of international organizations concerned with health and nutrition that contributes to increased consumption, waste and possibly misuse. It is extremely important to make the appropriate amendments to the quantities allocated to everyone in addition to replacing some of the items while adding others that are healthier and more nutritious.
Youth nutritional health is important; thus, it is a priority to review and amend food items sold in school canteens, complying with the approved regulations and requirements, following up on their implementation, and making appropriate adjustments based on the assessment of results. Imbedding health and nutrition into the school curricula in an attractive and interesting manner will encourage students to consume these foods in a scientifically proven methods such as front of pack labeling.
Participants shared the success stories of public-private partnership with regards to Kuwait flour mills and bakeries company which added micronutrients to flour to protect the community from health problems. Furthermore, fruit juice and nectar manufacturers agreed and reduced significant percentage of added sugar in their products. Also, manufacturers of salted snacks agreed and reduced percentage of added salt in their products.
Adopting unhealthy dietary patterns due to unfair advertisements and promotions in media of processed foods, sugar-sweetened and carbonated beverages, energy drinks, which are characterized by empty calories, is a major challenge that needs to be addressed.
It is important to educate mothers about maternal, infant and child nutrition, implementation of baby-friendly hospitals, and regional and international cooperation in this field.236- 239
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Participants unanimously agreed on the importance of establishing a crisis management policy within the sustainable development programs. They are also stressed on the importance of developing comprehensive and up-to-date statistical studies on consumption patterns and volume of food waste.
It is important to implement food waste recycling in food industry, and the application of waste management systems, as well as encouraging competition among all companies committed to the food waste reduction.
As for government support for farmers, opinions differed about it, with some pointing to the necessity of maintaining government support and linking it to production. Others believed that government subsidies should be canceled in order not to be misused. Everyone agreed that there is a need to raise a new generation concerned with reducing food waste. This is achieved through educational curricula and tightening legislation to impose supervision on school canteens.
Participants suggested adding tax on lost and wasted quantities of food, with the aim of rationalizing consumption. Participants stressed the importance of adopting policies and programs that contribute to reducing costs and encouraging work to reduce water and electricity consumption in agriculture. There is a need to encourage local agriculture to achieve self-sufficiency in food. As for voluntary work to provide food to families in need, participants suggested the importance of cooperation with retailers and food establishments to withdraw food before its expiration date for distribution to these families, thus reducing food waste.
Participants noted the importance of the existence of units for the safe disposal of carcasses of dead livestock and the need to develop feed mills to serve livestock breeders, combat animal epidemics, and develop plans to vaccinate livestock in line with scientific evidence and international guidelines in this field.236- 240
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The participants suggested that the enactment of legislation and government support is essential and that there is a need to incorporate modern technology in agricultural and industrial fields, but the most prominent challenges were the high prices that needed government support. It is important to enforce laws and impose taxation to force companies to recycle agricultural and industrial waste and reuse it to protect the environment.
The importance of cooperation between agencies and encouraging joint work between private and government institutions and public benefit associations is urgently needed. The relationship between the Public Authority of Environment and the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources must be strengthened due to their mutual interests. Learning from success stories in the use of technology in agriculture is cost effective. Companies expressed their willingness to share their successful experiences and provide consultations and capacity building to small and medium enterprises in water waste management.
Participants stressed the importance of establishing a higher council for food security, or a national company concerned with food security. In addition, the participants expressed the need to support research in agriculture and food production as well as supporting environmentally friendly food production by the small and medium enterprises companies.
They also suggested the need for capacity building about agricultural technology and food industries and promoting the incorporation of environmental citizenship in school curricula.236- 241
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Establishing policies and laws or amending current laws for the advancement of agricultural and industrial sectors and developing professional skills to promote equitable livelihoods, equality, and justice for all segments of society. Enacting new laws to protect small and medium food enterprises is needed.
Participants discussed the need to develop curricula to encourage the younger generation to enroll in specialties related to veterinary medicine and agriculture such as agricultural engineering and other either in Kuwait or abroad. This will contribute to increase job opportunities and raise the rates of local food production.
There is an important need to revise food subsidies in line with the current economic, social and health circumstances. The importance of allocating lands to support entrepreneurs to increase and diversify agricultural production while identifying strategic food items needed by the consumers to contribute to food security. Legislating laws related to equity and equality in job opportunities and allocating funds to support entrepreneurs in the field of food production to ensure sustainability was strongly emphasized.
Encouraging recycling and utilizing excess food, which reduces food waste. Many participants expressed their concerns regarding challenges that limit local food production such as unfairness of agricultural land distribution, misuse of agricultural lands and lack of accountability.236- 242
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There are many challenges that face Kuwait regarding action track 5 and the need to ensure adequate supplies of safe and nutritious foods. Due to the limited agricultural production, rapid growth in food demand, the huge dependency on imported food and the presence of several regulatory bodies working in the field of food, agriculture, and health leads to an overlap of responsibilities and thus leads to ineffective implementation.
Providing safe and nutritious food by following laws, legislations and updated standards helps to improve food production systems and ensures the principle of “If it is not safe, it is not food'. It is also important to establish food traceability mechanisms to track food production of imported and locally produced food, and the necessity to apply penalties to violators on the misuse of pesticides for example.
Many opinions emphasized the necessity of investing in the field of modern agriculture technologies due to its importance in steadfastness and standing in the face of natural changes. This would help in agricultural production opportunities and supports the production system by urging the adoption of good agricultural practices.
One of the most important solutions discussed to amend the current conditions of food systems namely, manufacturing, cultivation, import, through all the food and nutrition chain systems to ensure quality and food safety for the consumer. Risk based analysis must be properly implemented. It was also mentioned by the participants that community awareness of food security and sustainability is important during the early stages of education.237- 238
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Different action tracks had different areas of divergence. Action Track 1: 'Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all' showed no disagreement. Rather, there was consensus and agreement on the importance of enacting necessary laws, legislations and activating partnerships between all concerned sectors, whether governmental, private, and civil unions to achieve the desired goals.
Action Track 2: 'Shift to sustainable consumption patterns' opinion divergence involved different opinions regarding the need to recycle food wastes whereas others focused on eliminating food waste altogether.
Action Track 3: 'Boost nature-positive production' revealed no disagreements. In fact, everyone agreed on the challenges facing agricultural and industrial production. Also, it was agreed on the lack of legislation and laws related to agricultural waste and loss.
Action Track 4: 'Advance equitable livelihoods' showed no differences in opinions. On the contrary, it was noted that there is a great agreement among all participants on the importance of promoting a culture of justice and equality among all segments of society and ensuring the achievement of justice and equality for all and combating discrimination as one of the foundations supporting the promotion of fair livelihoods.
Action Track 5: 'Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress' showed agreement among participants.- 14 Year old student participating in the dialogue- Siham Al Roumihttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Siham2.jpg
- 14 Year old student at the dialogue - Siham AlRoumihttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Siham-3.jpg
- PAFN team working on the dialogue preparation.https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/PAFN-team-at-the-dialogue-scaled.jpg
- Certificate of attendance.https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Food-Summit-Dialogue-2021-Certificate.pdf
- Kuwait report in Arabic.https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/تقرير-الكويت-لحوار-النظم-الغذائية-باللغة-العربية.docx
- 16 year old high school student at the dialogue- Jana Al Mutawahttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Jana-Al-Mutawa.jpg
- 14 Year old high school student at the dialogue- Reema AlSayerhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Reema-Al-Sayer.jpg
- 14 Year old high school student at the dialogue- Reema Al Sayerhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Reema-Al-Sayer1.jpg
- Dialogue coverage on National TVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtRKdMOGcZ4
- Video clip of PAFN work during the preparation for the dialoguehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaH0Jhzqhg4
- Good morning Kuwait coverage of the dialoguehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvgUiu2c-rg
2021-04-12 07:42:59205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue with Japan Agricultural High school Principals Associationhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/11095/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?In the Japan National Food Systems Dialogue with Japan Agricultural High school Principals Association held on 17th March 2021, MAFF explained the outline of FSS including the purpose, the key issues of sustainable food system etc. The members of the association made comments on that.234- 238
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In this dialogue, we discussed challenges and opportunities related to all Action Tracks.235- 238
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The meeting with agricultural high school principals was held to exchange opinions on education related to SDGs and sustainable food systems. Main ideas and opinions are as follows:
・Most students at agricultural high schools used to be sons and daughters of farmers who would inherit farmland. However, with the decreasing number of young farmers, the agricultural society is hard to keep up these days, lacking a clear image of students for agricultural education. Thus, establishing a new model of the agricultural community is critical for the society as well as agricultural high schools.
・At schools, the students study SDGs as a research theme for finding solutions. If they learn that SDGs is the center topic of discussions at the Unite Nations Food Systems Summit, they become much more interested in their research on SDGs. It is possible for high school students to have the worldwide perspective and consider SDGs through their daily research, which, as a result, would improve their motivation for study.
・Workshops in which high school students can participate are very good opportunities for educators to convey the importance of SDGs and sustainable food systems to them. They understand that pursuing SDGs is a worldwide challenge, and by understanding this, they improve their ability to think by themselves through interactive communication and exchange of opinions.
・Each agricultural high school makes its own effort, aiming at all 17 goals of sustainable development. On the other hand, the students may not understand worldwide socioeconomic circumstances very well. If the national and local governments provide related information more, they will understand the worldwide socioeconomic circumstances and SDGs much deeper. Then, specific ideas and action among students can emerge.
・Holding a regional meeting in cooperation with each regional branch of the national government or local government, or holding an information exchange meeting with foreign students, is a good stimulus for the students and it would lead to better understanding to SDGs and sustainable food systems.2021-04-12 10:50:04205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue with 4H Club membershttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/11622/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?In the Japan National Food Systems Dialogue with 4H Club members held on 22nd March 2021, MAFF explained the outline of FSS including the purpose, the key issues of sustainable food system and asked following questions.
Q1. What kind of action and measures (including developing technologies, establishing systems for spreading, accelerating investments, etc.) do you need for reducing the use of chemical fertilizer and chemical pesticides, and further promoting organic farming?
Q2. As a young farmer like yourself, do you feel any difficulty to express your opinion in the local community? Is there anything you want to change to improve the present situation?
The 4H Club members made comments on that.234- 240
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In this dialogue, we discussed challenges and opportunities related to Action Track 3 especially regarding action and measures for reducing the use of chemical fertilizer and chemical pesticides, and further promoting organic farming, and Action Track 4 especially regarding difficulties of young farmers in expressing their opinions in the local community and solutions to the situation.235- 240
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The meeting with 4H Club members was held to exchange opinions related to SDGs and sustainable food systems. Main ideas and opinions regarding action and measures for reducing the use of chemical fertilizer and chemical pesticides, and further promoting organic farming are as follows: (1) When Japan intends to promote organic farming, genome editing crops may become a barrier to the export of agricultural products in the future. It is necessary to stay in line with international standards while facilitating innovation in Japan. (2) In Europe, the public purchase of organic farm products has become widespread. 50% of school lunch in France are said to be public purchased organic products. In Japan, we need to introduce locally produced organic products into lunch at public schools. (3) There are only a few kinds of pesticides in the field of horticulture. It will be helpful if a pesticide that steers resistibility of plants is developed. (4) As pesticides cannot be used much for organic farming, it will be useful if the herbicide that only makes specific weed died down is developed. (5) Organic farming and reduced pesticides are feasible only when consumers are willing to buy the products for a high price. Without changing consumers’ attitude, farm producers cannot be changed. (6) When promoting organic farming, we need well-established training systems including a curriculum of sales for organic products. (7) There is a gap in items and areas for reducing pesticide use and organic farming that can be introduced. Therefore, it is necessary for us to develop technologies suitable for the land at an experimental laboratory in each prefecture. (8) It often happens that excess supply in the market pushes down prices, and farm products are easily influenced in terms of price. If an IT system indicating the timing of seeding in each production area is developed, we can avoid overlapping of picking seasons and free fall of the prices. (9) 20% to 30% of agricultural products are discarded in the process of production, therefore, we should consider reforming the existing standards and distribution systems. -Main ideas and opinions regarding difficulties of young farmers in expressing their opinions in the local community and solutions to the situation are as follows: (1) Active young farmers are joining in the agricultural organizations for youth such as 4H club. It is important to expand these activities nationwide, and the involvement and support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is very helpful. (2)After I joined in 4H club and was assigned to an official position, I won the confidence to be able to express my opinion. We would like to encourage young farmers to participate in agricultural organizations and to have experience to express their opinions.2021-04-12 12:20:41204INDEPENDENT FOOD SYSTEMS DIALOGUE IN CHINAhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1565/- 203
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes2021-04-13 16:41:26205Stage 1DIALOGO ACCIONES PARA TRANSFORMAR EL SISTEMA ALIMENTARIO DE HONDURAS AL 2030https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8707/- 84
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?En el primer dialogo se utilizó la estructura de la gobernanza en seguridad alimentaria y nutricional con que cuenta Honduras y al comienzo se hizo énfasis en la cumbre, haciendo una recopilación de los esfuerzos globales para mejora de los índices de la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional y de los sistemas alimentariosHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Integración en este primer dialogo de sectores claves en el funcionamiento y apoyo al sector de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional, cooperación internacional , Gobierno ,sector privado.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Acciones para transformar los Sistemas Alimentarios de Honduras al 2030:
i) Importancia de la participación de Honduras en el diálogo nacional para la cumbre de los sistemas alimentarios:
Los sistemas alimentarios actuales son una de las causas del hambre y el cambio climático, por lo cual para erradicar el hambre será necesario provocar cambios significativos en las formas en que se financien, producen, procesan, comercializan, almacenan, distribuyen, preparan, comparten y consumen la mayor parte de los alimentos.
Nuestra gente: una población joven que ha demostrado su gran potencial en idiomas y trabajo a distancia
Nuestro clima: un clima privilegiado para la producción de alimentos con la implementación de tecnología de control de riesgos. Una situación de alta vulnerabilidad al hambre y al cambio climático reconocida por la comunidad internacional.
Nuestra ubicación: nuestra ubicación y puertos nos permiten ser el HUB de Centro América para los servicios logísticos de los sistemas alimentarios regionales modernos.
Nuestra cobertura en telecomunicaciones: un alto grado de cobertura en zonas rurales del país.
Nuestra planificación estratégica: Un sistema de planificación para el desarrollo con herramientas y sistemas de medición fácilmente adaptables a la visión del futuro.
ii) Análisis de las vías de acción: El fin del diálogo es que al final como país podamos determinar las vías de acción que vamos a seguir. Los diálogos buscan tener un equilibrio en temas de pobreza y equidad, en temas de desarrollo y empoderamiento de mujeres, jóvenes y grupos vulnerables.
iii) Reconocer que tipo de sistema alimentario tenemos:
Cuáles son las políticas enfocadas en esto y que tenemos que reconocer el avance de la empresa privada/cooperación; que nuestro sistema alimentario está atado a decisiones de países vecinos, etc. Si logramos reconocer cuáles son las brechas, reconocer tanto los avances como los desafíos, podremos entonces avanzar al 2030.
Se buscan los puntos que nos permita avanzar fácilmente, que nos permita mejorar e identificar las áreas que no estamos atendiendo apropiadamente y crear planes de acción para cerrar brechas. El país ha avanzado en los últimos 20 años, pero también se ha disparado el tema de sobre peso y obesidad que afecta la población Es por es que tenemos que tomar en cuenta no solo la desnutrición, pero ahora también el sobre peso y obesidad. En cuanto a producción, debemos crear estrategias de protección ante el cambio climático.
iv) Mecanismos de cambio: Impulsar los diálogos y que a través crear una hoja de ruta estructura con la posición de país que permita medidas de acción sostenibles235- 239
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A) Desarrollo y equidad: No se puede inseguridad alimentaria si no hablamos de pobreza y desigualdad. Todos estos puntos están interconectados.
B) Identificar las áreas que no se están atendiendo apropiadamente, para crear planes de acción y cerrar brechas. Se deben articular y alinear esfuerzos del Plan Nacional de Reconstrucción y Transformación. Identificar realidades que permitan promover acciones de cambio.
C) Se debe promover la transferencia de conocimiento y tecnología a los productores como buenas prácticas sostenibles que contribuyan a este mejoramiento y disminuir la vulnerabilidad climática. Dar a la población la información necesaria para que ellos sepan como alimentarse
D) Atención al tema agua como derecho universal y como el primer alimento: Priorizar el manejo integra de microcuencas en las comunidades, la incorporación de tecnologías limpias en los planes e manejo de cuentas, con fines de mercado pero también para la disponibilidad de alimentos: agricultura orgánica, manejo de desechos sólidos, recuperación de suelos degradados y otros.
E) Se necesitan otros actores dentro de los esfuerzos (por ejemplo, el sector salud)
F) No podemos centrarnos solo en la producción, existe toda esta parte de los flujos de mercado, integrar más las producciones. El sector urbano es sumamente importante.
G) El tema de innovación: debe existir innovación tecnológica en temas como financiamientos, buscar más sectores y rebajar los costos.
H) No existen cifras resientes que nos permitan tener un panorama de lo que está sucediendo (no tenemos cifras resientes de desnutrición infantil, por ejemplo).
I) Crear espacios de participación para los grupos que suelen ser excluidos en estos diálogos (grupos vulnerables especialmente mujeres y jóvenes, así como a los pequeños productores).
J) Es importante tener mecanismos de quejas y que los proyectos lleguen a donde deben y que realmente se logre el impacto necesario.
K) Se debe considerar en que forma se armoniza estos sistemas agrícolas en torno a políticas forestales, que representan un capital para su desarrollo, ya que la perdida forestal ha hecho que aumente la vulnerabilidad.
L) Se debe enfocar a diversificar la producción a productos hortícolas y frutales y enfocarnos geográficamente donde hay potencial
M) Medios de vida equitativos: ejemplo mercados inclusivos, medios de vida, distribuir los insumos para que pequeños productores puedan diversificarse, además del esquema de maíz y frijol, acceso a tecnología en general y mejora de productividad de estos productores
N) Es importante la participación comunicatoria y empoderamiento de las comunidades y gobiernos locales tomando en cuenta la participación de la comunidad para que se sientan apropiados del tema y tomar en cuenta las ideas y experiencias de ellos.
O) Apuntar hacia una visión global de los sistemas alimentarios, analizar cuáles son las acciones que realizan los países vecinos y como estas podrían repercutir en nuestros esfuerzos.
P) Después del análisis realizado por tres mesas de trabajo la conclusión son que el gobierno debe priorizar de cara al cumplimento de ODS las vías de acción 4 y 5, de tal forma que se fortalezca la acción de políticas públicas presupuesto y gestión de cooperación sin descuidar las acciones de gobierno y sociedad en las vías 1 2 y 3 debemos mencionar .
Q) A raíz de la vulnerabilidad que se vio exacerbada por las tormentas ETA e IOTA y la pandemia del Covid -19 el gobierno está enfocado en un plan de reconstrucción sostenible inclusivo donde se priorizando la vulnerabilidad, generación de empleo para poder cerrar la brecha de inequidad del país .236Tenemos hasta 10 temas de debate para los próximos diálogos el primer dialogo se enfoco en la ruta a seguir.237- 238
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a) Áreas de trabajo a tomar en cuenta:
Centrarse en la producción y su calidad vs. Tomar en cuenta al sector urbano que juega también un rol importante
b) Grupos de interés a involucrar
Grupos vulnerables, mujeres y jóvenes, pequeños y medianos productores vs. Gobierno central y gobiernos locales
Participación de todos los sectores vs. Participación inmediata de los tomadores de decisiones
c) Análisis:
Se deben analizar las prácticas locales y sus efectos vs. Tomar en cuenta las acciones de los países vecinos y como estas repercuten en nuestros esfuerzos
d) Intervenciones:
Se necesita intervención de la cooperación externa para solventar las problemáticas vs. El gobierno central debe centrar mayores esfuerzos en esas problemáticas2021-04-15 19:30:36204Strengthening Landscape Partnerships: A “game-changing” solution?https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/6291/- 203
2231351175711210111931412514137184654414431004112668106107144221How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The dialogue was designed to incorporate the Principles through the inclusive landscape lens with the concept of “strengthening landscape/seascape partnerships” responding to most of the Principles given the urgency, inclusiveness, rights-based approach, respectfulness of diversity, and the need to complement the work of others to transform food systems.
In addition, we committed to the summit and its process for moving the agenda forward by inviting the Deputy Head of the UNFSS Martin Frick and the lead for Action Track 3 Joao Campari to introduce the summit and listen to the feedback from landscape leaders and support institutions.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Given the systemic nature of food systems, the incorporation of an integrated landscape approach with Landscape Partners was meant to offer an inclusive and rights-based approach for global perspectives with a multi-stakeholder approach. Focusing on the game-changing solution of “strengthening landscape partnerships” through Action Track 3, we were focusing explicitly on the Principles of:
• Acting with urgency
• Committing to the summit (as explained in the previous answer)
• Being respectful
• Recognize complexity
• Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusiveness
• Complement the works of others
• Building trust
We did this by using our independent dialogue to give a voice to different landscape perspectives by inviting four diverse landscape leaders representing their territories needs and perspectives which were invited to discuss the challenges they face and the needs they have for institutional support to support their locally developed plans that support food systems.
We invited stakeholders from organizations that support landscape partnerships to also discuss their experience in how they have been supporting landscape partnerships develop and what they see to being most effective in helping them reach their goals of supporting livelihoods and nature-positive outcomes in the context of the FSS.
Our ultimate goal was for landscape leaders and supporters to share their perspectives and needs, while also engaging with a wider audience across the FSS. Understanding that food systems involve everyone, it is essential to embrace multi-stakeholders globally and find ways to complement the work being developed by everyone. This is why we were very pleased to see multiple interactions throughout the dialogue, which can build trust and coalitions for the FSS.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?To truly commit to the ambition and urgency needed for food systems transformation, there is a need to intentionally bring together participants and an audience which is fill of diverse opinions and contexts to most accurately reflect the complexity of a systems transformation that is being sought at the FSS and listen to these perspectives. Collaborate with the different organizations and individuals that will be speaking at your dialogue and through their networks to have more divergence and richness throughout the dialogue.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?The virtual session featured an overview of the Summit process by the UNFSS leadership, the voices of four landscape leaders from Africa, Latin America and the United States, and the perspectives of national and international Landscape Partnership support organizations. We were delighted to welcome over 340 participants who participated throughout the entire event, with over 890 registrations, from 71 different countries. However, to gather the data for the event for the FSS, we developed several polls to ask the questions on age, sex, sector, and stakeholder information in the opening part of the event. Unfortunately this means we can only report back on the information of the participants that joined the event in the initial 5 minutes. The event was curated to gather feedback, perspectives and needs from local landscape partnerships and support organizations.
There was lively discussion in the chat, and we dedicated time to gathering feedback, perspectives, and questions to ask the panelists and participants. The points of convergence and divergence were heard and discussed through the chat where a detailed recorded can be accessed with the notes from the chat.
The agenda of the event was curated to allow all of the speakers to share their perspectives, opinions and their needs to the FSS. The facilitator then intentionally asked for questions from the wider audience and asked the panelists respond to the perspectives and questions from the audience.
Points of convergence and divergence were discussed, particularly in the chat function of the event, with different perspectives emerging and the needs to discuss more in-depth arising. Due to time constraints, and the digital platform, there was an expression from participants to continue to conversation.
The agenda can be found below:
• Welcome
• Introduction and Objectives
• Panel 1: What support do Landscape Partnerships need and want
• Participant Inputs
• Panel 2: How can organizations supporting landscape partnerships be more effective?
• Participant Inputs
• Comments from speakers and participants – how to move this agenda forward?
• Next Steps and Closing234- 238
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The focus of the dialogue was a combination of (ii), (iii) and (iv). In the context of systems change, there is a need to explore who will, in practice, operationalize the food systems transformation at a local level and translate the global ambition of food systems transformation. Landscape/seascape partnerships, through an integrated landscape management approach, through locally developed and agreed upon action plans can manage the trade-offs in their landscapes while ensuring human rights are met. However, for LPs to support systems transformation it is necessary to understand what the FSS can do to support local-led visions. This integrated “game changing” solution was developed within AT 3, however, it links mainly to action tracks 1, 4 and 5 due to food systems developing within action tracks and their local decision making for access to safe and nutritious food for all, advance equitable livelihoods, and build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses all occurring at a landscape level.235- 238
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Landscape Partnerships (LPs) are increasingly seen as an inclusive, integrated solution to managing nature-positive and livelihood challenges. This was highlighted by the remarks from the UNFSS leadership, saying that “Landscapes are a perfect example of how to manage the complexity [of food systems transformation] because on a piece of land the interdependencies of water, grazing, cropping, consumption and pollution becomes clear. And it’s in a landscape where you can organize people to work together” Martin Frick, Deputy to the Special Envoy for the UNFSS. Joao Campari, lead for Action Track 3 also highlighted that Landscape Partnerships can play a crucial role in aligning ecological processes with sustainable food production.
There thus seem to be great opportunities for LPs to become a central feature of food systems transformation using nature-based climate solutions, green growth and post-covid recovery plans under development. However, landscape partnership leaders and support organizations agreed that they are lacking the needed institutional support to transform food systems. It is essential that if food systems transformation wants to be supported, we must listen to those working at a landscape-level to respond to their evolving needs. However, most national and state institutions are set up to provide support designed for the top-down, sectoral siloed modes of the past. Therefore, there is a high risk that LPs will be bypassed by these new global transformative initiatives, unless institutions and support functions can adapt to local needs.
Other conclusions included:
• the decision-making power of current economic systems was challenged as being unfair, particularly to local/indigenous/seasonal ways of life that are not included in most decision-making processes for large international summits. In addition, the inter-generational view of economic decision making for food systems was also questioned around what was meant by “sustainable”.
• The need to integrate young and local leadership, emphasizing the need for education for the younger generation and future decision-makers in landscapes which was not explicitly stated, for knowledge transfer of landscape wisdom.
• Value-chain approach to food systems not the right way to work through things, though the existing system, with needed landscapes to also increase their resiliency through more traditional methods236- 238
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Landscape and Seascape Partnerships: Opportunities and Requirements
Our participants stressed the need for systems and institutions responsive to the needs of an integrated landscape management approach. Given the evolving social and environmental needs of landscape partnerships over time, they highlighted vital areas they requested support from the UNFSS:
• Governmental support creating enabling conditions for developing and supporting landscape partnerships to transform food systems, while managing socio-ecological needs through effective governance.
• Market development for natural capital value, mainly through payments for ecosystems services, giving value to landscapes and seascapes currently not accounted for.
• Linking results-based financing to impacts on biodiversity and livelihoods impacts.236- 238
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How can Landscape Partnerships be more effective?
Our landscape support organizations reiterated the need for long-term institutional support for landscape partnerships. They highlighted the following key areas where they requested support from the UNFSS:
• Technical support through data, tools, technology, and knowledge exchange for improved scenario planning and decision-making.
• Government coordination and public finance to de-risk investments from the private sector
• “Green growth” business transition, incubation and acceleration support for local entrepreneurs and businesses.237- 241
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The main divergences were around:
a) Perspectives on influence of supply chains, with some warning of lack of resiliency of food systems and being over-exposed to the market disrupts, while others emphasized potential innovations in supply chain processes supporting sustainable landscapes.
b) While many emphasized that involving finance in the right ways can be a solution, others saw financial actors as a threat, especially coming from extractive (i.e. palm oil growers) industries that will drive a different agenda.
c) Participants highlighted the different development of landscape partnerships and contextual needs based on countries i.e. comparing a “crowded” country of Malawi vs other more expansive countries like Canada that have significantly more territory and how integrated landscape management needs are significantly different in each context.
d) There were some differences in considering which stakeholder interests should be prioritized: the need of integrating more farmers and indigenous rights i.e., Land tenure/rights of returning land to indigenous people based on historical treaties vs Integrating land use and public/private partnerships in the current system.- Strengthening Landscape Partnerships: A “game-changing” solution?2021-04-16 17:30:26
- Blog on event https://ecoagriculture.org/blog/strengthening-landscape-partnerships-a-game-changing-solution-for-food-system-transformation/
2021-04-16 10:59:20204Arab Regional Food Systems Dialoguehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7089/- 62
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2471301125122113141005294192635581220416199059How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Dialogue was organized according to the set principles of engagement of the summit. An introduction set the scene for participants presenting the summit vision, objectives, and the current status of the Dialogues. In the first part of the Dialogue, High-level speakers emphasized on importance of holding dialogues in various forms to enable discussion, and exchange of ideas between variety of stakeholders aiming to present all proposals for actions to achieve sustainable food systems in the Arab region to the United Nations Food Systems Summit. International and National Speakers provided feedback on dialogues and region challenges after which an open discussion session was set. The dialogue modality allowed for active participation of stakeholders where participants provided solutions and actions either through direct intervention or by writing in the chat box. Organizers simultaneously copied all proposals into the interactive online platform called “Mural” to make them graphically visible for all to see and comment on.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Holding the Dialogue virtually necessitated the use of different approaches for engaging participants during the zoom session. English and Arabic translation were provided throughout, and the Dialogue conveners encouraged active participation. The session was recorded thus making it available for all participants. It also used the “Mural” application which allowed participants to see input simultaneously while being discussed. Many were also given a chance to provide input directly from the floor or in the chat box in relation to questions on action tracks. A diverse range of stakeholders were brought together to consolidate regional views, perspectives and experiences regarding pathways and potential actions for equitable and sustainable food systems transformation and support the implementation of the SDGs within the context of current realities.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is recommended to present the Summit objectives and vision and action tracks with some facts and evidence-based information linked to the action track at the beginning of the session. This may promote further intervention from participants especially if these facts are related to the region/country. Using an application that is visual and allows direct input from participants showed to be efficient in collecting further views and addressing hot issues that may arise such as identifying responsibilities for each game changer proposed and prioritizing issues based on relevanceDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?Owing to COVID-19 restrictions, the dialogue was organized as a 90-minute online meeting using the Zoom platform. The dialogue modality allowed for active participation of stakeholders using a combination of tools including an interactive online platform “MURAL” where participants were invited to write their proposals live in the chat while broadcasting. Time was allocated for active discussions and interaction.
The Arab Regional Food Systems Dialogue was divided into three main parts:
Part I Presented background information about the food system summit in general and the three types of dialogues and processes. It also provided a review of the selected five action tracks and the expected outcomes of the summit. Countries were also encouraged to hold national dialogues to participate either in the Pre- Summit happening in July, or in the Summit happening in September 2021.
Part II Presented regional perspective on food systems and main drivers affecting food security within the context of the Arab region. An overview of regional legislations and country examples were addressed pre- and post- COVID-19. This session highlighted the need for Dialogue especially in terms of building resilience of agricultural production systems especially for small holder farmers in response to crisis in the region. Youth representative also gave a perspective of the youth priorities in terms of food systems.
Part IV opened the floor for oral discussions in relation to the actions in addition to use of an interactive online discussion platform MURAL to allow participants to identify game changing solutions. Organizers copied what was written in the chat box and what is was being discussed.234- 238
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Participants were invited to propose actions and identify actors responsible for implementing these actions taking into consideration cross cutting issues including climate change, innovation, women, youth, and finance. As a result, game changing actions were proposed on each of the four identified issues related to the action tracks namely ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all, shifting to sustainable consumption pattern, boosting nature-positive production at sufficient scale, advancing equitable livelihoods and value distribution. The main outputs and messages from the two regional dialogues held earlier on March 9 and 11 for Arab youth and Arab stakeholders were also presented.235- 238
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The game changing actions identified across each of the four issues that were discussed include:
1. Call for all stakeholders to work together for implementing game changers. They all share the responsibility to shift food systems and change the rules of the game to achieve sustainable food security and nutrition for all.
2. Develop and adopt a regional guiding legislation about importance of having strategic stocks of essential commodities, whether food or non-food commodities so that it contributes to setting a safety percentage of these necessary commodities to avoid any shortages and crisis as witnessed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
3. Establishment of an Arab Centre for Food Security, that includes brings together Arab initiatives and that can provide appropriate financing through development and investment funds.
4. Below are the key messages emanating from the dialogue. These messages, along with other regional processes’ outcomes undertaken in the Arab Region (Arab Youth and Arab Stakeholders Dialogues), will be included, in a dedicated document that organizers will be submitting to Secretariat of the Food Systems Summit. The document will present pathways and key propositions for sustainable Arab food systems
(a) Need for improved coordination and cooperation as transformation is a shared responsibility that involves partnerships among all sectors of society and transparency is a prerequisite for the success of those partnerships.
(b) Adoption of a food systems approach that acknowledges inter-system and intersectoral linkages and the multiple outcomes of the food system: food security and nutrition, environmental, social and economic.
(c) Development of an evidence-based decision-making process by collecting, analysing, and sharing food system data and scientific analysis for the purpose of supporting the transformation process.
(d) Adoption of a context-specific approach to food systems resilience and sustainability at individual, household, social class and regional levels, taking into account shocks and stresses.
(e) Addressing issues of inequalities associated with gender, age and marginalization, especially but not exclusively those relating to the food system and that impinge on food security and nutrition and equitable, sustainable and resilient livelihoods including equal pay for equal job, access and ownership of resources, and forced child labor.
(f) Providing incentives for the adoption of nature-friendly technologies, entrepreneurs, climate smart agriculture, with special focus on the water, food and energy nexus as main derivatives for agricultural development and food security in the region
(g) Building capacities to adapt to climate change encourages use of renewable energy for food production and processing and using modern and appropriate technologies throughout the food systems value chain.
5. The resulting document and meeting report to be shared with member countries to guide and support the national dialogues when undertaken.236- 238
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Ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all
• Monitor the quality of the raw materials involved in the production process (basic and secondary materials)
• Support the inclusion of fish in the food and nutrition program
• Monitor local markets in terms of food quality and compliance with standards of healthy food
• Establish micro-scale food production systems in cities and villages distributed among the population and including the entire agriculture chain
• Support civil society organizations in food systems and encouraging related projects
• Increase collaboration between Arab countries especially those with common issues and establish mechanism between countries that aid in establishing a food security fund that supports food baskets
• Develop food banks and food-for-work programs
• Secure strategic Arab stocks that are not subjected to political tensions and establish an Arab food security center
• Improve government support for food factories (large and medium) such as stockpiling raw materials and considering them initial parts of strategic food storage
• Develop policies that control the food market and form regional operations unit that reports movement of the global stockpile of major food commodities and global price expectations
• Create data centers that provide advice to food industries in Arab region
• Implement an Arab regional strategy to ensure food safety
• Launch the International Year of Food Security to raise awareness and develop solutions
• Promote consumption of traditional food
• Initiate technical, administrative, and marketing units for food factories, that can prepare food industry managers and provide quality control
• Provide resources, consultations, and education to farmers and livestock keepers on how to maintain healthy and proper production. Further enhance training and specializations related to agriculture
• Establish an emergency committee during crises
• Encourage adoption of health standards and environmental labels, especially data related to product life-cycle analysis during the various stages of procurement, supply, storage and distribution236- 239
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• Enable dialogues with all the actors to reach healthy food systems
• Reconsider the freedom of children to choose and buy their meals before going to school
• Support production of high-quality homemade food while ensuring their affordability and promote local food production and traditional ways and educating consumers about the importance of supporting local products
• Propose a World Nutrition Day
• Increase consumer awareness and motivate and enable them to make good and healthy choices through social media, training and educational workshops, and providing offers on health products
• Raise awareness among media workers of the importance of healthy food
• Raise awareness among media workers of importance of healthy food and building on consumers' interests and perceptions of nutritional risks to change their food behavior
• Set up appropriate educational programs, courses and group activities targeting children and youth to changing consumer behavior, and use social media to achieve this goal
• Prepare a national action plan to develop sustainable consumption and production systems
• Exchange experiences and success stories and educate consumers and producers to move towards sustainable consumption and production patterns.
• Review national social protection programs, and replicate successful experiences from other countries
• Establish laws to ensure product quality, impose quality control and penalties on violators, and apply food taxes
• Ensure the establishment of an institutional framework concerned in transforming food systems into sustainable and healthy consumption and production systems and developing legislations that contribute to accelerating this transformation.
• Enhance the role of health institutions in raising consumers ’awareness of the need to change their unhealthy
• Enhance food integration departments, where each department coordinate among its members to address the quantitative or qualitative food shortage under the supervision of the United Nations as technical support.
• Provide financing to private institutions on projects that adopt sustainable production systems and establish new consumption behaviors that take into account the requirements of sustainability and waste reduction
• Increase investment in innovation and logistics systems such as climate-smart agriculture and improve post-harvest operations, infrastructure, packaging and cooling centers to reduce food waste and loss.236- 240
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• Reclaim and rehabilitate agricultural lands, encourage good management of resources and increase efficiency of resources used, especially ground and surface water and agricultural lands through the use of modern technology
• Enhance provisions related to technology transfer and capacity building included in the UN Climate Change Agreement
• Improve skilled professional and provide the necessary infrastructure
• Enhance the role of research and encourage scientific agricultural studies to solve problems of agricultural production, especially applied research
• Improve regional cooperation in scientific research, Arab partnerships, and exchange of capabilities according to the comparative advantage of agricultural production
• Promote genetic improvement programs for quantitative and qualitative production
• Endorse national campaigns on environmental challenges, and include in the education curriculums and disseminate pioneering experiences in agriculture and food processing
• Establish pilot projects that improve water and energy use and reduce pollution to support countries in crisis and with funds from World Bank, Green Climate Fund and FAO
• Support entrepreneurial projects and grant provision for youth initiatives
• Implement educational program on leadership in the field of agriculture and specializations related to urban agriculture
• Provide support for vehicles transporting crops and reduce transportation costs and provide qualified warehouses designated for storage and packaging
• Develop local plant varieties and animal breeds to increase production and productivity
• Develop post-harvest services through improving packaging, grading, transportation, storage, and manufacturing
• Enhance information availability on capabilities and provide a modern and up-to-date database
• Expand the use of digital solutions such as e-commerce platforms
• Reduce industrial costs by reducing taxes imposed on food factories and inviting them to exploit the largest available percentage of production capacity, adopting special prices for fuel (especially electricity) and supporting use of renewable energy equipment
• Find working storage for Arab food factories in the manufacture of grains, sugar, oils, and edible fats, dairy, red meat, production of broiler chicken and table eggs236- 241
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• Provision of financing mechanisms
• Focus specializations in universities based on qualifications and available resources
• Create youth leadership positions
• Encourage self-production and educating consumers about the importance of supporting local products
• Improving practical education on agriculture in communities, homes and buildings so that everyone can produce food
• Strengthen effective social protection networks based on sustainable financial resources and enhance the concept of social security through the preparation and support of the food basket and food banks
• Integrate social justice in the distribution and allocation of agricultural resources (land and water)
• Implement digital solutions such as e-commerce platforms, digital payments and simple digital technologies to enable smallholders to access data and knowledge to make timely and informed decisions and to connect them directly with markets and finance
• Focus on vulnerable groups, especially small farmers through providing support and financing and introducing modern technologies that increase productivity and production and improve their income.
• Integrate disaster risk reduction considerations into sustainable development strategies and policies to mitigate losses.
• Support animal breeders
• Activate the role of food cooperatives
• Resolve local and regional conflicts and alleviate the effects of wars, disasters and political sanctions to shift focus on productivity rather than conflicts
• Provide basic services in the countryside and enhance the methods and tools of rural finance so that the rural producers can enter the countryside and engage in production
• Support agri-food microfinance projects such as microfinance banks
• Facilitate access to agricultural lands for young women
• Promote and support women and youth participation in value chains by providing capital and financing mechanisms to invest in agriculture, as well as creating job opportunities and developing needed skills such as negotiation and project management.
• Use of modern technology, creating appropriate conditions for rural employment, and ensuring the sustainability of supply chains for various agricultural products.
• Review national legislations and regulations and integrate environmental protection policies adapting to climate change and limiting its effects, in line with the economic and social conditions of each Arab country.237- 238
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The participants were knowledgeable of the main challenges in the region and stressed on the need to have urgent action and implementation.2021-04-16 15:05:24204UNFSS: Grassroots Perspectives from Indiahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/1956/- 87
671102724550171681213441121542212147414935How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Act with Urgency – In our background note and invite letter to the dialogue, we incorporated the sense of urgency with which the UN Food Systems Summit has been convened, as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. We outlined the major crises facing our food systems today, and the pandemic’s role in exacerbating their effects.
Commit to the Summit – The Dialogue materials we prepared emphasised the importance of the Dialogues in the Food Systems Summit process and explained that the conclusions from this dialogue would inform the outcomes of the UNFSS.
Be Respectful – The Dialogue method, the introductory remarks of our Convenors and the skilful facilitation of our Facilitators set the tone as an open, respectful conversation rather than a debate. All discussions were respectful and collaborative, despite each discussion group having members with diverse perspectives.
Recognize Complexity and Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity – We invited participants with varying positionalities across the food system, from researchers and policymakers to development practitioners and farmers. This facilitated discussion that recognised the complexities of food systems in India from the perspectives of different stakeholders.
Complement the work of others – A major focus of the Dialogue was to discuss the learnings from programmes that are already being implemented. Many participants shared resources about initiatives being undertaken on the ground.
Build Trust – We abided by the Chatham House rule, ensuring that social media posts about the Dialogue did not reference individual statements. Our Facilitators created a safe, open environment by encouraging participants to share their views and appreciating them for the same.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?As mentioned above.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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As organizations that advocate for and work towards the interests of farmers and producers, we decided to organize an Independent Dialogue that would represent the farmers’ stakes in our food systems. In India, while there are separate policies on agriculture, food security and nutrition, the food systems approach is lacking. The problems of unsustainable production, producer's livelihoods, consumer welfare and the environment are often seen at odds with one another. However, these issues intersect for the farmer, who is both a producer and a consumer, and depends on the environment for their livelihood. Keeping this in mind, the focus of our dialogue was on ‘Building synergies between seemingly competing interests of production, consumption, livelihoods and the ecosystem’, in the Indian context.
As the focus encompassed several major aspects of our food systems, it was decided to have discussions organized around the five Action Track Discussion Starter papers. The participants were assigned to five discussion groups based on their preference, which would each explore an Action Track. The objective of each group was to discuss the specific issues under each Action Track as well as the linkages (including trade-offs and synergies) with other Action Tracks. Each group also discussed the concrete actions/solutions that could be undertaken by different stakeholders in the food system, such as governments, producers, civil society and the food industry.235- 238
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The major findings from the Dialogue are detailed below:
• The shift to agro ecological approaches and nature-positive production systems needs to be taken up on a priority basis. Scientific evidence and documentation of regenerative production practices are essential to facilitating this shift in policymaking and governance.
• Although there is a need for a national level policies that facilitate the shift towards sustainable production and consumption, their implementation should be decentralized. National policies need to be flexible to accommodate the needs of local communities and the specificities of regional ecologies.
• For decentralized implementation to be effective, local institutions and human resources need to be mobilized. In consumption, this can be done through existing government schemes such as the Public Distribution System (PDS), Anganwadi and mid-day meal schemes.
• Empowerment of the community, and specific stakeholders such as farmers, women and consumers, should be encouraged through women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and consumer co-operatives.
• Although there is a broad understanding of the problems in food systems, there is a strong need for workable, context specific solutions. The participants were requested to share breakthrough solutions that are already being implemented on the ground (some of these solutions are attached with this form).
• Importance of diverse perspectives - The participants were also encouraged to hold similar dialogues with the stakeholder groups they work with, such as farmers, youth, indigenous people and women, so that these perspectives are also reflected in the Food Systems Summit.
• Need for continuous engagement. It was also agreed that the engagement of relevant stakeholders on food systems issues should not be limited to the Dialogues or end with the Food Systems Summit, but continue as an essential part of food systems transformation.236- 238
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The discussion prompts for Discussion Group 1 are given below:
Action Track 1 - Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all
• Is this feasible or a utopian wish? Can we do something towards this:
o For all involved in food production (as farmers, agricultural labourers, etc.)
o For rural communities?
• What are the best options to increase marginalised communities’ access to affordable, nutritious food?
Would this be through food stamps, public distribution programmes, direct benefit transfers, or other
measures?
• How can we identify the major food safety issues (such as adulteration, contamination and antibiotic
resistance) at production and post-production level? What are some of the low-hanging fruits that can
be targeted to improve food safety?
• Any other suggestions that AT1 must include in its mandate?
• Any suggestions for other Action Tracks?
The participants discussed the key challenges and solutions for ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all. Actions were discussed in three broad areas: improving access to nutritious foods for marginalized and rural communities, increasing consumer demand for natural, sustainably produced food and enhancing food safety.
In order to improve access to food and food security, participants suggested that the current production systems need to change and adopt agro ecological approaches. Government needs to play a role in incentivizing natural farming and setting up Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), especially for small and marginal farmers. They also recommended village/community level measures such as storage and distribution systems and backyard poultry for landless households.
To increase demand and consumption of nutritious food, the discussants recommended measures such as awareness campaigns, decentralizing procurement and distribution under the Public Distribution System (PDS), strengthening local markets (such as mandis) for farm produce and ensuring cooked, healthy meals to children under the Anganwadi and Mid-Day Meal programmes.
To enhance food safety, the measures recommended were government certification of organic products, soil testing and discouraging perverse incentives and subsidies (such as electricity and fertilizer subsidies) that encourage monoculture and industrial agriculture.236- 239
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The discussion prompts for Discussion Group 2 are given below:
Action Track 2 - Shift to Sustainable Consumption Patterns
• What constitutes Sustainable Consumption Patterns? How can we move towards them?
o Stricter governmental regulations? Or awareness campaigns and corporate volunteerism?
o Taxing foods that have an adverse impact on health (such as ultra-processed food and food high in
salt, sugar and fat)
o How do we understand the role of advertising in encouraging consumption of unhealthy foods? Can
we employ advertising to also discourage unhealthy food consumption?
• How do we tackle food waste at various levels – post-production stage, supply chain, consumer, and
retail?
• Is the circular economy approach feasible? Roles of community organizations, civil society?
• Any other suggestions that AT2 must include in its mandate?
• Any suggestions for other Action Tracks?
This discussion on AT2 revolved primarily around the question of how to define sustainable consumption and how can we move towards it. It was decided that sustainable consumption patterns would entail sustainability not just for the environment and the human body, but also over time. For this, changes needed to be made not just in production systems and government regulations but also in consumer behaviour.
There was an understanding that our current food systems encourage the consumption of unhealthy, processed foods, which are not only more affordable than fresh, healthy food but also more aspirational. The role of advertising was debated in this context and the discussants agreed that punitive measures such as regulating advertisements or taxing unhealthy foods needed to be supplemented by constructive measures such as building awareness and providing affordable alternatives.
Discussants also questioned the role of government in regulating food choices and consumption, as the Right to Food is recognized by the Indian constitution. The consensus was that the government’s role should involve providing information and awareness to consumers while also implementing behaviour change interventions such as removing sugary foods from checkout counters and promoting indigenous foods and kitchen gardens in schools. Government schemes and systems that are already in place, such as mid-day meals and Anganwadis, can be used to facilitate sustainable consumption at the local level.
The discussants then returned to the question of who should decide the standards for healthy and sustainable diets. Everyone agreed that, while national frameworks are necessary, they need to be flexible to be adopted within local cultural and environmental contexts. Indigenous and traditional foods, wherever supported by science, should be promoted.
The question of food waste was also discussed. The participants agreed that shorter value chains and the farm-to-fork approach would help in tackling food waste. Circular economy approaches should also be promoted, not just in terms of food but the overall capital of a community. The government could also play a role by regulating the food waste of food retail businesses, through certifications or ratings.236- 239
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The discussion prompts for Discussion Group 3 are given below:
Action Track 3 - Boost Nature-Positive Production
• Can we improve crop intensity and productivity while protecting and restoring the environment? How?
• Can we have production practices that help create resilience to climate change while also restoring
degraded ecosystems? Examples?
• What needs to be done to shift to nature-positive production?
o Government steps to reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture and incentivise ecosystem
services?
o Local input-output shops, Champion Farmers, women’s SHGs, Farmers’ Collectives, digital
platforms?
• Any other suggestions that AT3 must include in its mandate?
• Any suggestions for other Action Tracks?
The discussion centred on the question of what measures should be taken to shift towards nature-positive production. Many discussants highlighted certain regenerative agriculture approaches such as Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), which has been implemented in states like Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. It was agreed that there is a lack of proper scientific evidence and poor documentation of traditional natural farming practices. These should be taken up on a priority basis and disseminated to both farmers and policy makers.
The importance of local level collectives such as FPOs, women's Self Help Groups (SHGs) and cooperatives in bringing about the transition to natural farming on the ground was acknowledged. The role of the government in this transition was also discussed, in terms of incentivizing and subsidizing natural farming (such as compensation for ecosystem services) instead of chemical intensive agriculture.
Participants also spoke about the consumption side of the issue, as increasing the market demand for natural produce is equally important. This could be done through consumer awareness and increasing the affordability of such produce. At the same time, farmers’ incomes needed to be remunerative. Providing quality bio-inputs at low cost was also crucial to increasing farmers’ margins.236- 238
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The discussion prompts for Discussion Group 4 are given below:
Action Track 4 - Advance Equitable Livelihoods
• How do we increase employment and incomes for farm-centric, sustainable rural livelihoods?
o Repurposed agricultural supports and subsidies?
• How do farmers realise better prices?
o Market reforms, infrastructure and linkages?
o Support prices?
o Strengthened local food value chains, wet markets?
o Individual and collective enterprises?
• Should this be complemented by a welfare approach?
o Universal Basic Income or Direct Benefit Transfers?
o Interest subvention?
• Any other suggestions that AT4 must include in its mandate?
• Any suggestions for other Action Tracks?
In this discussion, there were two main overarching concerns: that farmers are perceived as only ‘beneficiaries’ and not as producers, service providers and risk-taking entrepreneurs; and how should we value farmers’ contribution to the economy and ecology? The share of rural India in the national GDP is much smaller than the share of its population. This implies that, even if farmers were to get their fair portion of the consumer rupee, it might not amount to a substantial income redistribution. This calls for a more expansive understanding of the valuation of farmers’ contribution, to include ecosystem services as well as their produce.
The solutions discussed for the above mentioned concerns included strengthening the local, circular economy, ensuring better price realization for farmers and creating equitable systems of production. This will involve knowledge generation at the grassroots level, enterprise development and infrastructure, all of which would require public investment. Crucial to such a transition would be farmers’ collectives and women’s SHGs, as a large proportion of small and marginal farmers are women. An appreciation for the ecological services provided by farmers should also be inculcated through mass consumer education, implemented through digital technologies. Finally, it should be remembered that the farmer is also a consumer and nutrition security should be ensured for farming households.236- 242
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The discussion prompts for Discussion Group 5 are given below:
Action Track 5 - Build Resilience to Vulnerabilities, Shocks, and Stress
• How do we prevent, cope with and mitigate the effects of shocks on vulnerable food systems actors
(farmers, fishers, livestock owners)?
o Social protection and safety net programmes?
o Government level, community level?
• Can we have food value chains resilient to economic and environmental shocks such as the recession
or global pandemics?
o Production-to-consumption?
o Local food value chains?
• How do we ensure food security for ecologically vulnerable and socially marginalised communities
(such as indigenous farmers, coastal communities and nomadic pastoralists)?
o Specific strategies?
o Roles of communities, civil society, Governments?
• Any other suggestions that AT5 must include in its mandate?
• Any suggestions for other Action Tracks?
Resilience and sustainability were two important keywords that anchored this discussion. The challenges of ensuring both resilience and sustainability, especially for marginalized and indigenous people, were discussed. Two closely linked approaches, of diversification and decentralization, emerged from the discussion.
Diversity involved acknowledging the diversity of agro-ecologies in India and the world, and recognizing that diverse, localized approaches needed to be taken. Transitioning away from the monoculture, rice-wheat model of the Green Revolution would require crop diversification according to the local environment. This would not only ensure carbon sequestration but also lead to increased diversity of foods consumed.
There was a consensus among the participants that production and consumption systems needed to be decentralized. This was further emphasized by the pandemic, where local supply chains became important. National and state policies needed to focus more on the principles of action and the outcomes rather than the inputs. Investing in local capacity building and consumer education would also facilitate decentralization.237- 238
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Despite the presence of diverse stakeholders, there were no major areas of divergence during the Dialogue. There was a broad consensus on the main issues with our food systems and the direction of their transformation. All participants were in agreement on the main findings of the Dialogue, especially on the urgent need to shift to regenerative agriculture, to empower small producers and women, to decentralize the implementation of government schemes and to build consumer awareness. There was also consensus on the ideal vision of a sustainable, equitable food system: which regenerates the environment, ensures decent incomes and livelihoods for producers, and facilitates access to and consumption of nutritious, safe food.2021-04-16 16:02:37204UNFSS: Grassroots Perspectives from Asia & Africahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2060/- 203
400619810103001511216173712111023211How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Act with Urgency – In our background note and invite letter to the dialogue, we incorporated the sense of urgency with which the UN Food Systems Summit has been convened, as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. We outlined the major crises facing our food systems today, and the pandemic’s role in exacerbating their effects.
Commit to the Summit – The Dialogue materials we prepared emphasised the importance of the Dialogues in the Food Systems Summit process and explained that the conclusions from this dialogue would inform the outcomes of the UNFSS.
Be Respectful – The Dialogue method, the introductory remarks of our Convenors and the skilful facilitation of our Facilitators set the tone as an open, respectful conversation rather than a debate. All discussions were respectful and collaborative, despite each discussion group having members with diverse perspectives.
Recognize Complexity and Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity – We invited participants with varying positionalities in the food system, from researchers and policymakers to development practitioners and farmers. This facilitated discussion that recognised the complexities of food systems in the Global South from the perspectives of different stakeholders.
Complement the work of others – A major focus of the Dialogue was to discuss the learnings from programmes that are already being implemented. Many participants shared resources about initiatives being undertaken on the ground.
Build Trust – We abided by the Chatham House rule, ensuring that social media posts about the Dialogue did not reference individual statements. Our Facilitators created a safe, open environment by encouraging participants to share their views and appreciating them for the sameHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?As mentioned above.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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As organizations that advocate for and work towards the interests of farmers and producers in India, we believed it necessary to organize an Independent Dialogue that would represent the farmers’ stakes in our food systems. The problems of unsustainable production, producer’s livelihoods, consumer welfare and the environment are often seen at odds with one another. However, these issues intersect for the farmer, who is both a producer and a consumer, and depends on the environment for his/her livelihood. This is especially important in the context of the Global South, where large populations depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Keeping this in mind, the focus of our dialogue was on ‘Building synergies between seemingly competing interests of production, consumption, livelihoods and the ecosystem’.
The geographical scope of our dialogue was Asia and Africa. Although the two continents comprise diverse ecologies and cultures, there are many similarities in our food systems that made our discussion a rich source of insights and learning.
As the focus encompassed several major aspects of our food systems, it was decided to have discussions organized around the five Action Track Discussion Starter papers. The five Action Tracks of the UNFSS served as the basis for the discussion topics. The Dialogue participants were requested to indicate an Action Track of their preference. As most of our participants indicated their preference for Action Tracks 1, 3 and 5, we decided to coalesce the Action Tracks into 4 Discussion groups:
• Discussion Group 1 - AT1 (Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all) and AT2 (Shift to sustainable consumption patterns)
• Discussion Groups 2a and 2b - AT3 (Boost nature-positive production)
• Discussion Group 3 - AT4 (Advance equitable livelihoods) and AT5 (Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress)
The Discussion Starter paper for their preferred Action Track was then shared with them, which formed the basis for the discussion. The objective of each group was to discuss the specific issues under the Action Tracks as well as the linkages (including trade-offs and synergies) with other Action Tracks. Each group also discussed the concrete actions/solutions that could be undertaken by different stakeholders in the food system, such as governments, producers, civil society and the food industry.235- 238
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The major findings from the Dialogue are detailed below:
• Nature-positive Production - The shift to agro ecological approaches and nature-positive production systems (such as regenerative or conservation agriculture) needs to be taken up on a priority basis. This transition needs to go hand in hand with a change in the narrative around farming in the Global South. Agriculture is often associated with poverty, and adopting nature-based approaches could help change this to one of pride and joy.
• Traditional Knowledge - Indigenous knowledge and traditional production practices should be conserved and promoted, as they are nature-friendly and sensitive to local ecologies. This is often validated by modern science as well. Thus, indigenous and scientific knowledge should be considered equally important in research and policymaking.
• Empowerment of Stakeholders – Any transition has to be community-driven to be sustainable over time. Thus, communities should be empowered to take ownership of this transition. This could be facilitated through capacity building and collectivizing schemes for specific stakeholders such as farmers, women, youth and consumers (such as women Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and consumer co-operatives).
• Improving Access and Affordability – One of the major challenges in implementing and scaling food systems initiatives is the lack of access or affordability of resources. On the consumption side, this manifests in lack of affordability/availability of safe, nutritious foods. On the production side, this could manifest in smallholder producers’ lack of access to knowledge or quality organic inputs. Thus, efforts should be directed towards improving access to resources for marginalized communities, through initiatives such as fair price shops or facilitating local production and sale of organic inputs.
• Role of Technology – Digital technology can be a useful tool in disseminating information, improving access to resources, and reducing the gender gap in agriculture.
• Funding – Funding for non-conventional food systems initiatives, such as regenerative agriculture, is often difficult to source. Linking grassroots organizations with donors or financial institutions that work in sustainable finance could be a solution. Banks and NBFCs should also be incentivized to provide credit to small farmers, for use in nature-positive production.
• Need for continuous engagement - The engagement of relevant stakeholders on food systems issues should not be limited to the Dialogues or end with the Food Systems Summit, but continue as an essential part of food systems transformation.236- 238
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The discussion prompts for Discussion Group 1 are given below:
Action Track 1 - Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all
• Is this feasible or a utopian wish? Can we do something towards this:
o For all involved in food production (as farmers, agricultural labourers)
o For rural communities?
• What are the options to increase marginalised communities’ access to affordable, nutritious food? Would this be through food stamps, public distribution programmes, direct benefit transfers, or other measures?
• How can we identify the major food safety issues (such as adulteration, contamination and antibiotic resistance) at production and post-production level? What are some of the low-hanging fruits that can be targeted to improve food safety?
• Any other suggestions that AT1 or the other Action Tracks must include in their mandate?
Action Track 2 - Shift to Sustainable Consumption Patterns
• What constitutes Sustainable Consumption Patterns? How can we move towards them?
o Stricter governmental regulations? Or awareness campaigns and corporate volunteerism?
o Taxing foods that have an adverse impact on health (such as ultra-processed food and food high in salt, sugar and fat)
o How do we understand the role of advertising in encouraging consumption of unhealthy foods? Can we employ advertising to also discourage unhealthy food consumption?
• How do we tackle food waste at various levels – post-production stage, supply chain, consumer, and retail?
• Is the circular economy approach feasible? Roles of community organizations, civil society?
• Any other suggestions that AT2 or the other Action Tracks must include in their mandate?
What are the synergies and trade-offs between ATs 1 and 2? How can they be maximized/minimised?
Concerning AT1, the participants agreed that providing access to safe, nutritious food to all was achievable, but required significant policy shifts and ground level changes. One of the most important steps towards this is to localize food value chains and public distribution programmes. This would lead to less food loss, sustainable, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and a more resilient food system. The participants highlighted the importance of building resilience in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which severely undermined nutrition security for millions in Asia and Africa. Regarding the issue of food safety, the participants emphasized the importance of incorporating traditional, indigenous knowledge with scientific knowledge. This information should be disseminated to consumers through food safety awareness campaigns. The food safety polices and implementing bodies (such as FSSAI in India ) need to be strengthened to tackle systemic issues such as adulteration and chemical residues in food. Along with this, the safety of air and water should also be ensured, as they can affect the health benefits accrued from safe, nutritious food.
The participants then addressed the issue of transitioning to sustainable and nutritious consumption patterns. Diversifying and localizing diets was seen as the way forward. Globalization and industrialization have resulted in increased consumption of processed foods in both Asia and Africa. This results in processed food being more affordable than fresh, organic produce, disproportionately affecting the health of the marginalized poor. Thus, governments should encourage the production and consumption of locally sourced foods. The group suggested producers and consumers should be organized into institutional collectives, which need to work together to better our food systems.236- 240
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The discussion prompts for Discussion Group 2a are given below:
Action Track 3 - Boost Nature-Positive Production
• Can we improve crop intensity and productivity while protecting and restoring the environment? How?
• Can we have production practices that help create resilience to climate change while also restoring degraded ecosystems? Examples?
• What needs to be done to shift to nature-positive production?
o Government steps to reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture and incentivise ecosystem services?
o Local input-output shops, Champion Farmers, women’s SHGs, Farmers’ Collectives, digital platforms?
• Can we have nature-positive integrated production with sustainable, decent incomes and livelihoods to producers? Examples?
• Any other suggestions that AT3 or the other Action Tracks must include in their mandate?
In this discussion, participants concurred on the need to change the narrative around farming such that parents can actually encourage their children to pursue it. In most parts of Asia and Africa, farming is associated with pain and poverty. Moving away from conventional farming practices could help change this narrative to one of hope and productivity. Participants pointed out that current farming policy often incentivizes chemically intensive agriculture, and concrete actions need to be taken to encourage nature-positive approaches, such as minimum tillage and conservation agriculture. Rwanda’s Green Growers initiative was brought up as an example of such a policy action. Policy that incentivized funding for non-conventional agriculture was also crucial. The importance of indigenous knowledge was also recognised in this transition, as traditional farming practices were more ecologically sensitive and sustainable. There is an urgent need to actively conserve and promote such indigenous knowledge, which is rapidly dying out due to the pressures of food security and commercialization.
The discussants then brought up the many implementation challenges that they had observed at the ground level. In the African context, smallholder farmers lack access to resources and policy support to make the transition to sustainable production. Intensive capacity building (such as educating farmers on effective farming practices) and providing access to resources (such as markets and value chains) were required to overcome these hurdles. Technology was also considered as a tool to increase access to resources, and to reduce the gender gap in agriculture. The participants agreed that any change had to be community-driven to be sustainable over time. Thus, communities needed to be empowered to take ownership of this transition through FPOs, women's SHGs and other collectivizing schemes. Informal/formal networks for resource and equipment sharing would also help make this transition sustainable over time.236- 240
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The discussion prompts for Discussion Group 2a are given below:
Action Track 3 - Boost Nature-Positive Production
• Can we improve crop intensity and productivity while protecting and restoring the environment? How?
• Can we have production practices that help create resilience to climate change while also restoring degraded ecosystems? Examples?
• What needs to be done to shift to nature-positive production?
o Government steps to reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture and incentivise ecosystem services?
o Local input-output shops, Champion Farmers, women’s SHGs, Farmers’ Collectives, digital platforms?
• Can we have nature-positive integrated production with sustainable, decent incomes and livelihoods to producers? Examples?
• Any other suggestions that AT3 or the other Action Tracks must include in their mandate?
The participants began by addressing the question of whether it was possible to shift to nature-positive production while maintaining productivity. The example of regenerative agriculture was brought up, which can be undertaken even in dryland ecologies. This type of production is environment friendly while also increasing productivity and profitability. A few participants spoke of their personal experience as farmers practicing conservation agriculture in India. They had seen improved yields, soil health and fertility and increased incomes. Another participant illustrated the experience of Thailand in implementing integrated land and water management in agriculture. The participants noted that traditional farming practices are also regenerative and scientific concepts such as permaculture and agroecology validate their significance. Thus, communities should be empowered to revive their indigenous knowledge to improve both human and planetary health.
The participants then discussed the implementation and scaling challenges for nature-positive approaches. Currently, the commercialization of agriculture has led to chemical intensive mono-cropping. This can make communities more vulnerable to shocks such as drought and famine, as history has often demonstrated (for instance, the Irish potato famine). It was agreed that the first requirement for the transition was the empowerment of small farmers. This would require support through policy instruments and collectivizing institutions such as cooperatives and FPOs. The lack of access or affordability of organic inputs was another constraint preventing the large-scale adoption of nature-based production. The setting up of Bio-input shops at the local level (as in Andhra Pradesh) could be a policy instrument to encourage natural farming and boost the village economy. The involvement of youth was also considered crucial in facilitating the shift. The participants also recognised the importance of creating solutions that are sensitive to local contexts and ecologies.236- 241
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The discussion prompts for Discussion Group 3 are given below:
Action Track 4 - Advance Equitable Livelihoods
• How do we increase employment and incomes for farm-centric, sustainable rural livelihoods?
o Repurposed agricultural supports and subsidies?
• How do farmers realise better prices?
o Market reforms, infrastructure and linkages?
o Support prices?
o Strengthened local food value chains, wet markets?
o Individual and collective enterprises?
• Should this be complemented by a welfare approach?
o Universal Basic Income or Direct Benefit Transfers?
o Interest subvention?
• Any other suggestions that AT4 or the other Action Tracks must include in their mandate?
Action Track 5 - Build Resilience to Vulnerabilities, Shocks, and Stress
• How do we prevent, cope with and mitigate the effects of shocks on vulnerable food systems actors (farmers, fishers, livestock owners)?
o Social protection and safety net programmes?
o Government level, community level?
• Can we have food value chains resilient to economic and environmental shocks such as the recession or global pandemics?
o Production-to-consumption?
o Local food value chains?
• How do we ensure food security for ecologically vulnerable and socially marginalised communities (such as indigenous farmers, coastal communities and nomadic pastoralists)?
o Specific strategies?
o Roles of communities, civil society, Governments?
• Any other suggestions that AT5 or the other Action Tracks must include in their mandate?
What are the synergies and trade-offs between ATs 4 and 5?
What can be done to maximise synergies and minimise trade-offs?
This group began the discussion by recognizing the complexity of the interconnections between various aspects of food systems. The importance of learning from nature, linking indigenous knowledge to modern science and disseminating it with the help of digitalization were also acknowledged. The participants then discussed the benefits of knowledge intensive and regenerative agriculture. This kind of agriculture encourages carbon sequestration, which in turn increases the groundwater table (for every gram of carbon sequestered, the soil can hold 8 grams more water). Regenerative agriculture also improves the soil microbiome. These can lead to greater resilience of farming to climate change and also decrease the chance of zoonosis like Covid-19.
The practicalities of promoting and implementing regenerative agriculture were then discussed. A crucial question was how these schemes would be funded. Participants suggested linking grassroots organisations in need of funding with financial/donor institutions that are looking to finance green initiatives. An example was Microsoft, which recently gave 1 billion US dollars to companies that were showing long-term carbon sequestration, to help them achieve their net zero carbon goals. It was also necessary to empower communities and facilitate development that spreads from farmer to farmer. Women’s SHGs and farmers could be considered as the unit of knowledge transfer. Universities could be enlisted to provide financial and capacity building training to these communities. The idea that farming is a business that has to provide financial as well as ecological returns should be mainstreamed.237- 238
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Despite the presence of diverse stakeholders from diverse geographies, there were no major areas of divergence during the Dialogue. There was a broad consensus on the main issues with our food systems and the direction of their transformation. All participants were in agreement on the main findings of the Dialogue, especially on the urgent need to shift to regenerative agriculture, to empower small producers and women through collectivization, to conserve and promote traditional knowledge and to improve access to resources for marginalized communities. There was also consensus on the ideal vision of a sustainable, equitable food system: which regenerates the environment, ensures decent incomes and livelihoods for producers, and facilitates access to and consumption of nutritious, safe food.2021-04-18 09:01:18205Stage 1Introducing Food Systems at a technical level to the ministries and institutions of the Royal Government of Cambodiahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7967/- 39
7564425561924122221122111432623843111619How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The dialogue was directed at engaging government staff in the dialogues and broadening their understanding of food systems. For this purpose, invitations were issued widely to allow interested staff to join the event and invitation letters were also sent to key ministries to request that the Ministers allocate staff to join for the purposes of formal representation. Key ministries involved in food production, processing and regulation of markets were specifically invited and given opportunity to present information on the role of the ministry in the food system. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation and the Ministry of Commerce accepted the invitations and presented an account of their role. This was to incorporate principles of inclusivity, to gain commitment to the summit and for building trust amongst government staff. This is necessary because the COVID-19 situation has prevented the conduct of a high-profile event involving senior government officials across the range of ministries engaged in the food system.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The presentations from the representatives of three ministries reflected a commitment to the dialogues on their part and the wide interest of other government staff to join the event also showed interest on the part of many staff, including at least 14 ministries and institutions and a number of senior officials.
The event was successful in building a climate of trust for the staff present and their participation in subsequent events will be the test of the commitment to the dialogues.
Although the starting point for many participants was that their existing strategies and plans are all that is needed for planning to 2030, there was some understanding amongst participants that recognition of complexity and learning from new ideas and approaches may yield new insights and contribute to a more sustainable food system. There will be an ongoing challenge for stakeholders to acknowledge that concepts such as food systems may make a substantive contribution, and for them not to fear that new thinking challenges the existing order or the basis for the current planning and policy.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Pay particular attention to securing broad, high level understanding and engagement. This will help to reduce the threat posed by 'new' paradigms for dealing with complexity. If the education system and academia are rooted in reductionist thinking and a prevailing orthodoxy of positivist science, there will be a challenge for the technical and scientific communities to accept a systems approach deliberately embracing complexity. This challenge will likely extend beyond scientific discussion into the political arena as points of disagreement and trade-offs are brought to the surface and openly discussed.
Prepare yourself for handling the discomfort that accompanies transformational thinking. Try to keep discussion focused on 'real' issues and experience, allow differences in points of view to be recorded and leave the resolution of differences to other forums.
Leave room in the agenda for contributions from women and youth and for consideration of issues that may be overshadowed by the mainstream voices in a crowded event.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The focus of this event was to introduce the food systems dialogues to technical staff from the line ministries and relevant institutions, to provide a basic explanation for the food system and to give key ministries an opportunity to describe their role in food systems. The dialogue was very broad and designed to serve as an entry point for many government staff who are likely to be involved in the in-depth dialogues over coming months.235- 238
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There is much discussion with ministries required to explain food systems, to determine the legitimacy of any outputs of the dialogue and the relationship of the vision and the roadmap to existing strategic planning. The dialogue will help determine the need for changes in the food system to promote sustainability and allow government, civil society and the private sector to discuss these matters. The dialogues will encourage thinking beyond existing approaches and recognition of new challenges. All stakeholders must join hands and act to address the issues of increasing population and demand for food, malnutrition in all forms, natural resource degradation and food losses and waste. Improved production capabilities have created surpluses of commodities for export and production continues to increase. The agriculture sector will focus on increasing the competitiveness of value chains; improving the resilience of infrastructure and trade facilitation; sustainable management of land, forests and fisheries; and improving the institutional and legal framework and capacities of human resources. In relation to food processing, the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation provides technical support for factories and for small and medium enterprises involved in food services. MISTI is focused on value creation, an area for great potential increases in the contribution of agriculture to the national economy. The Ministry of Commerce and the Cambodia Import Export Inspection and Fraud Repression Directorate in particular are deeply involved in issues relating to governance of the trade aspects of the food system. The Ministry of Commerce also provides a virtual food reserve system under management of Green Trade, monitors and responds to fluctuations in food prices in the markets, controls food losses and wastage, and regulates markets for food safety and for consumer protection. The Ministries recognise the multi-agency system is complex and requires cooperation along the value chain to ensure food quality and safety standards.236- 238
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THE VISION FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS FOR 2030
The vision should centre on ensuring sufficient safe and nutritious food for local needs of all Cambodians and a surplus for export. The farm to table approach should be promoted to manage food safety and quality.
The food system should also be adapted to climate change and to reduced environmental impacts. Use local and indigenous crops and varieties to develop greater resilience in food systems and to promote nutrition. Maintain emergency reserves of seed and other supplies to assist farmers in the event of disasters.
The food system should be independent and autonomous in food production and distribution and the management of waste. As much as possible the Cambodian food system should be independent of food from other countries. Promote local production. The promotion of local produce should also emphasize organic production methods.236- 238
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HOW TO ADDRESS THE CHANGES REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THE VISION
Ensure collaboration between the public and private sector is vital, with continuing opportunities for multi-stakeholder discussions and information sharing. This is critical for a consistent approach when doing business with trade partners.
Recognise the importance of consumers in the food system and provide consumer education to help consumers to access a healthy diet. There should be a fundamental change in emphasis away from a production driven system to one that is responsive to consumer demand.
Invest in new technologies and research to keep up with the challenges and the farmers and businesses involved must be kept informed. There will be fewer and fewer farmers as we move forwards, greater returns to labour through mechanization and technology are necessary to keep up. We need to make a special effort to attract and retain youth in employment within the food system. Invest in the human resources to support new technology and innovation.
Relevant laws need to be enforced.
There is no need to wait until 2030 to achieve the vision, every Ministry should have their own roadmap and be working on these issues.237Some representatives argue that it is not necessary to conduct food systems dialogues. The National Planning Process under the National Strategic Development Plan and Sectoral policies and plans already in place will guide the nation towards a prosperous and sustainable future. This is partly related to the systems nature of the dialogue which by definition is multi-sectoral and challenging to some entrenched sectoral interests. Nevertheless, the discussions were rich and generated many points of common interest.2021-04-18 09:16:13205Stage 2SUN Civil Society Alliance Cambodia’s food system dialogues https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7957/- 39
78022461041371411302312621238111223221613How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The dialogue was organised by the SUN Civil Society Alliance (CSA) specifically to collect more views from local and international NGOs so as to more deeply embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity and also to secure more participation of women. By working through the SUN CSA, there is a strong element of trust from the members and this is expected to lead to greater commitment to the dialogues on the part of civil society. The involvement of high level government officials in the opening helps also build trust on the part of government that the dialogue is open and constructive.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Introduction by senior representative of the SUN CSA and by senior representatives of government encouraged trust and respect for all parties and emphasised the importance of listening to the whole diversity of views, Participants were reminded that it is possible for us to disagree in the dialogues without be disagreeable. Facilitators were careful to ensure that different viewpoints did not dissolve into arguments back and forth and that the participants respected one another's rights to express their views without need for contradiction by other participants. The whole process reflected adherence to these principles.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Allow ample time for the discussion sessions and the information shared will be rich in detail and diversity of ideas.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The Vision for Sustainable Food Systems for Cambodia and how to achieve that vision.235- 238
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Points were raised to address all action tracks and these different tracks are well suited for organising the result into a roadmap. The ideas for developing the vision and the roadmap included points relating to each of the tracks. Access to safe and nutritious food for all Cambodians at all times was a key concern. The suggestions relating to production were strongly oriented around the protection of smallholders interests and local production, promoting consumption of local produced food with supporting argument that this food is of better quality and safety. It was recognised that more information and a supportive environment were need to guide production, processing and marketing to be profitable and sustainable in other dimensions both environmental and cultural. There was support for existing regulations, with suggestions that enforcement should be increased and that new legislation of regulations may be required to protect producers and consumers. Improved livelihoods for farmers and small enterprises are widely supported, with many responsibilities directed to government and for greater investment on the part of the private sector. It was recognised that the sustainable food system must be profitable for the private sector, or they will not find be supportive. Social protection was also recognised as an important tool in providing for the most vulnerable, especially in the context of the COVID Pandemic. Climate change is acknowledged as an ongoing threat to the food system, noting that farmers are not receptive to reduced returns or higher cost of climate smart technologies because they are living under short term pressures to survive.
The participants widely supported multi-sectoral collaboration and the existence of multi-stakeholder platforms to unify the efforts of Government, Civil Society and other development partners. They were particularly concerned that these efforts must extend to the sub-national level where the implementation of policies and plans is most challenging. The participants were concerned that the funding of CSOs is becoming more challenging, whereas their role is more exacting and even more relevant under current conditions.236- 238
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Topic 1: A VISION FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS FOR CAMBODIA.
• The vision for 2030 should consider all three main components of the food system, the food chain (processing, packaging, distribution, markets and recycling and composting), the food environment, and consumer behaviour. A multi-sectoral approach is needed.
• By 2030, we should see an end to hunger and achieve food security. The system should provide food access year round for all people.
• Promote sustainable food production, more diversified production and a smarter agriculture system should be more helping farmers to be resilient to the climate change.
• Supporting local production as local products don’t really compete with imported products. Food should be locally grown and people should have the capacity to grow these foods so it benefits their community. This also depends on geography and scale, so people need to know what’s feasible in their context, and how they can source things needed from nearby communities. Market systems need to be more connected (e.g. producer associations, active linkage of supply chain etc.).
• Overall, ensure quality for consumers. Need to ensure the quality of products that are going to market and the population has access to safe food – they know what they are buying and they know it is safe. It also needs to be affordable.
• Increase the nutritional value of foods and ensure consumers are more aware of its importance. Production of more sustainable and nutritious foods, we need more legumes/nuts so more people will eat them. Increase the diversity of foods locally produced and available (yams, nuts, legumes). Help to make all stakeholders aware of the importance of food systems for production and healthy diets. Education about food, why it is important to eat different types of food and how they can support local people.
• Take into account the political economy, resource allocation decisions, implementation mechanisms and funding when shaping the food system. Food security and nutrition policy making should be matched by good practice. Need to talk about emerging problems – realize the current policies for changing diets, COVID-19 recovery and economic growth
• Profits and affordability of the foods will drive the food system of the future. Education is important but if farmers do not profit by growing healthier foods, they won’t be grown.
• Monitor the quality and safety of food exports and imports
• Restore infrastructure to support food production and distribution including roads and irrigation systems.
• Recycle food waste instead of lowering food prices or throwing food away
• WASH is an important element of agriculture and food safety to protect food from contamination.
• Nutrition is linked to so many topics, so partnership between organisations to cover the different thematic aspects of nutrition will continue to be an important aspect of food systems into the future.236- 238
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WHAT WORKS ABOUT OUR CURRENT FOOD SYSTEM? WHAT ASPECTS DO WE WANT TO KEEP?
• Resources for land, forest, water are limited so we need to keep a focus on natural resource conservation.
• 2nd National Strategy for Food Security and Nutrition – is good for the food system. Promotes food linkages and planning. Drivers include who’s linked in to implementation.
• Current policy and strategy show twin tracks – strategy framework is cross cutting and multi-sectoral.
• There are coordinators at the local and district level for market linkages who could be attached to existing cooperatives. They earn commission from their sales, so they are paid by the coop. It is a self-sustaining mechanism that could be considered for scale-up.
• Social protection programming can help contribute to accessibility of nutritious foods. We can make social protection more nutrition-sensitive.
There is good link between government and civil society for establishment of PWG-FSN and roll-out of the sub-national coordination platforms nationally. This will be good to improve FSN in Cambodia.
• Local food systems should be protected. Family farms contributes to income across the country so this should be protected. Keep families and communities involved in the food system. Continue to support and strengthen local farmers first – diversify among local farmers first.
• Current strength is engaged and strong civil society on the topic. There are two positives at the local level right now: 1) knowledge of people. When they go to the market they are looking and asking for local products. These products can be more expensive than imports but they are considered to be safe and organic. 2) the government creating more projects to boost food security at MAFF and MoC to boost food availability.
• Forming agricultural cooperatives among local producers is a big positive. Agricultural cooperatives under MAFF are well organised and connected at the community level. If we could build the capacity of these and their connections to MFI it would build on what is existing and improve what is available.
• Projects like ASPIRE and AIM (MAFF, MoC and IFAD) focused on markets linkages and smaller weekend markets to sell these products. Previous projects have been successful and it would be great to see more.
• To strengthen, need to work with both buyers and producers, and link them together. If we can coordinate farming contracts it creates mutually beneficial supply partnership for necessary goods. Now we are working on matching buyers at local and provincial level to learn what buyers want to buy and the characteristics of it, then connect them to farmers. Agricultural cooperatives are useful for this. There are also informal groups in the community that can be engaged. Farming contracts would help people to know what they need to grow and guarantee a steady income.
• Think about education levels – and the role of social media for education, even in low literacy places
• There can be effective response to harmful marketing – example of breastmilk substitutes236- 239
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WHAT DOES NOT WORK WELL IN THE CURRENT FOOD SYSTEM?
• Need to think about transportation and distribution of food. Farmers don’t always know where to share their products. Create an enabling environment for low cost transportation options to allow farmers to reach other provinces or districts.
• Build on the current system and strategy and expand distribution and transportation linkages at local/subnational level.
• Farmers often consider climate smart techniques to be more time and labour heavy. So they may turn to other options like improved seed. The success of different techniques like types of compost and fertilisers depended on the area and what the farmer had access to.
• Agriculture techniques training is mainly focused on the national manual. For the indigenous people, there are local foods that need to be preserved/conserved. This is not included in any training manual. We should research this and consider the creation of a manual for indigenous foods. There isn’t enough documentation on how these foods are used for nutrition/dietary needs in indigenous communities either.
• Tackle the problem of highly processed foods flooding the market. Cambodia is 10-15 years behind on this front, so it’s an opportunity to slow down that change.
• Food production focuses on profit not nutrition or sustainability of it
• How to educate farmers beyond what is trendy and to encourage diversified production
• We need to Increase access to food – regardless of living in rural or urban area
• Need systems to control the quality of the product, especially food safety and improve the market for chemical-free products236- 238
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WHAT WILL WE DO FOR FOOD SAFETY?
• Need to strengthen enforcement of consumer protection laws, which are endorsed by the King. Build awareness what the consequences of not following the law would be.
• The laws regulating breastmilk substitute supplies need to be enforced across the country
• Looking into how to increase shelf life of processed foods without sacrificing nutrition. Need to also build education on safe packaging
• Labelling is important
• Improving agriculture production with quality and safety. Increasing awareness of rural people on nutrition and promoting vegetable and fruit production for household consumption to reduce migration and increase access to safe food. Ensuring all means to monitor local production and increasing education on health and safety food.
• WASH education is a large part of food safety. Where to get water? How to clean produce before going to market? However there are not enough materials to advocate for this at the community level with farmers. Having these would be very helpful.
• Food safety needs to be sensitized from national to sub-national levels. For example, unsafe food is still available and can be found at schools in rural areas.
• Imported products need to be checked on quality.
• Food safety needs to be considered to ensure safe food and good health of people and creating markets for agricultural products.
• Providing training on food production and encouraging people to apply the techniques.
• Raising awareness of food systems in Cambodia such as packaging and food processing. Involve youth in raising awareness on food systems.
• Ensuring food hygiene such as washing hand before food preparation.
• Effective promotion of healthy diets and food safety to youth.236- 238
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Topic 2: HOW TO ACHIEVE THE VISION?
• Education and consumer awareness for improving eating habits, behaviour change and healthy eating. Awareness raising about healthy diets, eating a variety of vegetables and meat in moderation to strengthen the immune system in order to prevent non-communicable diseases as well as other diseases and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• People need to eat healthy diets but they also need to make sure it is safe
• Promoting and supporting exclusive breastfeeding for babies in the first six months and complementary feeding for children aged from 6 months with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years or beyond.
• Promote sustainable and effective food production chain. Include actions toward zero waste through reducing the use of plastic, recycle food waste (Reuse, reduce, recycle). Maintain good waste management through correct storage and disposal.
• Expanded irrigation systems are needed for increasing food production.
• Food production training and guidelines for farmers.
• Building networks among producers, processors and retailers and providing technical guidelines (food processing, recycling foods, food hygiene are current gaps).
• Food fortification should be highlighted. Foods should be fortified before being supplied to the community.
• Looking at food supplies that go through the social protection system is important to make sure the ID Poor are adequately supplied and that children particularly aren’t slipping in malnutrition. In situations like COVID-19, the poor are among the first people affected
• Expanded school feeding program, particularly among remote communities. MoEYS should integrate food safety and nutrition, healthy diets, BMI calculation and school wash program into the school curriculum. There should be hand washing station, gardens and kitchen at school. Enforce the guidelines from school health department, especially directive No 18 of MoEYS.
• There should be investment in public awareness through media/advertising campaigns.
• Need for strengthened healthcare and increased funding. There is prioritisation among Health Centres to only give RUTFs to SAM children, rather than MAM due to budget restrictions.
• Drink clean drinking water, live cleanly and maintain good hygiene. Promote behaviour change to other stakeholders using top-down approach. Start from ourselves and become a good example in order to influence others
• Public policy must have one shared goal and stakeholder advocacy is very crucial for financial support. Second NSFSN is the main strategy for doing this. We cannot apply implementation without NADP (mid-term review?) for sustainable implementation in Cambodia. Decentralization of the strategy is critical.
• Need to continue coordination and focus on working together for implementation (subnational authority, various ministries, NGOs, INGOs, UN actors, private sector, etc.). Need to coordinate and look for resources (human and financial) to implement policies, strategies and action plans. Also need to look at political, cultural and economic aspects to ensure food availability at all times.236- 238
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WHAT KIND OF TOOLS CAN WE USE? GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE
• Need to build a country road map.
• Identify key stakeholders within the government.
• CARD should coordinate among different ministries.
• Need greater participation across the country and need to get the private sector included into these conversations early and productively.
GOVERNANCE (laws and regulations, markets, social protection, community)
• Multi-stakeholder commitments are required to achieve the vision.
• Enforcing existing laws and making amendments to law to support the vision.
• Supporting local products to motivate producers and reduce migration.
• Ensuring genuine products with proper labels and food certificates.
• Raising awareness of food safety directive to sellers before imposing penalty.
• Developing mechanisms and strengthening food monitoring by officials.
• Encouraging positive involvement from the private sector and all stakeholders to promote the food systems vision .
• Institutionalising nutrition into national and sub-national planning and budgeting is important. Capacity building for commune councilors on food systems leadership. MoI is a key stakeholder.
• Forming clusters of producers in the commune/sangkat ensure markets for agricultural products.
• Civil society should work closely with the government on evidence-based advocacy. Evidence should be disaggregated by province/area, nutrition issue etc. and should address budget. Necessary to know current budget figures to advocate for increased spending.
• Success in the community is mainly based on civil society interventions. As funding is scarce and interventions are becoming more limited, we should advocate to donors for more funds for civil society to continue our roles and responsibilities
• Strengthening the effectiveness of Sub-decree 133 implementation for regulation of BMS. Can build on the experience with breastmilk substitutes and apply learnings to other products
• Use a participatory guarantee system (PGS) based on trust between producers and consumers as an effective local quality control mechanism.
• Examine ways to ensure communities and enterprises are benefiting from the one product/one village (OVOP) scheme.
• Supporting social welfare to ensure everybody has access to food.
FINANCE (taxes, subsidies, profits, incentives)
• Incentives such as subsidies, low interest loans or market linkages to encourage farmers to grow nutritious foods
• Make use of tax deductions to encourage processing and value adding
• Need to shift the belief that private sector already has incentive through their profit motive. Discuss this more with private sector, particularly related to processing
• Multisectoral collaboration to promote local products
• Provide clear definitions for incentives.
• A more protective policy for the domestic market would help to protect local products. There is also a need for increased food safety governance/verification on imported products.
• Preventing food imports and reducing price of imported agricultural inputs.
• Setting up export associations to ensure fair price for local products.
• Savings groups work well, but there is a need for the commune to be involved to support the sustainability of these services.
• There is a need for more research and investment. Stakeholders cooperating and sharing information is especially important.236- 243
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WHAT KIND OF TOOLS CAN WE USE? (DATA, CULTURE, INNOVATON, EMPOWERING WOMEN AND YOUTH)
DATA (informed decision making, targets and indicators, M&E)
• Need baseline data and indicators from country road map
• Need a good management system
• Data utilization and analysis, as well as dissemination of results, is an opportunity for growth.
• Developing production plans to meet market demand.
CULTURE (education, tradition, religion, festivals)
• Culture needs to be considered more around these interventions, including culture around education, information-sharing etc.
• There are big differences between different ethnic communities and this needs to be recognised, rather than a single approach to all communities. There needs to be more research to understand their food systems and approaches.
• Develop technical guidelines for indigenous foods and techniques, creating a record of what is currently preserved through oral traditions and practices.
INNOVATION (technology, new knowledge, new ways of working)
• Water system needs to be included, not just the food system
• New apps create linkages between farmers, suppliers and markets, as well as information on disease, best practices etc. Potential for model farmers to be supplied one smartphone for communities to be able to access this.
• An app addressing adaptation to climate change is needed, video based, produced by farmers for farmers and shared on Facebook.
• Social media is a hugely useful tool for sharing information and creating market linkages.
• Knowledge and information management – a lot of information is available but sometimes specific linkages are hard to make within the food system
• Lots of innovation coming out of agricultural schools – but they don’t have access to finance for scaling up. Expand programs that promote funding to nascent ideas.
EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AND YOUTH (equitable access to resources, knowledge and decision making, and ensuring the youth dividend).
• Provide equal access to knowledge and training related to food security and nutrition especially for women and young people.
• By intentionally addressing and involving women we see an increase in household income, women’s leadership, create best practices and have great progress with cooperatives.
• Address gender inequity in access to knowledge and decision making in farming, whilst respecting cultural norms and minimizing conflict.
• Youth don’t want to take over the family farm. This is a challenge.
• Youth Nutrition Champions have had great results working on food systems and healthy diets. Youth are highly engaged and interested, and have many great ideas. They enjoy the topic and we should continue with this enthusiasm and continue to engage them, particularly at the decision-making level. Very important to have at sub national level too.
• Organizing food system forums with the focus on youth.
• Need to build training on traditional foods and cooking into nutrition education
• Competitions are useful for encouraging youth to join and promote innovation
• Keeping communication to change social and individual behaviors. Developing regular campaigns to raise awareness of the public on food systems via social media.237- 238
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These relate mostly to the discrepancy between the desire to promote local production by restricting import and the idea that Cambodian producers should have greater access to export markets. These ideas are in conflict with the economics of trade and regional agreements. The ideas can also conflict with consumer interests if the net result is domestic price increases. The objective is to promote local production and provide markets for local producers. Fears of food safety or lack of safety for imported foods are used as justification and are easily inflamed. Evidence is important for making decisions and we need to examine the national interest in terms of international relations and consumer demand.2021-04-18 11:42:04205Stage 2Develop Food system to be more reseilint, equatable and sustainable, leaving no one behindhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9381/- 174
019303614040242304433205202112123312111121214111848255How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?I follow the guidlines in the manual and the training sessionsHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The tracks and other issuesDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?YesDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The dialogue focused on the discussion of the five tracks in addition to some related issues which were discussed thoroully in the dialogue; these are; COVID -19 and its impact in food security, Impact of climate change in food security, resilience building and how to mobilize resources for sustainable development.235- 238
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Sudan has abundant potentialities to secure its food and can build a concrete and sustainable food system but it needs some sort of technical and financial support. One of the successes is the existence of high level food security and nutrition set up. Need to strengthen the public- private partnership. Already a food security policy exists but the implementation of the action plan need mobilization of resources. Engage youth and women in agriculture to be well equipped by technologies. More opportunities in education for children in rural areas, awareness raising by good consumption practices. One of the main agreed upon points is to transform the country to feed adjacent countries within the period 2022 – 2030 by increasing investments in food system. Investment is highly needed in infrastructures both for agriculture and industries.
Governance – Institutional arrangements, Strengthen information system, Peace building
Enhance Social responsibility, Planning and mapping and monitoring and evaluation with spatial system (Gis- RS),Data entry and planning, Establishing new laws for natural resources, registration and protections of genetic resource.
Sustainable management of Natural Resources. Extension, awareness, genetic bank.
Finance of small producer (crops and animal), capacity building. Using modern technologies (save) infrastructure236- 238
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The main discussion issues were; Need to reactivate the existing policies and laws and conducting new laws in the area of concern e.g. agricultural and industrial laws, Food security law.
Poor capacities and poor innovations in the food system lead to low yield.
Traditional means of production, manufacturing, transportation and storage need to be addressed by actionable plans.
Lack of standardized practices within the value chain increase the loss and waste and there is need to safe our food. Need for laws to protect both producers and consumers. Poor extension services.
Participants discussed also the encouragement of youth and women to intervene by new technologies to enhance the production and manufacturing of agricultural production, direction to export manufactured products to earn hard currencies. Support the social networks to help vulnerable populations.
There is an important need to revise food subsidies in line with the current economic, social and health circumstances. The importance of land use laws to have equality according to law. Need to expand the strategic reserves to store all strategic food for sustainable supply. Expand involvement of private sector in production to avail diversity of food products. Strategy to reduce losses and waste all through the value chain. Poor consumption patterns partially due to poor cultural practices. High malnutrition rates due to low diversity in consumption. Impact of climate change and mostly climate variations from season to season. The participants discussed the importance of comparative advantages, mainly in small scale farm. Long discussion on government support to the production discussing high production cost leading to high prices of food product, leading to difficulty in purchasing food for poor HHs. Participants discussed need for income generating activities to improve income and eliminate the inequality. Revisiting irrigation system to be well equipped and need for water harvesting techniques to make use of excessive water in flooding areas.236- 238
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Impact of climate change in food secuirty
Impact of COVID - 19 in food secuirty
Mobilization of resources
Reseilince building237- 238
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The five tracks were presented and there are divergences, agreements and diversified opinion by the participants in the dialogue as follow;.
Action Track 1: 'Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all' The participants agreed that there must be policies and legislations to adjust and control the safety measures as safety raised as an important issue to safe people from illnesses and malnutrition cases. There are many actors who should play a vital role to make it a reality as in Sudan there are a lot of challenges in this issue, which have to be addresses by different actors including government, private sector, UN agencies, community organizations, and others. Prices are the main factor for accessing nutritious food.
Action Track 2: 'Shift to sustainable consumption patterns' Disagreement in the way that the problem is in cultural practices rather than in consumption gaps. The big volume of loss and waste deepen the gap. Poor cultural practices lead to poor consumption both in quantity and quality.
Action Track 3: 'Boost nature-positive production' everyone agreed that it is better to have nature-positive production' but the road is very long and need support by different actors , with this climate changes and other hazards , the production need to be natural , lack of policies and legislations are one of the reasons behind the poor dealing with the agricultural and industrial production, besides poor metrological standards and follow up through the value chain..Big areas in Sudan have potentialities for organic farming , it need resources and know how. Participants agreed that both climate change and COVID – 19a are the main drivers of food insecurity.
Action Track 4: 'Advance equitable livelihoods' In Sudan there is a wide range of livelihood systems , the participants disagree in the most dominant ones but at last the consensus put 6 as the dominant which are; agricultural zone, agropastural, pastoral, gum Arabic, flood retreat, rain fed and irrigated. All participants agreed on the importance of promoting a culture of justice and equality among all communities considering gender issue. Some of the participants thought of a sort of discriminations in the remote areas and this need strong justice to be achieved to reach a fair livelihood system..
Action Track 5:'Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress' Different shocks and vulnerabilities exist, agreement between the participants to address these shocks differently.2021-04-19 07:11:06205Stage 1First National Dialogue for Sustainable Food Systems in the Republic of Koreahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8731/- 149
1921079102600011401011020011000420020400000500How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The first national dialogue was held on March 30, 2021, and 19 people, including producers, consumers, experts, and government officials, attended offline. The participants were selected considering their demographics, working sectors and interests.
In addition, farmers, officials, and interested citizens participated in the live broadcast on the official YouTube of MAFRA (the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs) (youtube.com/mafrakorea) on the day. Up to 140 people participated through online, and about 1,900 people viewed the recorded video up to today(April 10).How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The first national dialogue was focused on collecting broad public opinions for setting the direction of long term food policy and setting the direction for following national dialogues.
Problems, importance and challenges related all UN Action Tracks were discussed considering the food system situation of Republic of Korea(ROK) and its role as a member of the international community.235- 238
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As this is the first meeting to prepare for following national dialogues, Dr. David Nabarro, Senior Advisor on the Food Systems Summit, explained the background of the UN Food System Summit through pre-recorded video. MAFRA (the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs) announced plans how to proceed with the National Dialogues. The Special Commission on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Policies introduced Korea’s national food plan which is recently established. In addition, KREI (the Korea Rural Economic Research Institute) presented public survey results on food system awareness that was conducted on 234 producers, 1,109 consumers, and 152 experts.
Following presentations, a discussion was took place among participants selected considering their demographics, working sectors and interests.
As the result of the first national dialogue, it has been verified that the issue of “food security, sustainable food production and consumption, and food for all” is essential to improve Korea's food system.
And, a need to keep the balance between the UN Action Track and domestic issues was raised.
There was an opinion that it is necessary to identifies the nature of the food issues considering what is the role of the government and that of the market for practical discussion.
Furthermore, a need was raised to include various food issues other than issues related to food production, and to include food industries more actively in next national dialogues. Also, it was suggested that various ministries need to participate in future national dialogues.236The first national dialogue was focused on collecting broad public opinions for setting the direction of long term food policy and setting the direction for following national dialogues.- https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1st_National_Dialogue_Republic-Of-Korea.pdf
- The First National Dialogue for Sustainable Food Systems in ROKhttps://youtu.be/pFqANrGmafY
2021-04-19 20:45:55204Diálogos por Mérida: hacia un sistema alimentario saludable, sustentable, resiliente y próspero para toda la ciudadanía. https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7369/- 120
8422461242458292912316193110151211429172255How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Los Principios de Actuación de la Cumbre 2021 sobre Sistemas Alimentarios fueron incorporados desde el diseño mismo del Diálogo y se aplicaron y transmitieron de diversas maneras durante la preparación y ejecución del evento:
• El Diálogo en sí refleja el compromiso de los convocantes por actuar con urgencia para impulsar una transformación positiva del sistema alimentario de Mérida y contribuir a alcanzar los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible.
• Una de las principales motivaciones al organizar este Diálogo es contribuir a los resultados de la Cumbre 2021 sobre Sistemas Alimentarios y transmitir a todos los participantes la visión y objetivos de este importante encuentro.
• La selección de los invitados al Diálogo estuvo guiada por el principio de adoptar un enfoque inclusivo, con la participación de múltiples partes interesadas del sistema alimentario de Mérida.
• Los Principios de Actuación se incluyeron en el formulario de registro del Diálogo para que todos los invitados los conozcan previamente, buscando que los pongan en práctica durante su participación en el evento.
• Los mensajes de los Convocantes y la introducción del Administrador del Diálogo resaltaron aspectos clave de los Principios de Actuación, motivando a los participantes a asumirlos y ponerlos en práctica.
• Los principios también se aplicaron en la capacitación de los facilitadores de las mesas de diálogo y en el diseño de los temas y preguntas para motivar el intercambio de experiencias, ideas y propuestas entre los actores del sistema alimentario de Mérida.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?• El Diálogo fue un llamado a la acción para la ciudadanía de Mérida, transmitiendo el sentido de urgencia por fortalecer nuestro sistema alimentario y contribuir a alcanzar los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible.
• A los participantes del Diálogo se les invitó a escuchar con apertura y respeto las experiencias y puntos de otros actores del sistema alimentario de Mérida.
• En la selección de los invitados al Diálogo se adoptó un enfoque inclusivo, para lograr una participación amplia y diversa, con representantes de los distintos grupos de interés o partes interesadas del sistema alimentario de Mérida.
• En la definición de los temas y preguntas para promover el diálogo se adoptó un enfoque sistémico, reconociendo la complejidad del sistema alimentario de Mérida y explorando las conexiones entre los temas de salud humana, la seguridad alimentaria, medio ambiente y prosperidad económica y social.
• En las mesas de diálogo, se hizo especial énfasis en la identificación de las acciones que los propios actores del sistema alimentario de Mérida están impulsando y están teniendo un impacto positivo. De esta manera, se buscó dar visibilidad a las acciones existentes y generar sinergias con nuevas propuestas.
• El Diálogo contribuyó a generar nuevas conexiones entre los actores del sistema alimentario de Mérida y a desarrollar la confianza entre gobierno, academia, sociedad civil e iniciativa privada. De esta forma, sentó las bases para promover nuevos modelos de gobernanza, con la participación de todas las partes interesadas, para el diseño y desarrollo de acciones que permitan avanzar hacia un sistema alimentario más saludable, sustentable, resiliente y próspero para toda la ciudadanía en Mérida.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Un consejo para los organizadores de los Diálogos de la Cumbre 2021 sobre Sistemas Alimentarios: Producir un video que explique de una manera ágil los Principios de Actuación, para que los Convocantes de los Diálogos puedan compartirlo entre los invitados a los diálogos y a través de sus redes sociales.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?En términos generales, se utilizó el mismo método recomendado por el Manual de Referencia para Convocantes. Sin embargo, el evento se realizó en dos días consecutivos.
El día 1 inició con la bienvenida a los participantes y con los mensajes por parte de los Convocantes. Posteriormente, el Curador o Administrador del Diálogo dio una introducción y se llevaron a cabo las mesas de diálogo con una duración de 75 minutos. En el día 2 se compartieron los resultados de cada una de las 9 mesas de diálogo, con presentaciones de 5 minutos por parte de cada uno de los Facilitadores. Posteriormente, invitamos a una representante de la ciudad de Quito, Ecuador, a que nos compartiera su experiencia impulsando proyectos y desarrollando estrategias para fortalecer su sistema alimentario local. Esta experiencia internacional resultó de mucho interés para los que participamos en el Diálogo y sirvió para ampliar nuestros horizontes sobre las posibilidades de transformación del sistema alimentario de Mérida. El evento concluyó con mensajes de los Convocantes.
Este formato resultó muy dinámico y hubo una participación muy activa los dos días del Diálogo. También ayudó a los facilitadores a preparar mejor sus intervenciones para presentar los resultados de sus mesas de diálogo el día 2.234- 238
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Nuestro Diálogo se centró en la exploración de los retos y oportunidades que enfrentamos en la ciudad de Mérida, Yucatán, México, para transitar hacia un sistema alimentario más saludable, sustentable, resiliente y próspero para toda la ciudadanía. Para ello, convocamos a un grupo amplio y diverso de actores del sistema alimentario de Mérida, incluyendo pequeños productores de alimentos, emprendedores y empresarios de toda la cadena agroalimentaria, representantes de organizaciones de la sociedad civil, asociaciones de productores y cámaras empresariales, universidades, centros de investigación, gobierno municipal, estatal y federal, así como de organismos internacionales. Contamos con la participación de 84 personas que fueron divididas en 9 mesas de diálogo.
Para abordar de manera integral el tema principal del diálogo, se definieron 3 temas específicos para motivar el intercambio de experiencias, ideas y propuestas:
1. Hacia un sistema alimentario más saludable.
2. Hacia un sistema alimentario seguro y sostenible.
3. Hacia un sistema alimentario más próspero e incluyente.
Estos tres temas fueron distintos puntos de partida para explorar los retos y oportunidades del sistema alimentario de Mérida, sabiendo que los temas de salud, seguridad alimentaria, sostenibilidad, prosperidad e inclusión son interdependientes. Cada una de las mesas se enfocó en uno de los tres temas para iniciar el diálogo (3 mesas por tema). Pero como se puede ver en las conclusiones de cada tema, las preguntas fueron diseñadas para explorar las conexiones entre los tres temas y para generar propuestas que fortalezcan el sistema alimentario de Mérida de una manera integral.235- 238
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El Diálogo fue recibido con mucho interés por parte de los participantes y en cada mesa se generó un intercambio muy entusiasta y propositivo. Resultó muy enriquecedor generar este espacio para escuchar las visiones, opiniones y propuestas de los diversos actores que son parte o inciden en el sistema alimentario de Mérida. Los principales hallazgos son los siguientes:
• En Mérida hay un número muy grande de personas y organizaciones que ya están haciendo cosas muy positivas para fortalecer nuestro sistema alimentario. También existen muchas colaboraciones entre la sociedad civil, la iniciativa privada, la academia y el gobierno en temas específicos de salud, sostenibilidad, seguridad alimentaria, comercio justo e inclusión social.
• Hace falta una plataforma que una a todas las iniciativas de transformación del sistema alimentario de Mérida. Hacen falta encuentros y mecanismos de colaboración que permitan potenciar los esfuerzos de todos. Los actores que tenemos interés en fortalecer el sistema alimentario de Mérida carecemos de una narrativa que unifique y dé sentido a las muchas iniciativas de transformación que actualmente se desarrollan de manera aislada.
• Para seguir fortaleciendo el sistema alimentario de Mérida no existe una solución única. Necesitamos desarrollar un conjunto de acciones de manera simultánea, que vayan atendiendo a distintos retos u oportunidades del sistema alimentario de Mérida.
• Si bien hay acciones que se podrán implementar en el corto plazo y otras que requieren más tiempo para su implementación, todas deberán tener un abordaje integral y una visión de largo plazo, con la participación y seguimiento de la ciudadanía.
• Es importante involucrar a los distintos actores del sistema alimentario en el diseño y desarrollo de iniciativas de transformación. Esto permitirá diseñar iniciativas integrales, que involucren distintos tipos de conocimiento o puntos de vista, así como generar un respaldo amplio de las distintas partes interesadas para su implementación.
• Hay muchas ideas o propuestas que no son nuevas pero que si se logran llevar a la práctica pueden tener un impacto positivo muy grande. Ej: huertos de traspatio o huertos urbanos comunitarios. El reto está en la ejecución de esas ideas, para lograr un involucramiento sostenido y el respaldo amplio de la ciudadanía.
• Hace falta desarrollar mecanismos para sistematizar la captación de ideas de transformación del sistema alimentario. Muchas personas han identificado problemáticas que necesitan ser atendidas o han detectado oportunidades de innovación, pero no han tenido el tiempo, los recursos o los aliados para transformar las ideas en acciones.
• La pandemia por COVID-19 frenó muchas iniciativas y proyectos relacionados con el sistema alimentario de Mérida, ya sea a nivel de idea o en ejecución. Actores de diversos sectores o grupos de interés del sistema alimentario mencionaron esta situación en sus mesas de diálogo. Esto abre una oportunidad para impulsar nuevamente estas iniciativas y proyectos de transformación, conforme se permita la reapertura de actividades económicas.
• La pandemia por COVID-19 también generó nuevas iniciativas e impulsó la adopción de nuevas prácticas. Destaca la respuesta solidaria de toda la ciudadanía y las alianzas que surgieron entre organizaciones de la sociedad civil, empresas, universidades y gobiernos para dar alimento y otros apoyos a la población más vulnerable. También se desarrollaron nuevos vínculos entre productores y consumidores y surgieron proyectos y redes solidarias que se espera que trasciendan la contingencia sanitaria.
• El Diálogo fue un punto de partida para captar propuestas para fortalecer el sistema alimentario de Mérida. Pero también hizo evidente la importancia de generar comunidad y la necesidad de identificar, reconocer y aprovechar el conocimiento y las aportaciones de todos los actores del sistema alimentario. Los participantes del Diálogo expresaron su interés de seguir aportando y de llevar a cabo diálogos de manera continua. También, reconocieron la importancia de desarrollar mecanismos o plataformas de colaboración que involucren a los distintos actores del sistema alimentario y a los distintos niveles de gobierno.236- 238
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Hacia un sistema alimentario más saludable.
La educación alimentaria es fundamental para desarrollar nuevos hábitos y prácticas de alimentación más saludable. Es necesario repensar las estrategias educativas:
- Pasar de iniciativas centradas en proporcionar orientación alimentaria, con el uso de guías o materiales gráficos, al desarrollo de procesos educativos integrales, vivenciales y lúdicos.
- Pasar de estrategias con un enfoque negativo (resolver problemas como el sobrepeso) a estrategias con un enfoque positivo (promover un estilo de vida saludable, fomentar la creatividad en la cocina).
- “Cerrar el círculo” de las estrategias educativas, trabajando con los adultos además de los niños, los adolescentes y los maestros.
- En el diseño de iniciativas y estrategias educativas, desarrollar iteraciones rápidas con la participación de la ciudadanía, para aprender lo que si funciona y lo que no.
Las propuestas que surgieron sobre educación alimentaria son las siguientes:
- Establecer una red de promotores comunitarios de salud, que lleven a cabo vigilancia nutricional y desarrollen actividades educativas y recreativas en las colonias y Comisarías de Mérida.
- Utilizar redes sociales, nuevas tecnologías y estrategias de marketing para comunicar los beneficios de una buena alimentación, promover un estilo de vida saludable y un consumo consciente.
- Desarrollar explicaciones sobre los beneficios nutricionales de los alimentos locales y las distintas formas de prepararlos. Comunicar mejor las ventajas de los alimentos producidos con prácticas sostenibles.
- Llevar a cabo visitas guiadas para conocer a los productores de la región y sus prácticas de producción de alimentos.
- Llevar a cabo visitas guiadas para conocer el trabajo de organizaciones dedicadas a promover la reducción de pérdidas y desperdicios de alimentos.
Propuestas para fomentar el acceso de toda la población a alimentos frescos y saludables cerca de casa:
- Impulsar el establecimiento de huertos en la ciudad.
- Fomentar redes colaborativas y solidarias entre vecinos.
- Impulsar una red de mercados para abastecer a los “desiertos alimentarios” de la ciudad.
- Establecer comedores comunitarios con asesoría nutricional para los trabajadores que tienen que desplazarse largas distancias.
- Explorar estrategias novedosas para promover el acceso a alimentos frescos y saludables: intercambio de desechos de plástico por alimentos.
Otras propuestas y conclusiones son las siguientes:
- Realizar un diagnóstico del sistema alimentario de Mérida, con información relevante y actualizada que nos permita entender mejor la situación actual.
- Impulsar proyectos de innovación para todas las etapas de la cadena agroalimentaria. Vincular a los jóvenes, las universidades y centros de investigación con todos los actores del sistema alimentario de Mérida en el desarrollo de innovaciones.
- Impulsar y fortalecer iniciativas para transformar alimentos que no son susceptibles de venta al consumidor final.
- Impulsar un programa de menús saludables en restaurantes y establecimientos de preparación de comida, proporcionando información a los comensales sobre el tamaño de las porciones, los ingredientes utilizados y el contenido calórico/nutricional de los platillos que ofrecen.
- Fortalecer la legislación local para reducir las pérdidas y desperdicios de alimentos.
- Capacitar a los productores locales para que adopten prácticas de producción sostenibles.
- Impulsar iniciativas y proyectos para prevenir la contaminación de los mantos acuíferos y promover el manejo adecuado del agua.236- 238
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Hacia un sistema alimentario seguro y sostenible.
Necesitamos generar comunidad, identificar y reconocer la aportación de todos los actores del sistema alimentario. También, encontrar formas de vincular a los distintos actores para desarrollar soluciones a partir de nuestros conocimientos y experiencia.
La educación es fundamental para concientizar a la sociedad sobre las implicaciones económicas, sociales y ambientales de nuestras decisiones alimentarias y para promover un cambio cultural hacia un consumo más responsable y sostenible. Considerar los siguientes aspectos:
- Visibilizar y revalorizar a los actores del sistema alimentario.
- Enseñar por qué es importante cuidar nuestra alimentación y sobre los alimentos que consumimos.
- Crear conciencia sobre los beneficios de consumir productos locales. Informar sobre sus características, historia, usos y forma de prepararlos.
Fomentar la producción de alimentos en el municipio y sus alrededores:
- Enseñar a la población a producir sus propios alimentos, recuperando los saberes ancestrales relacionados con los huertos de traspatio.
- Fomentar el establecimiento de huertos y ofrecer capacitaciones a la población.
- Distribuir semillas y darle seguimiento a los pequeños productores y personas más vulnerables.
- Incentivar la producción agroecológica para disminuir el uso de pesticidas y agroquímicos.
- Dar capacitación continua a los productores.
Desarrollar y fortalecer las estrategias para acortar las cadenas de valor y establecer canales de comercialización directos entre productores y consumidores.
- Fortalecer y expandir el programa Círculo 47 para integrar a más productores y llegar a más ciudadanos de Mérida, sobre todo a poblaciones vulnerables.
- Potenciar el trabajo de diversas organizaciones que promueven el comercio justo y la comercialización directa entre productor y consumidor.
- Promover el establecimiento de mercados ambulantes con productos de calidad y accesibles.
- Promover redes de acopio y puntos de venta, así como ferias, para darle más visibilidad a los productores de alimentos y promover el comercio justo.
- Establecer una o varias centrales de abasto “secundarias” en distintas partes de la ciudad.
- Capacitar en el uso de nuevas tecnologías para aprovechar las oportunidades que ofrece el comercio electrónico.
- Fomentar el establecimiento de redes comunitarias para el intercambio de alimentos.
Propuestas sobre seguridad alimentaria:
- Asegurar la calidad y cantidad del alimento a poblaciones vulnerables. Las canastas básicas que se ofrecen en los programas sociales no necesariamente tienen productos saludables de calidad.
Propuestas para reducir las pérdidas y desperdicios de alimentos:
- Productores: capacitar sobre el manejo postcosecha y promover la adopción de técnicas y tecnologías de conservación de alimentos.
- En restaurantes: Facilitar las donaciones de alimentos. Poner centros de acopio para distribuir excedentes. Promover iniciativas para hacer composta.
- Fortalecer el trabajo de los bancos de alimentos, comedores comunitarios y redes solidarias de ciudadanos.
- Consumidores finales: Cambiar percepciones sobre los alimentos: las frutas y verduras no necesitan tener una apariencia “perfecta.” Enseñar a aprovechar mejor los alimentos: consumir los rabos, las hojas, la cáscara, etc. Incentivar la composta de desechos orgánicos.
Propuestas sobre sustentabilidad:
- Incentivar la venta de productos a granel.
- Promover el uso de empaques alternativos y biodegradables.236- 238
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Hacia un sistema alimentario más próspero e incluyente.
Los pequeños productores de alimentos dentro del municipio enfrentan diversas situaciones que limitan su desarrollo y desalientan la producción:
- Están aislados y los costos de traslado individuales son muy altos.
- Es muy difícil entrar a mercados existentes y los intermediarios acaparan las ganancias.
- Son muy vulnerables a las fluctuaciones de precios.
- Tienen una baja diversificación en su producción.
- Tienen acceso limitado al agua.
Durante la pandemia surgieron diversas iniciativas para acercar a productores y consumidores, promoviendo el comercio justo. Para fortalecer este movimiento se propone:
- Apoyar a los productores que ya están comercializando sus productos de manera directa para optimizar sus procesos y reducir costos.
- Capacitar a los productores sobre el uso de redes sociales y tecnologías para el comercio electrónico.
- Orientar sobre el establecimiento de asociaciones o cooperativas de productores para comercializar sus productos.
- Impulsar el programa Círculo 47 y fortalecerlo para que pueda llegar a más personas, tanto a más productores como consumidores, con especial énfasis en poblaciones vulnerables.
- Para diversificar la producción, también es importante orientar a los productores sobre lo que está demandando la población.
- Establecer más puntos de venta de productos locales en la ciudad y flexibilizar los existentes.
Es necesario crear las condiciones adecuadas para el comercio justo por el lado de la demanda:
- Incentivar la demanda de productos locales con empresas, restaurantes e instituciones de gobierno.
- Difundir los beneficios sociales, económicos y ambientales de consumir productos locales, saludables y de temporada: Información en los puntos de venta sobre el contenido nutricional de los productos y formas de prepararlos. Informar sobre el origen de los productos. Diferenciar a los productos producidos sin agroquímicos. Crear un directorio de productores locales. Promover una marca o etiqueta para productos yucatecos. Aprovechar la presencia que tienen los restaurantes locales en las redes sociales para promover los productos locales y de temporada e incluir estos productos en sus menús. Aplicar estrategias de marketing para cambiar percepciones y hacer deseables a los productos locales.
Desarrollar estrategias educativas para los distintos sectores de la población para transmitir los beneficios de los alimentos locales y promover su consumo. Entre estas estrategias, se propuso impulsar una carrera de nutrición comunitaria.
- Incentivar el establecimiento de huertos urbanos para que la población de Mérida tenga acceso a productos locales y de temporada y conozca sobre ellos.
- Promover el agroturismo para que tanto locales como visitantes conozcan y valoren los productos y la cultura local, así como el papel que juegan los productores de alimentos en el sistema alimentario.
- Establecer parcelas demostrativas dónde el público pueda conectar con la naturaleza y conocer a los productores de alimentos.
- Además de generar crecimiento económico, el turismo puede promover el comercio justo fomentar la transmisión de buenas prácticas y posicionar a la ciudad.
- Una de las actividades con mayor potencial para el agroturismo es la meliponicultura: una actividad de gran valor cultural dónde las mujeres juegan un papel primordial.
Impulsar la “gastronomía creativa" entre la población, para preparar y transformar alimentos locales en platillos saludables, novedosos, prácticos y reduciendo las pérdidas y desperdicios de alimentos.237- 238
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Un área de divergencia que se identificó durante el diálogo es sobre la situación de las mujeres en el sistema alimentario de Mérida.
Se reconoció que el papel de la mujer ha cambiado mucho en los últimos años. Antes no se le daba su lugar a la mujer en la agricultura. Hoy en día las mujeres están destacando en distintos roles, tanto en el campo como en la comercialización y transformación de alimentos.
Pero se detectó que la situación de las mujeres, y la percepción sobre ellas, varía mucho de acuerdo con la posición que tienen en el sistema alimentario. Para algunos, las mujeres no enfrentan ninguna desventaja con respecto a los hombres. En particular, hay varios ejemplos de mujeres productoras que han sido muy exitosas en la comercialización de sus productos a través del programa Círculo 47 del Ayuntamiento de Mérida. Otros participantes opinaron que muchas mujeres todavía enfrentan situaciones que limitan su desarrollo e impacto (baja escolaridad, no poseen tierra para cultivar y operan en la informalidad, etc.).
A pesar de ello, los participantes coincidieron en que las mujeres juegan un papel muy importante en el sistema alimentario de Mérida y en el desarrollo de hábitos de consumo saludables, por lo que hay que reconocer y potenciar su trabajo. Para ello, es necesario analizar el papel que juega la mujer en todas las etapas de las cadenas de valor agroalimentarias, para entender su situación particular y los obstáculos que enfrentan.2021-04-20 01:15:04204The Role of Rural Women in the Transforming Food Systems towards Achieving the Economic Creativity for Sustainable Development.https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/12180/- 40
64045010150050400100100503610001001000000100100How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Dialogue , gave priority to rural women who are at the center of the food system value chain from farm to fork .The inclusivity was a key component to ensuring everyone`s voice was heard and in addition, we integrated internally displaced persons from both English speaking regions ( North West and South West regions). In addition , we equally had in attendance a Member of parliament from the North West Region who contributed enormously by encouraging the women to keep up with the entrepreneurial spirit. In addition, the specificity of this Dialogue was that , French , English and local language ( Lamsoh ) was being used to ensure No One was Left Behind.Thus ,Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivityHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity and Commit to the Summit because the rural women recommitted themselves as well as the Member of Parliament to keep engaging in the Dialogues within their constituency.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Yes, we need to multiple translations of the Summit documents into local languages as well as Braille. Fortunately, the CSAYN Global Secretariat is translating the Handbook once available , it shall address most of the issues.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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1. All Rural Women committed to the summit by registering as Food Systems Summit Heroes (FSSH).
2. Established a CSAYN Global - Rural Women Forum hosted by Tabwan Support Network (TSN).
3.Mapped out Rural Women committed to translate the Global Goals and Summit documents into local languages .
4.Rural women committed themselves to scale up the Dialogue in their various communities .
5. Tabwan Support Network nominated a Liaison Officer for Rural Women to engage with the CSAYN Global Secretariat.235- 238
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There was a Call to Action which stipulated the following components :
1. Need for a more structured capacity building and strengthening of the IDP from both English speaking regions in tailoring, food processing, agribusiness and establishing farmer field schools (FFS) in the various regions for youth.
2. More finance scheme should allocated to boost their production, transformation and buy storage facilities .
3. Participants unanimously agreed to commit to the 5 ATs to better contribute to the Summit Process.236There was a Call to Action which stipulated the following components :
1. Need for a more structured capacity building and strengthening of the IDP from both English speaking regions in tailoring, food processing, agribusiness and establishing farmer field schools (FFS) in the various regions for youth.
2. More finance scheme should allocated to boost their production, transformation and buy storage facilities .
3. Participants unanimously agreed to commit to the 5 ATs to better contribute to the Summit Process.237- 238
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Participants were more concerned with the fact that instead of traveling from one region to the other , they would rather prefer to ensure the Food Systems Summit Dialogues (FSSD) is administered within their communities of residence if possible.- Group Picturehttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/FSSD-RURALWOMEN-GROUP-PIC1.jpgCompressed-scaled.jpg
- Rural women in actionhttps://twitter.com/manueloteroIICA/status/1383815610543468545?s=08
2021-04-20 08:04:20204Catalyzing finance for women food entrepreneurshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7508/- 203
126823542810319505712256412005601178501101222141053110817170How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The event was organized with a specific focus on multi-stakeholder participation. Panels and group discussions were properly designed to enable women, food entrepreneurs and investors, to voice their views and experiences in person, and facilitating exchange on concrete propositions and solutions.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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This Independent Dialogue focused on catalysing finance for women food entrepreneurs at different scales, including micro and SME level. It was hosted by IFAD, curated by the SAFIN Secretariat, and co-convened with AGRA, Agripreneurship Alliance, GAA-EL, IAFN, Nourishing Africa, One Young World, and the Gender Lever of the UNFSS. The approach taken in this dialogue was to review the game changer proposals from the “first wave” that are relevant to the theme at hand, and assess them – considering strengths and weaknesses and proposing ways to enrich them or new solutions – particularly from the perspectives of women entrepreneurs.
The event was structured around a public segment, with keynote interventions and a moderated panel of women entrepreneurs and investors, and a closed segment with facilitated dialogue groups. Facilitators for each session were selected due to their strong expertise in the sector and were briefed before-hand on process and the need to focus on concrete, actionable solutions (i.e vs. discussing problems).235- 238
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In general, there was a sense that the game-changer proposals already on the table after the first wave are getting to a lot of the issues that women entrepreneurs face in accessing finance, but at the same time are lacking in a number of areas, including making specific provisions for innovative ways to design and deliver financial products for women entrepreneurs (e.g. to include options such as collateral-free lending and in-kind repayment) and addressing the specific needs of women who manage “nano businesses” with one or more dedicated de-risking and financing facilities. The need to consider context specificity and to design context-responsive solutions was emphasized throughout the event, suggesting that any solutions that are high-level and global in scope may be difficult to make locally significant and/or will require a lot of work to be implemented in ways that respond to different local needs and opportunities.236- 238
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Discussion topic 1: Building women’s entrepreneurship and capacity for innovation: what are the game-changing models in education, business development services, mentorship and peer support?
The discussion around this topic considered proposals made in the first wave concerning localized support to women who process/market underutilized nutritious crops, a global innovation hub for small entrepreneurs, and a commitment by at least 50 countries to gender-transformative programmes in food systems. These were viewed positively,but participants recommended:
- Being more explicit about the need/intention to make each proposal context-specific in design, at implementation and in tracking results and impact. This point was made with particular emphasis concerning the idea of a global agri-SME platform
- Being more explicit about the need for women’s empowerment across different areas, given that obstacles to entrepreneurship can stem from different factors of inequality and different constraints not directly related to women’s business activities
- Being more explicit about how each proposal can/will facilitate women’s access to markets
- Avoiding an overly generic focus and prioritizing value chains where women are most directly involved or likely to become involved as entrepreneurs
- For proposals that have financing components, ensuring close integration between access to finance, training and/or mentoring, and adequate focus on the provision of seed capital
- For those components, consider also encouraging financial institutions to pay successful women entrepreneurs to support in assessing women’s loan requests and in mentoring
- Integrating support to the formation of women entrepreneurs’ groups into the “match-making” function of the proposed SME platform.
Participants recommended assessing the success of the proposals made in terms of:
- Increased number of women engaged at leadership levels within the sector, and confidence of women to taking leadership positions in SMEs.
- Increased agency of women within the agriculture and agribusiness sector
- Increased visibility of women in agriculture as “bankable” and investible
- More capacity building and training delivered to women in food and agriculture
- Increased presence of women in formal market chains and in the more lucrative, decision-making aspects of the value chain
Participants also made an additional proposal for a global programme to set up local technical assistance hubs for women farmers and entrepreneurs, with particular focus on strengthening their business skills. The important role that farmers’ organizations and local SMEs can play in delivering or channelling business development support, facilitating peer learning and mentoring for women entrepreneurs was emphasized.Similarly, participants stressed the need to strengthen the digital infrastructure for information sharing among both women entrepreneurs (or aspiring entrepreneurs) and financial institutions.236- 238
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Discussion topic 2: Investing in food systems with a gender transformative lens: how to build capacity and commitment at scale across the financial sector?
The main focus of this discussion across breakout groups was the proposal of a de-risking facility for agri-SME finance providers made under AT1 during the first wave. Participants reflected on the proposal and validated in particular the idea of establishing a sizeable pool of highly patient capital, while recommending considering non-grant options. They further recommended giving adequate attention to strengthening the capacity of recipient financial intermediaries (funds, banks, non-bank financial institutions) to invest in start-ups and in women-led businesses. For the technical assistance component of the facility (which also targets financial intermediaries and investors), participants recommended including training modules that intermediaries can then use to facilitate capacity building for women entrepreneurs, including in some areas – like financial literacy – where some types of financial intermediaries may be well placed to contribute. They further recommended engaging farmers’ organizations and institutions working on gender and financial inclusion among the local providers of technical assistance to be facilitated through the TA component of the facility.
For the facility to ultimately help achieve positive impact on women entrepreneurs, the metrics it is expected to use and to encourage recipient financial intermediaries to adopt should include gender-focused metrics. Examples to be considered include a “gender equity/quality scorecard” mentioned during the panel discussion by Agnes Dasewicz of SEAF, focusing both on performance by financial intermediaries and on performance by their investees or clients. For gender-transformative implementation, the facility should also model full participation of women in leadership and in decision-making at different levels- both in the facility itself and in the recipient financial intermediaries - given evidence that women are more likely to finance women, and also support efforts in collateral-free product design and delivery. Far from least importance, effective implementation will also require identifying enabling or hindering policy factors in the countries where the facility will operate and seeking to engage with governments in participating countries on a gender-transformative agenda in agri-SME finance, not only at the level of policy design but also at the level of policy implementation and enforcement.
Also under this discussion heading, participants recommended identifying synergies among the different game changer proposals and ensuring the presence of some key elements in all proposals of a financial nature – such as the recognition of the need for concessional capital to de-risk/complement/increase financial flows towards women food entrepreneurs.236- 238
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Discussion topic 3: 3. Strengthening information systems to empower women entrepreneurs to navigate the financial sector: how to bring a gender lens to existing and new information platforms?
Under this heading, participants found particular transformative potential in first wave solution proposals 4.12 (Global Matching Investment Fund for Small Scale Producers’ organisations), 4.13 (Invest in the future – Making Food Systems Finance accessible for Rural People) and 4.16 (Agri-SME Business Development Platform). Their recommendations to make these proposals mode likely to be effective at implementation stage included:
• Close(r) interaction between financial institutions and women clients
• Training and capacity building in financial and investment literacy for women
• Ensuring that women know what data to collect and how to present it to financial institutions, and that financial institutions have a good understanding of women’s constraints and possibilities in relation to data collection and tracking.
In general, success for all these proposals appears to participants to hinge upon close coordination and new partnerships among governments, investors, financial institutions, development partners, women’s entrepreneur groups and farmers’ organizations. Another key success factor for all the proposals is progress in addressing the digital gap in rural areas and for women – including digital literacy. Finally, participants emphasized the need to design each of the solutions with a clear financial sustainability model and plan from the very outset.
One of the groups discussed in particular detail a proposal for a global (or multiple local) business development hubs for women entrepreneurs, building on the opening panel, as this was seen as innovative and potentially transformative. The hub would be designed to bridge the current information gaps between financiers and women entrepreneurs.For such a hub to improve women’s capacities while also encouraging more financial institutions to invest in women, participants suggested that it should be:
-a hub of information and knowledge resources that helps financiers understand women’s entrepreneurship and the business of agriculture
- accessible across different countries and in different languages
- digitaland accompanied by efforts to bridge the digital divide (also on a gender basis) and to improve women’s digital and financial literacy - especially amongnano and micro businesses
-gender inclusive rather than women-only in focus
- providing women with information about existing initiatives that can support them to grow as entrepreneurs
-able to provide or link women to training programmes
- able to facilitate aggregation among women’s entrepreneurs (supporting the formation of clusters and/or, depending on context and type of business, cooperatives).
Participants also considered how such a hub may help nurture, aggregate, and/or render visible to investors potential “pipeline” of women-led enterprises.Should such a hub be developed with a regional focus on Africa, participants reckoned that a number of organizations currently working on closely related initiatives may support it. This could include AGRA, Nourishing Africa, the Value4HER platform and other platforms currently emerging.236- 238
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Discussion topic 4: 4. Designing financial products and services for women food entrepreneurs: where are the critical gaps and highest potential impact areas of innovation?
One group addressing this theme discussed existing game changer proposals under the headings of a Catalytic SME financing facility; Global matching investment fund; and Making food system finance available for rural communities. To improve on these proposals, participants recommended to:
- Leverage existing studies on financing women to influence mind-set change among lenders, noting that studies demonstrate profitability and low risk in lending to women, but only 10% of financial institutions use gender disaggregated data to inform tailored products.
- Increase gender lens lending appetite through incentives to funds and institutions that prioritize impact financing, green finance and finance to enterprises that contribute to the SDGs. This will also influence entrepreneur prioritization of sustainable food productionsystems and nutrition.
- Frame the narrative to financial institutions as gender lens finance rather than focus it narrowly on agriculture, as gender lens finance is proven to be less risky across sectors.
- Continue to emphasize the importance of women’s groups and portfolio aggregation in finance.
- Focus technical assistance around nutritious and high development impact products and combine support to women entrepreneurs with actions to develop markets and finance for these products.
- Keep in mind that women entrepreneurs need a full suite of financial products not just credit.
- Leverage technology and big data to reduce information asymmetry and perceived risk.
- Expand the collateral base to include technology-based collateral, group guarantees etc.
Participants also made specific suggestions for measuring success around these proposals, including:
1. % of the credit gap to women reduced
2. % increase of financial institutions lending to women
3. Number of new women tailored financial products on the market
4. % change in cost of credit
To realize the proposals, participants emphasized the need for an ecosystem approach incorporating the financial institutions and other investors, governments, enablers and other stakeholders.
With more specific focus to each of the existing proposals, participants considered the following.
- The proposed de-risking facility is more likely to be relevant to women entrepreneurs if it supports
financial institutions both to design more products with women in mind and to communicate about them in ways that are clearly intelligible for women without formal finance or business training. The TA component of the facility should help inform financial intermediaries about the range of options they can consider to reach more women entrepreneurs (including highly innovative models such as loans with in-product repayment, as adopted by some institutions in Canada).
- The proposed global matching fund for investments by agri-SMEs can be more relevant to or focused on women entrepreneurs’ needs if it provides not only for grants or soft loans but also for in-kind finance (especially via equipment) and technically assistance around its use.
- The proposed rolling out of digital solutions among rural financial intermediaries and FSPs can be made more relevant to women by also including revolving funds and local savings and credit associations among the types of institutions that can benefit from automation and/or use of digital data and systems.237- 238
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Since discussions focused on solutions, no clear areas of divergence emerged.2021-04-20 19:51:36204Boosting Nature Positive Agricultural Solutions: U.S. Farmer, Rancher, Grower Perspectiveshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9149/- 194
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?This dialogue followed the Chatham House Rule, which states that participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speakers, nor that of any other participant, may be revealed. Plenary and breakout sessions will be recorded for in-house use only. In addition, participants were provided and were asked to follow the principles of engagement for the Food Systems Summit:
1. Act with urgency
2. Commit to the summit
3. Be respectful
4. Recognize complexity
5. Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity
6. Complement the work of others
7. Build trustHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Our dialogue attracted a diverse cross section of U.S. farmers, value chain partners, researchers and conservation partners. Participants explored and shared ideas around the sustainable practices taking place on their farms/ranches and in their commodity sectors and discussed ways of further incorporating sustainable practices to reduce environmental impact and achieve outcomes that improve lives. Breakout group leaders posed the following questions to stimulate discussion:
1. What innovative practices are producers currently using to sustainably intensify production, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deliver solutions to other Sustainable Development Goals?
2. What current incentives are most successful for scaling adoption of sustainable practices and what new incentives may be necessary? What action needs to occur to create those incentives?
3. What role does technology and innovation play in promoting sustainability on your farm?
4. What are some of the regulatory or research constraints or obstacles that need to be addressed to move this forward?
5. What information do you need to understand sustainable goals and how they apply to your farm?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Be sure to extend invitations to participate to all types and sizes of farmers and ranchers, as all types of systems, practices and innovative approaches will be required to achieve food security and other sustainable development goals. in addition to appreciating and respecting the Principles of Engagement, we also found that the following guiding principles were helpful in forging consensus:
- Context-specific priorities and solutions
- Profitability as a central component
- Uncommon collaboration
- Farmers, ranchers and foresters at the center of discussions and decisions
- Systems approaches that are scalable
- Science in conjunction with farmers’ experiential knowledge and indigenous innovationDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 240
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This Dialogue reflects a range of perspectives among many different types of agriculture and demonstrates that farmers understand the environmental, climate, social, economic, and health impacts of highly complex food systems. The ideas and approaches identified by the Dialogue participants are, at their core, guiding principles for shaping the transformation of food systems. Participants hope to offer a framework and make the case for ensuring that farmers have a prominent place at the table with other key stakeholders as recommendations are developed and implemented.
These suggestions come from North America, but are practiced in very different regions, climates, and geologies across the continent. The principles included here can be applied in many different parts of the world to enhance food security, improve nutrition and public health, enrich the soils, manage the waters, judiciously use nutrients, and adapt to climate changes – as well as build stronger multi-stakeholder partnerships along the value chain.
The Dialogue also shows how farmers, ranchers and other food producers have, for decades, practiced nature-positive agriculture and steadily expanded those efforts – for both environmental and efficiency reasons. They seek a balance in how agriculture as a whole becomes more sustainable, productive, and profitable, and envision a more collaborative approach to regulation and progress. That vision also includes a full toolbox that gives farmers a range of options to creatively meet and exceed broad goals.
The farmers in this Dialogue have posed questions such as: Where do we go next with innovation? How do we balance the way agriculture evolves (through innovation, research and market demand) with the need to regulate and guide it away from practices that threaten the environment? Farmers in this dialogue envisioned a new approach with regulations focused more on outcomes (healthier soil, efficient water use) rather than specific practices (reducing/measuring inputs). They recommended flexibility, instead of rigid top-down planning, to encourage new practices to evolve through trial and error.
Leading farmers have been on the regenerative bandwagon for decades, using no-till methods and cover crops; finding ways to reuse “waste” with biodigesters and gas lines for energy from manure; using hulls from one crop to mulch another; and more-effective irrigation, among other practices. With those decades of knowledge, what they seek going forward is:
• A place at the table for policymaking.
• A diverse toolbox and the opportunity to freely experiment with those tools.
• Localized food chains (along with broader ones) to ensure resilience.235- 240
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Common themes. Here is a summary of the major ideas and recommendations that recurred in most of the five topic breakout sessions in this Dialogue.
General
• There is a disconnect between producers and consumers in evaluating the cost of food and value of food. In much of North America, there is a marketing focus on low price rather than high nutrition. Farmers would like to see “food security” discussed in terms of “nutrition security.”
• The sustainability, efficiency and adaptability of practices will vary across geographies and
farming conditions.
Value Chain
• Recommendations for nature-positive agriculture need to go beyond farmers. Many crop farmers rent much of the land they farm and must have long-term leases in order to not only implement more-sustainable practices, but to get the benefit of those practices and justify their investment in someone else’s property. Likewise, contract growers in poultry and pork already are heavily invested in basic structures and equipment required by aggregators, restricting ability to spend on new management technology.
• For permanent crops, decisions made today can be in place for 25 years – so changing practices
cannot necessarily occur from one crop year to the next.
• Cooperatives and collaboration up and down the value chain are important to farmers’ ability to meet new goals. Whether through cost-sharing for composting facilities or anaerobic digesters, or pipelines for renewable natural gas, Sustainable Development Goals need to be on the agendas of all players in the value chain, and cognizant of the fact that one-size does not fit all.
Regulation
• Farm and regulator collaboration is a non-adversarial way to not only achieve environmental targets, but to make new strategies even more effective. Farmers and regulators need to talk and, more importantly, listen to and understand each other. Neither has the entire answer – they need to combine their knowledge and jointly develop solutions. Regulations need to be revised to address systems rather than specific targets on specific practices – which sometimes come in conflict with each other through different regulatory agencies.
• Entities that finance agriculture also need to be part of the process of meeting food security and other SDGs. Otherwise, their terms or leases can come in conflict the way farms seek to operate more sustainably.
Knowledge
• Agricultural research needs to become more holistic – as well as better-funded – in terms of both applied and much-needed basic research. Farmers need integrated research that studies a new method’s benefits to multiple outcomes: nutrition content soil quality, water quality, air quality, renewable-energy generation.
• Research investment must go beyond commodity crops. Changing tastes and great variety will require specialized research to assist growers of specialty crops.
• Animal agriculture should be viewed as a part of a broad, diversified system – and as a solution rather than a problem. Its benefits in high-quality protein and in providing nutrients to and management of the land are essential parts of the circle of life.
• Knowledge sharing is essential – through Extension and research; field days; collaboration throughout agriculture and among different siloes; cooperatives, up and down the value chain.
Technical
• Technology and data, as in precision agriculture, are driving more and more of agriculture. Implement manufacturers are now data and technology companies. Technology needs to be scaled appropriately and made available and affordable to farms of all sizes, with continual outreach to keep farmers abreast of technology changes. Broadband access will become ever more important in nature-positive production, enabling global adoption of precision agriculture in harmony with nature.
What is needed:
1. Diversified and sustainable intensification of production strategies appropriate to different geographies, cultures and a wide variety of farm types and scales to produce high quality protein, grains, and fruits and vegetables and reconnect production processes that reintegrate livestock, aquaculture, and crop agriculture as systems to better recycle nutrients.
2. Private activities and public policies that incentivize markets and food system distribution infrastructure – ensuring food access to low-income households and vulnerable, benefit all scales of production. and provide profitable agricultural livelihoods.
3. Evidence-based and people-centered approaches that reflect the concerns of producers and multiple stakeholder groups to implement solutions and partnerships at landscape scale.
4. Systems-based agricultural research that is energized and integrated with SDG goals. Integrated research agendas should advance a systems approach to ensure health236- 240
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Discussion topic #1: Nature-positive strategies from producers of grains, feed, and oilseeds.
ADOPTING NEW PRACTICES. Most participants in this in this breakout session have used some combination of cover crops, no-till, strip-till, inter-seeding, and other practices for decades. But many say their neighbors thought they were crazy when they first adopted these practices. Such conservation practices are slowly becoming widespread, but improvement would come much more quickly with greater incentives – longer leases for rented land, longer partnerships for federal cost-share programs, compensation for early adopters of nature-forward practices, developing markets for carbon sequestration – which is a long-term process that needs ongoing credits. Providers of crop insurance also need to understand the benefits of nature-positive practices.
EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE-SHARING. Lenders, insurers, cost-share programs, regulators, and farmers need to be on the same page and work together on the long-term benefits of nature-positive practices. And they need to reach out to farmers who have been slow to adopt change. But agronomy and soil testing are part of that education – along with the technology of precision farming and understanding the varying needs across the land, even if different parts of the same field. Technology and data will drive many advances – especially when combined with farmers’ common sense and knowledge of their land.236- 240
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Discussion topic #2: Nature-positive strategies relating to grain production.
TECHNOLOGY is critical to the drive for nature-positive agriculture, but it must be adaptable to farms of all types and scales. Plant breeding innovations must continue their progress in reducing soil loss, water use, and herbicide use. Differences in soil, terrain, land-use and other factors can vary considerably even within the same area, meaning there is no one-size-fits-all strategy. Programs and policies must be flexible enough to allow creativity and experimentation to achieve desired results at the hyper-local level. Knowledge-sharing based on these types of solutions can be the most effective way to promote widespread change. This applies to farmer-to-farmer education as well as formalized classes through Extension or associations. It also can be valuable to learn from farmers in different geographic and commodity backgrounds. A grain farmer might learn something useful from an almond farmer.
CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT – Farmers are making sustainable contributions because of environmental and climate imperatives, but also to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness. Often this is best achieved through trial-and-error. Economics and the market help drive innovation, as farmers respond to business economics to cut costs. Farmers need to be at the table as academics and policymakers interpret new data and map out new agricultural strategies. Genetics, equipment, GPS, and precision agriculture are all factors in producing and reviewing the data.
INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY – More output for each input – whether it’s investment, crop protection, genetics, time – means increased efficiency of production and has a huge positive impact on the environment. It also means collaborating with other groups in the supply chain, because each link affects, or is affected by, the others.
The group also raised the question of what measurement components are necessary for farmers to build and focus on. Targets that are based on differences across a county, across a continent, or around the globe.; a focus not on reduction of specific inputs, for example, but targets related to soil health, water conservation, nutrient management, and other factors related to the “circle of life” on the farm and its surrounding areas.236- 240
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Discussion topic #3: Nature-positive strategies from producers of dairy and poultry, etc.
COLLABORATIVE REGULATION. The strategy for nature-positive production should focus on innovation by farmers, as opposed to a prescriptive plan by others. Regulations are essential, but the practices and tactics are best devised at local levels by farmers who already are seeking and crafting solutions that fit their geography and climate. Different farms have different types of innovation, depending on the contexts. It could be running the farmhouse stove from a methane digester fed by only eight cows, or it could be an international conglomerate bearing the expense of methane pipelines from hog lagoons to a gas plant. Small farms can adapt some of the efficiencies from integrated operations with economies of scale.
Yet there need to be goals and guardrails – a regulatory roadmap – to keep farmers and regulators on the same page, learning from each other, and working together. One farmer spoke of meetings between regulators and farmers at which each learned of the other’s challenges and reasoning, and found mutually beneficial ways to clean a bay. Sometimes, regulations from different agencies may seem to be in conflict. Such cases are ideal for different parties to collaborate and clear the air – literally and figuratively.
OTHER COLLABORATION. Rented land and the need for longer leases are barriers to new practices and technologies. Hog or poultry aggregators have specific standards for buildings, equipment, and processes – which makes it costly or against rules for growers to innovate. In these cases, and in others, participants said players all along the value chain need to be part of efforts to adopt nature-positive practices. This can help smaller and independent farms to adopt efficiencies from integrated operations.
A lot of waste-to-energy possibilities also may require collaboration. Perhaps cover crops that could be used along with animal waste to feed digesters; natural-gas companies could share the cost of pipelines from manure lagoons. Carbon sequestration and bio-char from forest waste are other possibilities. Strategies and technologies must be created in a way that allows them to be scaled down to meet the needs of smaller farmers.
Participants noted a profound lack of understanding on the part of some investors and regulators about
the challenges of operating a farm. One example cited was of an investor wanting a 100-year lease on land to fund some research. Some of the regulations on investment from large-scale credit needs to be revised. These illustrate the importance of farmers having a place at the table for discussions of the politics and finance of agriculture.236- 240
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Discussion topic #4: Nature-positive strategies from producers of beef and pork, etc.
Beef cattle, pork, and row-crop farmers provided multiple examples of innovation on their farms. On swine operations, for example, composting is a significant investment but has huge impacts on the operation and there are cost share programs available. A challenge is making sure other producers are aware of those incentives and programs.
In terms of the Food Systems Summit and nature-positive practices, farmers and others in the group want a clearer understanding of what the goal of the United Nations is. Producers share the view that all forms of agriculture need continual improvement. But they worry about recommendations that might seek to do away with one type of agriculture or some common practices: “What is the true end goal, and what are they or we trying to achieve and why? Is it a full transformation or is it continual improvement? As producers, we need more context and want to be involved in the process of developing solutions.” Rather than being told what not to do, farmers want the research, support, and incentives to help them with continual improvement and new options.
To build on that point, the group talked about what a full transformation of our food system could look like. Communication around sustainability is important because each person or region's definition might vary slightly, and practices look different across the globe. Our producers emphasized the importance of avoiding the one-size-fits-all approach. The food system is fragile, so transformation must be approached cautiously and include the voice of farmers.
Beef producers, for example, have taken great strides in grazing management and taking advantage of new ways to utilize government cost programs. The swine industry has focused on implementing sustainability measures to mitigate methane and greenhouse gases. The pork industry over the last decade has been working on decreasing its environmental footprint – and has built partnerships up and down the value chain, making it easier to take on sustainability initiatives. Cost-share programs, both privately and publicly funded, are very important to these types of ventures.236- 240
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Discussion topic #5: Nature-positive strategies from producers of specialty crops.
As in grains and livestock, specialty-crop farmers have for years been adopting nature-positive practices – though the change often has been as much for economic and environmental reasons (which underscores the argument that regenerative farming is not an economic burden). Among other improvements, producers have: re-used water from processing facilities to irrigate fields; diverted
excess storm water in orchards to “recharge” basins; used “waste” such as nut shells as compost for organic melon production; used hedgerows and bee forage to keep pollinator populations healthy; invested in “whole orchard recycling” to put organic material back in the soil; and used sensors to put the right amount of water in the fields.
THOUGH GROWERS MAY use hedgerows or cover crops to help pollinators, this may not be a
sustainable practice in seasons when there are water shortages. They see continued need for research
into bee disease – an environmental challenge with significant implications. Not all strategies work for
all grower situations – that’s why there is a need for a “dynamic, robust toolbox” to accommodate different crop conditions. Another example is finding new uses for byproducts – like the nutshells used as mulch or energy generation – that can enhance fruit, nut, and vegetable production while also helping other ag-related industries reduce their footprints. Finding new and better ways to compost, or returning materials to the soil contributes to carbon sequestration initiatives. Producers are constantly studying new technologies and trying them out.
As with other farmers, specialty-crop growers see a need for value-chain collaboration, but in their case consumer demand is more visible. If wholesale buyers talked more to farm-sustainability officers, they would have a better understanding that the sustainable practices consumers expect may require additional costs that are not always shared down the supply chain. Consumers may expect “all natural” products, though such programs can be hard to implement; or they may want year-round crops, which are a challenge in times of water shortage or increased pest pressures.
This also raises the question of North America’s respect for and understanding of food – which is cheaper here than in most places on Earth. Does the price we’re willing to pay for our food reflect the value we place on our environment? It’s a question ripe for a national and global dialogue.237- 240
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For a diverse group of farmers and advocates from a range of specialties, there was astonishing little divergence in the morning of Dialogue. Representing different scales and types of farmers, participants spoke of a vision shaped by broad principles, even as each shared his or her own specific examples to make the case. The one noteworthy area of divergence was softened by a shared view of how it should be overcome. Farmers too often are blamed for environmental degradation, yet they are the vanguard of adapting the holistic “circle of life” to modern agriculture.
At least one key farmer-leader stressed that “Agriculture is not broken,” adding, however, that “There’s always room for improvement.” Another countered that “maybe 10 percent of what we’re doing is wrong – we need to own our past. But what about the other 90 percent? We are moving forward.”
More important than these competing perspectives on where to begin the discussion, the group spoke with a unified voice in making the case for addressing urgent problems right now, while also envisioning continual improvement for the long term. And, they say, current and future change must be addressed not just on the farm but also along the value chain. The whole food system needs to be more nature-sensitive – including the regulatory and finance aspects.
When farmers look at continual improvement, they don’t see steady, uninterrupted progress any more than Thomas Edison waltzed through all of his inventions. "I didn't fail 1,000 times,” he said. “The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” Great success is built on learning from things that initially went wrong. Farmers are looking to enhance their own land and production by learning from mistakes and trying new experiments.2021-04-22 09:12:22205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue with Japan Agricultural Corporations Associationhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/12753/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?In the Japan National Food Systems Dialogue with Japan Agricultural Corporations Association (JACA) held on 26th March 2021, MAFF explained the outline of FSS including the purpose and the key issues of sustainable food system and asked following questions.
Q1 What kind of policy responses are necessary to reduce chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides, and promote organic farming? What sort of measures should be taken by producers or administrators?
Q2 What kind of new technologies are necessary for expanding agricultural productivity while reducing a negative impact on the environment by farming?
Q3 For the farmers to work at environmentally friendly agriculture with motivation, how other stakeholders should be changed? Or what kind of cooperation do you want to ask them?
Q4 What do you expect us to achieve at the Food Systems Summit?
The members from JACA made comments on that.234- 240
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In this dialogue, we discussed challenges and opportunities especially related to Action Track 3.235- 240
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The meeting with Japan Agricultural Corporations Association (JACA) was held to exchange opinions related to SDGs and sustainable food systems. Please see the attached file for details of discussions.2021-04-22 10:42:48205Stage 2A Roadmap for Action for the Prevention of Child Wasting in Cambodia https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8374/- 39
7484322151233219211118111123215101351910How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?This event was organised in recognition of the need to act urgently and across all stakeholders to address child wasting in Cambodia. The topic was chosen to complement existing work by the UN team to draft a roadmap for the Global Action Plan (GAP) and to present this to stakeholders to secure broader stakeholder engagement with the plan. The dialogue event was intended to build trust amongst stakeholders by sharing the information openly to government and other partners.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue timing was in keeping with the timetable for rapid progress towards an endorsed national roadmap for the GAP. There were a wide variety of stakeholders engaged in the dialogue and some agencies submitted written comments if unable to attend the event. Participants were invited to prepare comments for inclusion in the discussion making sure that each of the relevant ministries were included in the invitations, as well as representatives of the donors, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), civil society the UN and the private sector. Government participants came from the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development, the Cabinet of Deputy Prime Minister HE Yim Chhay Ly, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of Education Youth and Sport, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Social Affairs Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, Ministry of Women's Affairs and Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Keep a balance in the time assigned to present information and the time required for full discussion of the topic. It is difficult for online events to run beyond two hours. At least half of the available time should be assigned to discussion. If feasible, combine questions, polls or quizzes with presentations to have a more interactive discussion with participants.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?This dialogue event was curated on the basis of the presentation of a draft National Roadmap for the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Child Wasting, followed by opportunities for the government participants to comment on the draft roadmap and then for other participants from the development partners, donors, civil society and the private sector to do the same. This more formal approach was used to ensure that each of the ministries present would have an opportunity to voice their response and for all present to hear these responses. The draft roadmap was also circulated to all participants in advance of the meeting and there is ongoing opportunity for the submission of written comments to incorporate all stakeholder views. The event could have given more time for each of the stakeholders to express their views if they were consulted one by one (for the ministries) and then a general meeting was conducted after allowing time for incorporation of ministry feedback. The incorporation of this event into the dialogues was deliberate, as one step towards incorporating the substantive commitments to the GAP for Wasting into the Roadmap for Sustainable Food Systems. In order to go beyond opinions on food systems and to capture specific commitments that will contribute to the roadmap, this is a challenging step as it involves multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder commitments and such processes are not readily accepted, without a formal and somewhat protracted process of consultation and discussion. Some ministries were receptive to the proposed roadmap, some preferred to provide feedback in writing or through a bilateral meeting and others contested the plan. Follow up actions to amend the roadmap and further meetings are required.234- 238
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UN agencies at regional and country level have supported the development of a draft Country Roadmaps for Action for Cambodia. The roadmap identifies a set of priority actions needed to accelerate progress on the prevention and treatment of wasting which can be integrated into broader national policies, strategies and plans and which is wholly
relevant to Action Track 1 of the Food Systems Dialogue and Roadmap. The focus of this dialogue has been to engage actors in a discussion of the draft Roadmap across multiple systems (health, food, social protection and water, sanitation and hygiene) and multiple stakeholders (development and humanitarian partners, bilateral and multilateral organisations, civil society and the private sector).
The UN in Cambodia recognises that it is crucial to integrate actions to prevent and treat wasting into existing and forthcoming national multi-sector nutrition strategies and plans including the National Food Systems Dialogues. The UN Agencies involved reconfirmed their commitment to support the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) in addressing maternal and child malnutrition in all its forms. The dialogue event provides an opportunity to present the Draft Country Roadmap for Action to the RGC and other interested parties, to discuss the plans and to continue with progress towards the elimination of wasting. The dialogue event served to inform stakeholders of the plan, facilitate broad discussion and to elicit focused responses from representatives of key ministries and institutions.235- 238
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The main findings were that there was more work required to follow-up with ministries by the various UN agencies (depending on which one is best positioned with each ministry or institution), and to follow-up on input received to reflect it in an updated version, outlining more clearly which Ministry is leading on the various activities, and who is supporting them in the implementation.
Because the plan was presented in English there was a challenge for many participants to grasp the detail. Simultaneous translation helped to provide clarity for the discussion.
In general, the substance of the plan was seen to be sound, with a requirement that errors in nomenclature and agency roles be corrected. Useful additions to the plan came from the World Bank and Pooling Partners for the Cambodia Nutrition Project and from other agencies implementing relevant activities in the target areas. The participants also added the prevention and treatment of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) into the plan, making a substantial commitment to tackle the problem and boost the support to the Ministry of Health and other relevant ministries for this critical task. The priority remains for the prevention and treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and the Ministry of Health needs substantially increased resources to lift the level of treatment for the most severe cases.236- 238
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The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) support for the plan will mainly be delivered through the Research for Development, Extension and Education and the MAFF are working closely to improve the quality, diversity and safety of produce, including in cooperation with neighboring countries for developing standards and guidelines for ASEAN.
The work of the National Nutrition Programme to be more clearly acknowledged and correctly referenced in the plan.
The General Secretariat of the National Social Protection Council will provide additional feedback to clarify existing social assistance measures relevant to the plan.
The Ministry of Rural Development asked that WASH should be reflected in more areas of the plan as it is essential for all four outcomes. The authors of the draft plan explained that they were asked specifically to limit the number of activities under each outcome and that if one activity contributed to more outcomes, that activity should only be mentioned once to avoid repetition.
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport confirmed that element of the plan relating to school were suitable for them. The Ministry of Planning and Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation asked that due consideration be given to encouraging research into the benefits of fortification of children's food.
Clarification of the term first years of children's life was sought to ensure consistency with a focus on the 1000 day window and on children under five years of age in the policies of the Royal Government. A plan for social and behavioural change communication was strongly recommended as an element of the plan and it was suggested that the prevention of unwanted pregnancies should also be part of the education aspects.
The means of implementation were discussed and it was recommended by civil society representatives that the multistakeholder platforms at national and sub-national level were critical to success. These platforms should be explicitly mentioned in the implementation plan.
The contributions of the Cambodia Nutrition Project were summarised and additional information was submitted for the existing and planned contributions of the project to the prevention and treatment of wasting in children. These activities were incorporated into the plan.
Participants asked for greater clarity on who does what and suggested that a detailed mapping exercise would be very valuable for determining which activities will be supported and then activating the plan.237- 249
No major areas of divergence emerged in the dialogue, although some participants were critical of nomenclature, hierarchy and lack of clarity in the specification of roles. This clarity is required for all ministries and government institutions and also applies for other agencies. Opportunity to correct these errors was provided in follow-up to the event.2021-04-23 10:11:01204 GrowHer.org launch in the Philippines: Women in Food, Force for Goodhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9775/- 18
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How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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GrowHer.org is a microsite that provides women agripreneurs the platform to upskill themselves with useful tools and new skills, read inspiring stories of other women in agriculture making their mark, and to collaborate and attend events across the value chain - creating sustainable food systems for generations to come. Major focus of the discussion was: Important roles and contribution of women in the food systems.
On 31st of March 2021, aligned with the celebration of International Women’s Month, GrowHer.org launched in the Philippines. The launch was remarkable as it was the first in-country launch of the platform. The program became an avenue for collaboration among civil society groups, government agencies, and the private sector in supporting the GrowHer microsite through contributing content, sharing resources, and partnership opportunities for women in agriculture. The launch also aired and released a Manifesto Video, recognizing the important roles that women play in the food and agri-ecosystem.
The launch was led by AGREA, Corteva Agriscience, and Grow Asia. It was supported by the Netherlands Embassy in the Philippines – a major supporter of agriculture and gender equity initiatives, SPARK Philippines, and UNFSS Dialogues.
The launch complemented our 2020 program entitled How Women Feed The World: A Digital Talk on Women in Agriculture. The said webinar complemented the conclusions of Roundtable on Gender Equity and Empowerment last 2019, and support for Magna Carta of Women in Agriculture. It also presented current opportunities and investment for women in agriculture on the following key areas: education, sustainable livelihood, peace and security, and health and nutrition.235- 238
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II. Main Findings
The launch on GrowHer March 31st, 2021 – was a fruitful discussion and call to action and partnerships. Major focus of the discussion was: Important roles and contribution of women in the food systems. Here are the major findings of the discussion:
A. Current status of women in the food systems
• Globally, less than 2 in 10 landowners are women. Women farmers in the Philippines make financial decisions with their husbands. Women farmers in the country have more control managing household expenses and are among the most empowered in Southeast Asia (according to a study published in the Scientific Journal Food Policy in 2017).
• In food and nutrition globally, more than 50% of workers (in agriculture) are women. But women have less rights, less income, less access, and not valued. FAO, WFP, and IFAD have looked at it and have researched that if women would have access to all tools in agriculture and food production along the whole food value chain, they would be able to produce better until 10%. And with ‘better’, it means good quality of food. It is concluded that if women have equal access to public, legal, and financial services, hunger and malnutrition could be down by 25%.
• World Food Programme (WFP) estimated that at the end of last year (2020), there could be some 130 million people who are hungry. It is a huge challenge on how we can help women that are working in the fields, and are working on rural environments to have enough income, to have enough food to feed their families, and to nourish them.
• In 2018, Corteva Agriscience commissioned a global study of more than 4000 women in agriculture to really understand their pain points and their key challenges, and to look into gender inequality. It was across 17 countries, 24% in Asia Pacific. It was found out that universally, women love being in farming and agriculture, but at the same time the challenge of gender inequality is still a prevalent challenge for them. Whether that’s the income disparity, the land ownership issues, or access to training, finance, and other resources.
• Filipina agricultural workers are also the most overworked, compared to their South Asian peers. The Filipina farmers juggle the most significant workload at home and at the farm. To cut it short, women farmers work more, but they are also paid less.
• Barriers for women in agriculture include access to farm inputs, credit, market know-how, and land ownership – must be entirely eliminated, and create better and incentivizing farming conditions.
• According to WFP, 97% of the money that families are receiving from the Social Amelioration Program of the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development, was being spent on food alone.
B. CALL TO ACTION: What can be worked out to support Filipino women in their role and contribution to the food systems?
• Exposing the inequalities is a first step towards remedy. Listening to the women in the communities, in the farms, in the grassroots about their stories and experiences.
• Implement initiatives that fosters partnerships, brings together stakeholders from all sectors, and puts women at the center.
• Increase efforts in breaking down the barriers that discourage women into agriculture. Barriers such as access to farm inputs, credit, market know-how, and land ownership – must be entirely eliminated, and create better and incentivizing farming conditions for the Filipinas.
• Implement financial assistance program that can further narrow the gender disparity in agriculture, like the AgriPinay of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC).
• Providing women more resources, information on agriculture and business, as well as sharing inspiring stories about women farmers and entrepreneurs.
• Multi-stakeholder collaboration for nutrition-sensitive agriculture: growing food that are nutritious.
• Multi-stakeholder collaboration for social-behavioral change communication, and seek to understand ‘what is it that is a barrier for women having more nutritious food put on their households’?
• Opportunity to link up SUN (Scaling Up Nutrition) Business Network to small and medium enterprises, especially those that are women-run: looking at where the value chain opportunities are for them.
• COLLABORATION: It is about the power of SHE, and when women come together – they create the power of WE. If women come together, they start to talk about their experience and about their dreams. And many women dream about a better world for themselves, but most especially for the next generation.
• Invest in good nutrition. It starts at home for all children, boys and girls alike – because that is where equality starts.
• Inform and push our work towards promoting women’s economic empowerment.236- 238
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A. Best practices in creating and enabling opportunities for women in the food and agriculture sector: what works best, what were the challenges, and how to address these challenges?
• The best way to know what the key challenges are for women in the food and agriculture system, is to talk to them.
• Provide women-only training in some cases so they have access to customized training.
• A lot of women felt that they do not have is recognition. Awareness on the important roles that women in the entire agriculture value chain - amplify the role they play, give them a voice, and make them more visible in discussions about the sustainability of our food systems.
• Building a community of women in the agriculture and food system and empower them through role models. Have a support system of female entrepreneurs and food systems workers who support each other.
• Increase the number of women in the food system workplace, especially in leadership roles.
• Invest in women: when she wins, her family wins, her broader community wins, all of us wins.
• Make sure the pay is reasonable, work hours are reasonable because you have to recognize that they are mothers, and condition of the workplace should be good.
• Have a series of conversations with female farmers. They are parents, they nurture their children and guide them in choosing their career and consult with them. In exploring challenges with the parents, then together we will find practical solutions to these problems.
B. How can you support the advancement of gender equality at the farm level, and network level?
• Create partnerships and support linkages and help the projects in scaling up to support more women farmers.
• Conduct knowledge exchange events, to help in exchange experiences and information with women farmers.
• Collective effort. Identify the gaps, they identify common resources that the companies can work on, and collaborate in building, scaling, and leveraging on these resources to help farmers have access to market, financing, training, and capacity building.
C. How collaboration is imperative to foster gender response in any sector, including agriculture? How can we grow more opportunities for women in the food and agriculture value chain?
• Collaborate with different agencies – national, local, municipal, NGOs and the private sector. Successful projects cannot be implemented without collaborative effort.
• Women farmers not as producers but also as processors. Open women to opportunities that can help them climb up the ladder of the value chain.
• Organize women into groups with legal registrations, so that they can access and participate to other programs of the government and private institutions.
D. Inputs and Suggestions for the Magna Carta of Women in Agriculture
• Establish associations for female farmers at the local level. Coming together as a decision-making body empowers women, and at the same time they can contribute significantly to the well-being of the community.
• Balance of quantity and quality in opportunities for women in agriculture. Put targets in the Magna Carta (ex: increasing the number of women in leadership roles). We also have to take into consideration the quality – how they are engaged, how do they benefit? How can women use and access the opportunities and platforms?237There were no areas of divergence.- Brief Profile of the Speakers and Discussantshttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/BRIEF-PROFILE-OF-SPEAKERS-1.pdf
- Transcription of the launchhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Transcription-of-Keypoints-GrowHer-Launch-1.pdf
- UNFSS Full Reporthttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/UNFSS-REPORT-1.pdf
- GrowHer launch in the Philippines - Full coveragehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcP4UDnn34I
2021-04-23 16:08:19204U.S. Animal Agriculture as a Solution to Global Food Systems Challengeshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7117/- 194
122115663730506931173498376238862178891213991381101219How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Our planning team kept the Principles of Engagement in mind throughout the process of organizing our Independent Dialogue event. We communicated the Principles to our participants in advance of the event in our Participant Guide, shared them verbally at the beginning of the event and right before the breakout discussions began as well as distributed them to participants via a link if they wanted to explore the principles further.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Act with urgency: We worked to hold our event as soon as possible in order to kickstart further engagement with the FSS process from our participants.
Commit to the Summit: Our invitation materials explained the premise of the FSS and encouraged participants to learn more. We also included more context about the FSS in the opening remarks of the event.
Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity: We very carefully curated our invitation list to ensure as many voices as possible were represented. Our participants encompassed more than 12 unique (self-reported) stakeholder groups. We also kept diversity of viewpoint, role, age, gender and geographical location top-of-mind when organizing our participants into discussion groups.
Build trust: We emphasized that the Dialogue event would follow the Chatham House Rules and that while participants are free to discuss and make use of the concepts discussed, they should not share the identify of other participants or any direct, attributed quotes from the discussion.
Be respectful, recognize complexity, complement the work of others: We held a training session with our discussion group moderators in advance of the event to share these principles along with guidelines for ensuring they were followed during the discussion groups.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?We recommend communicating the Principles to participants several times (including in advance of the event) so they have time to consider them and keep them top-of-mind during discussions. For the “build trust” Principle, we suggest giving participants specific guidance on how they should and should not communicate about their attendance at the event and what they can share.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The U.S. animal agriculture community is highly engaged in the work of the UN Food Systems Summit (FSS) and has a track record of progress and ambitious commitments that align with the FSS’ focus on enhancing sustainability. Americans today have access to one of the safest, most diverse, and most affordable food supplies in history, and American agricultural and food products feed millions of people around the world - thanks in large part to the efficiency, productivity, and innovation of the U.S. agriculture and food supply chain alongside the United States’ robust science- and risk-based regulatory system. The U.S. animal agriculture community believes the FSS can have a positive impact on not only the future of our own U.S. food system but the global system, as well.
The Animal Agriculture Alliance, a nonprofit working to bridge the communication gap between farm and fork, took the opportunity to contribute to the FSS by convening an Independent Dialogue event titled “U.S. Animal Agriculture as a Solution to Food Systems Challenges.” This Dialogue brought together stakeholders from across the U.S. animal agriculture community to engage meaningfully, explore collectively and emerge resiliently for sustainable food systems. Through engagement and discussion, the Dialogue considered animal agriculture’s role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ability to be a “game changer” in delivering progress across all five Action Tracks of the FSS.
The U.S. animal agriculture community is broad and diverse, and the Dialogue event reflected that concept. Participants were carefully selected from various key stakeholder groups, including farmers and ranchers (of all sizes), animal agriculture organizations, companies (animal health, nutrition, genetics, integrators/processors), restaurant/retail/foodservice companies and organizations, environmental NGOs, dietitians, youth/young farmers and veterinarians/academics/researchers. Diversity in educational background, age, gender and geographic location was also taken into account when selecting attendees. The discussion was intentionally organized to cover as many topics as possible in order to take advantage of the various types of expertise among participants. Participants were sorted into discussion groups centered by the five Action Tracks of the FSS. Assigned facilitators led each group in a conversation around their Action Track with a set of pre-developed questions (some were common across all Action Tracks, others were unique to specific Action Tracks).
The structure of the Dialogue event worked well to allow us to achieve our goal: a broad discussion of the role U.S. animal agriculture is currently playing and can play in developing the sustainable, resilient food system of the future.235- 238
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Sustainability must not be viewed as a single, exclusive destination, but rather as a diverse, continuous, and inclusive journey. Participants agreed that the U.S. animal agriculture community (from farm to fork and beyond) is among the most sustainable in the world (based on life cycle assessments, increases in productivity, reductions in GHG, and other data-based measurements of sustainability) and that all stakeholders, across many different areas of expertise, different production systems, and different sizes, can and must find commonalities and work productively together.
Participants agreed that optimizing animal agriculture’s environmental impact is an ambitious but attainable goal, which can only be achieved via sustained, long-term active participation of all stakeholders with a goal of constant innovation and improvement. Goals must clearly incorporate and build on significant progress thus far, which is often not well understood by key audiences (including governments and consumers). The substantial contributions and commitments across the food and agriculture supply chain represent huge improvements and also offer the greatest potential as pilots to scale for further gain.
Throughout the Dialogue, stakeholders highlighted challenges with the framing and definitions of key concepts and issues. Participants felt it was important to acknowledge that our food supply is the most effective and productive in history, with room for improvement - rather than viewing the system as inherently broken or negatively impacting people and the planet. Participants also highlighted the power of inclusive approaches - by agreeing that all production practices can be made more sustainable we allow all stakeholders to participate, rather than setting unrealistic extremes that exclude some communities entirely. It is also important to note that all industries have some level of environmental impact – not just agriculture. Food is foundational to our survival and health, and while animal agriculture should (and will) do all it can to address challenges of sustainability, other industries need to mitigate their impacts as well and conversations around sustainability should be inclusive and collaborative while encouraging everyone to do their part.
Defining “sustainable” and “healthy” is not easy, because in reality these words do not represent one single, universal outcome. Definitions should not overwhelm or undermine continuous improvement efforts. Sustainability and health are always context-specific and interdependent. The correct framing is important to allow understanding and agreement on the priorities and actions that are most feasible and impactful.
Participants also highlighted the importance of holistic analysis to understand and prepare for trade-offs and areas of synthesis/reinforcement. Participants agreed that food systems must become more sustainable while also ensuring continued sufficient nutrient-dense food supplies that are safe, accessible, affordable, and appropriate to diverse consumer needs. The animal agriculture community should continue striving to optimize its nutritional and environmental impacts, and food systems should focus on encouraging consumers to build and maintain overall healthy diets, with attention to balancing needs including nutrient-density, diet quality, diet diversity, consumer acceptance, taste, value, convenience, safety, and more.
Stakeholders estimated that 60% of sustainable gains over the next 30 years will come from conventional agriculture, and that these 30 years will be the most influential and important in the history of agriculture. Farmers and ranchers must be central to the work and to decision-making; currently where decisions are made is very distant from where change actually happens. It is not feasible for the necessary gains to be achieved without the active involvement of and engagement with conventional agriculture stakeholders who are already leading the way in this area.
Public understanding and trust of food systems is key to sustainable choices, as well as to attracting and retaining the talent needed to secure the future of the agricultural and food supply. Efforts need to be made to ensure that all voices contributing to discussions of food systems (including those involved in food marketing) are communicating accurately and not contributing to public misconceptions around sustainability. Participants agreed food systems must also work now to enable the next generation of farmers, ranchers, growers, and innovators across the food and agriculture supply chain.236- 238
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Discussion topic 1: Action Track 1
❏ Stakeholders agreed that fundamentally sustaining human life through high quality nutrition and preventing malnutrition while mitigating impact on the environment must be the main objective of Action Track 1. This can be achieved through promoting and advocating for production and processing of nutrient-dense food, including meat, poultry, dairy, eggs and seafood.
❏ A more open, predictable, rules-based global trading environment with fewer barriers will facilitate more efficient movement of agriculture and food products, including to regions suffering from malnutrition and food insecurity.
❏ While the availability of nutritious food is a key element, participants agreed that consumer awareness, education, and choice are equally important. As has been seen with COVID-19 vaccines, just because a product or service is available and proven effective does not mean that every consumer will take advantage of it. Educating the public on how all foods can be made more sustainably must be a priority addressed by the FSS. Embracing animal agriculture’s potential and amplifying the cutting-edge work taking place will also help attract brilliant and inspired minds into the field of agriculture. Discussions about food choice and any attempts to make recommendations also need to be considerate of cultural relevance, religious beliefs, and other familial reasons for why people eat what they do.
❏ Support for small-scale stakeholders across the globe is also critical. Investments, partnerships, and support to implement lessons learned can help increase global sustainable practices across the board and help smaller businesses and farmers thrive sustainably while alleviating burdens on the environment and the food system.236- 239
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Discussion topic 2: Action Track 2
❏ Participants expressed serious concern that the FSS may be defining sustainability and healthy in ways that exclude the majority of stakeholders in the food and agriculture supply chain. Such approaches will exclude valuable expertise, ignore practical solutions, and impact consumers’ understanding of the current and future impact of their food choices. To gain the support needed to actually work, FSS approaches must be inclusive and flexible.
❏ Participants agreed that the FSS should focus on making diets more sustainable and more nutrient-dense, not focus only on a narrow set of policies, practices, and products that target specific foods and/or are not inclusive of diverse needs and choices. For example, fruits and vegetables provide great nutritional value, but meat, poultry, dairy and eggs are very nutrient-dense and should not be discouraged. Produce is also most likely to be wasted.
❏ Participants noted that nearly all foods are processed in some fashion and that food processing should be viewed in light of its role in healthy and sustainable diets, not as a negative characteristic to be limited or eliminated. Practical solutions for more diverse, healthy, affordable and sustainable diets must include innovations and improvements in food processing. Solutions that denigrate specific foods or seek to limit production, consumption, or consumer choice will not contribute to implementation of real, urgently needed solutions based on evidence and proven impacts.
❏ Participants agreed that progress is being made every day across the food and agriculture supply chain, including to reduce emissions, improve efficiencies and provide the best products to consumers. Participants cited numerous examples of innovations that have reduced energy, land, and water use all while producing more food for a growing population. Participants urged that all stakeholders embrace and amplify these gains to reach our shared goals and to convince the public of the value and impact of practical improvements that must be continued.236- 240
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Discussion topic 3: Action Track 3
❏ Participants agreed that the food and agriculture supply has made considerable progress to drive more sustainable practices over recent decades, and that progress should be celebrated. Ensuring sufficient awareness, understanding, and positive attention to these advances is critical to incentivizing stakeholders to continue to invest in these practices and to increase their efforts. Efficiency and productivity must be encouraged and celebrated (no other sector denigrates efficiency; for example, fuel-efficient cars pollute less and are encouraged), and there must also be consideration of farmers’ interests in being good stewards and protecting economic viability.
❏ Participants expressed concern that stakeholders’ significant resources, time, and commitment invested in increased efficiency, productivity, quality, etc. are frequently discounted or even denigrated, discouraging efforts that should instead be praised, encouraged, and scaled up. Farmers and ranchers are particularly impacted by this vicious cycle and should be front and center in developing and implementing all solutions for more sustainable food systems.
❏ Participants agreed that greater consideration is needed for measuring outputs and incentivizing improvements, as well as for the incredibly difficult nature of measuring carbon output and sequestration. Discussion included creating consistent terminology and metrics for understanding improvements like emission reductions, carbon sequestration, and protecting natural resources and creating programs to adequately pay for and reward achievements in these areas.236- 241
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Discussion topic 4: Action Track 4
❏ Participants noted the tremendous impact of the food and ag supply chain on livelihoods in the United States and the critical importance of sustaining full and productive employment and decent work for all actors along the food value chain. Participants also discussed challenges and opportunities for enabling entrepreneurship and addressing uneven access to resources.
❏ Participants noted that agriculture and food businesses vary widely - this is not a sector where one size fits all, so recruitment, training, and retention can be challenging. The challenges, particularly for economic viability, lifestyle (urban v. rural) and consumer perception (whether agriculture is seen as a desirable activity), also impact attracting and educating the next generation of talent. Focusing on diversity is also a high priority for the industry’s future.
❏ Participants felt that multiple types of production systems are and must be part of more sustainable food systems - for example, organic and conventional agriculture should not be viewed as mutually exclusive. Both are necessary to meet consumers’ needs and achieve our common goals. FSS solutions must recognize this truth and be revised to incorporate the best aspects of multiple systems of production.236- 242
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Discussion topic 5: Action Track 5
❏ Participants highlighted that resiliency, like sustainability, must be based on three components - economic, social, and environmental (including context related to specific geographies) and must be viewed as a journey of continuous improvement. Farmer voices emphasized that their resiliency depends very much on flexibility and adaptability, which can be hindered by overly prescriptive regulatory approaches and by lack of understanding of on-farm realities.
❏ Resiliency is boosted by mutual understanding and enhanced communication between stakeholders, governments, technical experts, and consumers. Youth voices agreed with farmers about the need to embrace technology and innovation and not block farmers’ access to new tools. Youth voices were also particularly focused on improving ag and food stakeholders’ connectivity through digital media.
❏ Participants felt strongly that solutions must be centered around emergency planning and infrastructure investment. Across the globe, food systems were pushed to the breaking point due to the pandemic. The FSS has the ability to revisit the flaws brought out by the pandemic and address them so that no future generation is left at a disadvantage. The food system must be flexible, with a more active and involved stakeholder base ready to address issues proactively. This will require more advanced and efficient forms of communication between stakeholders, governments and scientific experts.237- 238
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Participants in this Independent Dialogue brought to bear a wide variety of perspectives from small scale farming to advanced sciences to veterinary medicine to environmental activism, but the Dialogue revealed broad consensus that the FSS must focus on practical, broad-based, action-oriented solutions backed by science, innovation, and proven impact - solutions that include producers of all sizes and types and at many points in their journey for continuous improvement and more sustainable systems.
The FSS will impact farmers and ranchers the most of all stakeholders, and participants were concerned that some proposed approaches within the FSS currently do not adequately reflect producers’ realities, acknowledge their achievements, or recognize that conventional agriculture must shoulder the majority of work needed to achieve more sustainable food systems. Therefore, greater work is needed to appropriately frame the challenges, understand the landscape and horizon, and develop solutions for meaningful and lasting change.
Participants identified key terms and concepts as not yet having appropriate, flexible approaches within the FSS - including sustainable, healthy, and nutrient-dense. As discussed in the Dialogue, sustainability is a journey, not a single or universal destination. Healthy diets are diverse, balanced, take into account nutrient density and are not based on denigrating specific nutrients, foods, and product categories. Participants also emphasized the importance of strengthening awareness of producers’ contributions and incentives for further achievements, educating consumers about the food system, and fast-tracking proven policies and innovations including by taking lessons learned into developing countries.
While participants agreed that more needs to be done to provide consumers with accurate, balanced information about sustainable food systems, there was some disagreement about who is responsible for leading that charge and what level of responsibility food brands and retailers have in communicating information about animal agriculture to consumers. The animal agriculture community will need to work to become more unified in its efforts to communicate about sustainability in order to be more effective in ensuring public understanding.2021-04-25 16:48:18204Achieving a sustainable food system in Bandung City - towards a diverse, equitable, healthy and resilient food system in Indonesiahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/10429/- 88
30715711812151191138171293151How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Independent dialogue is a 2-days face-to-face meeting conducted to share experiences and discuss issues related to the Bandung city food system. The event was conducted offline to give more space for interaction among the participants and due to consideration that many people have experienced zoom fatigue. However, the dialogue was organized under a strict health protocol to avoid the risk of Covid 19 virus transmission. The Principles of Engagement were used as references in preparing the dialogue.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The event adopted the Summit principles of engagement. We informed the participants that the dialogue was not only organized as a forum for discussing issues and seeking for joint commitment to achieve a sustainable food system for the city but also as a contribution to the Food Systems Summit for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We embraced the complexity of the food system by inviting participants from different groups with different roles in the city food systems: government, academics, urban farming community, nutritionist, etc. To cover the sustainability elements, participants were divided into four group discussions: Economy, Social, Environment, and Wellbeing. 2-days events provide more time to "build trust", share concerns, ideas and discuss the issues more deeply.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Visualization of the topic discussed may help the participants to understand better and provide transparency. . Everybody can re-visit them, make adjustments or provide feedback at any time during the eventsDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The dialogue was focusing on issues around the complexity of the Bandung city food system. A brief explanation about the food system approach was given on the first day since not all participants are familiar with this approach, as well as to build the spirit of collaboration among stakeholders from different groups. The participants were divided into four groups based on sustainability elements: Economic, Social, Environment, and Well-being based on their expertise, working area, experience, and interest. Through different stages, each group developed the vision, discuss current issues and what needed for achieving the vision based on existing initiatives, also potential innovation that can leverage the process.235- 238
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The city/urban food system is unique since it is highly dependent upon the rural for the provision of food.
During the discussion, participants agreed to integrate several principles: embrace the diversity of local food, apply sustainable/ responsible practices, improve governance in the city food system and stakeholder collaboration. Improved access to safe and healthy food for all was also raised and discussed during the dialogue.236- 238
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WELLBEING: Participants in the Wellbeing group agreed that improved consumer awareness and knowledge on healthy and sustainable food is the key to support the transformation of consumption pattern which will lead to a healthy and productive life, particularly for the future generation. Several initiatives recommended: (a) Collaboration among stakeholders and build on existing programs; (b) Conduct massive campaign particularly for youth through social media and engage influencers; (c) Capacity building for food SMEs /retailers in technology and gastronomy; (d) Intervention through school canteens to provide healthy food for students236- 240
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ENVIRONMENT: Participants in the Environment group highlighted urban farming initiatives as one of the ways to support availability and access to healthy food for the communities. The local government needs to regulate the use of vacant land for this purpose. Green technology should be developed to optimize productivity in urban farming. Enabling policy environment for green finance /investment should be improved for this purpose. Besides production, the participants also discussed the utilization of food waste for food production (circular economy)236- 238
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ECONOMY: How to ensure and monitor the city food reserves and availability, food price stability, access to food were several issues identified and discussed by participants in the Economy group. The participants agreed that it is required to improve infrastructure, governance, and enabling policy environment to address the challenges. A reliable information system is also needed to support the implementation236- 238
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SOCIAL: According to participants in this group, the socio-economic level of the community (income, level of education, parenting style) influences the diets of the community. Therefore, government and relevant stakeholders need to develop and strengthen programs to improve knowledge and access to quality food, for the poor and marginalized groups. Other issues discussed were related to consumer awareness of the diversity of food sources in Indonesia so that they should not depend on only certain food products to cover their nutrition needs. Innovation and creativity in processing local food source, usage of low investment and appropriate technology by SMEs, and involvement of public figures, trendsetter, and informal leader in the campaign will support the achievement AT1237- 242
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The area of divergence that emerged during the discussion is whether urban farming initiatives are significant enough to support food security in the city. Some participants said that this could be achieved through optimized use of technology, while others thought that the contract farming model with farmers in the surrounding areas should be considered more to support the city food security2021-04-26 09:43:00204Game changers to tackle the food loss and waste challengehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/13865/- 57
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How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The objective of the dialogue was to create a setting and show case selected game changing solutions with a scalable potential with the overall aim to highlight actions to accelerate food systems transformation. At the end of the event the participants delivered ideas on actions and next steps to accelerate game changing solutions within food loss and waste as a contribution to the UN Food Systems Summit 2021.- Event Summary
- Video with highlights from eventhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWlfAeBtR5E&t=90s
- Event webpagehttps://onethird.dk/independent-food-system-dialogue/
2021-04-26 14:57:27205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue with the Committee Meeting on New Policies for Agricultural Communitieshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/13936/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?In the Japan National Food Systems Dialogue with the Committee Meeting on New Policies for Agricultural Communities held on 18th March 2021, MAFF explained the outline of FSS including the purpose and the key issues of sustainable food system. The members from the committee meeting made comments on that.234- 239
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In this dialogue, we discussed challenges and opportunities especially related to Action Track 2 and Action Track 3.235- 239
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The dialogue with the committee meeting on new policies for agricultural communities was held to exchange opinions related to SDGs and sustainable food systems.The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) SDGs is a way of global thinking, but when creating a vision for RMO (Regional Management Organization), there are voices from the local side to include SDGs. It is important not only to support the rural areas because they suffer from fatigue, but also to spread the idea that what they do is good for someone on the earth, to national units, prefectural units, and even smaller units. (NPO)
(2) It is difficult to achieve the goals by agriculture alone, but it is important to achieve the goals through inclusion of the manufacturing and transportation processes of chemical pesticide and fertilizer, for example, CO2 zero emission goal. (professor’s comment)
(3) Regarding innovation originating from rural areas, I would like to emphasize not only unilaterally leaving it to private investment, but also relationships in which different players have empathy with each other (professor’s comment).
(4) I think that Japanese agriculture has a double standard, which consists of agriculture for the sake of economy and profits, and agriculture for sustainably growing vegetables by themselves. The latter remains firmly in Japan, and it may be possible to consider this as a model for sustainability (the private sector).
(5) Young people have a feeling to empathy with SDGs, so it would be good if we could foster SDGs, including local SDGs (Regional Circular and ecological Sphere), as words that can positively grasp the future, (the private sector)
(6) Advanced cases of SDGs in Japanese rural areas are not well known due to their weak information dissemination ability. I feel that the commonplace of Japanese rural areas may be one of the most advanced cases in the world. It is very valuable to disseminate that information to the world. (the private sector)
(7) The global food crisis is imminent, but rice surplus is one of the biggest problems in Japan. I think we will protect the rural areas by making rice, so I would like to ask the government to create the necessary support system and mechanism so that we can continue to grow rice in rural areas in the future. (agricultural producer’s comment)
(8) If SDGs are reflected on the regional level, they will reach to the issues of agriculture, forestry, food loss and waste, even in urban areas, so the affinity with these things is very high. (professor’s comment).2021-04-27 01:41:41205Stage 1Japan National Food Systems Dialogue on the Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI) with Renewable Energy Businesses and Related Partieshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/14019/- 95
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?MAFF held the dialogue with stakeholders for developing the new strategy for realizing both the productivity improvement and sustainability through innovation, called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)”. MAFF explained the outline of a draft of MeaDRI to the stakeholders, followed by the expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the strategy.234- 239
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The expression of views of the stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems associated with the new strategy, “MeaDRI”.235- 239
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The main remarks of the participants are as follows.
(1) It is possible to develop agricultural production and the wide- range businesses using profits from solar power generation of farmland. Such income other than farming will enable us to regenerate idle plots and lead to resolution of unused farmland.
(2) Younger generation is highly interested in new perspectives, and it is important to change the way agriculture is performed by energy use. In addition, as they are also highly interested in environmental issues, the conversion of agriculture itself to one with a low environmental load through the conversion of energy will lead to fostering the next generation.
(3) For the sustainable development of agriculture, it is necessary to build a sustainable energy supply and demand system in Japan, including by technological development. Also, we need to present what agriculture and farm villages should be in 2050, so that we can help younger generation imagine agriculture in the future.
(4) Regarding creation of innovation, the reason why the electrification of agricultural machinery such as tractors is behind that of overseas is that the domestic market is small and difficult to expand. We would like to ask the government to create an incentive for businesses from an international perspective, including technology transfer to developing countries.
(5) In rural areas, power transmission lines are not sufficiently developed. Therefore, it is important how to consume the generated electricity in the area. Using an EV car as a storage battery, it charges electricity on farmland during the day and uses it at home at night to contribute to “local production for local consumption”.
(6) For woody biomass power generation, securing dried wood chips, maximizing heat utilization, and commercializing biochar are important. We would like to realize “local production for local consumption” by installing the power generation facility near the heat demand such as farmland and shortening the distance between the farmland and the power generation facility (within 30km).
(7) By utilizing bio-gasification technology and using heat and biochar generated as by-product, it is possible to contribute to creating a recycling-oriented society even on a small scale.
(8) A biogas plant that utilizes livestock manure requires a high maintenance cost of the facility. Effective use of digestive juice as liquid fertilizer leads to reduction of chemical fertilizer, and therefore, we would like to ask for the governmental support for its maintenance costs.2021-04-27 07:24:34204Food Agility Summit 2021: Mission Food For Lifehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7592/- 18
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How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?In organising this dialogue, Food Agility aimed to embrace multistakeholder inclusivity by consulting with a network of more than 80 partners spanning the Australian food system. In addition, Australian and international experts from across the agrifood system were consulted. The Summit brought together leading experts to discuss big issues relating to data, digital and agrifood, acknowledging the complexity in the global food system and the synergies and differences in approaches and solutions across multiple industries and geographical areas.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Food Agility Summit was joined by industry bodies and leaders in R&D, AgriTech, venture capital investment, agronomy, AI, cybersecurity and more. The event was an inclusive, respectful platform for people to share ideas, discuss solutions and build trust in forging new relationships.
The summit exemplified the principles of complexity and multi-stakeholder inclusivity. For example, our panel exploring Australia’s agtech industry (Hunting Unicorns in a Burgeoning Australian Agtech Industry) included venture capital investors as well as agtech scaleups to get perspectives from both sides of the proverbial fence. Our panel on industry-led innovation included policy makers, retail groups, industry bodies, and research to explore how collaboration between parties with conflicting priorities could best be achieved. And finally, in our panel The Rise of Sustainability, Climate Change, and Carbon Markets we heard from retail producers and equitable trade organisations and global tech about how these various issues impact all players in a supply chain and how they can work together to move towards a more sustainable and resilient food future.
Building trust in sharing data was a key theme that spanned focus topics ranging from sustainability as a demand driver to AgTech solutions as productivity enhancing tools. Producers need trust to share data to enable development of decision-support tools. At the same time, consumers need trust in the sustainability of supply chains through the ‘radical transparency’ revealed by technology. By interweaving perspectives of retailers, ethical labels, AgTech start-ups, farmers and carbon market participants we were able to weave in the crucial theme of growing value through trusted supply chains.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Ensuring a wide variety of perspectives on a panel will lead to both more robust discussion and a more engaging experience for your audience. Agreement can be powerful, but acknowledging complexity is thought provoking and stimulates exciting discussion.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?234- 238
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The Food Agility Summit was an interactive virtual event that brought together leaders from the agrifood technology and research sectors. The mission was to explore the trends, opportunities and challenges facing the Australian food system and the role of data and digital technology.
Topics covered include:
• Sustainability as a powerful demand driver
• Environmental services as a new revenue stream for farmers once natural capital is valued
• Cybersecurity in agrifood
• The global agritech landscape and Australia’s place in it
• What ‘resilience’ means mid and post COVID from global companies like Kelloggs’
• What ‘industry-led research’ means from the perspective of industry
• Amazing research happening today
• Education and research at global SMART Farms
• How venture capitalists are investing in agritech
• Australia’s leading agritech scaleups235- 238
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It was universally acknowledged in every panel discussion and presentation that collaboration – and effective communication between collaborating parties – was essential to securing our food future. This extended beyond parties contributing to innovative research, projects, and industry transformation as consumers were identified as a key piece of the puzzle. It was noted during the panel ‘The Rise of Sustainability, Climate Change, and Carbon Markets as Supply Chain Drivers’, that customers are rapidly adopting ethical purchasing behaviours and all members of a supply chain must ‘earn’ consumer loyalty. This could be achieved through ‘radical transparency’ and iterative improvement where brands continuously improve their social and environmental credentials and communicate these activities from paddock to plate. This topic was also highlighted in the panel ‘Flipping the Research: What does true industry-led innovation look like and how can we make it happen?’.
The theme of sustainability closed a loop between consumers and producers. On the one hand, technology can reveal the transparency of supply chains to align to the rise of digital, values-based purchasing evidenced in Australia’s retail sector. On the other hand, the prospect of achieving 5% of farm gate revenue through provision of environmental services seems more possible with the rise of voluntary, private carbon and biodiversity markets which reward farmers for cultivating measurable natural capital.
The ‘Agtech’ industry was identified as an entirely separate but complimentary industry to agrifood. The discussion ‘Hunting Unicorns in a Burgeoning Australian Agtech Industry’ explored how the production challenges of the future (e.g. feeding a global population of 10 billion people by 2050) would need to be met by technology. Therefore, agtech investment and adoption needed to be rapidly scaled up to meet these global challenges.
Risk and resilience were explored from many angles, including through the lens of cybersecurity. It was noted that the move to agrifood system efficiency has increased production capacity but also led to ‘food security complacency’, as traditional risks are reduced and/or better managed but new risks, such as cyberattacks, data theft, and network disruption, remain unmodelled, or are managed in isolation.236- 239
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Panel 1 – The rise of sustainability, climate change and carbon markets as supply chain drivers
- COVID has seen a ramp up in digital consumer engagement and interest in the sustainability, and the shift seems likely to persist
- Radical transparency will drive sustainable consumption and supply chain collaboration
- Carbon and biodiversity markets offer valuable farm revenue streams if we can evolve the data-driven technologies necessary for markets to scale236- 238
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Panel 2 – Flipping the research: What does true industry-led collaboration look like and how do we make it happen?
- Australia leads globally in research outputs, but lags in industry-research collaboration.
- Good communication is the cornerstone of effective collaborative relationships, we might not have the same motivations or objectives to participate, but we need to ensure we openly communicate the various perspectives coming into a project so that we can ensure everyone's expectations are acknowledged.
- The Australian Government highly values industry-research collaboration and has launched a range of initiatives including CRCs, AIA and drought innovation funding to foster and promote industry-research collaboration.236- 239
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Panel 3 – The global SMART Farm network
- We agreed on the importance of integrating financial and sustainability performance indicators in generated data (certainly curriculum/training needs to showcase this type of ‘data’- ie should be more than just showing sensor data feeds). Evidence-based commercial relevance is important
- Importance of ‘holistic’ SMART Farms that includes post-farm-gate with feedback into the farm operations/decision making.
- All SMART Farms engaged early in initiatives related to environmental sustainability/carbon neutrality- there is a strong demand for this by stakeholders.236- 238
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Panel 4 – Hunting Unicorns in a burgeoning agtech market
- While Australian agtech scale-ups would like to stay local, most find they must look overseas for capital, as the investment pool within the Australian market is limited and highly competitive. Overseas markets also offer exciting opportunities for companies to ‘collaborate and cluster’ in the global ecosystem.
- Our panellists called on the audience to contact their super fund and demand investment in agriculture and agtech. Similarly, to call local government and demand investment in the technology to propel Australia’s most important primary industry.
- Covid thinned the herd of Australian agtech scale-ups, but those who survived are thriving. With agtech a vital and growing part of the agrifood sector, a ‘unicorn’ Australian agtech company could be the next Bitcoin, revolutionising the industry.
- Agtech is a distinct but parallel industry from agriculture and agrifood, which provides technology solutions to productivity challenges.236- 238
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Panel 5 – Cybersecurity in food supply chains
- The interconnectedness of industrialised agriculture exposes global food systems to significant ‘unmodelled peril’, as risk within one sector (e.g. financial services) can have cascading impacts on other industries. Agriculture is particularly at risk of cybersecurity breaches thanks to long and complex supply chains with data points controlled by various entities.
- The question of who is responsible for data and cyber security is important. Does the responsibility lie with the customer (e.g. the farmer who purchases software or agtech), or the service provider? In a ‘multi-party data ecosystem’ overlayed on the physical movement of food from paddock to plate, who is liable along a supply chain if a data breach occurs and other parties are impacted?
- Cyber scammers have always been agile and adapted quickly with the cyber risks that Covid presented. All organisations have to learn new lessons, be ready to pivot to address new challenges237- 238
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There were numerous topics of disagreement and robust discussion between our expert panelists across the summit, especially in regards to that capacity for Australian agtech scale-ups to base their operations in Australia. Our panel ‘Hunting Unicorns in a burgeoning Australian agtech industry’ brought together VC investors and leading Australian start-ups who discussed the capacity for business growth in the Australian context. Opinions were divided as to whether an agtech company could grow without basing operations in larger markets such as South East Asia or North America where they could more easily ‘cluster and collaborate’ with the broader agtech ecosystem.
Throughout the summit we held live audience polls to gauge our attendee’s attitudes towards a wide variety of issues. These polls revealed split opinions regarding a range of issues including consumer attitudes towards sustainability, the likelihood of an Australian agtech ‘unicorn’ emerging in the near future, and whether Australia is a good environment for investment.2021-04-27 09:40:18204UN Independent Food System Summit Dialogue Grassroot Perspective for Jharkhand, 2021https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8532/- 87
93015402612058350271052110683272010050105102311180000010How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The UNFSS Dialogue’s principles and guidelines were thoroughly followed while planning and organizing the Independent Summit Dialogue. The Dialogue was convened by Welthungerhilfe and Bhoomi Ka, and co-convenors were Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture (RRA) and Caritas India along with local civil society organizations. A steering committee was formed with representatives from various organizations with rich expertise in various topics related to food systems. The participants were also selected carefully to represent all the stakeholders involved in the food system, especially small farmers. Each participating organization played an active role in designing, decision-making, planning, engagement, implementation and executing the Dialogue.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Dialogue facilitated a platform for Government officials, subject experts, community leaders and farmers to come together and discuss all the five Action Track topics. Through a facilitated dialogue, it was ensured that each one remain respectful about others experience on the topic. Considering the complex nature of the food systems, a multi-stakeholder approach was ensured in the dialogue, and every participant was given a chance to share their views.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?All the principles recommended by Food System Summit 2021 are very essential for a human rights based approach. All the conveners should follow this to get various perspectives from different sections of the society. The Conveners should particularly focus on the representation of the rural community, who otherwise remain silent.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The Sub-National level UNFSSD convened on 13th April 2021 primarily aimed (i) to collate suggestions on improving food systems in Jharkhand, considering aspects of production, livelihood, nutrition, consumption and resilience associated with Food; and 2) feed the collated suggestions to Jharkhand’s mainstream processes and UN Food System dialogue. The virtual summit brought together key stakeholders including farmers, community leaders, network leaders, CSOs, academicians and government representatives to guide individual and collective action towards a future of food that is sustainable, equitable and secure.
This report analyses the feedback/recommendations put forth by the conveners and participants during the multi-stakeholder Independent Summit Dialogue on ‘food systems’ in Jharkhand. Overall, the content of the Dialogue was highly appreciated by the participants as it covered a diverse range of aspects under the discussion of Food Systems. It was especially found relevant in the current context when the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impacts have brought about a gamut of vulnerabilities into sharp focus and compelled the world to rethink about our food systems. The Dialogue witnessed insightful discussions by farmers and community leaders, and other subject matter experts generating comprehensive knowledge around land, water, and forest. The Dialogue focused on all Five Action Tracks decided in the UNFSSD.
The current food systems of the world, including India are highly inefficient and inequitable in terms of production, distribution, and consumption. Jharkhand, home to a dominant tribal population, echoes strong symbiotic relationship between forests, land, and water. Here, people’s livelihoods are primarily based on agro-forestry. The agriculture practices in the state are gradually being influenced by urbanization, mining and industries, contract farming, etc.; land degradation and land erosion of topsoil are some of other crucial issues which is affecting productivity and soil quality. As Jharkhand is rich in minerals, availability of safe drinking water is also a concern issue in many places. A large portion of uplands remain underutilized due to lack of irrigation facility. According to ICAR data, only 9.5% the cultivated area in Jharkhand is irrigated. Productivity of a single crop is not enough to measure the success of agriculture; diversity of crops in farm, using fallow land should also be considered as major indicators which has a direct impact on diet diversity.
It is quite evident that chemical fertilizer also play a major role in environmental degradation, operational health hazards and perpetuation of lifestyle and non-communicable diseases. In the wake of the pandemic there is a consensus among the nations of the world to transform the way the world produces, distributes, consumes and thinks about food is the need of the hour.
A broad understanding is emerging that our food systems are a key factor in the environmental emergency: they contribute massively to malnutrition, global warming, biodiversity loss, land use change and soil nutrient loss. This makes it vital to transform the way the world produces, consumes, and thinks about food. Jharkhand being the state of untouched traditional wisdom and hub of nature friendly practices of food production and consumption, is an important example of sustainable practices involved in food systems. However, the voices of many crucial food system actors, have so far been underrepresented in the academic and policy discourse around food systems.235- 238
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The Independent Food System Dialogue, Jharkhand created a space for an essential dialogue and discussion especially during the pandemic which is severely affecting the food systems. Various dimensions of Food Systems such as social, economic, political environmental, health, livelihoods etc. were discussed during the Dialogue which was divided into three sessions. The first session was the keynote address given by Dr. T. Vijay Kumar, Special Chief Secretary to Govt., Natural Farming, Agriculture Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh; second session focused on Action Track wise breakout sessions, and the final session was a panel discussion on recommendations by the participants. Below are a few key findings and recommendations derived from the five Action Track discussions.
• Jharkhand is a state of high undulated terrain resulting in large soil erosion, dominated by indigenous communities with a rich knowledge base of local and traditional crops and food systems. Most of these traditional systems are gradually eroding due to input intensive practices and energy dense food patterns promoted by the market.
• It is important to encourage and ensure participation of the rural community in the planning process and execution of emerged plan for community led conservation of traditional high yielding seeds, soil water conservation measures.
• Smallholder farmers play a crucial role in the growth of rural economy, not only in Jharkhand, but many part of the world by their multifunctional role of diverse food production, seed conservation and nature positive production pattern. Hence, it is very important to build their capacities on climate resilient farming systems and practices through practical demonstrations and accompaniments. Participatory Action Research (PAR) on crop performance/cost benefit analysis in control plots systems help in building confidence of small holder farmers. Along with this, vulnerability of the landless people also needs to be addressed adequately.
• Emphasis to be laid on ‘nutrition’ besides ‘securing food’. Nutritious food in Jharkhand and many other places in the world is also being contributed by Tree based food, uncultivated forest based, traditional crops. It is important to bring back dignity of all these.
• Reframe the National Procurement Policy of the government to buy local crops and supply them in public sector programs like Public Distribution System (PDS) in India. The National Food Security Act of India, specifically sections 3, 4, 5 and 31 have provision to support and promote the above action.
• A collaborative platform is needed to take the discussion forward on issues related to agriculture, food and nutrition, and dietary diversity in the state. This platform can facilitate and promote possible innovative knowledge and practices in the state.236- 238
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Owing to the ongoing rise in COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the Independent Summit Dialogue was organised online. The 3-hour programme showed an overwhelming response on the discussion topics by the diverse subject matter experts, panelist and smallholder farmers who participated and contributed to the Dialogue. The online platform, Zoom was used for facilitation of the Dialogue where everyone’s participation was ensured. The Dialogue was facilitated by representatives of the Civil Society Academy (CSA). The dialogue entailed clear and was divided into three parts – the first session was the keynote address shared an overall objective of the UNFSS, second session was a break out session on five Action Tracks. For each break out session one Facilitator/Rapporteur and one Keynote speaker were assigned; the third and last session was a panel discussion, where all the rapporteurs presented key recommendations on the five Action Tracks from the breakout session. A standardized format was used to capture each Action Track discussion to maintain uniformity.
Food insecurity is a multi-dimensional issue, therefore it needs a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral approach to address the issues. However, there is lack of convergence in true spirit that is not significant to address the issue at the government level. Most of the time food security means proving benefit under certain schemes, like subsidized food at school childcare centre or households through fair price shop.
As an outcome of the Dialogue, below are the issues which needs urgent action (in the next six months):
• Framing agriculture policy for the state of Jharkhand with strong focus on ecological farming. (Action Track 3)
• Forming a working group to facilitate action research and policy advocacy on efficacy of various nutrition sensitive farming and traditional food system and diet diversity. (Action Tracks 1 and 2)
• Brining in various relevant campaigns and networks together on a platform to multiply already existing practices across the country. Some of these network are - Right to Food Campaign, MGNREGA Watch, Jharkhand Van Adhikar Manch, Sukhar Virodhi Abhiyan etc. These platforms could be used to share the possible innovative knowledge and practices in agriculture in the state. (Action Track 4)
• A large-scale mainstream supported program on women led climate resilient ecological farming to be framed and advocated to the government. (Action Track 5)
Action points in the long run:
• Promotion of stubborn and indigenous/local crops through revival of millets and other crops on a community led campaign mode, introducing appropriate technologies for millet cultivation/processing. (Action Tracks 2, 3, 4 and 5)
• Specific focus on upland rainfed to be brought up considering Jharkhand’s terrain. (Action Track 3)
• Farm to fork approach to be promoted as a campaign message to bring in focus in all the necessary steps of food reaching from one place to another. Even to Preparation/cooking of food is an important aspect which needs looking into. Community should have the knowledge of how to cook the food without losing the nutrition in it. There is a possibility of initiating a campaign on consumption of indigenous food. (Action Track 1, 2)
• A clear policy dialogue to be facilitated on ensuring procurement of local crop and assuring support price for that. (Action Track 2, 4)237- 238
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Below are few of the areas of divergence which came to light during the multi-stakeholder Dialogue:
• Stigma associated with traditional crops and food – people think it is not ‘modern’ enough.
o Need for awareness and changes in the policy to address this stigma/notion.
o Recipe demonstration in schools etc.
• Even if ecological farming is good, we are not able to scale it up.
o Policy push is the need of the hour.
o Revitalization of procurement to secure assured marketing.
• Agriculture is considered only as ‘crop’ farming, hence other important components of livestock, forest, fisheries, commons are missed out – which also plays an important role in diet -
o Policy push towards more convergence.
o Integrated farming systems needs to be boosted.
• Production, market and consumption does not understand each other’s pain point.
• The stakeholders, especially NGOs actively working on issues related to food systems need to work on farm to fork concept.
• To promote local food systems, Government should take proactive steps for decentralization of the procurement rules for public service program. Local food systems could be a viable option to address hunger and malnutrition, however, there is lack on intent to promote and sustain it.
• Government appreciates organic farming, however there is not much effort as there is a misconception that organic production cannot cater to the large scale need of the state. There is also no assured markets available for farmers.- T Vijay Kumar inputs https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IMG_20210413_111747-scaled.jpg
- Participants interactionshttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IMG_20210413_104224-scaled.jpg
- UNFSSD: Grassroot perspective from Jharkhand state, Indiahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwNNbzT0JCo&t=13s
2021-04-27 13:34:56204Africa Vice-Chancellors' Regional Food Systems Dialogues: Stakeholder engagement to discuss future pathways for sustainable food systems in Africahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/4137/- 203
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The dialogue was organized based on all the principles of the UNFSSD engagement. Invited stakeholders were food systems experts and leaders, including policy research institutions, universities, farmer organizations, agri-business, agricultural financiers, civil society, policymakers, oversight bodies, and the media from the African continent and beyond. The curators and convenors emphasized the importance of respect throughout all processes and chose prominent leaders to be the facilitators at each table.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue reflected the urgency, respect, diversity, trust, and other principles. This manifested in the feedback we received during and after the dialogue, which was very positive, and a wish to continue the dialogues and implement the solutions.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?We would advise following the principles of engagements and the UNFSD method. We have realized it helps create a very positive and productive process.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The African Vice-Chancellors’ regional food systems dialogue was convened to provide a multi-stakeholder platform for stakeholders to explore various existing and emerging approaches that have the potential to deliver sustainable solutions at scale and encourage collaborative action in to directly inform the United Nations Food Systems Summit proces.
The Africa Vice-Chancellors’ regional food systems dialogues were represented in the following regions of the African continent:
• East Africa
• North Africa
• Southern Africa
• West Africa
The Food Systems Dialogue program featured a plenary session and four parallel African geographical regions (East, North, Southern and West Africa) break-away sessions. The dialogue provided time and space for informal discussion groups, enabling participants to engage fully. Social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, formed part of the communications strategy to promote the dialogue as well as disseminate proceedings and outcomes.
The Vice-Chancellors were joined by selected representatives of the scientific committee, food systems academics, policy experts, and the participants from the regional food systems dialogue to craft the message and shape pathways to sustainable food systems that will inform African universities` contributions to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit.235- 238
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The Africa Vice-Chancellors joined the Sustainable Food Systems discourse to ensure that Africa does not only feed itself but feeds the world.
The African University Vice Chancellors committed to driving the sustainable food system transformation agenda not just from the faculties of agriculture but university-wide in partnership with governments, development partners, private sector, civil society, consumers and international university partners in order to ensure healthy food, healthy people and a healthy planet. In addition, the Vice-Chancellors committed to reimagining the role of our universities for transdisciplinary knowledge co-creation and in particular the role of science and innovation in defining the food systems that Africa wants.
The Vice-Chancellors emphasized the following:
• Seek transformational approaches and solutions for broad societal interest and the common good;
• Embrace collaboration and transdisciplinarity, ensuring the right skills and talents are around the table to address the challenges at hand;
• Mobilise resources and harness partnerships for greater leverage, innovation, and impact;
• Adopt a systems thinking approach to deal with the complexity inherent to sustainable food systems;
• Co-design and co-create research and initiatives;
• Embrace diversity and inclusivity to enrich research project design and expected outcomes;
• Harness technology, ICT and Big Data as critical enablers;
• Ensure ongoing relevance of our research, in line with changing societal needs, with appropriate translation into practice for sustainable and resilient food systems; and
• Maintain a continuous pursuit of quality and excellence.
• Frequently test our guiding principles against the evolving issues (new pandemics and shocks) we need to grapple with.
The Vice-Chancellors envision an opportunity to bounce back better through:
• Transformed African agriculture and food systems for improved health and livelihoods with shared prosperity.
• Sufficient, safe, nutritious, culturally appropriate and consumer-driven food for 21st century Africa.
• Empowered graduates, researchers and demonstrated research excellence.236- 238
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In the food systems within which your university is embedded, what are the key constraints that prevent transformation towards a more sustainable system?
- Multi-stakeholder engagement
o No organized structures for linkages between the various actors in the food system
o Lack of coherent linkages among stakeholders
o Youth restlessness not only an African problem, but a global challenge
o Silos between universities and other institutions and within our universities between departments agriculture, education, and research institutions due to lack of knowledge on systems as a whole and in their diversity.
- Political Support
o Poor links with ministries. Contributions of universities is seen as not important
o Political red tape especially at municipality level, redirecting food waste, include industry in repurposing food waste, food waste at farm level is more streamline but logistically difficult
- Capacity Building
o Skills gap – we need to train students to address the problems of the past and train them to be practitioners in the food system - need to be trained to address problems of the future.
- Resources
o Inadequate funding for implementing programs- priorities of funders and government do not merge the major issues that need to be addressed in the food system
o Inadequate capital to cope with rising costs of inputs, especially in livestock production
o Unsustainable resource mobilization
- Knowledge / Information gap
o Poor identification of leakages along the food systems – data gaps e.g., what is the scale of food wastage in our region?
o Uncoordinated resource mobilization
o Poor flow of information, including agricultural advisories
- Markets / Infrastructure
o Logistics for small-scale farmers to move agricultural products
o Limited storage and processing constraints and difficulty in accessing export market as well as lack of knowledge on quality of diet and nature of food regimes.
o Economic constraints- poor technology and pricing system; Environmental constraints include poor soils and water system; Social constraints include, poor business networks and Governance constraints include poor policy support, poor market infrastructure and
- Shocks
o Climate change and unpredictable conditions is a challenge
o Negative impact of climate change which has resulted in serious need for irrigation systems236- 238
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In the food systems within which you university is embedded, what are the key opportunities for transformed, sustainable food systems?
- Infrastructure / markets
o Leverage on ICT infrastructure that is already in place to develop solutions to community problems
o During Covid-19 many lessons were learnt. Food tunnels at universities were used to feed students and teach them that sustainable food systems start at home. Food gardens are an important component.
o Displaced people during Covid started food gardens successfully
o Look at foods that are lacking in the diets such as fresh fruits and vegetables. More fruits and vegetables are needed to increase nutrients of concern in the diets of the continent. Production, processing, distribution and education integration to achieve solutions in the future
o Innovation and digitalisation to increase resilience and productivity of small-scale farmers
o The Covid19 crisis indeed could be an opportunity to think of more locally rooted food systems (what foods I can get from my environment?)
- Stakeholder engagement /collaboration / partnerships
o Opportunities for change through forums such as this dialogue
o High percentage of young people in the region. They are creative and yet have not been given the opportunity to explore in sustainable food systems
o A critical mass of people interested in business
o Identify where the main leakages occur along the food system, which will create opportunities for research, collaborations as you fill the leakages.
o There is immense opportunity for collaboration locally, regionally and internationally to advance understanding, strategize, build capacity and harness opportunities
o Invest in diversification of agricultural production and consumption to curb the double burden of malnutrition
o Emerging structure to break silo's between institutions but also within an institution. Often the focus is on a particular commodity - rather than on a food system including all multidisciplinary aspects and all stakeholders
- Resource mobilization
o There are opportunities for funding
- Research opportunities / Capacity Building
o Transdisciplinary research teams from different departments within Universities Public health problem is a problem that needs to be solved in real life and not only by research and academics, focus on production to consumption, include all the different departments to work on food system
o Universities can share and learn from each other in regards to developed online courses and resources
o Global nutrition summit is important as research is needed from higher education systems
o Opportunities for business, research and collaborations
o Availability of skilled and unskilled labour for farm activities; abundant fertile land, tropical ecology and grass lands and huge local markets due to adequate population, which translates into potential demand for all foods from agriculture
o Emerging attempts at new forms of cross-disciplinary training focused on food supply chains & production systems together, so that agricultural extension and marketing, processing and digital innovation can be brought together.
o Some attempts to link universities with agricultural colleges and ATVETs so that innovations will flow through the whole system and have impact236- 238
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What partnerships are needed to unlock these food system transformations?
• Partnerships
o Sustainable partnerships that have equal engagement and benefits –Partnerships should be mutually beneficial to all
o Partnership with private sector, government (at national, regional and global level) community and academia– to ensure sustainable food systems (Mess problems require multiplicity of partnerships to get solutions)
o strengthen our partnerships for better and richer learning and knowledge creation across global regions (North-South) as well as strengthen the south-South collaborations
o Public private partnerships with support from government
o Partnerships with civil society
o South-South-North partnerships
o Partnerships with all stakeholders in the FS, including policy makers local institutions- they would have to develop policies based on evidence and have strong political commitment and be more coordinated
o Universities should balance, population increase, which is at a progressive rate whereas food increase is at an arithmetic rate
o Partnerships in the 'green education column': university - colleges – ATVET; there is a need for Universities to build synergies and multi-disciplinary approach to solving problems
o Universities need equitable partnerships with a training focus as well as research
o Needed Partnerships are in the areas of research and innovations so as to increase agricultural productivity; mechanization and technology-driven value chain
• Stakeholder engagement
o Universities must leave the ivory tower mentality - universities to should connect with communities to address food system challenges
o Universities (in the cities) must connect with farmers in rural areas to ensure relevant research
• Research / ICT
o Linking research, extension and the end users
o Leverage technology to enable connection236- 238
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Given that food systems are typically comprised of many different actors, what are the challenges to traditional university governance systems?
- Political / Socio responsiveness
o Slow to respond – have culture that they are not to provide solutions for community problems
o Most universities are public institutions; therefore, their policies are aligned towards the political agenda of the sitting governments therefore have no absolute academic freedom
o The structures are generally not responsive to food system challenges
o Interference by government
o Lack of/weak policies on partnership, collaborations and linkage building.
o Civil societies can be helpful in unlocking governance systems
o Supportive policies for farmers as they are the providers of food, economic incentive for farmers, how universities approach policy agendas
- Inclusivity
o Lack of academic freedom which affects creativity and innovation
o Silos of disciplines within universities
- Strong Institutions
o Innovative in the way we think and approach problems, policy challenges are a real problem, deepen governance and practicality of it
o Create strong African think tanks and support government think and innovation, CoE’s is important
- Capacity Building
o Skills for trades in all the major areas need high tech facilities on campus but finance is limited so rote learning remains the main option
o University staff have limited time /opportunities do research. Most of the time is spent on education
o University system does not focus much on skills of the students they produce to be agile interdisciplinary professionals
o Minimum effort to move towards sustainability science, which put a variety of actors at the same table to actually define research questions and go together to try and answer them would help end up with agreed upon solutions236- 238
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What are the skills and capabilities that Universities need to provide to its researchers and students to navigate, trigger and steward complex food system transitions?
- ICT
o Application of technology to tackle complex problem
o Innovation in technology to scale-up agricultural productivity and accelerate food security such as solar, wind, water energy and agro-processing
o Digital innovation
- Entrepreneurial Skills
o Co-create innovation/solutions that respond to community needs
o Hands on skills
o Critical thinking, Problem solving and Communication skills
o People (Soft) skills
o Entrepreneurship for the youth, young women and mothers to be involved in the food system
o Entrepreneurial skills within different stakeholder groups connecting different universities
- Networking
o Collaboration skills (for private sector engagement)
o Critical thinking skills and communication skills
o Open-minded and receptive to informed change
o T-shaped skills- possess excellent knowledge of and skills in specific areas and are good at working with others in a collaborative way
- Research
o Translation of research results to inform policy and practice
o Curriculum must be relevant to the needs of the society
o Agricultural Sciences is important to sustain and improve the food system
o Researchers and students should be strongly encouraged to embrace practical, on-farm skills
o Skills in interdisciplinary work and transdisciplinary (working with all stakeholders), graduates should be able to have meaningful conversations with all
o Both soft and hard skills that allow management of people, materials and processes in the agricultural value chain. In other words, build skills in sustainability science, which means being solution-oriented / multi-actor and inter-disciplinary focused research as well as teaching.
o Build skills on how to integrate teaching, research and service to community better close the loop to enhance sustainable food systems; skill at public policy analysis skills is also very important
o Focus on applied research rather than basic research, in view of the transition we want to achieve.2021-04-27 15:49:43204Gender Equality in the Meat Sector as a Sustainability Solutionhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8888/- 203
5535021541295215315237101278How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Dialogue was convened by Meat Business Women (MBW), the global professional networking group for women working across the meat industry. MBW assures the sustainability of the sector by attracting and retaining the best possible talent. MBW operates internationally with over 6,000 members. In 2019, MBW was recognised by the United Nations as a solution to Sustainable Development Goal five – Gender Equality.
The Dialogue was open to all of the MBW community and other stakeholders were encouraged to participate in the session which was heavily promoted across social media.
The Dialogue theme was chosen with a specific goal of encouraging MBW participants to discuss a path forward for women leading the sustainability agenda for the meat industry. These open discussions not only flagged areas of synergy but also divergence. Each of the five breakout sessions was facilitated by a MBW member, and the session was curated by the Global Chair of MBW, Laura Ryan.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Dialogue fully reflected the Principles, building on the fact that MBW speaks with one shared voice to highlight the importance of attracting and retaining female talent into the meat sector, as well as the important contribution that women can make to the food system in areas such as food security, nutrition, climate change, and biodiversity. It also aims to build synergies among its supporters in promoting MBW’s mission. Our Dialogue embraced multi-stakeholder inclusivity in that it involved the full breadth of the MBW community. The breakout sessions were held under the Chatham House rules, which helped to build openness and trust, and enabled participants to reflect on their own lived experience.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Food systems affect us all, and it is important to create a fully accessible virtual space where all actors across the agri-food value chain feel comfortable sharing their priorities, aspirations and challenges in an open manner.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 239
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The theme of the MBW Independent Dialogue was ‘AN INCREASED REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN WORKING IN THE GLOBAL MEAT INDUSTRY PROMOTES A MORE SUSTAINABLE SECTOR, WITH IMPROVED FOOD SECURITY, NUTRITION AND PRODUCTION.’
The dialogue brought together a diverse group of stakeholders in terms of experience, job roles and organisation type from across the global meat industry to explore gender as a lever of change to deliver a more sustainable meat industry. The group were challenged to identify game-changing solutions to deliver progress across the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) action tracks, with a particular focus on:
• Action track 2: Shift to sustainable consumption patterns
• Action track 4: Advance equitable livelihoods
The dialogue was structured through breakout sessions to address the following questions:
• Who needs to be involved and what actions need to be taken to ensure the involvement and empowerment of women working in the meat sector?
• What are the missing links in the diversity and success of the meat sector and how will better gender equality address this?
• What impact could gender equality have on producing more sustainable food consumption patterns?
• What impact could gender equality have on the productivity of the meat sector?
• How can the meat sector drive gender equality and drive change?
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The opening and closing sessions found broad consensus across the group around several key areas:
• There exists a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry. Businesses with diverse workforces:
o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives
o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management
o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity
o Are more profitable and have better share prices.
• The perception of the meat sector needs to evolve to reflect the role women play
• Diversity and inclusion needs to be moved up the agenda
• Strengthening networks and creating visible role models is critical
• Disruption caused by COVID-19 presents the opportunity to rethink working practices which may previously have acted as a barrier to gender equality
• There is a distinct lack of ethnic diversity within the meat sector. People of colour and indigenous people are under-represented at middle and senior levels. More work needs to be done in this area to understand the specific barriers and enablers to creating a more ethnically diverse workforce
• A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change.236- 239
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1. Who needs to be involved and what actions need to be taken to ensure the involvement and empowerment of women working in the meat sector?
The participants noted:
• There’s a need to invite women in: The meat industry workforce is made up of 36% women. Women are heavily represented in the most junior roles in the sector and under-represented at every level above junior level, with women holding just 14% of board-level director roles and 5% of chief executive roles (MBW Research 2020). Access to external networking groups such as MBW can provide the support, contacts and encouragement that women in more gender-balanced sectors might normally find within their workplace.
Mentoring, and particularly formal mentoring schemes, can play an important role in helping women making key decisions and supporting them in their careers, the MBW mentoring scheme launched in 2021.
• The whole supply chain needs to work together in order to attract and retain female talent.
• There’s a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry: Businesses with diverse workforces:
o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives
o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management
o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity
o Are more profitable and have better share prices.
• A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change.236- 239
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2. What are the missing links in the diversity and success of the meat sector and how will better gender equality address this?
The participants noted:
• The meat industry needs to improve its image: Despite the existence of a wide variety of jobs in a range of environments, many people outside the sector are only aware of a narrow selection of roles, usually limited to farming and butchery. These preconceptions are compounded by an increasingly negative dialogue around the environmental and health impacts of meat production. Examples of best practice within businesses include engaging with local communities, creating internships and job placements, showcasing female role models on literature and advertising and using gender-neutral language during recruitment. Initiatives such as MBW’s One to Watch prize help showcase female talent in the sector and make role models more visible.
• There’s a need to profile female role models: The meat industry has an opportunity to transform public perceptions and increase the diversity of its workforce by crafting, curating and communicating its story and making people aware of the roles and opportunities that exist.
• There’s a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry: Businesses with diverse workforces:
o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives
o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management
o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity
o Are more profitable and have better share prices.
• A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change.236- 239
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3. What impact could gender equality have on producing more sustainable food consumption patterns?
The participants noted:
• Educating consumers should be a priority: Improving consumer education around healthy, sustainable diets could be a genuine game-changer in terms of the shift to sustainable consumption patterns.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how disconnected consumers in many parts of the world have become from the food they eat. However, the lifestyle changes that have resulted from the pandemic also present an opportunity to address this disconnect as people are spending longer at home and may have more time to devote to cooking and eating.
• Influencing women is essential if progress is to be made in this area, as women are predominantly responsible for making decisions regarding feeding their family. In order to have the maximum impact this education needs to begin in the classroom. Initiatives which link consumers to their food, for example LEAF’s Open Farm Sunday in the UK, also have a role to play in achieving this outcome.
• There’s a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry: Businesses with diverse workforces:
o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives
o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management
o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity
o Are more profitable and have better share prices.
• A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change.236- 239
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4. What impact could gender equality have on the productivity of the meat sector?
The participants noted:
• There’s a need to break down divisions within organisations: Within food production businesses in general, and the meat industry in particular, there tends to exist a division between the workforce who are office-based and those employed in operational areas. This can be compounded by divisions along other lines such as gender and language.
Better socialisation of these groups and blending different areas to remove the perceived divisions can help improve communication, ultimately increasing people’s sense of belonging within the workplace and making it a more attractive proposition to new entrants.
• MBW’s global mentoring platform, which launched in 2021, will help achieve this within the meat sector by forging strong links between women in different business areas.
• Those who attribute importance to physical and financial productivity targets (everyone from industry leaders and financiers to small farm owners) need to be engaged in order to appreciate that what might seem like “losses” to output (such as time invested in training and social activities) will, in the longer term, improve gender diversity and softer productivity measures in parallel. Ultimately this will lead to improved physical and financial performance.
• There’s a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry: Businesses with diverse workforces:
o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives
o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management
o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity
o Are more profitable and have better share prices.
• A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change236- 239
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5. How can the meat sector drive gender equality and drive change?
Participants suggested the following solutions:
• Enable flexible working: Flexible workplaces are an essential enabler for creating an inclusive working environment. Women are still more likely than men to care for children or elderly parents and therefore more likely to look for workplace flexibility when considering employment opportunities.
• Create working models that support those with family responsibilities: This is one of the most important actions that businesses can take to enable women to progress into leadership roles.
• Map out clear career pathways: In order for the meat industry to be considered an appealing career option and ultimately attract and retain a diverse workforce, it’s vital to create visible pathways for progression across a range of career options.
Stronger graduate programmes, for both university and school leavers, that give a rounded experience of various business functions, are a key part of this, as are clear pathways for internal progression.
• Know the data: Understanding how many women are working at all levels within the meat sector and what the enablers and barriers are, using the MBW annual gender representation report, is essential if there is to be genuine change.
• There’s a clear link between increased gender equality and a more sustainable meat industry: Businesses with diverse workforces:
o More accurately represent their customer and employee base, meaning they have better access to vital insights and perspectives
o Have more diversity of thought, which drives innovation and better risk management
o Have access to a wider range of leadership styles, which drives engagement and productivity
o Are more profitable and have better share prices.
• A global representative body such as MBW is required in order to accelerate change.237- 239
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Participants in this Dialogue were very diverse in terms of their experience, job roles and geographical location, however there was very little opposition in their views. Many had encountered similar challenges during their careers and very similar solutions were identified by the different breakout groups.2021-04-28 17:56:18204Migración y Nutrición Liderazgo femenino para la innovación en seguridad alimentaria nutricional: Colombia y Venezuelahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7349/- 46
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672531112641515443912636513516How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?In partnership with Griffith Foods, we launched a Food Systems Dialogue series to inform the United Nations Summit which will take place in New York City in September 2021.
This first dialogue is aligned with the United Nations Action Track 1: Ensure access to healthy and nutritious food for all.
The Dialogue included a diversity of perspectives, from the World Food Program to
migrants, chefs, community leaders, youth, and representatives of local organizations
Alimenta la Solidaridad, ABACO, Griffith Foods, and Comparte Por Una Vida Colombia (CPUV).
The challenges we worked on were defined in the group to make sure we would be addressing the most pressing aspects of the Migration and nutrition problem in Colombia and Venezuela.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue was hosted in Spanish to make sure we would involve the most affected in the conversation to generate actions by being evidence-based, transparent, and accessible.
We invited members from our trusted network to be sure we already had the perfect space to co-create solutions, that invited their trusted network so every participant was carefully selected.
As mentioned before since day 1 our focus was to have multisectorial participationDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?They are all a recipe for a successful dialogue so think about each one of those as ingredients, you'll know what to use depending on your taste but you rave a recipe to guide you. The Social Gastronomy MovementDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Based on Action Track 1 - Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all the theme for the first dialogue of our series was 'Migration and Nutrition - Female leadership for innovation in nutritional food security: Colombia and Venezuela'.
It addressed the reality and complexity of Migration on the Colombian-Venezuelan border.
In this dialogue, we learned about the work of two members of the Social Gastronomy Movement Comparte Por Una Vida Colombia and Alimenta la Solidaridad, the multisectoral approach of the World Food Program, and we listened to the voices of migrant mothers, heads of households, and community leaders.
Venezuelan civil society, for approximately 6 years, has been articulating in favor of those most affected by the Complex Humanitarian Crisis, together we could understand the situation, and propose solutions to malnutrition and uninformed migration.
The main points of discussion were:
1. Unexpected challenges, realities, and testimonies of irregular migration experienced by more than 1.7
million Venezuelans in Colombia.
2. The pilot project to support migrant enterprises by the World Food Program, expanding the action of food systems to accelerate integration socioeconomic status of Venezuelans in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia.
3. Prevention programs implemented by Alimenta la Solidaridad serve more than 14,000
meals in 15 states and 239 communities a day in Venezuela.
4. CPUV has performed around 53,518 nutritional treatments and delivered more than 42,000
school snacks in Colombia.235- 238
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Participants agreed on several solutions to mitigate this regional challenge, including the following:
1. Educational programs that demystify migration, spreading the information of the reality of those who migrate in search of food.
2. Implementation of co-responsibility models that offer worthy opportunities, eg. The
new Colombian policies for the regularization of Venezuelan migrants.
3. Comprehensive analysis of food systems in Venezuela within the current context of the
country.
4. Strengthening logistics to prevent food waste.
5. Creation of donation networks, necessary for the implementation of food banks.236How are programs in Venezuela strengthened to prevent and regulate unsystematic migration?237One of the outcomes of our dialogue was the need for education of people concerning the reality of migrants, spreading the word of how2021-04-29 09:51:51204Kestävä ruokavalion murroshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/12989/- 70
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The dialogue was organized by WWF Youth Finland. We wanted to talk mainly with young people about food system and how it shoud be changed. Participants were introduced to the summit vision and objectives. Our discussion was organized in Zoom with breakout rooms.
We had an open and safe space for every to feel comfortable engaging with one another. We emphasized the importance of respect throughout all processes and chose prominent leaders to be the facilitators at each breakout room. We used the principles available for this event.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue made sure to embrace the group of young people to identify and discuss the barriers for sustainable diets, as well as to develop ideas for future's sustainable diets. We highlighted openess and trust as a key elements for everyone. There was the opportunity to give input, questions and comments in the chat box, too.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?The dialogue was organized as a 90-minute online meeting using the Zoom platform234- 239
The dialogue aimed at addressing sustainable diets (Action Track 2): how diets can transition towards more
nutritious foods that require fewer resources to produce in Finland.
The following topics were discussed in groups: how do you see our food system in 10 years, what especially retailers and restaurants shoud do for sustainable diets and how to make sustainable diets easier to choose for young people?235- 239
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All must work together to make sustainable diets more cheaper and easier to choose. This means e.g. that retailers could choose more strictly what they are selling based on sustainability. Also restaurant should have many veggie/vegan options. School luncs have an important role for Finnish child and young people, so there should be a lot of plant-based lunches available. It should be easier to choose veggie lunch: it could be a first option for everyone.
Shift to plant-based protein consumption and reduce meat consumption is really important.
The voice of the young people needs to be taken more seriously on both the industry and policy level. Young people wants to understand the complexities of the food systems, and we have to make science-based knowledge easy to find.
Naturally this means that we need clear political decissions for changing our diets and thes decissions have to be science-based. It should be cheap and easy to buy sustainable food. Our production system has to change, too, and we have to work together to make this change as fair as possible for everyone.236- 239
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Everyone should do something: we need a systemic tranformation and there are so many actions needed. We have to change our eating habits, and one step is to change school lunch more plant-based. This should done urgently and it is a political decission.237- 239
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Who has the most important role to make a change? Some think that consumers have the most significant role: they shoud change their habits. But most of the participants thought that politics and businesses have more power and they shoud use it to make consumers choices more sustainable.
The true cost of food has to be recognized and rewarded, while making healthy and sustainable food available and affordable to all.2021-04-29 09:55:43204What do Future Beef Farms need to look like?https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/12538/- 192
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Dialogue was organised through a collaboration between Dr Liz Genever (independent beef and sheep consultant) and the British Society of Animal Science to start the conversation about how research and knowledge exchange activities need to be tailored towards the opportunities and challenges for the beef sector.
The debate was aiming to highlight any research and knowledge gaps; this could include failure to translate current knowledge into accessible formats or relevant information for farmers or processors to use.
The session was free to attend and the links to the webinar was circulated through social media and various networks, with the aim of attracting a wide-ranging audience, including farmers, allied industry, academics, researchers and advisers.
Members of the panel was asked to express their thoughts on where the UK beef industry needs to be in the next ten years. The panelists were able to highlight any relevant work they were involved in to ensure good awareness of current activity. Questions from the audience were gathered from the chat function within Zoom and directed towards the panelists by the chair.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The session was organised to gather information and to share ideas about how the UK beef industry needs to prepare for the future challenges and opportunities. Within the next ten years, the supply chain will have to deal with changes to subsidies, increased focus on environmental land management, changing views on livestock production and consumption, and the need to demonstrate a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The Dialogue brought together a panel of experts from across the supply chain - Sarah Haire (Head of Agriculture for Dunbia/Dawn Meats and leads on the UK Sustainable Beef Platform), Seth Wareing (Business Manager for Stabiliser Cattle Company [genetics]), Dr Jude Capper (livestock sustainability consultant) and Bryn Hughes (National Sheep & Beef Specialist, Wynnstay [nutrition]). The range of knowledge and expertise reflected the complexity of the dialogue.
The ambition is that the session would be followed up by articles by British Society of Animal Science and the panelists as the findings complement their activity.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?The challenge is to get multi-stakeholder inclusivity as known networks are used. It can be challenging to attract attendees from very different background. Possibly due to the form of words that is being used in the adverts may mean it is not attractive to people from outside the sector, or the marketing approaches that are used, e.g. how to access wider networks.
It is important to capture the range of dialogues that can be happening in an online meeting, as not all questions can be asked.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?Due to the scale of the event, the attendees were asked to share their thoughts and questions via the chat function (of Zoom). Over an hour was allocated to the panel debating the questions.
It was run as a webinar.234- 240
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It was aiming to highlight knowledge and research gaps for the UK beef industry. The ambition of this was to become aware of the right skills and knowledge the sector needed to deal with the opportunities and challenges.
One area that is developing in the UK is the role of the farmer in food production while enhancing the environment and health health. Ruminants have an important role in maintaining landscapes through grazed areas, utilising human non-edible products, including by-products from human food production, and production on nutrient dense products, including meat and milk.
Due to the multi-functional role of ruminants it became clear that it was complex problem. It was highlighted that focusing on a single interest was not helpful as it is likely it would have unintentional consequences.235- 240
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Overall the UK beef industry needs to develop an industry and production systems that we are proud of. A clear narrative of why people can continue to eat beef, for example, efficient beef production that is socially, environmental and economic sustainable needs to be developed. There is a need to further highlight the benefits for human nutrition. The role of grass, forage and co-products (and lack of soya) within beef supply chains needs to be highlighted. All members of the supply chain have a responsibility to engage with consumers. This is alongside a focus on consistent products to consumers keep choosing beef.
There needs to be a focus on how tweaks to the beef production system – better health, better genetics, better grazing, better feeding – as they can improve productivity. We need to recognise that we are dealing with complex biological systems and need tools to help deal with unintended consequences of single topic decision.
Slaughter age reduction is a clear target for the industry from a profitability and greenhouse gas emission perspective. There needs to be continual focus on selecting animals on feed conversion efficiency in breeds where those traits are available, and encourage other breeds to start collecting the data.
The influence of dairy industry will increase as use of sexed semen means that more beef x animals will be available, with the advantage of these systems being more integrated. There could be opportunities to develop a range of blueprints to represent the most common systems, including mixed farming systems and dairy beef systems.236- 240
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We need to think about how to engage with the “emotional” side of decision making on farm, and provision of technical knowledge is not good enough any more as it doesn’t drive behaviour change. Work is needed to develop the support network around beef farmers to help support their decisions.
We need a clear plan of what additional skills beef farmers need to face the new challenges, e.g. measuring biodiversity, business skills, marketing and communications.236- 243
The role of data and how it can drive business decisions needs to have a practical focus, as it is not just about collection, it is about translation and focussing efforts on the ones that make the biggest difference.
There has been a signficant investment by the government to get "kit" onto farms, but without additional skills and support about the questions that are need asking, the investment is never going to be fully realised.237- 243
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1) The need to reduce beef consumption vs. making better decisions
2) The level of details that need to be supplied to consumers on their production systems
3) How to encourage farmers to engage with data without the risk of data fatigue2021-04-29 17:37:13204Lanzamiento Cumbre de los Sistemas Alimentarios 2021: Una mirada desde la visión de la integración regionalhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/10225/- 79
1900211144698610402590041451322624991214642020101726231603002798052How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?El Comité Consultivo de la Integración Económica -CCIE-, es la entidad empresarial más grande de la región, conformada por 17 Federaciones, alrededor de 95 Cámaras y Asociaciones empresariales y más de 50 mil empresarios.
Dada la importancia de los temas que se abordarán en la Cumbre de los Sistemas Alimentarios organizado por la Organización de Naciones Unidas y programada para el mes de septiembre de este año, por primera vez como sector privado organizado, nos hemos involucrado en la realización de diálogos regionales con la participación de representantes de los principales organismos centroamericanos, los gobiernos de los países Centroamericanos, la sociedad civil, y los distintos grupos de interés.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Promover la confianza
Reconocer la complejidad
Ser respetuosos
Adoptar un enfoque inclusivo de múltiples grupos de interésDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Es muy importante convocar a tiempo, esto nos permite darle la divulgación adecuada y contar con una buena participación que sea inclusiva.
Asimismo, la preparación de los facilitadores es esencial ya que por medio de ellos recabaremos los insumos adecuados.
Si la actividad es virtual es necesario contar con una buena logística, una plataforma segura, un buen equipo para que el evento se desarrolle con normalidad.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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A) TEMA PRINCIPAL
Los países centroamericanos forman parte de un proceso de integración. Este proceso sirve como una plataforma para potenciar las acciones en favor del desarrollo de cada uno de los países de la región. Se buscó abordar la Cumbre sobre Sistemas Alimentarios desde la dimensión centroamericana para que las ideas nacionales sean replicadas a nivel regional. De esta manera, soluciones propuestas pueden llegar a ser implementadas a una mayor escala.
Comité Consultivo de la Integración Económica -CCIE- con el apoyo del Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura -IICA-, Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura -FAO-, Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola, -FIDA-, Secretaria de la Integración Económica Centroamericana -SIECA-, CEMPROMYPE y la Secretaría del Consejo Agropecuario Centroamericano, con el objeto de visibilizar el proceso de la Cumbre, así como intercambiar información sobre las acciones que las diferentes instituciones, llevaremos a cabo el "Lanzamiento: Cumbre de los Sistemas Alimentarios 2021: una mirada desde la visión de la integración regional".
Con el objeto de impulsar una participación efectiva y oportuna de la región centroamericana en el proceso de preparación de la Cumbre sobre Sistemas Alimentarios, prevista a realizarse en septiembre de 2021.
El tema principal del diálogo fue la exposición de los esfuerzos que los órganos de integración centroamericana y el sector privado de Centroamérica están realizando en favor de la sostenibilidad y los sistemas alimentarios de la región, así como cuál será su impulso para trabajar de manera conjunta para alcanzar las metas a las que la Cumbre nos está retando el día de hoy.
El diálogo fue dividido en tres temas principales:
1. Crecimiento económico inclusivo. Se abordó cómo se podría mejorar el acceso a mercados internacionales y hacer crecer los mercados internos. También se exploró el papel de la infraestructura logística y la conectividad para mejorar el acceso a alimentos, la producción sostenible y la calidad de vida de los centroamericanos. El objetivo fue compartir soluciones transformadoras para incrementar el impacto de los sistemas alimentarios en la región.
2. Agricultura sostenible. Se intercambió información sobre los retos en materia de cambio climático para la producción de alimentos en Centroamérica. El objetivo fue plantear soluciones para mejorar el acceso a alimentos a nivel mundial y compartir qué soluciones transformadoras podrían acelerar la producción sostenible de alimentos.
3. Desarrollo rural y ODS. En este tema se buscó en primer lugar conversar sobre las causas que están provocando la emigración de centroamericanos y sobre los motivos que están limitando el desarrollo, particularmente de las áreas rurales. De igual manera, se discutió sobre las oportunidades de los gobiernos, el sector privado y la sociedad civil para contribuir con la mejora de la calidad de vida de los centroamericanos. El objetivo fue dialogar sobre posibles soluciones para mejorar la calidad de vida del área rural en la región.235- 238
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B) PRINCIPALES HALLAZGOS:
El lanzamiento regional surge con el deseo de alcanzar las metas de los ODS2030 y generar desarrollo inclusivo sin que nadie quede atrás. Tal y como señala la Organización de Naciones Unidas, es necesario avanzar en una visión compartida en donde la articulación de propuestas entre el sector público y privado es clave.
El CCIE integra a las federaciones de los distintos actores de las cadenas de valor que juegan algún rol dentro del concepto de los sistemas alimentarios.
Con esa visión, es que vemos sumamente importante que abordemos el proceso preparatorio con dos perspectivas muy claras y coherentes entre sí:
• La dimensión regional, “la centroamericana”, bajo el proceso de integración, que se complementa a su vez con las acciones que se desarrollan a nivel de cada país. Ya que unidos como región somos más fuertes; y,
• La “alianza público – privada”, en la que se articulan las competencias y capacidades de los Estados y sus Sectores Productivos.
El éxito de la Cumbre dependerá de una preparación sólida, inclusiva y, sobre todo, compartida, basada en las mejores evidencias, ideas y compromisos de todo el mundo.
Que se espera como Región Centroamericana en la Cumbre de los Sistemas Alimentarios 2021:
1. Elevar dramáticamente el discurso público sobre la importancia de los sistemas alimentarios y qué hacer para que el público trabaje por la gente y el planeta.
2. Acción relevante con resultados medibles que faciliten alcanzar los ODS2030. Esto incluye resaltar soluciones existentes, celebrar y reconocer líderes en los sistemas de transformación alimentaria, así como un llamado a nuevas acciones de todos los sectores.
3. Declaración de alto nivel y llamado a la acción desarrollado a través de un proceso con el apoyo de los Estados miembro y otros actores para mejorar la capacidad de sus sistemas alimentarios para alcanzar los ODS.
Es por ello, que estamos sumamente entusiasmados con este evento que se llevó a cabo, el cual está perfectamente alineado con la naturaleza del CCIE:
Nos presenta como una entidad regional del Sector Productivo, creada por los instrumentos de la integración, y,
Nos permite buscar la articulación de ideas y acciones con la visión y esfuerzos institucionales de otros organismos regionales y autoridades de Gobierno, bajo el amparo de la integración centroamericana.
El CCIE está convocando varios diálogos regionales para promover un diálogo abierto a todos los actores que nos permita presentar una visión compartida desde la región de Centro América para el proceso de preparación de la Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarios.
Con el propósito de articular esa visión compartida público-privada forman parte de este lanzamiento los representantes de IICA, SICA, SIECA, CAC, CEMPROMYPE, FAO, FIDA y INTEGRARSE.236- 238
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Debate #1: CRECIMIENTO ECONÓMICO INCLUSIVO:
Se propuso la adopción de tecnologías de cara a la cuarta revolución industrial. Es necesario crear capacidades, no solo en los productores sino en los que brindan apoyo al sector privado.
Se comentó sobre la necesidad de la digitalización para poder adaptarse a esta nueva era virtual. Se comentó sobre la idea de las “aldeas digitales”, las cuales requieren una gran integración a nivel subregional con las municipalidades.
Se enfatizó en la importancia de incrementar el acceso a infraestructura tecnológica, además de crear capacidades para tener una buena preparación en materia tecnológica.
El comercio electrónico también se mencionó como una herramienta disruptiva importante que podría permitir el acceso de productos centroamericanos a mercados emergentes.
El papel del Estado fue otro de los temas resaltados en la mesa de diálogo. Se ve la oportunidad de modernizar los sistemas regulatorios, buscando homologar estándares y normativa a nivel regional, lo que podría representar una disminución en los costos de transacción.
La automatización de procesos (ya utilizada para los registros sanitarios para alimentos y bebidas) fue mencionada como una buena práctica que hay en Centroamérica. Esta práctica podría ser expandida a nuevos horizontes.
Por otra parte, se presentó la necesidad de crear instrumentos financieros acorde a las nuevas necesidades del sector privado. Los fondos de garantía se consideran como una experiencia positiva en otras regiones del mundo.
Por último, se destacó la importancia de fortalecer los encadenamientos productivos en la región, representando una propuesta para aumentar la formalidad en la economía centroamericana. Existe una gran área de oportunidad para involucrar a las pequeñas y medianas empresas en las cadenas de valor regionales. En ese sentido, se considera importante el aprovechamiento de los tratados de libre comercio, siendo las alianzas público-privadas una clave para mejorar las condiciones en cuanto a infraestructura y movilidad para facilitar el traslado de las mercancías.236- 239
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Debate #2: AGRICULTURA SOSTENIBLE:
Se resaltó la vulnerabilidad de Centroamérica al cambio climático. Los fenómenos de El Niño y La Niña y la temporada de huracanes son ejemplos de lo vulnerable que es la región.
Es un reto la adaptación, la mitigación de los efectos del cambio climático, y la necesidad de tener más y mejores prácticas sostenibles en la producción de alimentos.
Existe una gran necesidad de mejorar la gestión de los recursos como el agua. El intercambio de buenas prácticas entre los países de la región tiene un gran potencial que aún no se está aprovechando al máximo.
Como solución a los retos que presenta el cambio climático, el uso de nuevas tecnologías es importante para poder implementar mejores técnicas de cultivo. Se mencionó como un caso de éxito el lavado en seco de la caña de azúcar para una mejor gestión del agua. También se comentó sobre la posibilidad de utilizar software especializado y drones para el control de cultivos. Para poder aprovechar al máximo estas herramientas tecnológicas, es necesario también aumentar el acceso a internet en las áreas rurales.
La creación de sistemas de alerta temprana fue otra solución presentada como una opción para mitigar los efectos del cambio climático. De igual manera, se considera que existe una gran área de oportunidad en diseñar programas para pequeños agricultores que permitan aumentar los rendimientos de los cultivos.
La inclusión de grupos marginados fue otro de los retos expuestos para la agricultura sostenible. La incorporación de los jóvenes al mercado laboral representa otro reto importante para la región. Por esta problemática, se expuso la necesidad de implementar nuevas técnicas de extensión rural para preparar a la juventud ante los retos globales.
El desarrollo de sistemas agroforestales y sistemas de riego eficientes también fueron discutidos como soluciones transformadoras, junto con la adopción de tecnologías limpias y la mejora de capacidades para el aprovechamiento de desechos.
Se hizo énfasis en la importancia de la información climática para la toma de decisiones. Tener acceso a más información, sumado a buena investigación y desarrollo, reforzando la planificación estratégica, fue expuesta como otra solución transformadora.236- 238
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Debate #2: DESARROLLO RURAL Y ODS
En la discusión se abordaron 10 de los 17 Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible.
Se reconoció la necesidad de hacer habitables las zonas rurales. Para ello, es importante plantear iniciativas de desarrollo integral que permitan mitigar problemas como la emigración; reducir la desnutrición crónica infantil; y mejorar la situación de acceso a agua y saneamiento.
Se comentó sobre la importancia de que los pequeños productores pasen de tener únicamente una agricultura de subsistencia y de venta de excedentes, a tener procesos de producción mucho más amplios. Más adelante, se mencionó la necesidad de brindarles apoyos a estos pequeños productores para que puedan transformar su estructura productiva e incorporarse a los mercados locales.
Se reiteró la importancia de procurar el acceso a servicios esenciales. Es clave mejorar el acceso y la calidad de la educación y los servicios de salud, como base fundamental para el desarrollo.
La educación fue resaltada como una base para transformar los sistemas alimentarios. En ese sentido, es necesario transformar los modelos educativos para que los centroamericanos puedan comprender mejor los procesos productivos.
Se destacó sobre cómo la ausencia de una articulación de actores no permite superar los desafíos que la región centroamericana enfrenta. Por ello, se considera importante abordar los temas de desarrollo rural desde una visión más integral, la cual debería dar como resultado una mejor formación, acceso a servicios básicos y nuevos empleos.
En el caso de los programas de los gobiernos destinados a la seguridad alimentaria, se discutió sobre la importancia de que pasen a ser únicamente asistenciales a ser iniciativas de apoyo a la competitividad de los productores. Lo que se necesita son modelos de desarrollo que favorezcan que las áreas rurales sean cada vez más competitivas.237No se tuvieron áreas de divergencia2021-04-30 08:37:16204Power on Your Plate: All-Africa Summit on Diversifying Food Systems with African Traditional Vegetables to Increase Health, Nutrition and Wealthhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/14604/- 27
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1750985025201057001455115545515105155124How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?We sought to create an open forum for information sharing, exploration of ideas, and discussion about the role of traditional vegetables in supporting nutrition-sensitive agriculture in Africa. We offered participants multiple ways to engage with each other in-person and online:
• 175 in-person participants; 312 registered ZOOM participants; and another 200 people followed through the event app.
• More than 10,000 people viewed the summit in live Facebook feeds.
Since this form only allows reporting on one mode, the attendance numbers in this feedback form reflect the in-person participants.
During the event, two panel discussions brought forward the concerns and ideas of specific stakeholder groups:
1) A Young Entrepreneurs panel shed light on the bottlenecks young people face when attempting to establish agricultural enterprises based on traditional vegetables. Limited access to credit emerged as a serious constraint -- and the youth challenged representatives of financial institutions, who were present in the room -- to propose solutions.
2) A panel with High-level Decisionmakers focused on policies to enhance the uptake of traditional crops and all vegetables.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?ACT WITH URGENCY
Twitter hashtag #PowerOnYourPlate tracks a lively social media discussion among stakeholders that continues today.
COMMIT TO THE SUMMIT
Participants made valuable connections during the event and are building networks to promote and utilize traditional vegetables to improve diets and local economies in Africa.
BE RESPECTFUL
All participants had opportunities to offer comments online and in-person. Questions that could not be answered immediately were followed up later in the event or shortly after it concluded.
RECOGNIZE COMPLEXITY
To explore the depth and breadth of traditional vegetables in Africa, summit participants shared 64 presentations covering six subject areas:
-- Diversity and Breeding
-- Seed Systems, Access, and Quality
-- Nutrition
-- Food Environments
-- Value Chains and Scaling
-- Beyond Food
EMBRACE MULTI-STAKEHOLDER INCLUSIVITY
Vegetable producers, entrepreneurs, students, researchers, government and NGO representatives from 41 countries (including 20 African countries) participated in the event. African countries represented: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameron, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
COMPLEMENT THE WORK OF OTHERS
By sharing the latest research on traditional vegetables, participants can inform existing processes and initiatives, and set out new paths to integrate these crops into more resilient and robust food systems.
BUILD TRUST
In light of COVID-19, in-person participants took care to wear masks, wash hands, and respect physical distance at the venue.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?Although this event took a different approach to solicit opinions and ideas, we feel it followed the spirit of the summit dialogue principles. The "hybrid" method of hosting a conference provided many more people with a platform to share their views and be heard. Participants had opportunities to interact and to exchange ideas and opinions both at the venue and online. Questions that could not be answered immediately were followed up later in the event or shortly after it concluded. Videos of all speakers are available online.234- 238
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This event aimed to gather knowledge and perspectives to raise awareness and examine prospects for diversifying African diets and economies with traditional vegetables.
Africa is home to a large number of plant species with the potential to invigorate the continent’s horticultural value chain — yet whether consumed as nutritious food or used as the foundation for natural health products, these traditional vegetables remain untapped and underutilized. From an estimated 6,400 species of useful indigenous plants, about 300 are traditional vegetables, and about 126 species are widely known and used throughout the continent.
Traditional vegetables support nutrition-sensitive agriculture under climate change because they generally are more nutrient-dense than most commercial vegetable crops, have lower water requirements, are adapted to poor quality soils, and have higher resistance to pests and diseases.
Traditional vegetables are endangered by displacement with high-energy staple crops, the fact that most traditional vegetables are not registered in national catalogs, lack of promotion and support for their use, lack of human resources capacity focusing on traditional vegetables, and lack of conservation infrastructure.
Because of their relatively low commercial value, little research investment has been made for traditional vegetables; crop improvements have not been fully explored and genetic resources are poorly conserved.
A few African traditional vegetables have become widely adopted across the continent. African eggplant and okra are now grown on large areas and improved varieties are successfully commercialized. Research and breeding can convert more underutilized traditional vegetables into commercially successful crops.
Businesses and supportive government policy can unlock the potential of traditional vegetables to create employment and generate income, especially for women and youth. Diversifying diets and farming systems with these crops will strengthen resilience to a changing climate.235- 238
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To realize the potential of traditional vegetables in Africa, there is a need to work simultaneously on the “Three Ps”: pulling demand, pushing supply, and providing enabling policy and governance.
In presentations and panel discussions, Power on Your Plate participants called for action: for increased investment, regional R&D programs, and policies to promote traditional vegetables at national and regional levels and fully integrate traditional vegetables into Africa’s food systems.
Ideas raised are listed in the discussion topics below.236- 238
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PUSH (supply side)
Actions for research institutions and governments:
-- Foster innovative approaches to expand the availability and affordability of traditional African vegetables.
-- Strengthen formal and informal seed systems.
-- Introduce ‘green’ agricultural practices to guarantee food safety.
-- Diversify the traditional vegetable species grown and marketed.
-- Increase yields and extend growing seasons in a sustainable manner.
-- Reduce postharvest losses by introducing processing technology, shorter supply chains and appropriate market storage space for vegetable vendors.236- 238
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PULL (demand side)
Actions for farmers and traders, input dealers, credit providers, marketers, and media:
-- Foster innovative approaches to stimulate the acceptability and accessibility of traditional vegetables as part of a healthy diet.
-- Establish trust and traceability relationships.
-- Shorten the connection lines between producers and consumers to address food safety concerns.
-- Create interest in traditional vegetables through information campaigns emphasizing taste, cultural value and ease of preparation as well as nutritional, health and environmental benefits.
-- Banks should aim to commit a significant portion of their loan books to regenerative agriculture.
-- Extend loan repayment periods for young farmers who may not own land.
-- Create a revolving fund for traditional vegetable producers.
-- Apply consumer trends in food consumption such as convenience and health to traditional crops.
-- Create awareness of the benefits of using quality seed among farmers.
-- Train farmers in quality traditional vegetable seed production/processing/marketing.
-- Use social media marketing for traditional vegetables.
-- Establish Vegetable Business Hubs to provide crop management knowledge and connect producers with traders, processors, input and credit vendors.
-- Show young people opportunities in production and value addition through on-farm demonstrations.236- 238
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POLICY (governance)
Actions for local, regional and national governments:
-- Promote traditional vegetables within local, national and regional initiatives to reduce malnutrition, create employment opportunities, and ensure crucial buy-in from policy- and decision-makers.
-- Public procurement of traditional vegetables for school feeding programs, hospitals, military and other institutional clients can increase demand, develop markets for farmers, and address several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs 1, 2, 3, 13 and 15).
-- Select and certify priority traditional vegetables to incorporate into national policies.
-- Adjust land tenure practices to address access issues for women and young people.
-- Provide traditional vegetable seed for vulnerable refugees living in camps.236- 238
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RESEARCH
Actions for agricultural research institutions; government agriculture and health ministries; nongovernmental organizations:
-- Collect and protect traditional crops and their wild relatives in genebanks to safeguard diversity.
-- Collect and share traditional knowledge about these crops.
-- Conduct more regional research on traditional crops.
-- Breed climate-smart crops.
-- Identify local favorites that best fit local agro-ecosystems and diets.
-- Dedicate a much greater proportion of national, regional and global R&D efforts to nutritious food, in particular traditional vegetables.- Power on Your Plate Points for Action https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/power-on-your-plate-one-page-flyer-wrap-up_A4-2.pdf
- Power on Your Plate YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWk7s17hRMk4Y4Pag1XV4Bg
- Power on Your Plate Book of Abstractshttps://worldveg.tind.io/record/73997/files/Poweronyourplate_Abstracts.pdf
2021-04-30 10:13:45204How Food Systems Help Our Livinghttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/14771/- 87
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?As we have Covid restrictions we may not be able to get more people on board and we tried to organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced to our maximum level of engagementHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogues reflected most of the aspects of the principles laid down and we had taken special care in ensuring the same at these timesDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?No as per our experience we cannot copy one with another as every one struggling during this COVID and the challenges are different for every oneDid you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 239
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The dialogue where concentrated on sustainable patterns and nature positive production. we discussed various shocks and after shocks and stress which we humans create as on the food systems line and what we can do to reduce the same.235- 238
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It is decided that we will explore new ways to safe guard our food systems and we need to use the best possible levels that we can adopt to provide better food to all.236- 238
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As we all know every one does not have access to safe and nutritious food so we need to find ways to do so236- 240
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We discussed about positive food production and it needs and challenges and how to over come the same236- 242
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Our food systems have lot of challenges and vulnerabilities , shocks and stress and we need to over come the same to provide and bring positive change to the food systems. Our Dialogue was concentrated on this aspect that we discussed elaborately237- 239
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We have discussed about the vulnerabilities of our food systems and discussed what we can do2021-04-30 21:14:19204The role of smallholder farmers and indigenous people's knowledge, skills and experiences in boosting nature positive production to ensure safe, nutritious food and conservation of our biodiversity for a sustainable food systemhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/12151/- 135
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175192512177231751021717121How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Summit dialogue was organized and convened in a physical informal community gathering bringing together multiple stakeholders from the indigenous people in coastal communities working across the food system from production to consumption including the fishermen. They are inclusive and strive to showcase as many voices as possible, capturing diverse cultural, professional and gender specific perspectives. We also recognized the utmost urgency of sustained and meaningful action at all levels to reach the respective 2030 Sustainable Development Goals involving action tracks 1,2,3,4,5 in our discussions.
With this urgency mindset, the Dialogues are organized as contributions to the Food Systems Summit and to the elaboration of pathways to food systems transformation contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Finally, the participants committed to promote and contribute to the vision, objectives and the final outcomes of the Food Systems Summit with their indigenous knowledge, skills and experiences.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The indigenous people in the coastal communities are looking forward to fostering new engagements and partnerships that will stimulate the emergence of innovations and ways to advance collectively and creatively towards the future of agriculture while embracing the entire scope of opinions erupting from other stakeholders in the food system.
The dialogue strategically focused on developing and scaling up indigenous knowledge and capacities peculiar to the culture and traditions of the indigenous people to inform decision makings, policy and governance at all levels for a sustainable food system. The participants were urged to give their audience for effective collaboration with multiple stakeholders in fostering the enabling environment that will replicate and scale up community actions that requires immediate take off.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?My advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement is as follows:
a) For you to have a robust and rich conversations, you should involve diverse stakeholders as participants. If peculiar to a target group like the indigenous people, don't wait for them to have internet connections or be tech savvy before involving them to take a seat at the table for a conversation in matters that affects their everyday life, take the discussion to where they are to achieve a maximum and best result.
b) Don't be discouraged or overwhelmed by the complexity and tediousness of such an informal gathering or bother about the indigenous people who are not always too open nor receptive to adoption of any innovation or ideas contrary to their culture, tradition or social norm. They may neither appreciate nor value what you are doing for them by giving them a voice in the global community, still keep at what you are doing with resilient and tenacity knowing that you are doing a service to humanity.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?As stated previously, the Summit dialogue was organized and convened in a physical informal community gathering bringing together multiple stakeholders from the indigenous people in coastal communities working across the food system from production to consumption.
This independent dialogue was sponsored by Maklumy Technology Services Limited also brought together a diverse range of indigenous peoples, smallholder farmers and fishermen to discuss the summit’s Action Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4,5.
The point of divergence occurred in this manner in the course of organizing the Dialogue, on the day assigned that it was going to be convened, we noticed a gender disparity caused by tradition and culture in the coastal communities on arrival. The Dialogue date coincided with the community fishing day; they are in their fishing season. All the men and youth were out in the thick forests leaving only the women at home. This calls for urgent action for advocacy, awareness creation and sensitization on gender equality and inclusion of the indigenous women as stakeholders for a sustainable food system.
In the course of the Dialogue also, all voices were heard, the participants complained that prior before now, the perennial flooding that occur in their coastal communities usually happens around August till October every year.
But in this year 2021, it rained for three consecutive days non-stop between 10th and 12th of April and all their cultivated farmlands were washed away by floods.
When this kind of thing happens, they don’t get any form of help or intervention from anywhere, majority of the farmers cannot afford to buy seeds and other farm inputs to replant or cultivate back their farms, causing greater danger to food insecurity and on their livelihoods.
We took the remaining part of the discussions to the fishermen where they are carrying out their activities and captured them in pictures as shared in the official feedback form.234- 238
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Our Dialogue focused on identification of ways to reduce the risk of food production caused by climate crisis and the engagement of indigenous people’s knowledge and empowerment of marginalized and vulnerable people to create a sustainable food system. Indigenous people and smallholder farmers understand the environmental, climate, social, economic, and health impacts of our complex food systems. Participants suggested that to reduce the risk of food production caused by climate crisis, we need to diversify and sustain production strategies that is customized to our geolocations, cultures and different variety of crops.
In shaping the transformation of food systems, indigenous peoples and smallholder farmers are to be given a place at the table with other key stakeholders to scale up their indigenous knowledge as recommendations are being developed and implemented.
On the conservation of our food heritage: Challenges posed by the extinction of our various food varieties and the way forward and challenges to food systems sustainability caused by the impact of climate change on our environment in the coastal communities. The participants robustly discussed on the conservation of food heritage and ensuring food security for ecologically vulnerable and socially marginalized coastal communities of indigenous farmers and fishermen, concluded as follows:
i) Customize technology innovations and solutions to fit into indigenous farmers geography and climate as a strategy for boosting nature positive production.
ii) Also, detection of warnings and early or late planting of different crops to mitigate against floods, droughts and other threats/natural disasters building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and threats.
While exploring indigenous people and small-scale fishermen knowledge and ideas in ensuring the long-term viability of our fish stocks and aquatics for sustainable food systems and indigenous people’s knowledge on sustainable management of our forests to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of our territorial ecosystems. Participants acknowledged that provision of irrigation facilities and small dams using our water-bodies littered all over the place to increase production capacity of smallholder farmers for food security will create a sustainable food system.
Discussing the exploration of indigenous people’s knowledge, skills and experiences to halt biodiversity loss and create abundance of food varieties, it was noted that equipping the indigenous people with the technical know-how to increase productivity both in crop production and fishing in wild rivers and provision of quality and improved seed varieties on our alluvial soils to increase crop yields is of utmost importance to ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all.
Provision of storage facilities and value-addition through processing to encourage the availability and affordability of food all year round; post-harvest handling and management to curb food loss, glut and wastage will also create a tremendous shift to sustainable consumption patterns. Provision of access roads to farm locations for easy off-take of produce to where they are needed was also mentioned.
Access to finance and other project interventions by indigenous people in the disadvantaged and underserved communities. Women and youth participants also clamored to be engaged not only as producers but also as food processors; provision of localized support for them on access to funding and digital financial inclusion for processing and marketing will promote equitable livelihoods.235- 238
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After an interactive and robust discussions with our indigenous people, the following conclusions emerged from our Dialogue:
1. We need to scale up indigenous knowledge and promote generational knowledge transfer that is rapidly dying out due to the pressures of food security and urban rural migration through adequate collaboration and partnerships with stakeholders at the national, state, local government levels, civil society organizations and the private sector.
2. To build indigenous people’s skills with sustainable technology and digital tools that will integrate trainings, research and service to community to close the gender gap and enhance sustainable food systems.
3. Indigenous people are closer to nature and the importance of indigenous knowledge cannot be overemphasized because traditional farming practices are more ecologically sensitive, nature friendly and sustainable. We suggested linking grassroots organizations in need of funding with financial/donor institutions that are looking to finance green initiatives to consolidate more on the diversification of our biodiversity and enhance sustainable food systems.
4. Research institutions, Universities, civil society organizations and private sectors should be made to provide capacity building training and agricultural technologies solutions to these indigenous people in the socially and economically disadvantaged communities. We shouldn't leave it for the government alone.
5. To be mainstreamed in our policy making that agriculture should be seen as a business and not just a culture that can provide financial as well as ecological returns to our households, community and the planet.
6. There is an urgent call to action to empower the indigenous women and youth from the disadvantaged and underserved coastal communities to mobilize and become the core of generational knowledge transfer facilitating development that spreads from not just farmer to farmer but also to the children in their households and also the men in their lives.
7. It is of utmost importance to carve out tailor-made solutions not just based on research alone but according to farmers needs and provide market access and linkages, mobilizing resources and harnessing partnerships for greater leverage, innovation, and impact on nature, people, livelihoods and our ecosystems.236- 238
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1. Ecosystem Restoration through the planting of crops with different characteristics together in one place will recover lost food heritages and provide abundance of different food varieties.
2. There will be restoration and recovery of various fish stocks, other aquatics in our wild rivers and trees in the forests.
3. Increase in income and improved livelihoods of indigenous people, smallholder farmers and fishermen households.
4. Community resilience can be achieved through community enterprise and infrastructural development.237- 238
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On the day the dialogue was to be convened, we noticed a gender disparity caused by tradition and culture in the coastal communities on arrival. The dialogue date coincided with the community fishing day; they are in their fishing season. All the men and youth were out in the thick forests leaving only the women at home. This calls for advocacy, awareness creation and sensitization on gender equality and inclusion of the indigenous women for a sustainable food system.
In the course of the dialogue, the participants complained that prior before now, the perennial flooding that occur in their coastal communities usually happens around August till October every year.
But in this year 2021, it rained for three consecutive days non-stop between 10th and 12th of April and all their cultivated farmlands were washed away by floods.
When this kind of thing happens, they don’t get any form of help or intervention from anywhere, majority of the farmers cannot afford to buy seeds and other farm inputs to replant or cultivate back their farms, causing greater danger to food insecurity and on their livelihoods.
We took the remaining part of the discussions to the fishermen where they are carrying out their activities and captured them in pictures as shared in the official feedback form.2021-04-30 22:12:31204Diálogo Regional sobre la igualdad de género y el empoderamiento de las mujeres para la transformación de los sistemas alimentarios de América Latina y el Caribehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/6646/- 24
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172868538134165711979344413111483How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The principles were considered throughout the Dialogue: from design to implementation.
When talking about the need to transform food systems, the review of the role of women in them can never be left out and therefore this Dialogue was raised around the imperative need to act urgently and generate reflections that inspire Summit commitments.
Likewise, when convening multiple interest groups, we encountered diverse contexts and cultures, so moderating the working groups with respect was essential for everyone to feel comfortable and confident to raise their voices.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?On one hand, for the election of the moderators, it was considered that they were people who knew how to take care of and reflect the principles in each working group. This conscious choice allows us to ensure that the principles were reflected during the dialogues. In addition, it should be noted that the moderators and note-takers had different backgrounds and came from different agencies of the United Nations, which favored diversity and plurality.
On the other hand, to increase trust within the working groups, digital platforms were implemented through which the participants could share their ideas and analyze, together with the moderator, the coincidences and divergences. This allowed the generation of trust, favoring the integration of different groups and facilitating discussion.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The transformation of food systems is a political, economic and environmental issue, but above all it is a question of gender equality. The stark inequalities experienced by women and girls are both a cause and a result of unsustainable food systems, unfair access to food, consumption and production. Addressing gender injustice and truly empowering women is not only a fundamental prerequisite for transforming food systems, but also a goal in itself.
Shaping food systems so that they are conducive to gender equality requires a combination of improved knowledge, sound policies, regulations and investments throughout the production and consumption process. We need to reframe how we view women and food systems from mainly focusing on the role of women as producers and consumers to thinking about how food and agricultural systems contribute or can contribute to the process of empowering women and how these systems can create an environment conducive to the equal exercise of women's rights. There is also need for a special attention on climate change, urging us to observe “how women's responses to climate change strengthen the resilience of food systems” and “how women can be empowered to lead the development of climate-resilient food and agriculture systems”.
A fair, transformative and gender equitable food system can be defined as one that allows countries, communities, households, and men and women, to have what is necessary to produce enough food and have the access to it, for their families and populations through sustainable, environmentally sound and climate resilient practices that favour gender equity and equality.
As part of the preparations for the Food Systems Summit, we proposed a regional gender dialogue to engage with governments and the regional integration mechanisms, civil society organizations, indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, academia, the private sector and agencies of the United Nations System, to discuss the challenges and pathways for the development of a gender just, transformative and equitable food system that allows the full exercise of the rights and empowerment of women in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Specifically, the regional dialogue on gender and food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean has identified: (i) a set of solutions and commitments for gender equality in food systems (ii) a regional position on what commitments are needed to achieve gender equality in food systems for the UN Food Systems Summit.
The discussions were organized into 5 working groups on each of the action tracks of the Food Systems Summit. Also, there was a sixth English-speaking working group, which worked the 5 action tracks.
Attendees were invited to register and select the action track in which they wish to participate. Each group has identified 3 concrete actions/solutions in favor of gender equality and the empowerment of women in the food systems of the region.
Each working group had a moderator and a note taker. At the end of the discussion, the three game changing solutions of each group were presented in the screen for general comments.235- 238
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The main finding of the Regional Dialogue was the need to work with gender transformative, intersectional and intersectoral approach, in all sectors. In this way, it was agreed that to achieve food and nutrition security and to contribute to the sustainable development it is fundamental to pay attention to women’s rights (SDG 5).236- 238
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#1 For Action Track 1 it was concluded that the following were the key solutions:
Access to safe and nutritious food
Incorporate the gender approach in regulations, policies, and productive and food security programs.
Promote community education initiatives in nutritional matters, with cultural relevance and co- responsibility between women and men.
Strengthen specific institutions such as women's ministries and policies for the promotion of production for women.236- 239
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#2 For Action Track 2 it was concluded that the following were the key solutions:
Change in consumption patterns
Make visible the ancestral knowledge and knowledge of rural, indigenous, and Afro-descendant women on food and agrobiodiversity.
Promote the participation of consumer organizations to strengthen education and access to information on healthy eating.236- 240
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#3 For Action Track 3 it was concluded that the following were the key solutions:
Positive production for nature
Incorporate the gender approach in sustainable agricultural policies and make it possible through action plans and the articulation of participatory and multisectoral platforms.
Promote the association and organization of women producers, from an intercultural perspective.
Introduce clear measures so that women have better access to financing, technology, information, and training.236- 241
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#4 For Action Track 4 it was concluded that the following were the key solutions:
Resilience in adverse situations
Ensure equitable access for women to credit and insurance.
Mobilize social protection and care policies for rural women with gender-sensitive budgets, allocating resources and coordinating initiatives in the territories.
Increase the availability of information that allows better analysis of difficulties, gaps and roles of women in food systems.236- 242
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#5 For Action Track 5 it was concluded that the following were the key solutions:
Equitable livelihoods and redistribution of value
Articulate actions against gender-based violence in rural areas, such as physical, economic and patrimonial violence.
Promote legislative and parliamentary actions for gender parity and the incorporation of an intercultural perspective in decision-making.
Promote the recognition of rural women leaders, as well as grassroots organizations and movements of indigenous and Afro-descendant women.
Rethink the mechanisms of social protection and care to achieve a shared responsibility between men and women.
Establish funds and financing mechanisms to make these proposals possible.237- 238
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The main area of divergence was related to how to understand the role of women in food systems. Some people posed a traditional role for women, for example: educating women so that they feed other people well. That is, planning a nutritional education so that women make good decisions, taking 100% responsibility for their reality and the reality of their family, when the conditions in which they daily live do not allow them. On the other hand, some people brought a more transformative view of the role of women in food systems.2021-04-30 23:35:12205Stage 1Primer Diálogo Nacional de México-Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarioshttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/11966/- 120
117004040370634957221520441824154291116How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?This first National Dialogue was organized being supported by the already existing inter-sectorial collaboration platform named GISAMAC (Health, Food, Environment and Competitiveness Inter-secretariat Group, in Spanish Grupo Intersectorial de Salud, Alimentación y Competitividad). This platform is composed by the following Ministries: Environment, Health, Social Development, Agriculture and Ecomic Affairs. The essence of this platform is to complement the work across sectors to address complex problems.
The Dialogue also served as GISAMAC’s first 2021 virtual gathering, which communicated the commitment that the National Convenor has with connecting policy priorities in the country with the process of the Summit.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?• Act with urgency: The Minister of Health inaugurated the Dialogue and emphasized the urgency of acting on these topics.
• Commit to the summit: The National Convenor has expressed that the relevance of the Summit processes is that they can leverage existing policy priorities in the country.
• Be respectful: Rules and principles of discussion were established for this dialogue.
• Recognize complexity: There were two presentations to remark the complexity of the topics that were being discussed. One was on The Lancet Comissions related to sustainable food systems; and the other one was to present the proposed National Strategy to the general public.
• Complement the work of others: different sectors were invited.
• Build trust: GISAMAC was the selected platform to start the dialogues, due to the collaboration process that the group has undergone and the trust that has been built among its participants.
• Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity: This principle will be pursued on the next dialogues. In this one, only government officials, academia and civil society were invited to participate.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is relevant to clearly communicate the Principles of Engagement to the participants at the beginning of the Dialogue, and at the start of every discussion group.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?The first Dialogue was convened using GISAMAC as an existing platform for inter-sectorial collaboration. Only government officials, academia and civil society were invited to participate. Inclusivity will be pursued in the next dialogues.234- 238
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The major focus of this first National Dialogue was: a) to give a general introduction to the Summit, it’s global and national relevance, and the Dialogues process; and b) to introduce a new policy proposal that is planned to be implemented in the country called the National Healthy, Just and Sustainable Food and Nutrition Strategy for Overweight and Obesity Prevention, and c) to identify priority topics for the next dialogues.
The Strategy aims at being the National Food Policy for the coming years. It includes 4 pillars: 1) Policy, 2) Environments, 3) Production and Access, 4) Individual and intrapersonal actions. The discussion regarding the National Strategy is directly related to the following Action Tracks: 1) Ensure access to safe and nutritious foods for all, 2) Shift to sustainable consumption patterns, 3) Boost nature-positive production.
Opening the national dialogues by discussing a policy proposal is innovative for the country. This is the first time that food policy would be openly discussed among diverse actors—including civil society and academia—and that it will receive feedback and recommendations before being published.235- 238
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Participants identified the following topics as priorities for the next dialogues:
• Communication, education, and behavioral change.
• Policies for the first 1,000 days of life and biofortification.
• Environmental protection and agri-food systems.
• Agroecology and sustainable food systems.
• Food loss and waste.
• Indicators, monitoring and evaluation of the National Healthy, Just and Sustainable Food and Nutrition Strategy.
• Commercial networks and public procurement systems.
General country priorities for public policy:
• Food policy tied to specific federal budget lines.
• Focus the National Healthy, Just and Sustainable Food and Nutrition Strategy on Malnutrition and not only on overweight and obesity.
• Access to nutritious and sustainable foods.
• Capacity development for smallholder farming and family farming.
• Incentives for healthy food production.
• Food policy pending regulations in the country: advertisement regulations, tax policy.
• Create appropriate food policy plans according to regional specific needs.
• Conflict of interest regulations in food policy.236- 238
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Individual and intrapersonal
• Establish a greater policy focus, not only include overweight and obesity, but malnutrition.
• Create Dietary Guidelines for the Mexican population that serve as the base for food policy.
• Create not only a temporary campaign, but a robust behavioral change strategy that is culturally appropriate.
• Create behavioral change strategies targeted to children and schools.
• Take advantage of digital marketing directed to adolescents to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity behaviors.
• It is relevant to create communication strategies based on human rights.
• Position the relevance of consuming local and natural products.236- 238
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Production and access
• Recognize the importance of traditional production techniques that are environmentally friendly.
• Encourage the use of technology for sustainability.
• Support small and medium-sized farmers.
• Encourage the production of local products.
• Value biodiversity in food production.
• Make food value chains more efficient and sustainable.
• Environmental justice and land ownership.
• Improve food distribution infrastructure.236- 238
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Food environments
• It is relevant to reinforce local food value chains.
• It is relevant to encourage the creation of environments appropriate for children and adolescents.
• It is relevant to consider food policy regulations as part of the environment.
• It is important to consider how advertisement influences the environment and how it should be regulated in harmony with other existing regulations (for example, the front of pack labelling ones).
• Consider how urban design, including public transportation, can influence healthier environments.
• It is relevant to communicate the new regulations to the general public, for example the one on front of pack labelling.
• Create Food Based Dietary Guidelines.
• Ensure access to drinking water in rural and urban vulnerable communities.
• Use of public space for physical activity.
• Consider school infrastructure as a mean to promote healthy food and nutrition behaviors.
• Encourage consumption of local produce.
• It is relevant to work together with civil society to create healthy and sustainable food environments.236- 238
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Public policy
• It is important to continue advancing the regulatory measures that have started in the country related to food policy. For example, the ones on food advertisement, and taxes to unhealthy food.
• It is also relevant to leave no one behind in terms of food policy and create specific programs to develop capacity and give special support to family farming and smallholder farming.
• It is relevant to create and implement new monitoring and evaluation indicators that respond to the new an innovative food policy.237- 238
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There were two divergence areas:
• Changing the title of the National Strategy to the express general orientation terms and not only a focus on overweight and obesity.
• Not all participants understood the relevance of linking the proposed Healthy, Just and Sustainable Food and Nutrition Strategy for Overweight and Obesity Prevention with the discussion related to sustainable agri-food systems.2021-05-03 20:48:56204Managing the water and energy we eat: advancing water-energy-food (WEF) nexus approaches to achieve food systems transformation in Southern Africahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7859/- 170
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841146243463812822212251128542211521130111How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?To ensure that participants were respectful, rules of engagement were set at the beginning of the dialogue. In recognizing complexity, the dialogue focused on water’s transformative role in food systems. The objective was to bring key outcomes of a regional discussion on food and water systems in a changing climate to the global policy level and to provide tangible inputs into the UNFSS. To embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity, the Southern Africa dialogue was open to a wide range of stakeholders in the water, energy, food and related sectors ranging from intergovernmental organizations; regional, national and local government departments/entities, development partners; non-governmental organizations; the private sector, research for development organizations; academia; farmers’ groups; and networks. Complementing the works of others, we introduced a plenary session comprising of global and regional speakers, as well as a panel discussion, who discussed the role of water in achieving food systems transformation and their work.
The Dialogue was conducted under Chatham House Rules, where participants were free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, could be revealed.
One of the principles had to be adapted:
i.e. Commit to dialogue in the lead up to the Summit - the reason for this is that we had invited panelists who were especially critical of the UNFSS process, and through their institutions, have rejected being part of it, and have organized separate Food Systems Dialogues. We needed to allow participants to opt out of committing to the Summit itself, but asked them to commit to the dialogue and achieving food systems transformation in Southern Africa in this process.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?As aboveDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?We opted for a 'by invitation only' event conducted under Chatham House rules. While this contributed to establishing a safe space for all to discuss and engage freely, it also limited inclusivity to some extent. Next time, we may consider having an open invitation event and not restricting discussion to Chatham House rules. This would allow for live social media reporting and post-event outreach using specific speaker quotes etc.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Southern Africa faces an uphill battle to achieve food and water security. Research shows that roughly 43% of the region is either arid or semiarid and that 70% of its people rely on rain-fed agriculture.
These circumstances have been worsened by unusual times – bringing age-old questions back to the fore – such as can Southern Africa feed itself and does the region have enough water to do so?
The United Nations Food Systems (UNFSS) Southern Africa dialogue attempted to answer these questions and provide some solutions.
The dialogue unpacked the way food systems can be localized and transformed in a water-constrained region in such a way that acknowledges WEF nexus linkages, promotes regional trade and enhances equity and inclusion.
The UNFSS Southern Africa dialogue highlighted six key thematic areas on which participants were required to engage in an interactive manner that allowed for small group discussion, collective brainstorming, and agenda-setting.
The thematic areas covered by breakout groups were: 1). Moving towards low carbon energy for food production; 2). Climate change impacts on water and food security; 3). Policy coherence and institutional coordination in water, food, energy and climate change that operationalize the WEF nexus; 4). Advancing technical WEF models, tools and frameworks for decision making at multiple scales; 5). Putting nature back in the WEF nexus: towards resilient food landscapes; and 6). Community approaches to operationalize the WEF nexus.
Each group was required to discuss a series of prompt questions, with an overarching key question in each of the breakout discussions. The questions were:
1. How can we sustainably produce more food in the region using low greenhouse gas energy sources?
2. How can we sustainably enhance food security without compromising water security in the context of climate change?
3. What practical steps can/should be taken to ensure policy coherence and institutional coordination to improve water, energy and food security in the region?
4. How can WEF nexus models/tools facilitate new understanding of interdependencies and trade-offs in the WEF nexus, as well as foster data sharing and enhanced decision-making in the region?
5. How do we build more resilient food and livelihood systems while protecting critical water sources, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services?
6. How can we promote equity and inclusion in WEF nexus governance to create opportunities for transformation towards more just food, water and energy systems?
Using interactive virtual facilitation tools such as jamboards, mentimeter, and mural, with collective brainstorming approaches such as the 3-Horizon approach, facilitators guided breakout discussion participants in identifying actions in the next 3 years that will have the greatest impact on the discussion topic, determinants of success of those actions, and partnership arrangements that need to be prioritized etc.235- 238
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Through the discussions, priorities for action within the context of current realities were identified.
The first priority identified was the need for more dialogues that promote integrated approaches linking water and energy with food.
Other outcomes from the discussions included the need for data sharing across sectors and across countries; integrated scaling pathways and even the pull through of WEF nexus tools and products to scaling.
The need for financing models to enable the exchange was also emphasized as well as the need for policy implementation that concretize these priorities.
Other outcomes included the need for institutional coordination, specifically reconciling donor interests with nation state and regional/local institutional interests.
Participants also agreed that there was a need for sizable projects to realize true systems transformation and WEF nexus operationalization.
In essence, while many different views and objectives were expressed on how to achieve food systems transformation in the region, the role of water was critical in all of them. It was further emphasized that we have to move beyond the sectoral coordination approach, although this is very key – to examine the political transformations that are important in realizing more just systems transformation.
Finally, the degree to which Africa and southern Africa voices/inputs on water are incorporated into the UNFSS Action Tracks (recognizing that this is still lacking in many respects) and the role of regionally focused dialogues in helping to achieve that was another major outcome from the discussions.236- 239
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How can we sustainably produce more food in the region using low greenhouse gas energy sources?
The group noted that the food system is responsible for around 30% of global GHGs equating to 16 Gigatonnes per year. In developing countries over 50% of GHG are from on-farm production and bad land use. As countries develop more GHGs come from energy, industrial activities and waste management rather than land use. Methane from food waste, animals and rice production produce 35% of total GHGs emitted. It seems “Food miles” where local rail and road transport are main transport GHG emitters are less important than packaging to address. Refrigeration is main emitter in the retail post farm system and 5% of total GHGs for the food system. While 1990-2015 saw a 40% increase in production there was only 12% increase in GHGs due to and energy transition to renewables and better systems. Reducing wastage in the system is the low hanging fruit that needs to be focused on.
The new AU trade agreement could help unlock regional markets and production of renewable energy technologies.
Innovations that could reduce energy use in food production/value chains over the next decade include:
- Agroecology and better farming practices
- Using balanced feeds in livestock rearing
- Low pack/no pack solutions : shops using no packaging and customers using own recycled materials when shopping in stores.
- Irrigation using gravity feed systems.
- Using wastewater for energy: methane could be used to produce gas for other things such as cooking and heating.
- Solar PV for pumping water
- Intensive farming rather than extensive
- Internet purchasing: small scale farmers chain to market is long, therefore using online shopping small scale famers can shorten this and improve their on farm economics
Some reason why these innovations have not taken off include:
- The cost of technology and limited capital to invest in it especially at microscale where farmers have no financing.
- There is a lack of trust in new technology - we do not have enough examples (e.g biogas) of such technology working well. Therefore, the needs to be more demonstrations to show people the technology works that would ensure more buy-in and less sceptism amongst policy makers.
- In South Africa regulations are no longer the problem, now the issue is about building project that are at a larger scale, however it is difficult to raise finances for that. Most investors are willing to put in like $ 10 000 instead of like $100 000 which could benefit more farmers and people.
- In low-income countries people are not able to afford energy innovations, there should be some subsidies that push people to invest in those innovations.
- When approaching small-scale farmers with new technology we also should give them access to services to maintain them.
How can we reduce water use while introducing new energy options?
- Cheap energy could lead to pumping too much water. Water use needs to be automatically recorded and used for monitoring.
- Utilizing wastewater for biogas rather than fresh water.
- More use of efficient systems such as irrigation technologies that time irrigations flows based on what is needed and when.
- There is a need for more wholesome energy that uses available waste and other resources linked to the food system.236- 239
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Climate change impacts on water and food security
Southern Africa is experiencing a challenging climate (dry season, floods), nine months or more of dry season even before climate change, how to ensure we do not rely on the 3-4 months of the wet season and making the most during dry season (manage the dry seasons very well). There is potential on some crops that can strive (Irish potatoes) in dry season.
Linking farmers to high value markets- identify areas on where to sell excess produce, formulate value addition policies and plans (improve quality).
Scientific evidence or information should be made available to decision makers.
Partner with colleagues from water and other sectors (different domains) to brainstorming strategies and Programmes at regional levels.
Markets, policies, value addition and Partnership will help to promote food security approach and improved technology
National policies mechanisms and investment policies become relevant for resilience, water availability, how much investment can government make for irrigation technology; to relieve or improve stressed food systems, energy systems
Regional organisations become important players in coordinating regional priorities and also sharing needed knowledge on food security, resilience etc
Promoting efficient use of water in agricultural system through improved technology such as hybrid crops (water resistant crops, drought resistant crops etc)
Proper governance of water; recognise water for different uses; allocation of water (need water for irrigation, energy, agricultural production).
-Poor resource farmers have to benefit from innovation of water efficient technology such as drip irrigation through engaging with them.
Avoid mismatch or competing policies on climate changes. For example, when drafting NDCs and National overarching adaptation plan.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
Food systems, smallholder farmers should be resilient
Policy mechanisms- are important more especially in addressing conflicting interests.
How much investment should be channelled to agriculture, & climate smart practices
Water transboundary- providing support and coordination across countries
Right policies- what investment we need to establish
Recognising water for different uses- changing the way water is allocated to improve efficiency
Politics and meaning of land is very important - take the land discussions out of politics
What contributions will our organisations make?
Supporting countries to develop national adaptation plan which is sector specific, how do you bring climate change adaptation and water security
Technologies – improving irrigation technologies, water efficiency technologies
Recognising water security in building climate change resilience.
Improving trade policies to promote food securities in the region
Improve regional coordination through partnership
-Information dissemination through organisational platforms
-Engaging with farmers including poor resource farmers to benefit from the joint discussions and innovation
Promote grassroots policy engagement with relevant stakeholders236- 243
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Key challenges:
Participants highlighted the silo approach as an important challenge. These exist not only across ministries and regions, where competing priorities exist, but also within organizations, where deeply embedded silos lead to inertia and contradicting priorities. This can exacerbate a lack of coherence between government institutions, regions, and when applying for funding from donors and development banks.
Water, energy, and food security is necessarily cross-cutting, and requires an integrated, systems approach to navigate through trade-offs and competing industries that exist, and to leverage positive interlinkages and ways to make the WEF nexus more functional. Still, this may not be sufficient to overcome supra-institutional issues, such as budget allocations, which are typically allocated by departmental needs and priorities, and not shared strategic visions. This can slow effective cooperation.
A lack of political will and direction is also seen as a large coordination issue. The WEF nexus requires institutional buy in that requires ministries to work together, and often requires direction from the highest level of government. This is especially important when dealing with different spheres of governance, but also on trans-boundary issues.
Although political commitment exists, the focus has typically been on the policy, governance, and academic aspects, with little attention paid to the transition to demonstration projects, related monitoring and evaluation, participation of communities, and how to effectively scale successful demonstration projects.
A loss of momentum was highlighted as a challenge. Good policies and strategies tend to only last as long as they are interesting, and resilient to new priorities. Results often take longer than five years to emerge, and it is thus important to be flexible, reassess new challenges, and changes that respond to them. Political stability, and the institutionalization of the WEF nexus, are necessary to remain sustainable and endure political terms of office.
Other challenges highlighted included the need for information and data sharing.
Opportunities:
Participants noted that there are opportunities for clear policy guidelines, allowing for regional protocols to find meaning in national policy and strategy. Also, through the SADC nexus framework, broad political commitment can be secured.
Information sharing was highlighted as a strong entry point for improved coordination, especially to address conflicts of priority. A common problem is that the policy environment is not well understood by all stakeholders. Thus, at implementation, opportunities to collaborate and improve program design are missed. The SADC regional knowledge hub presents an opportunity to overcome this, by providing a platform to highlight and map different policies, which sectors they impact, and where opportunities for collaboration exist.
Regional coordination, alongside the systems approach, can help avoid issues of inward looking policies that may be detrimental to a country in the long-run. During crises, countries tend to close up, and focus on energy and food self-sufficiency. Due to a lack of endowments in water and resources, and without innovative strategies to overcome these constraints, countries might not be able to sustain visions of self-sufficiency.
Financiers are an important enabling stakeholder. They can play a role in sharing lessons learned, coordinate and share information across a range of institutions, and help facilitate discussions around joint investments.236- 240
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Advancing technical WEF models, tools and frameworks for decision making at multiple scales:
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion topic?
Deliberate efforts at the national scale are needed e.g. through joint sector planning initiatives that break down siloes and optimize resource allocation.
Developing policy and institutional supporting arrangements that can connect different scale models to achieve impact. This could be a step towards bridging the science policy gap
Sensitising model development to local needs through the intentional development of useful models.
Among the variety of models with wide ranging applications in the WEF nexus, local level models with short time scale/horizons have exhibited some success e.g. climate forecasting for local small scale farmers linked to smartphone applications and improved agricultural productivity. Similarly, drought forecasting models at national scale have also achieved some level of practical impact. Of importance is to ensure that models highlight the economic benefit and practical usefulness both for local communities and national planning.
Linking funding models to WEF nexus model development in response to where there is greatest need and best business case e.g. waste to energy scenarios
Integrating a diversity of disciplines on the WEF nexus would enrich models in developing appropriate scenarios that affect specific users.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
1. When models are applied and yield practical impact for specific users e.g. farmers, policy makers through a needs based, negotiated, context specific and consultative process.
What contributions will our organizations make?
1. Applied research that supports the development of models and tools which can respond to local needs and broader national policies236- 240
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Putting nature back in the WEF nexus: towards resilient food landscapes
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion topic?
The starting point to this conversation is to first acknowledge that the WEF nexus is reliant on nature in almost all aspects and an overarching theme is to increase the protection of nature not just for the sake of nature but also for the sake of people and industries. Therefore, it is suggested that in the next few years a starting point for enhancing the living systems that support our societies and economies can be the restoration, protection, and prioritization of ecosystems and their services, such as the conservation of major water resource areas. The benefits of protecting nature are tangible to people through improved water, energy and food security. In addition to this starting point, it was noted that nature can teach us a lot. Especially when it comes to food production and consumption systems, we can learn a lot from nature in terms of circular economies, reducing waste, and increasing nutritional value. A short-term action would therefore be to implement integrated WEF systems that mirror the efficiency and circularity of nature’s systems. Another important aspect that was identified to be key to conserving nature in the WEF nexus is behaviour change. Behaviour change is needed on two fronts, i.e. both the behaviour of producers and that of consumers should be considered, scrutinised, and changed to enhance the protection of nature in WEF systems. Achieving such changes usually requires incentives for actors to implement change, especially financial incentives. Understanding incentive structures and cross-scale impacts requires further investigation. In addition, governance and policies are important tools that can be utilised to change behaviour and put nature into the WEF nexus. Key areas for action and research over the coming years are therefore incentives and policies that target behaviour change. However, it is also important to think through potential trade-offs. Balancing food production and nature conservation may result in trade-offs, and these could occur at different scales. On the other hand, we need to move beyond the false dichotomy of either prioritizing conservation OR food production – we can and should do both. The planetary boundaries can be used to guide us in more effective use of land and water in food production, which should not immediately be associated with higher levels of industrialisation. Therefore, a short-term goal should be to explore alternative effective/more optimal uses of water and land than just agricultural intensification.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
The planetary boundaries can be used as a measure to determine the effectiveness of implementation plans.
Behaviour of consumers and producers can indicate the effectiveness of strategies and policies.
Another measure could be the change in policies in various countries and industries, such as changes in the food consumption industry influencing and driving change in the food production industry.
What contributions will our organisations make?
A point was raised that conservation organizations need to do a better job of clarifying and promoting the fundamental importance of nature in WEF systems. Often the focus is on climate change and similar (more technical) issues, so the message that we are wholly dependent on our natural systems can get lost.
It is important to promote the idea of interconnected and complex WEF systems.236- 241
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Community approaches to operationalise the WEF nexus:
What’s already happening (see jambord: https://jamboard.google.com/d/1hUQQ1OXh5smd3d_7rhCx-rgWPA1AXY8soERaWyp6Uqg/viewer?f=5)
Some rescue projects and plans already incorporate activities that have elements of conservation within communities (Livelihood recovery program in East Africa).
Use of gravity in irrigation spaces among smallholder farmers (e.g in Zambia)
Interconnected water projects with fish ponds in Kenya
Exchange visits- learning exchanges
More youth voices taking up spaces to address environmental challenges
A number of smallholder irrigation examples across the SADC and South Africa.
Proper research on community dynamics and suitable technologies appropriate for particular communities and not just responding to crises- building resilience & capacities
Water harvesting methods used
Integrated cases of water projects and food systems
Enhancement of data and information collection, development, management and sharing.
Strengthening institutional operations and empowerment of decision-makers.
Promoting regional and cross-sectoral coordination and cooperation
Multiple water use projects
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
Bottom-up; - Sustainability Centered; - Inclusive(Gender, minority groups, indigenous communities)
Probably the policy environment developed to enable everyone to participate!
It means everyone participates in the WEF dialogue
Women, youth , vulnerable and marginalized members of the society are included in planning phase
More adoption of renewable energy systems
Different GESI groups having equitable access to resources
Created common understanding of WEF if possible!
Inclusivity with specific focus to people with disabilities when it comes to resource use and benefitting.
What contributions will our organisations make?
Ensure community members participate in decisions of managing and utilizing WEF nexus resources
Co-produce knowledge- science, ILK and practical related to WEF and shared across communities
Work with communities at their level, listen and understand their priorities
Build trust in communities and have honest engagement.
Systems-based approach linked to livelihoods & holistic response options237- 238
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Areas of divergence emerged in most of the breakout discussions.
Climate change discussion:
Competing priorities- breaking down the silo mentality through partnership
Lots of overlapping and competing policies and strategies, lack of balance on the different policies
What does it mean to make Southern Africa climate resilient?
Lack of coordination at regional level that need proper communication channels
Lack of donor funding or financing-driving to more relevant actions that will promote funding
Lack of political will and interest at national and regional level
Competing and Mismatch of policies that can be addressed through synergies.
WEF models discussion:
Not all models are scalable to different scale and contexts and may only be useful in a single context. This is an important factor to consider in the discussion of applicability of WEF models and tools.
Putting nature back in the nexus:
Consumers as the main driver of agriculture production can be seen as a divergence, since the consumer can dictate the abilities of a food producer to be able to move to more sustainable practices. This insight comes from an example of the agroecology industry, where we often hear calls to reduce chemical inputs. However, the reduction of chemical inputs often results in an increase in labour costs. If consumers are not willing to absorb the increase in costs, it restricts the producers’ ability to reduce reliance on chemicals. The complexity of consumer choice also brought the group to think about the plausibility and justice implications of the consumers driving change. For instance, paying higher prices for sustainably produced food might be more possible in developed countries, where consumers may have better access to information and are more likely to be able to absorb the price differences. But in response, it was raised that it is even more important that consumers drive change in developing regions such as southern Africa, where the loss of diversity and nutrition in diets is leading to poorer health and well-being outcomes, especially amongst the poor. Putting nature back in the WEF nexus therefore has the potential to improve not just people’s well-being, but also address socio-economic inequalities. Change is therefore essential, and both consumers and producers face some responsibility in building more nature-based food systems.
Community approaches discussion:
Domestication of WEF frameworks due to lack of local interpretation of what WEF means
Resource scarcities, infrastructure, inequality, spatial planning laws, physical barriers, economic barriers.
Inappropriate technologies that end up disadvantaging some groups that are meant to benefit from the interventions
Many SADC countries have historical imbalances that have kept communities separated
Resource gap, Finance for WEF development, Market for potential investment, Universal Political Commitment, Climate Uncertainties
Land tenure systems in less favour of women who are most involved in farming processes.
The challenge of financial access to food, energy and water that ultimately affects the successful working of the Nexus. The varying costs of the 3 affects each component of the Nexus. Communities are unable to navigate and prioritise each facet within the Nexus thanks to the conflicting needs, especially each being a basic need.
Marginalized voices of smallholder farmers
Climate change related disasters such as drought have heavily impacted agro-based systems, perpetuating poverty. COVID-19 has also impacted the systems heavily.- UNFSS Southern Africa WEF Nexus Dialogue Invitationhttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/UNFSS-Southern-Africa-Dialogue-Invitation-13-April.pdf
- UNFSS Southern Africa WEF Nexus Dialogue Concept Notehttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/UNFSS-Concept-Note-V3.pdf
- Event notification pagehttps://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/events/unfss-independent-dialogue-in-southern-africa/
- Post-event press statementhttps://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/2021/04/data-dialogues-and-discussion-key-to-food-water-and-energy-security-in-southern-africa/
- Breakout discussion group responses using different interactive toolshttps://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1sKPjojeWd-nHSmH3beFCuFfbkBpRqYyW
2021-05-03 23:52:11205Stage 1Korean National Dialogue on Food Security and International Cooperationhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/12916/- 149
190213400136024000000601010050001000110031400000620How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Total 19 people, including representatives of farmers unions, consumers organizations, food industries, NGOs, government officials, public institutions and specialists from academia participated. The participants were selected considering their demographics, working sectors and
interests.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The dialogue mainly focused on “food security” issues such as stabilizing food supply, maintaining production base, and boosting food crisis response. Also, the needs for international cooperation was discussed to ensure food security and to contribute overcoming current global food crisis.235- 238
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As a result of the second meeting, the importance of establishing long-term plans and supporting farm household income, setting adequate level of food self-sufficiency rate, and connecting domestic food production and consumption was emphasized to stabilize food supply and maintain food production base. Also, the importance of securing agricultural manpower for stable food production was presented. To cope with global food crisis, the necessity of securing grain stockpiling and connecting ODA projects with overseas agricultural development projects was suggested.236- 242
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In addition, from the perspective of international cooperation, it was suggested that Korean government needs to share “past development experiences” in agriculture with developing countries and that major grain exporting countries should play a leading role in stabilizing global grain market.
There was an opinion that issues related to “small farmers”, “vulnerable farmers” and “elderly farmers” should be considered as important in order for UN food system summit to serve as “A People's Summit”.2021-05-04 02:07:23204The Future for Fruit & Vegetable Kai Systems in Aotearoa New Zealand https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/6597/- 132
5103242310262502311010000250090207012400732350000604014How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Principles of Engagement were communicated to invitees in the documentation released prior to the event. The event curator introduced the Principles of Engagement in his welcoming remarks. The co-convenors also presented the Principles of Engagement within a brief PowerPoint that aimed to put context around the Dialogue Event.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Principles revolve around the combination of problem recognition, stakeholder definition and engagement, common purpose, a call to action, as well as good manners and respect. All Dialogue Participants participated in good faith and in a constructive manner in this Dialogue. A Dialogue on the topic of food systems, with a focus on fresh produce and involving both commercial and not-for-profit charitable organisations, as well as churches, has not occurred in New Zealand to such an intensity prior to this event. All Participants absorbed the multiple messages they had received about the Principles of Engagement and delivered their views, analysis, opinions and suggestions within the spirit of the Principles.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Do not assume that Dialogue Invitees will follow hyperlinks to find the Principles by themselves.
Use every opportunity that presents itself to communicate the Principles in detail in the leadup to your Dialogue and at the Dialogue Event itself. Remember, some people absorb information better through reading, others through a presentation and others again by hearing the spoken word.
Be prepared for surprises occurring within the Dialogue, relating to positions taken by individual participants.
As convenor or facilitator, do not assume you know what an individual participant is about to contribute on the basis of their known affiliation.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?A YES/NO answer to the question above is, from our perspective, not sufficient for reporting purposes. Our Dialogue stayed within the strategic framework outlined within the Convenor's Reference Manual, but we made adjustments to the respective roles of Curator and Convenor.
These were as follows:
- Aotearoa New Zealand has a bicultural identity based on the Treaty of Waitangi. This treaty is a living document that has its origin in 1840 when it was signed by representatives of the British Crown and many Māori chiefs. Today it is central to the relationship between Māori, who are recognized as the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand, and all of those who have made Aotearoa New Zealand their home since 1840. On that basis, United Fresh invited Tahuri Whenua, the National Māori Vegetable Growers Collective, to co-convene the Dialogue and appoint Dr Nick Roskruge, Chair of Tahuri Whenua, and Dr Hans Maurer, Chair of the United Fresh Technical Advisory Group, as co-convenors.
- For the role of curator, the co-convenors selected the United Fresh President, Jerry Prendergast. Jerry is an experienced MC in a diverse range of industry settings.
- Co-convenors and curator agreed on their respective roles in guiding the dialogue beforehand, which ensured a successful and meaningful Dialogue for all Participants.
- One of the co-convenors, Dr Hans Maurer is also the representative of the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) on the Private Sector Guiding Group (PSGG) set up by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to provide guidance and insight for the 2021 Food Systems Summit from a business perspective. Dr Maurer contributed his learnings in that forum into the organisational structure and delivery of this Dialogue.
- Informal feedback received from a number of Participants after the event supports the assertion that "points of divergence and convergence were able to surface", and that "all voices were heard".
The Dialogue process was not focused inwardly on produce industry issues in an isolated fashion. Rather, it was developed to be inclusive of vulnerable communities within the population, with these being represented by representatives of various churches and NGOs, all of which being operators of food banks or distributors of fresh produce on a non-commercial basis. This deliberate inclusion was to some extent related to the learnings the wider industry generated through the various Covid-19 related lockdowns that have occurred in Aotearoa New Zealand.234- 238
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When the co-convenors started the process of selecting the focus of their Dialogue, they, in the first instance, looked at the five action tracks. Each of those action tracks resonated sufficiently to lead to the decision to cover all five of them in our Dialogue. That is exactly what happened. The other supporting focal points that assisted in reaching the decision to include all five action tracks were:
- The role of fresh fruit and vegetables ought to play in everyone's diet;
- The fundamental underpinning element of bi-cultural nationhood in Aotearoa New Zealand;
- The multi-ethnic fabric of Aotearoa New Zealand society;
- The real land and water resource concern prevalent in Aotearoa New Zealand right now;
- The recent experiences in relation to COVID-19 lockdowns, and the resulting pressures on fresh produce supply chains;
- The opportunity to built on structured programmes already in place (e.g., 5+ A Day).
The co-convenors felt they could have easily focused on just one or two of those topics, and this might just occur in future Dialogues. It was felt that is was critical though, at this stage, to take a broad-brush approach in order to ensure that the Aotearoa New Zealand produce industry was able to engage with all action tracks, so that all topics the United Nations Organisers had raised within the Dialogue framework received a response.235- 238
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Aotearoa New Zealand is a net exporter of food, excelling in key perishable produce categories such as kiwifruit, pipfruit, avocados, onions and others to an extent that belies the challenges we have in terms of distance to our export markets.
At the same time we are able to grow everything we need to feed our growing population. To put this into context, Aotearoa New Zealand had just over 3 million inhabitants in 1981. 40 years later, in 2021, there are 5 million people.
Our bicultural nation structure combined with our multi-ethnical population segmentation does create challenges that spread across all 5 action tracks.
The MAJOR FINDINGS that emerged in
THE FUTURE FOR FRUIT AND VEGETAVLE KAI SYSTEMS IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND
Dialogue are:
- The rationale behind the UN Food Systems Summit and the use of this Dialogue as a tool resonated with all participants.
- There was general agreement that the UN Sustainable Development Goals have a high level of relevance for Aotearoa New Zealand.
- A dialogue of this nature, with produce industry representatives across the entire supply chain from production to retail, meeting with tangata whenua ("the people of the land", a term by which Māori often refer to themselves) as well as organisations supporting vulnerable communities such as churches, food banks, and NGOs, is not something that has been achieved in this structured format prior to this event.
- In several of the discussion groups, participants coming from different ends of the supply chain spectrum expressed genuine surprise about the ability to conduct a rational dialogue in this format.
- The type of "actions" that can be taken across the 5 discussion topics varies. They are generally 4 distinctly differing reasons for that variation.
-- Actions that can be taken may be obvious because the topic under discussion relates to an initiative that is well established and underway. This is the case with our Discussion Group 4, which focused on using the 5+ A Day programme to aid Advancing Equitable Livelihoods.
-- Actions that can be taken are already underway, with the dialogue affording an opportunity to marshall further resources and resolve, to follow through with these necessary actions. Our Discussion Group 2 focused on access to sustainable land and water resources for production. Just a week prior, the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment released a report entitled "Our Land 2021". The report is addressing exactly that same concern as we dealt with in our Discussion Group.
-- Actions that would make sense have been identified, but industry implementers are still trying to come to grips with the consequences and implications, within their micro-environments, of taking actions.
-- The need for Actions is understood but before Actions can be framed, further communication and dialogue is necessary.
Within each group, participants focused on identifying the specific goals and actions that would help deliver the SDGs by 2030, in a manner that aligned with the action tracks and discussed topic. The key discussion outcomes in each of our 5 Discussion Groups are as follows (Starting with Discussion Group 1 and concluding with Group 5):
- Communication and collaboration, between all supply chain participants, will be a main driver to ensuring accessibility of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Our current systems are structured in a linear fashion, with the primary focus on resource production and extraction. There is very little emphasis, if at all, on sustainable systems or community focused systems. These systems should become more circular, and activities such as regenerating clean water and putting it back into the system should become the norm.
- Improved education is key in ensuring our people, including our rangitahi (the future generations), have access to, and knowledge of, new technologies and systems. This will enable our people, including our rangitahi, to develop the necessary skills for participating in the highly skilled technological aspects of the sector.
- Spreading the messages throughout the supply chain is a challenge that requires collective effort from those involved. People see the task as being so substantial, that it is difficult to affect change.
- We need a more proactive approach to the challenges the supply chain faces, aiming for "fewer ambulances at the bottom of the cliff, and more attention on fence strengthening at the top".
The main point from the Tahuri Whenua involvement is the recognition of food sovereignty as a primary indigenous interest in any food value chain being developed, especially those foods still being identified for commercial uptake. So the expectation for 2030 is that food sovereignty is appropriately understood and supported.236- 238
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ALL COMMUNITIES IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND HAVE ACCESS TO FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
The discussion topic aimed at analyzing the constraints and possible solutions needed towards ensuring that everyone has access to fresh fruits and vegetables. This topic refers to an underlying issue that we were already well aware of, but were suddenly reminded of its urgency, when COVID-19 containment measures were put in place. Dealing with such an issue will require an immense effort from everyone involved.
The discussion group for this topic outlined the following outcomes:
- We need to "work collaboratively - not in silos", "give the industry a voice" and "create a communication network of all parties including Iwi/Te Ao Māori", loosely translatable as 'Māori tribes/the Māori way of looking at things'.
- We need to "address transport shortfalls, especially for rural communities".
- We need to "look into the supply chain structures, understand where the gaps are and find opportunities".
- We need to improve "Supporting current channels that are feeding the need in the community".
The listed outcomes are a first step on the journey towards finding common solutions.236- 239
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SUSTAINABLE ACCESS TO SUITABLE AND AFFORDABLE LAND AND WATER RESOURES ESSENTIAL FOR HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTION HAS BEEN ACHIEVED
From the discussion the following outcomes were highlighted:
- "We need to audit the future concept from a consumer point of view";
- "We tend to gloss over the true value of water and its role in production";
- "There is a clear disconnect around data and its contribution to the future of land use and production";
- "Our current systems are too linear and all about taking of the resource and very little emphasis on giving back";
- "By 2030 we need to have significant inroads to land management and returning inputs";
- Technology is "often for incremental change, expensive and not accessible to all". It is a necessary resource but "needs to be viewed across whole of sector".236- 240
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PRODUCE INDUSTRY USE OF LABOUR AND TECHNOLOGY ARE OPTIMALLY BALANCED AND ALIGNED
The following outcomes were identified by the discussion group participants as the areas where further work is necessary to achieve the goal of "optimally balanced and aligned technologies".
- "Broader education [on food systems], not only within the produce industry, but also within the wider New Zealand society is needed, if we are to achieve optimal balance between labour and technology";
- "Continue developing robust and proper traceability systems from field to fork, which are not currently being fully achieved";
- "Focus on developing a nimble supply chain with real time management, something not currently being fully achieved".
Education was identified as the main area of focus towards achieving optimally balanced and aligned used of labour and technology.236- 241
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ALL KIWIS ARE EATING 5+ A DAY AND ARE BENEFITING FROM THE ASSOCIATED NUTRITION AND HEALTH BENEFITS
The following outcomes were identified that will have the greatest impact in the progress towards:
- Improving communication between "industry, government, NGOs, non-profit organisations, right through to consumers";
- Reviewing policies "at macro and micro levels (e.g., accessibility of fruits and vegetables, ensuring maximum crops are harvested, and reintroducing nutrition policies in the education system)", "multiple ministries working together", and "influencing change around marketing (e.g., reinvention of health claims)";
- "Smart use of technology through innovative apps, incorporating ethnic ideas, and fruits and vegetables presented in new ways (e.g., kumara noodles)";
- "Increasing nutrition training for those who are advocates in the health and education sectors (e.g. doctors and teachers)".
Achieving the identified outcomes will generate benefits for the health, economy, and environment of Aotearoa New Zealand and its people.236- 242
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FRESH PRODUCE SUPPLY CHAINS ARE OF SUFFICIENT ROBUSTNESS TO COPE WITH CRITICAL EVENTS AND FORCE MAJEURE
The following outcomes were agreed upon by the participants as areas of focus for improvement:
- "Higher focus on education at community level (how to grow and how to cook food)";
- The fresh produce industry needs "to spend more time maintaining the fences at the top of the cliff rather than being the ambulance at the bottom”;
- "There is no one solution and approaches to the issues need to be multifaceted";
- Consumers across the population as a whole need help to regain/maintain their connection with the land and its products.
Robustness of the supply chain is entirely dependent on how on well prepared supply chain operators are for the unexpected. To have a robust food system, it is necessary to also understand how to optimise the resources available when producing fruits and vegetables, with an additional focus on minimising waste.237- 238
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The following areas of divergence were identified during the Dialogue:
- Industry and the public have different perceptions of the fresh produce industry resource usage of land, water, and related materials.
- The level of research needed to identify consumer knowledge gaps about the industry, and consumer perceptions of how the industry can maintain sustainability.
- How to reach kiwi palates/taste buds (especially due to today’s easily accessible high fat, salt and sugary foods).
- The creation of ‘how to’ communications for using fruits and vegetables in meals.
- How to address the potential reality where enhanced technology could displace the human workforce and how can we mitigate the loss of employment and loss of connection to food production from the land.
- How we focus education, in ensuring our people, such as our rangitahi (the future generations), are able to gain access to advanced skillsets, so that they can be employed in the technology element of the industry, rather than in the lower-skilled, lower paid positions.- Corrections to Main DocumentWe have identified some spelling and Grammar Mistakes in the Submitted Form.
Major Focus Section: Final bullet point – “built” should be “build”.
Major Focus Section: Final bullet point, the brackets “(e.g., 5+ A Day)” should state “(e.g., 5+ A Day and Fruit in Schools)”
Main Findings Section: Fifth paragraph, “vegetavle” should be “vegetable”.
Main Findings Section: sixth bullet point underneath “Dialogue are” paragraph, starting with “Actions that can be taken may be obvious”, the section “focused on using the 5+ A Day programme” should read “focused on using the 5+ A Day programme and the Fruit in Schools Initiative”.
Outcomes For Discussion Topic 2/5 Section: First paragraph, “resoures” should be “resources”.
Outcomes For Discussion Topic 3/5 Section: final sentence, “used” should be “use”.
Outcomes For Discussion Topic 2/5 Section: Final paragraph, first sentence, “on how on well” should be “on how well”.
2021-05-06 22:40:44
2021-05-04 10:09:07204The Role of Water Security for Food Systems Transformationhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/10923/- 62
9101949148151400151102200021001200014572000022500191002223512How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Dialogue was organized according to the UNFSS’ Principles of Engagement. Participants were introduced to the summit vision, objectives and action tracks. The links to the Principles of engagement themselves were shared in an email to event registrants prior to the online event, briefly reviewed by the curator and then also pasted in the chat box during the event.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Dialogue was organized with a focus on developing contributions to the FSS and elaborating pathways toward food systems transformation contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The choice of focus on water security for food systems transformation very much addressed the lack of the direct attention to water within the UNFSS structure.
The participation of multiple stakeholders was encouraged by bringing together a diverse group of actors in addition to those that typically engage in the area of water, food security, and nutrition. The Dialogue invitation was sent across actors in research and academia, international financial institutions, farmers at various scales, private sector, etc. Interpretation (English-Arabic) was available during plenary sessions, while breakout room discussion facilitators were encouraged to hear from all participants in both English and Arabic. The Feedback from the breakout discussion opened the floor to questions or comments from participants.
Participants were twice engaged in live polls (via Slido) during the dialogue, with the second poll utilizing response options put forward from each breakout room discussion.
Breakout room discussion topics covered varying areas and topics within water security for food systems transformation, including both more technical and more policy-oriented topics.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is recommended to set the stage early on regarding the ‘purpose’ of the Dialogue by explaining the UNFSS’ objectives and vision and action tracks, particularly for the benefit of participants who may be unfamiliar.
This event was an Independent Dialogue with a national focus, thus providing interpretation (English-Arabic) definitely opened the door for contributions and engagement where language may have been a barrier.
Engaging participants’ active audio-visual interventions by way of live polls and encouraging chat box discussions, actions or comments and questions, etc, increased participants’ involvement.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?Owing to COVID-19 restrictions, the dialogue was organized as an online 150-minute meeting via Zoom Meetings. Two sets of Opening Remarks were followed by three Introductory Presentations on System-level solutions, New water solutions and Water and food systems transformations in Egypt. This was followed by six parallel breakout room discussions then occurred, with participants pre-assigned to a room based on the first or second choice they selected during Registration. Interpretation (English-Arabic) was available during plenary sessions, while breakout room discussion facilitators were encouraged to hear from all participants in both English and Arabic.
During the Feedback from Breakout Discussions session, Facilitators and Notetakers presented a summary from each room before addressing questions coming in through the chat box. This was followed by a Panel Discussion that involved representatives from various perspectives, including a ministry advisor, international financial institution, private sector, and a farmer. Closing remarks then offered a summary closing statement and key takeaways.
A poll at the beginning of the event, using Slido, had participants share the province/governorate/state/subnational region they were joining the event from. A number of participants, but not all, took part in the poll. Results show a number of participants from within Egypt, the MENA region, as well as international participants.
Another poll came at the end of the Feedback from Breakout Discussions had participants vote on the Top actions to improve water security in Egypt. Response options for this poll came directly from each breakout room providing two actions. More participants took part in this poll than in the first one.234- 238
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Water scarcity remains a key challenge for agricultural development in the MENA region, including Egypt. Scarcity is rapidly growing as a result of climate change and rapid increases in water demand for non-irrigation other uses. Considering that Egypt’s agri-food system provided critical cushioning for economic growth, jobs, and household income negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is paramount that more consideration is given to the important role of water security for Egypt’s food systems. With agriculture utilizing over 80% of Egypt’s water resources, meeting these challenges will require bold actions and new mindsets directed at water and food systems transformations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Independent Dialogue was convened in partnership between the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) to discuss the role of Water Security for Food Systems Transformation in Egypt. Insights emerging from this multi-stakeholder dialogue will be presented to contribute to the United Nations Food System Summit (UNFSS) in September 2021. Transforming #foodsystems is among the most powerful ways to make progress towards all 17 #SDGS.
The dialogue discussed the importance of water security for all aspects of Egypt’s food systems, with a focus on equity, inclusion, capacity, innovation and sustainability, including insights on how food systems need to change to improve water security (SDG 6), help eliminate hunger (SGD2), support energy security (SDG 7), improve climate adaptation and mitigation (SDG 13) and help retain all Life on land (SDG 15).
This pre-UNFSS2021 session therefore sought to unpack the question: What is the role of water in transforming Egypt’s food systems for improved water and food security and environmental sustainability? Speakers and panelists from Egypt and beyond engaged in interactive group discussions, collective brainstorming, and agenda-setting. As Egypt and the MENA region map out the road to UNFSS 2021, the dialogue discussed key messages that need to be heard at UNFSS 2021.235- 238
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Egypt is a perfect case for the interconnectedness of water and food systems, not only because the country has one of the world’s oldest civilizations built on irrigation, but also because water and food security are the largest development challenges the country is facing. Moreover, Egypt has multiple good practices, success stories and bright spots of using water for food system transformations. At the same time, Egypt is directly affected by climate change with hotter temperatures, and increased crop water demand, as well as heat stress affecting farmers, agricultural workers as well as livestock.
One of the largest challenges that the participants noted is that while both water and food security are on top of Egypt’s agenda water security and food security are two sectors in silos. A key recommendation noted by participants is to bring the two sectors together and to put farmers and their communities at the heart of any reform. Several private-sector firms are engaged in optimizing Egypt’s irrigation water use; this includes irrigation in the New Lands that use high-end center-pivot systems. Given growing water shortages in the country—using water more sustainably and further optimizing irrigation water use were recommendations that permeated all breakout room sessions. While the private sector is active in Egypt’s water and food sectors, it was noted that regulations and incentive structures affecting the private sector would benefit from further review.
Given Egypt’s diverse agricultural ecologies, including the Nile Delta, the New Lands, the old lands, upstream and downstream areas, more targeted agricultural water use investments were recommended. Based on more targeted interventions, these can be scaled up and further promoted, such as the value chain approach used in Nubaria’s new lands which has been sustained for more than 10 year. The participants agreed that more effort is needed to invest in water-saving technologies and support farmers in the application of such technologies. The example of farmers in Indonesia shifting from flood to drip irrigation was mentioned. Use of digital tools—to improve irrigation scheduling—and support to extension services by connecting them to the research community to ensure a more steady flow of innovation from research to farmers and from farmers to researchers was also recommended. It was noted that additional incentives might be required, including smart subsidies, to support farmers in adopting new technologies that would support both water and food security outcomes. The potential of land consolidation, of running canals like utilities, and of paying farmers for using less irrigation water were all discussed and it was agreed that more studies and pilots are needed in this area.
In addition to the suggestion to investing in improved seeds, there were also discussions if Egypt should possibly reduce production of rice and sugarcane, which are both water intensive. Finally, there is a need for improved policy coherence and institutional decentralization in addition to making more services available to farmers in terms of finance, digital tools, direct support to farmers.
Other issues that need to be considered for achieving increased water security while transforming food systems include improved access to energy for food processing and storage. This can also improve nutritional outcomes. Participants suggested that reducing both water and food losses for key food value chains could save one third of total resources currently used to produce food commodities and could thus strengthen food and security in Egypt. This would require innovation in access to finance and insurance for farmers with only small plots of land or those who do not own any land, as well as access to technology and investment in bringing the technology to farmers.
Finally, participants also noted that consumers need to understand the value of water and how climate change may jeopardize water security. Raising awareness of consumers of the water embedded in the food they consume may encourage shifts in consumer behavior and mentality toward more sustainable food consumption patterns. Policy makers should highlight and incorporate the importance of this issue across the educational system to encourage all age-groups and generations to consider the role of food consumption for water security.236- 238
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Breakout Room 1: Food and Water Systems in a Changing Climate
What actions in the next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• Consumer Behavior: Consumers need to understand the value of water and how climate change may jeopardize water security. Raising awareness may encourage shifts in consumer behavior and mentality toward more sustainable food consumption patterns. Policy makers should highlight and incorporate this issue across the educational system to encourage all age-groups and generations to consider food consumption’s role for water security.
• Diversifying Water Sources: Egypt should proactively diversify its sources of irrigation water (e.g. wastewater and desert aquifers) while shifting to smart water-use solutions.
• Evidence-Based Decision-Making: Better linking decision makers and academic efforts to encourage strategic changes towards more sustainability-minded initiatives and innovative technologies (e.g. neo-greenhouses incorporating aquaculture and integrated farming).
• Water markets may incentivize lower water use amongst users and distinguish between water prices for irrigation use versus household use. Employing incentive mechanisms embedded in water markets can encourage sustainable investor and consumer behavior leading to reallocation of water sources across different sectors (e.g. agriculture, manufacturing, and public water supply). Also, strengthening regulations to reduce wasteful water use and to boost water-saving technologies.
• Irrigation patterns play a crucial role, with some crops requiring more water like rice, mangoes and avocadoes. Changing the existing crop mix could lower water-use.
• Trade of Agricultural Products: Importing water intensive products and exporting less water intensive commodities could be one solution to reduce local water use.
What contributions will you or your organization make and why does this matter?
• Academic Institutions may introduce curriculum modules focusing on sustainable development, organic agriculture, water-use efficiency and sustainability in engineering and social sciences as well as methodologies and case studies more relevant to Egypt with suitable practices and technologies.
• Private Companies may focus on knowledge and technology transfer where currently inaccessible. Encouraging corporate social responsibility departments to direct projects towards sustainable development (e.g. greenhouses’ potential to save 70%-90% of water consumption), and relaying the potential for the projects to them, may contribute to this effort.
• Education and raising awareness on the individual and community levels and mainstreaming elements to be applied on a day to day basis. For example, introducing urban gardening through hydroponic rooftop kits.
• Promoting funding for climate and environmentally friendly projects and proposing such projects to ministries and governments to start applying these interventions.
• Agriculture institutions working on soil and water management can promote farmers’ adoption of new technological methodologies (e.g. use of saline water and recycling wastewater for irrigation) to avoid soil erosion and reduce freshwater consumption. This can be accelerated through using extension systems via NGOs and the private sector.
• Each individual is also responsible to change their own behavior to avoid food waste, because consumption patterns at the individual level affect the aggregate level.
• Water saving interventions are needed to help promote social norms around water conservation at both the household and public levels.236- 238
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Breakout Room 2: Policy Coherence and Institutional Coordination Across Water and Food Security in Egypt
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Discussants came up with various solutions and strategies to support water security in Egypt over the next three years. It was suggested that better coordination within and increased authority of existing inter-ministerial committees would be more efficient than building new structures from scratch. A discussant mentioned that in some cases committees had a very well-established development plan that was affected by the lack of coordination between ministries and agencies. More financial autonomy and stronger empowerment of these committees would help strengthen joint progress of water security and food systems transformation.
Decentralization of natural resources would stimulate the engagement of the private sector which would eventually contribute to constructing a more sustainable development path hand-in-hand with government. Strengthened bottom-up planning can also support existing top-down planning efforts. Participants also noted that there were strong mutual linkages between water and food security goals in joint projects on the ground, but that these joint goals could not be maintained at higher levels of authority.
Discussants also shared some pilot ideas such as 1) managing canal systems as public utilities, 2) supporting land consolidation for increased resource use efficiencies; and 3) awareness raising on growing water scarcities; 4) better targeting of water (and food security) interventions based on agro-ecological conditions (i.e. agroecological zoning); 5) communication of success stories on water and food security in Egypt—given that Egypt has achieved the highest crop yields across all African countries. Such success stories could help guide and inspire other countries in the region.
Moreover, most of the discussants agreed on the following:
• Institutions need a more efficient coordination to optimize water and food security goals.
• Farmers need to be better engaged in any development plan through stronger communication with water and agricultural agencies regarding the challenges that they face and the untapped opportunities that governments should seek to help improve farmers’ welfare.
• Capacity building for ministerial committees is an essential aspect that was highlighted by discussants from various backgrounds.
What contributions will you or your organisation make and why does this matter?
• Collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and the Ministry of Agriculture on joint dialogues, building technical capacity and negotiation skills for engineers in these agencies. Improved communication and negotiation skills are considered critical for improved water and food security.
• Collecting more data that describe how water and food security interact at farm level in Egypt
• A participating journal editor suggested further publishing Egypt’s success stories and welcomes submissions.
• International Financial Institutions offered to provide significant support to generate evidence on successful water sector reforms in Egypt.
• PhD students participating in the session noted the importance and willingness to develop more actionable science on joint water and food security.236- 238
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Breakout Room 3: Equity Consideration in Access to Affordable Water and Food
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• More focus should be given to social and economic actions as compared to a technical action-focus. Participants noted that it was important for decisionmakers to work more closely with society to feed into decisions, recognizing social actors’ voices and participation in solution design and decision-making.
• Encouraging cross-sectorial policy and decision-making processes that involve the water-food nexus approach.
• Targeting research to understand the needs of the community and collect data on the most important actions and interventions including co-designed-and informed decision tools.
• Employing a water systems approaches for food transformation including water governance analysis to support demand management.
• Defining vulnerable groups, including women, through vulnerability assessments and offering financial support and access to investment as well as information.
• Developing case-specific solutions and incentives for farmers to encourage implementation of climate-oriented action.
• Gather on-the-ground data and information related to water scarcity and develop relevant tools.
• Increasing community awareness about the impact of climate change and their contribution to mitigation.
• Implementing small scale projects on-the-ground to represent success stories which can be mainstreamed on a larger scale.
• Applying cost-benefit analysis and feasibility studies to ensure profitability for stakeholders that are directly affiliated with the projects to be implemented.
• Increasing water availability through decreasing waste along the process of the crop production.
• Increasing research on crops that require less water or that are heat tolerant.
• Encouraging collective operation of fragmented lands through farmer joint ventures for sustainable use of available resources.
• Building the capacity of farmers in the old lands for crop selection, utilization of user-friendly technologies and land management.
• Raising farmers’ awareness of the effect of their water consumption on neighboring farms.
• Connecting communities with decision makers to ensure their involvement in the policy making processes.
• Considering altering policies to guarantee and protect land ownership for farmers
What contributions will you or your organisation make and why does this matter?
• Raising awareness of rural communities on the impact of the climate change. Applying financing solutions such as 50/50 loans.
• Raising awareness of farmers on the effect of water consumption on their neighboring land.
• Involving the community in all sustainability projects implemented on-the-ground to guarantee that their input will be taken into consideration and raise their own awareness on climate change impacts
• Creating new food safety agency with a new food safety index for Africa
• Raising awareness of the famers on water saving technologies and using ICT solutions on-farm, such as the IRWI application which informs farmers how much water is needed and when based on crop, soil and irrigation types, water pumping, energy, planting time, etc.
• Scaling up innovation for Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) through the MENA Regional Innovation Hub to produce more nutritious food with less water and energy
• Building and strengthening the capacity of governmental and non-governmental organisations on water governance in the MENA region, including Egypt.236- 238
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Breakout Room 4: Climate Smart Interventions for Agri-food Transformation in Egypt
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
It is evident that climate smart interventions in Egypt will set a benchmark, regionally, for achieving climate smartness in water productivity within the agriculture sector. It was unanimously accepted that the changing climate has drastically perturbed the sustainability of Egypt’s agricultural production capacities through unsustainable water use and offshoot problems such as land degradation and salinity.
Mentioned key priority actions for achieving water security and agri-food transformations in the next three years included:
• Promoting organic practices as sustainable food production practices and a route to reduced land degradation, and climate resilience.
• Shifting consumer preferences towards climate-smart foods and transforming crop cultivating ways (e.g. creating awareness about climate smartness to end-users thereby creating an economic context for farmers to produce climate smart crops/livestock).
• Using low-cost technologies in climate smart irrigation and on-farm water management practices.
• Reducing dependence on high water consuming crops systems like rice, potato, sugarcane, etc. and transforming the cropping system according to local conditions.
• Engaging communities and civil society in implementing climate smart interventions at all scales (farmstead to policy development).
• Inclusion of agroecological zoning in large scale projects and masterplans of water and land use structures to identify location specific package of practices and suitable cropping patterns.
• Use of climate smart crops (heat, water and salinity tolerant crop varieties) and scaling up using an efficient seed system.
While extension services in Egypt are not very powerful, digital extension services should be promoted to help farmers in systems transformation. Farmers have benefited from longstanding energy and fertilizer subsidies for production making transformation a challenge for farmers. Digital tools, civil society involvement, new policies on infrastructure and capacity development could be impactful in Egypt in the next few years.
What contributions will you or your organisation make and why does this matter?
Organizations are mainly working towards agri-food system sustainability through:
• Implementing large location-specific climate smart infrastructure development projects with an agroecological zoning perspective.
• Enhancing climate resilience for small farmers through distribution of drought tolerant seeds and crop varieties.
• Counselling and creating awareness on transforming diesel related energy sources into solar energy technologies.
• Investing in precise estimations of crop evapotranspiration and developing algorithms to recommend regional irrigation needs.
• Providing agroecological zoning for suitable cropping system water-land use resource plans
• Working on land reclamation projects through organic farming
• Use of agronomic technologies like mechanized seeds and Climate Smart-Solar technologies are key interventions, which should be considered in future.236- 238
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Breakout Room 5: Digital Solutions for Agri-Food Transformation in Egypt
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• There is a strong potential for digital solutions due to government digitization efforts and the provision of more services in a digital form, especially as COVID-19 pushed everyone, even farmers, to change toward digitalization.
• When we are speaking of digital agriculture and including farmers in value chains, efforts towards digital agriculture literacy need to be applied at both ends of the value chain.
• Enhancing internet coverage and providing affordable smartphones are essential for digital inclusion amongst rural communities and farmers.
• Work more closely with financial institutions for a closer link between various financial structures and agriculture.
• Avoiding working in silos and creating synergies between and across the many initiatives already underway by various organizations, and across disciplines and platforms while maintaining individuality and personality. Tools and applications for agriculture are available, many with similar targets.
• Fill the data gap between research and technology.
• Distributing the benefits of new technologies across to smallholder farmers in Egypt. Much like in India, there is land fragmentation and small land holding sizes in Egypt. This affects farmers who may not have enough capital to invest in their farms and use new technologies.
• Empower farmers, as the end-users, and provide them with the knowledge for making their own decisions.
What contributions will you or your organisation make and why does this matter?
• Developing agricultural applications for extension services linkages to provide online marketing facilities and business matchmaking.
• Working on developing tools and applications, as a one-stop shop for farmers and companies to access more information and build trust, and willingness to work together.
• Land fragmentation and small land-holding size make it difficult to use optical satellite images with coarse grid resolution for crop mapping, using machine learning algorithms. Instead, crop type mapping using SAR radar technology will be a game changer in identifying cropping areas and non-cropping areas.
• Developing an innovation platform related to water and food ecosystems, which offers a two-way medium of communication between farmers and scientists.236- 238
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Breakout Room 6: Food Systems Changes for Improved Water Security
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• Water conservation and reduced water use in agriculture will be essential while minimizing water waste via flood irrigation methods.
• Adopting modern irrigation techniques such as drip or sprinkler irrigation.
• Measuring soil moisture levels to maintain healthy crops without excess irrigation will increase productivity.
• Phasing out of water intensive crops (like sugarcane) and switch to horticultural agriculture
• Developing farmer capacity to use improved irrigation systems, mobile applications and digitizing of the sector.
• Providing incentives for farmers and Water Users Associations to conserve water.
• Improving extension services in both water and agricultural sector.
• Increasing involvement of the private sector in the agricultural system.
• Empowering women in the agricultural system.
• Crop changes with economic water productivity in mind especially for farmers.
• Planting large agricultural lands with the same crop to conserve agricultural inputs
What contributions will you or your organisation make and why does this matter?
• Inserting sensors in the soil to monitor crop health and soil moisture and provide irrigation scheduling to reduce irrigation water.
• Gated irrigation as a replacement for drip irrigation, which may be too expensive for small farmers, assist them to switch from sugarcane to horticultural crops (herbs and spices).
• Developing an action plan from the Arab Water Strategy promoting IWRM and water governance.
• Capacity building of farmers and water professionals
• Investing in post harvesting infrastructure- multi-system water (fishing – agriculture).
• Promoting water energy food nexus integration through pilot projects.
• Assessing how water security and food self-sufficiency are connected.
• Irrigation, by farmers, at night to reduce evaporation losses.
• Promoting and supporting water-energy-food nexus innovators by scaling up and out their solutions to produce more food with less water and energy through the MENA Regional Innovation Hub.
• Promoting and introducing irrigation technologies to farmers to achieving water saving and account for that through water accounting and governance.237- 238
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Breakout Room 1:
There were no substantial differences in participants’ perspectives on the provided solutions. However, each participant provided his/her insight from his/her background. Participants working in academic institutions provided research-based solutions, while the approach by private sector participants sought to contribute to water security via encouraging sustainable development projects. Participants working in agriculture related institutions felt that the role of NGOs and private sector companies should be more dynamic as they have different exposure and approaches than the government, thus increasing the potential for outreach of these projects.
Breakout Room 2:
While there was overall agreement on the potential of institutional coordination and policy coherence to jointly improve water and food security; there was a small debate on the sidelines regarding the possibility to use economic instruments, such as informal or formal trading of water use rights in Egypt, and on the possibility of paying farmers for using less water; with the idea possibly related to trading savings, i.e. water allocated but not needed within a season or sub-season, within a permit.
There were also questions regarding the water-intensive crops that are currently irrigated in Egypt, including rice in the Delta and sugarcane. Should these crops be continued, noting an entire industry is connected to that? Can agronomic practices and yet more advanced seed technologies reduce water use of these crops? Or should they be stopped to push back against growing water scarcity and accelerate a stronger nutrition focus of national crop production?
Breakout Room 3:
Participants felt that considering social aspects of water solutions would make them more effective than solutions that only consider technological solutions. This would involve improving social cohesion and recognizing the importance of community and cross-sectoral participation in policymaking and decision-making processes. Some participants also highlighted the importance of actions at the farmer-level and case-specific solutions in addition to technological innovations to create small-scale successful cases that can then be streamlined. All participants recognized the inequity in access to information and finance at the farm level. Some participants also argued that rural communities are already very cohesive and make decisions collectively, with capacity building enhancing better collaboration.
The majority of the participants agreed that both an enhanced connection between government bodies and decision-makers as well as joint ventures could contribute to better land management and by extension, water security and productivity. This could also decrease food waste along the crop production system.
A slight area of divergence was also apparent among participants in identifying challenges to implementing solutions, with some of the opinion that funding is the main challenges while others – particularly the private sector – highlighted farmers’ lack of land ownership guarantees as a key challenge to advancement.
Breakout Room 4:
Climate-smart interventions are a broad topic and not much divergence was observed among participants. In general, the participants supported resilient farming solutions and discussed water productivity issues exacerbated by subsidies and divergence from the real cost to farmers under climate change. Participants also agreed that technology is not always the ultimate solution, with transformation of cultivation practices and organic agriculture also being important. While different solutions exist for similar challenges, a sole focus on technologies may cause problems in other areas. Incorporating agroecological zoning in resource planning for suitable cropping specific to soil and climate in the agricultural land was also put forward as important to incorporate.
Breakout Room 5:
Participants generally agreed on the following:
• The need for capacity building in digital agriculture literacy amongst users of digital solutions.
• Identifying end-users’ needs and the necessary data to improve their practices and decision-making support.
Breakout Room 6:
There was a discussion between participants about changing crop pattern regarding switching from water intensive crops like Sugarcane to others less intensive like Horticulture. Participant noted that a large industry (more than 20 firms) was connected to sugarcane production, suggesting the crop has a high economic value even though it uses a lot of water. Replacing sugarcane would require further studying and detailed analysis of its social and economic impacts.- Poll 1 Results: What province/governorate/state/subnational region are you joining us from?https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Poll-1.png
- Poll 2 Results: Top actions to improve water security for food systems in Egypthttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Poll-2.png
- IFPRI Egypt: UNFSS INDEPENDENT DIALOGUE IN EGYPT: “THE ROLE OF WATER SECURITY FOR FOOD SYSTEMS TRANSFORMATION”https://egyptssp.ifpri.info/2021/04/05/unfss-independent-dialogue-in-egypt-the-role-of-water-security-for-food-systems-transformation-19-apr-2021/
- IFPRI and UN Food Systems Summit 2021https://www.ifpri.org/ifpri-unfss-2021
- CGIAR WLE: UNFSS Independent Dialogue in Egypthttps://wle.cgiar.org/event/unfss-independent-dialogue-egypt
2021-05-05 08:06:34205Stage 1Sustainable Food Systems and Ireland's 2030 Agri-food Strategyhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9702/- 91
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Ireland strongly supports the call for a ‘people’s summit’ and a ‘solutions summit’. Ireland has prioritised the seven principles of engagement as the overarching framework for the planning and preparation of its four National Dialogues. This will ensure a people and solutions focus throughout the national level engagement in the Summit process.
The National Dialogues coincide with the launch for public consultation of Ireland’s draft Agri-food Strategy to 2030. This new 10-year Strategy has been developed using a food systems approach, making Ireland one of the first countries in the world to implement this approach in national level agriculture and food planning.
Ireland is committed to maximising the contribution of the four National Dialogues to the future sustainability of Ireland’s food system. The Dialogues will provide an opportunity for all food system actors and stakeholders, from farmers and fishers to consumers, to learn more about Ireland’s food system, build a shared understanding of the challenges and the opportunities we face, and enable us to work together to address them. The outcomes of the National Dialogues will be considered in finalising the draft 2030 Agri-food Strategy.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The following are some examples of how Ireland’s National Dialogues reflect specific aspects of the seven principles of engagement:
1. Act with urgency
Ireland has responded to the call for urgent action by launching a series of four National Dialogues. These coincide with a public consultation on the draft 2030 Agri-food Strategy. This coherence allows for a comprehensive consultation on the future of Ireland’s food system in the shortest possible time.
2. Commit to the Summit
Ireland has identified the National Dialogues as a central part of its strategic engagement with the Summit. Ireland has demonstrated its commitment to the Summit by aligning the National Dialogues with the national agriculture and food planning process to develop its Agri-food Strategy to 2030.
3. Be respectful
Through the involvement of a wide and diverse range of food systems actors and stakeholders in the National Dialogues, Ireland is ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to the discussion on the future sustainability of Ireland’s food system. We are all part of Ireland’s food system, and so we must respect and listen to all participants.
4. Recognise complexity
To reflect the public consultation on its draft Agri-food Strategy to 2030, Ireland has created a series of National Dialogues to discuss the complex and interlinked social, environmental and economic challenges and opportunities we face.
5. Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity
Ireland’s Food Systems Summit Steering Committee, an inter-departmental group tasked with coordinating Ireland’s involvement in the Summit, has proactively engaged multiple food systems stakeholder groups and provided regular briefings on Ireland’s participation in the Summit Action Tracks and the National Dialogues.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Cont.
In selecting participants to be involved in the various panel discussions, the Steering Committee actively sought experts from across the entire food system, from civil society, private and public sectors, primary producer organisations, research and academia, youth etc. Ireland created a dedicated webpage for the National Dialogues, and advertised the Dialogues widely through multiple media platforms and partner organisations. To facilitate the broadest possible engagement during the Dialogues, Ireland live-streamed each event on multiple platforms, including YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Participation was further encouraged through questions and answer, which could be submitted before the event to a dedicated email address, or submitted during the event in real-time using Sli.do.
6. Complement the work of others
The Steering Committee has actively consulted with, supported and participated in the many Independent Dialogues that have been held in Ireland since the start of the Summit’s Dialogue process. In addition, Ireland will incorporate the official feedback from all Independent Dialogues held in Ireland into its final synthesis report, to ensure the views and opinions of all food systems actors and stakeholders are recorded and reflected in the final outcomes of the National Dialogues.
7. Build trust
By ensuring the widest possible engagement, and respectfully listening to and answering questions on the most important and challenging areas of our food system, Ireland will look to recognise and respond to the concerns raised during our discussions. We will focus on solutions that can play a role in the continued enhancement of the sustainability of our food system, to reassure all stakeholders of our shared commitment to future sustainability.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?234- 238
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Ireland’s first National Dialogue focused on ‘Sustainable Food Systems and Ireland’s 2030 Agri-food Strategy’. The Dialogue was opened with a key note address by Dr Martin Frick, Deputy Special Envoy for the Food Systems Summit. Dr Frick stressed the need for urgent action to deliver the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He highlighted the potential for sustainable food systems to help address the complex and interlinked challenges and create opportunities for enhanced health and nutrition; climate action and GHG emissions reduction; biodiversity and ecosystem restoration; and improved livelihoods – ‘agriculture is part of the problem as well as part of the solution’. Dr Frick introduced the UN Food Systems Summit as a ‘People’s Summit’ and a ‘Solutions Summit’, and stressed the importance of the Food Systems Summit Dialogues to the success of the Summit and the future sustainability of our food systems.
The opening address was followed by two separate panel discussions. The first Panel discussion focused on ‘Ireland’s Food Systems Approach: A view from Home and Internationally’. Ireland’s draft 2030 Agri-Food Strategy has been developed using a ‘food systems approach’ which takes account of the links between policies for food, climate and environment, and health, as well as the role of all players in the food value chain in realising a future vision. The second panel addressed ‘Environmental and Economic Sustainability: Synergies and Trade-offs’. The central vision for the draft 2030 Agri-Food Strategy is that Ireland will become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems (SFSs) over the next decade. Sustainability in its three dimensions – economic, environmental, and social – is at the heart of this vision. The panel discussed the synergies and trade-offs between economic and environmental sustainability in the context of this objective. Both panels were followed by a dedicated questions and answers session. Details of both panel discussions and the questions raised by participants are provided below.235- 238
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- Ireland has a unique food system with many opportunities and challenges to improved sustainability.
- Ireland has a strong international reputation as a producer of high-quality, safe and sustainable food and drink.
- Ireland has strong sustainability credentials, which have been independently verified (relatively low dairy and beef carbon footprint per unit).
- Ireland faces sustainability challenges over the next 10 years to 2030 and urgent action is needed by all food systems stakeholders.
- Economic development, particularly in the dairy sector post-quota, has had an impact on environmental sustainability.
- Monitoring and accountability of sustainability targets along the entire food supply chain is essential to improving the sustainability of Ireland’s food system.
- It is in the interest of all food systems actors and stakeholders to continuously improve the sustainability of Ireland’s food system.
- Primary producers and food industry stakeholders are ‘up for the challenge’ of food systems sustainability.
- This ‘transition-by-design’ can only be achieved through an industry wide shift towards more sustainable production and consumption practices, facilitated by a combination of sustainability solutions and supports.
- There is an urgency to addressing the challenges we face, particularly the climate and biodiversity emergencies.
- Blaming one part of the food system over another is not constructive, and we should focus on moving together towards a more sustainable food system.
- The draft 2030 Strategy, which has been carefully developed using an inclusive food systems approach, provides a strategic framework for action.236- 238
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See attached report for full feedback on Panel A (exceeds 3600 characters)236- 238
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See attached report for full feedback on Panel B (exceeds 3600 characters)237- 238
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While there was broad recognition by all stakeholders of the urgent need to improve the sustainability of Ireland’s food system, there were diverging opinions on the fundamentals of how we move towards a more sustainable food system by 2030. Divergence was noted in the following main areas:
- What is a sustainable food system – what is the correct balance between social, environmental and economic sustainability?
- How sustainable is Ireland’s food system today – divergent views on the environmental, social and economic sustainability of Ireland’s food system.
- How do we achieve a more sustainable food system by 2030 – e.g. how do we simultaneously achieve greater environmental and social sustainability while ensuring economic sustainability for all stakeholders – highlighting the challenge of adopting a holistic food systems approach, as well as the potential for delivering multiple objectives across the three pillars of sustainability.2021-05-05 09:02:18205Stage 2Health and Well-being of People and Society https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9820/- 91
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Ireland strongly supports the call for a ‘people’s summit’ and a ‘solutions summit’. Ireland has prioritised the seven principles of engagement as the overarching framework for the planning and preparation of its four National Dialogues. This will ensure a people and solutions focus throughout the national level engagement in the Summit process.
The National Dialogues coincide with the launch for public consultation of Ireland’s draft Agri-food Strategy to 2030. This new 10-year Strategy has been developed using a food systems approach, making Ireland one of the first countries in the world to implement this approach in national level agriculture and food planning.
Ireland is committed to maximising the contribution of the four National Dialogues to the future sustainability of Ireland’s food system. The Dialogues will provide an opportunity for all food system actors and stakeholders, from farmers and fishers to consumers, to learn more about Ireland’s food system, build a shared understanding of the challenges and the opportunities we face, and enable us to work together to address them. The outcomes of the National Dialogues will be considered in finalising the draft 2030 Agri-food Strategy.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The following are some examples of how Ireland’s National Dialogues reflect specific aspects of the seven principles of engagement:
1. Act with urgency
Ireland has responded to the call for urgent action by launching a series of four National Dialogues. These coincide with a public consultation on the draft 2030 Agri-food Strategy. This coherence allows for a comprehensive consultation on the future of Ireland’s food system in the shortest possible time.
2. Commit to the Summit
Ireland has identified the National Dialogues as a central part of its strategic engagement with the Summit. Ireland has demonstrated its commitment to the Summit by aligning the National Dialogues with the national agriculture and food planning process to develop its Agri-food Strategy to 2030.
3. Be respectful
Through the involvement of a wide and diverse range of food systems actors and stakeholders in the National Dialogues, Ireland is ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to the discussion on the future sustainability of Ireland’s food system. We are all part of Ireland’s food system, and so we must respect and listen to all participants.
4. Recognise complexity
To reflect the public consultation on its draft Agri-food Strategy to 2030, Ireland has created a series of National Dialogues to discuss the complex and interlinked social, environmental and economic challenges and opportunities we face.
5. Embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity
Ireland’s Food Systems Summit Steering Committee, an inter-departmental group tasked with coordinating Ireland’s involvement in the Summit, has proactively engaged multiple food systems stakeholder groups and provided regular briefings on Ireland’s participation in the Summit Action Tracks and the National Dialogues.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Contd
In selecting participants to be involved in the various panel discussions, the Steering Committee actively sought experts from across the entire food system, from civil society, private and public sectors, primary producer organisations, research and academia, youth etc. Ireland created a dedicated webpage for the National Dialogues, and advertised the Dialogues widely through multiple media platforms and partner organisations. To facilitate the broadest possible engagement during the Dialogues, Ireland live-streamed each event on multiple platforms, including YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Participation was further encouraged through questions and answer, which could be submitted before the event to a dedicated email address, or submitted during the event in real-time using Sli.do.
6. Complement the work of others
The Steering Committee has actively consulted with, supported and participated in the many Independent Dialogues that have been held in Ireland since the start of the Summit’s Dialogue process. In addition, Ireland will incorporate the official feedback from all Independent Dialogues held in Ireland into its final synthesis report, to ensure the views and opinions of all food systems actors and stakeholders are recorded and reflected in the final outcomes of the National Dialogues.
7. Build trust
By ensuring the widest possible engagement, and respectfully listening to and answering questions on the most important and challenging areas of our food system, Ireland will look to recognise and respond to the concerns raised during our discussions. We will focus on solutions that can play a role in the continued enhancement of the sustainability of our food system, to reassure all stakeholders of our shared commitment to future sustainability.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?234- 238
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Ireland’s second National Dialogue focused on ‘Health and Wellbeing of People and Society’. The Dialogue was opened with a key note address by Dr David Nabarro, UN Special Envoy on COVID-19 and Senior Advisor to the UN Food Systems Summit National Dialogues. Dr Nabarro briefly outlined the ambition of the Food Systems Summit and the role of the National Dialogues in complimenting the technical discussions taking place in the Summit Action Tracks. Dr Nabarro detailed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global hunger and malnutrition, which is highlighting problems in local, regional and global food systems. Dr Nabarro complimented Ireland on its 2030 Agri-food Strategy, and explained that a multi-stakeholder food systems approach is the only way to build more sustainable food systems for the future.
The opening address was followed by two separate panel discussions. The first Panel discussion focused on ‘Healthy Diets for all: Sustainable food systems for Safe and Nutritious food’. The draft 2030 Agri-food Strategy proposes that the issue of food and health should be brought to a new level of political and policy importance. This recommendation has been reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel discussed what needs to be done by government, primary producers, food industry and consumers to improve the consumption of nutritious, healthy foods. The second panel addressed ‘Social Sustainability: Preserving our Communities and Culture’. The importance of achieving social sustainability is a key conclusion of the draft 2030 Agri-food Strategy. The panel discussed how local leadership, innovation and technology can combine to increase income and employment opportunities in rural and coastal areas.235- 238
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- Healthy people with access to safe and nutritious food, along with the ability to make informed choices about the food they eat, are the foundation of a healthy society.
- Sustainable consumption of food is a key element of the transition to a sustainable food system and plays an important role in supporting better health outcomes for society, better outcomes for our environment and better outcomes for our economy.
- Understanding consumer behaviour will be important in successfully transitioning to sustainable food consumption patterns.
- Communication of both the positive and negative health impacts of foods needs to be improved.
- Education is key to achieving positive behaviour change for improved nutrition and health.
- The food environment is critically important to consumer behaviour, and to achieve better nutrition we must compliment communication and education with healthier food environments.
- Nutrition is a key consideration for consumers when buying food.
- Healthy diets are defined by their nutritional profile, and can contain all food types from whole fruits and vegetables to whole animal source foods.
- Ensuring the availability and affordability of nutritious food will be key to achieving healthy and sustainable diets.
- There is a growing awareness of the social and environmental benefits of locally sourced foods, which is increasing demand and creating opportunities for local supply chains.
- Primary producers are more than just food producers, they play an important role in social and environmental sustainability, and they must be at the centre of the transition to a more sustainable food system.
- The Draft Agri-Food Strategy 2030 commits to providing food that is safe, nutritious and appealing, trusted and valued at home and abroad.236- 238
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See attachment for details of Panel A (exceeds 3600 characters).236- 238
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See attachment for details of Panel B (exceeds 3600 characters).237- 238
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Both panels demonstrated considerable consensus across all issues discussed. While not challenged by any of the panelists, there were references made by primary producers to the justification and validity of the negative commentary surrounding food production, and the impact of the ‘policy-people disconnect’ of some EU policies on the social sustainability of rural Ireland.2021-05-06 11:32:53204 High Level Dialogue at CFS 47 - Innovation https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/2887/- 93
151507625876411531414329240161711031352321243619163154How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The event was organized to convene between 100-150 guests to ensure the most diverse exchanges on the selected theme. The theme has been selected as a cross-cutting issue to the Summit and to generate some conversation outcomes across the Action Tracks.
Each participant was encouraged to engage in a multi-stakeholder process and for each discussion to touch on the following points:
• What is needed to advance innovation in an inclusive way via data and digital systems?
• What is needed to advance innovation in an inclusive way via science and technology?
• What is needed to build national and regional innovation systems/clusters?
• What types of societal and institutional innovations are needed to build leadership and improve scale?How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?After the opening remarks and fire starter panel, participants were divided into sub “tables” in their own breakout rooms to discuss their topics and report back to the main room. There was a moderator and rapporteur in each breakout room to ensure everyone had an opportunity to be heard and voice opinions. Points of divergence were heard and noted in an open and productive manner.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?1) If breakout rooms are a part of your event. Ensure to have greeters in each breakout room to ease the start of the conversation and ensure guests are not left alone in a room.
2) Arrange for your rapporteur forms to follow the FSDs gateway feedback form to ease the reporting back and ensure the principles of engagements are adequately covered.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Innovation has been identified as a cross cutting lever of change for the Food Systems Summit.
Communities of interest were grouped around the following during the dialogue:
• Carbon pricing & measuring
• Precision agriculture
• Renewables
• Food loss and waste
• Oceans/Horticulture/Livestock/Agroforestry/Crops
• Nutrition
• Access to Market, especially for SMEs
• Innovative food product development
Some challenges explored include:
• Scaling the technology adoption curve especially on last mile delivery for farmers and consumers, to positively impact food systems.
• Building innovation ecosystems to incentivize, adapt and scale opportunities to enable food systems transformation, bring about systemic unlocks and mitigate against unintended consequences.
• Supporting the growth of business innovation to meet the needs of different types of stakeholders and lead to food systems transformation
The key issues which kept resurfacing were:
• Data sharing and transparency: In order to avoid duplication of systems and data, data-sharing should be encouraged. Systems should also be transparent so as to build trust especially among farmer communities. Data interoperability is imperative.
• Infrastructure: More investment in communication infrastructure is needed so no one is left behind.
• Innovation hubs: Public and private sectors need to create an enabling ecosystem for innovation to thrive.
• Policies: Governments and regional organisations need to set up innovation policies which will serve as catalysts and frameworks for innovative technology
• Collaboration: Innovators must work with the players on the ground who would use the technology, such as farmers or consumers, during the innovation process. This will help innovations meet real needs as well as guide innovators on how to make it user-friendly.235- 238
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• Data and Digital Systems
Focus on accessibility and addressing barriers to adoption – cost, communication, skill set, specificity of local and regional context. Investment in broadband infrastructure to bring the technology to those that need it. Need to look at innovation from the lens of underrepresented populations (youth, gender, indigenous populations). A solution – Public investment in rural connectivity and communication platforms.
Availability of platforms to disseminate data (smart phones, infrastructure) to food system actions in an efficient manner.
We need to address the digital divide. The poor, disadvantaged communities need access to digitalization – from smart phones to digital devices/smart cards etc that can help them receive market access (e,g, in determining payment for environmental services).
• Scientific and Technological Innovation
Communication of technology to smallholder farmers calls for improved infrastructure. Application of science is the issue. Issues of language and communication, extension service, field experiments, funding and government support is needed.
There needs to be inclusion, active engagement, collaboration, and empowering of the users including youth, women, and local communities/beneficiaries. A need for a Platform that brings different stakeholders together and for broader interactions and transparency in implementing solutions.
We need to demystify the sector and the innovation that is happening, allow people to see and understand it. Bring policy-makers to the innovators.
• Building National and Regional Innovation Ecosystems
There must be a policy environment that enables innovation to come to forefront and government/institutional leadership.
The role start-ups play is of great value. For instance, one large multi-national works closely with start-ups on packaging. ‘2good2 go’ aims at opening up food baskets to consumers, help consumers explaining the ‘best before date’ labelling, to reduce food waste.
Youth are central to innovation and more programs are needs for students and to inspire youth globally to work in food systems.
Shortened value chains are essential. We need to deliver directly to the tables of consumers and educate consumers on locally available products. Innovation is essential to getting Direct to Table.
A comprehensive approach to the whole value chain is needed, in order to guide the consumers to the choices, and also link it to the social protection programmes in order not to leave anyone behind.
Lack of capacity, both in companies but also within overnments, is a problem. There is a need for a more catalytic change for food testing, food marketing etc. We need to have all that in the countries, especially, low income countries.
The need for intensifying of public and private partnerships to put forward the agenda through investment across multiple areas and aspects and innovating the ways where the investment is redirected, e.g. packaging etc. is needed.
The investments of governments in healthcare is difficult to change, but momentum is needed in order to shift the focus to “health for care” instead of “healthcare", as food is really impacting the health of the population.
• Societal and Institutional Innovations to build Leadership and Improve Scale
Learning and sharing best practices will contribute to scalability. Regional Economic Commissions have a role and should be doing more. We need to discuss issues of other key sectors: livestock, fisheries, forestry. Also there is a need for interconnection among all the components and at all levels236- 238
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• Data and Digital Systems
In order to advance data and digital systems innovation, there is a need first of all for user-centered innovation – innovation generated from the ordinary man’s needs and then developed by the technical person for the market. This means that at the interim stages of innovation development, the potential users must be involved directly so it is better placed to meet reality and offers a human-centered design. Such innovations must be adapted to the local user’s language, but end users must also have some capacity development to understand the technologies available.
Digital SPS tools help move agricultural products along the value chain across borders. Blockchain tools can be useful, for example, in digitalizing seed supply chains. The private sector needs to collaborate as data competition impedes effective collaboration.
Data sharing willingness/capacity and interoperability were big impediments – on the part of farming communities adopting these innovations. We must develop continental, regional and country frameworks for agricultural digitalization with a component on internal & external data sharing.236- 238
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• Scientific and Technological Innovation
There is a need for “supply chain thinking” in inclusive science and technology innovation. This must go from researchers and innovators all the way to consumers. We need to understand how science and technology impacts labour so that those people affected can be trained to acquire the necessary new skills. Labour, price and access must be taken into consideration when looking at scientific and technological innovation.
Cooperation and collaboration is critical. Government, science and industry need to come together and they must engage with the farming community to address current issues. Enabling policies and increased funding for national research institutions will enhance output. Private research institutes and foundations should connect to carry out more research in an accountable manner and with all due diligence. Research must be demand-driven.
Recognize the importance of establishing platforms with an inclusive atmosphere and a multidisciplinary approach in pre-competitive spaces such as innovation hubs. Stakeholders, such as farmers, students, government representatives, NGOs, and companies, can be brought in early to see the development and potential of innovations which in turn works to build trust among them.236- 238
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• Building National and Regional Innovation Ecosystems
There is a need for frameworks that involve policy incentives, smart partnerships, farmer communities especially in the design process of innovations and investment. Financing schemes have to be tri-partite to be measurable and instead of providing funding to individual farmers, cooperatives should be formed and given access to these funds. Blended finance is essential to drive innovation. This would guarantee knowledge and capacity sharing.
Also, there is a need to harmonize the risk approval process at national, regional and even global levels in order to speed up dissemination of information and not reinvent the regulatory approval wheel each time. Different regulatory bodies must build a level of trust with each other.
Bringing together partners at a regional and global level is promising. We can promote the creation of a food “Silicon Valley” which will attract multidisciplinary talent, operate efficiently and promote out-of-the-box thinking. The formation of national and regional innovation hubs will also promote cross-pollination of ideas and technology. These hubs enable active knowledge transfer between researchers, business, government and farmers.236- 238
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• Societal and Institutional Innovations to build leadership and improve scale
Multistakeholder partnerships are key. When all stakeholders are engaged, then the incentive structure of different agents is distinct and becomes better discernible. Donor coordination in developing countries is also key, otherwise different donors push different solutions, none of which become possible to take to scale so we must identify locally those projects that would benefit most from being scaled up. Donor coordination in developing countries is also key.
Create spaces for transparent dialogues between farmers, consumers and authorities. Consumers need to be educated on the innovations used and the science behind everything to trust the farmers. Systems to provide data for smallholders to allow them to aggregate to sell products and export are also essential.
Farm clustering and consolidation through which farmers are encouraged to reduce operation costs and increase incomes.
While innovations are often triggered by societal stimulations, governments have a role to play in providing the guarantees and financial safety nets that investors require. Each innovation requires a support structure.237- 238
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• Mitigation against the unintended consequences of data circulation and use, and digital misuse, possibly forms a risk for agricultural producers.
• Proposing inclusive digital solutions means first and foremost ensuring that the digital infrastructure is universally accessible.
• One size does not fit all. There is a need to respect local needs, capacity, particularly in developing geographies.
• Private sector is not viewed as a partner. It can be perceived as too focused on capital or profit whereas anti-profit view is a component of culture, research community, and ecosystems. These need to be bridged to get effective innovation happening.
• Policies can sometimes be the obstacle, not the pace of innovation or willingness of companies to change.2021-05-06 12:18:56204UNFSS Independent Dialogue: Advancing Water- Energy- Food (WEF) Nexus approaches to achieve food systems transformation in Central Asiahttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8490/- 97
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9207443371771531415321361143011312322410How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Dialogue was organized according to the UNFSS’ Principles of Engagement. Participants were introduced to the summit vision, objectives and action tracks. To ensure that participants were respectful, rules of engagement were set at the beginning of the dialogue. In recognizing complexity, the dialogue focused on water’s transformative role in food systems. The objective was to bring the discussion on food and water systems in a changing climate to the global policy level and to provide tangible inputs into the discussion of the UNFSS. To embrace multi-stakeholder inclusivity, the Central Asia dialogue was open to a wide range of stakeholders in the water, energy, food, environment and related sectors ranging from intergovernmental organizations; regional, national and local government departments/entities, development partners; non-governmental organizations; the private sector, research for development organizations; academia; farmers’ groups; and networks. As per agreed rule within UNFSS, we introduced a plenary session comprising of global and regional speakers who provided introduction and welcoming to the dialogue.
The Dialogue was conducted under the Chatham House Rule, where participants were free to use the information
received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, could be revealed.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Dialogue was organized with a focus on developing contributions to the FSS and elaborating pathways toward food
systems transformation contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The choice of focus on water
security for food systems transformation very much addressed the lack of the direct attention to water within the UNFSS
structure. The participation of multiple stakeholders was encouraged by bringing together a diverse group of actors in
addition to those that typically engage in the area of water, food security, and nutrition. The Dialogue invitation was sent
across actors in research and academia, international financial institutions, farmers at various scales, private sector, etc.
Interpretation (English-Russian) was available during plenary sessions, while breakout room discussion facilitators were
encouraged to hear from all participants in both English and Russian. The Feedback from the breakout discussion opened the door to questions or comments from participants. Participants were four times engaged in live polls (via Menti) during the dialogue. Breakout room discussion topics covered varying areas and topics within water security for food systems transformation, including both more technical and more policy-oriented topics.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?We opted for a 'by invitation only' event conducted under Chatham House rules. While this contributed to establishing a
safe space for all to discuss and engage freely, it also limited inclusivity to some extent. Next time, we may consider
having an open invitation event and not restricting discussion to Chatham House rules. This would allow for great live
social media reporting and post-event outreach using specific speaker quotes etc.
It is recommended to set the stage early on regarding the ‘purpose’ of the Dialogue by explaining the UNFSS’ objectives and
vision and action tracks, particularly for the benefit of participants who may be unfamiliar. This event was an Independent
Dialogue with a national focus, thus providing interpretation (English-Arabic) definitely opened the door for contributions and engagement where language may have been a barrier. Engaging participants’ active audio-visual interventions by way of live polls and encouraging chat box discussions, actions or comments and questions, etc, increased participants’ involvement.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Central Asia is considered one of the dynamic growing and developing region in the world. Population growth, socio-economic development, climate change, hydropower development as well as changing consumption patterns of the population contribute to increased demand for water, energy and food. Water scarcity presents one of the greatest challenges for the region as its population grows so does the need to create more jobs, produce more food, more energy - yet water resources are limited.
Irrigated agriculture consumes approximately 80% of all abstracted water in Central Asian countries. The region is well known for its history of mismanagement of water, energy, and land resources that have had widely publicized negative effects on water availability throughout the region. The Aral Sea, a large inland lake, almost disappeared as a result of diverting large portions of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya River flows to expand irrigated agriculture (due to in-efficient irrigation and irrational cropping pattern). Balancing the sectoral needs for agricultural production and the generation of energy through hydropower is challenging, as the transboundary water flow is disrupted. Climate change and population increases will put additional stress on the region’s water resources with 10 to 30% less water available in the aforementioned rivers by 2050.
Solutions for sustainable food production through irrigated agriculture require a systemic approach to assess benefits and trade-offs across sectors. Here, the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus has become an important concept in natural resource management. It has been conceptualized to analyze linkages and trade-offs between the three sectors, across temporal and spatial scales.
Taking into account, numerous challenges facing Central Asian countries to achieve security in all three sectors of WEF, application of a 'Nexus' approach allows for mutually beneficial responses that are based on an understanding of synergies between water, energy and agricultural systems policies and practices.
This regional dialogue therefore seek to unpack the questions: how can food systems be localized and transformed in a water-constrained region such as Central Asia in a manner that acknowledges WEF nexus linkages in climate uncertainty?
The UN Food Systems Summit Central Asia dialogue highlighted seven key thematic areas on which participants were required to engage in an interactive manner that allowed for small group discussion, collective brainstorming, and agenda-setting.
The thematic areas covered by breakout groups were: 1) Moving towards low carbon energy for food production; 2) Climate change impacts on water and food security; 3) Policy coherence and institutional coordination in water, food, energy and climate change that operationalize the WEF nexus; 4) Advancing technical WEF models, tools and frameworks for decision making at multiple scales; 5) Enhancing resilience of water system across multi-sector (agriculture, domestic, industry and environment) demands; 6) Socio-Economic Benefits of WEF Nexus and Community approaches to operationalize the WEF nexus.
Expected key outcome of this dialogue was getting involved and sharing the views of Central Asian stakeholders on sustainable irrigated foods systems transformation and importance of WEF nexus under climate uncertainties. Reaching a common understanding of the challenges and finding local solutions to the challenges facing food security/water systems transformation along with attendant issues of water security for a range of other sectors were explored.235- 238
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Water scarcity presents one of the greatest challenge for the region as its population grows so does the need to create more jobs, produce more food, more energy - yet water resources are limited. It is negatively affecting the agriculture, energy, health, environment and other sectors, further exacerbated by the dramatic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, climate change and population increases will put additional stress on the region’s water resources - with 10 to 30% less water available in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers by 2050. Managing the water risks in the food system is going to be of highest priority in the future for food system of Central Asia. Rising temperatures will pose major challenges for the region's major crops such as wheat, rice, and cotton, as well as challenging research on new crop varieties and crop production systems. The production of relatively low-income crops such as cotton and wheat will become less profitable due to high transportation costs.
The participants of the dialogue stressed that the WEF nexus approach requires a shared vision for water and food security in the Central Asian region, and one that is facilitated by improved policy coherence and institutional coordination. Stronger collaboration and cooperation across and between governments and its multiple tiers is needed to achieve this, along with strengthening policy synergies with the private sector and civil society. The strong interdependency between water, energy, food and climate change in arid and semi-arid regions such as Central Asia calls for robust interventions, i.e. an approach that integrates management and governance across sectors, and where conventional policy and decision-making in ‘silos’ gives way to an approach that reduces tradeoffs and builds synergies across sectors in line with the global UN SDGs and climate targets. There is required to develop the long term regional limited planning for water allocation between sectors. Regional programs like the regional program for the basin of the Aral Sea is still rather sectoral and has only limited nexus elements. Also, the problem of the original programs is that they are developed mainly by water and ecology experts without referring to knowledge from other sectors like energy and agriculture.
There is a need to create enabling environment, formal and informal platforms to discuss WEF nexus at national and regional level and highlight its importance via mass media in a nutshell publicize nexus to maximum extent. Regional and International organizations together with development partners should play important role in this process in upcoming years.
Participants agreed that governments, researchers, and development institutions should focus more effort into capacity/knowledge building for farmers who might benefit from implementing low carbon technologies in their production, as well as greater investment in the sector. Because such technologies are new and may involve expensive initial implementation, there is hesitation to adopt, but in the long run such technologies could improve water and energy efficiency while improving farm-level outcomes. Additionally, stakeholders should push for the implementation of conservation farming policies, which will result in better land use while reducing emissions.
For WEF Nexus approaches to result in better socio-economic outcomes, first, national and research institutions should put more effort into disseminating and implementing research findings in collaboration with government and with support from international research/education organizations. For example, data on water management could greatly improve through micro-level assessments (e.g. household surveys), and tools/models could be developed so policy making entities have a greater base of evidence. Additionally, with help from the research sector, governments should develop national strategies and legal frameworks for developing bioeconomy in the region, which currently do not exist.
Finding ways to manage the water-energy-food nexus will be key then in ensuring a sustainable supply of water to the food system.236- 238
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Moving towards low carbon energy for food production
Participants agreed on the importance of completing projects that expand low carbon irrigation (e.g. gravity and solar irrigation, repairing inefficient infrastructure), carried out by government/development organizations like the World Bank with research institution support. Stakeholders should focus more on knowledge/capacity building among farmers who may not see immediate benefits of implementing low carbon technologies. Finally, governments/stakeholders should push for conservation farming techniques to reduce agricultural emissions across the board. The process of transitioning to low-carbon agriculture, especially where infrastructure improvements are needed, will be expensive. Therefore, a huge investment push is needed.236- 238
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Climate change impacts on water and food security
Central Asia is a region that is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change – which is negatively affecting the water, agriculture, energy, trade, health, environment, and other sectors. Transitioning from competition among sectors to cooperation – including across the water-energy-food nexus - will be a vital part of the story of food system transformation in the region. Global and regional climatic changes are directly affecting the hydrological regime of river flow and food security in Central Asia. The group has concluded that taking into account climate change, there is required to develop regional rational water resource use as well as water protection concept. It is recommended to develop and adopt water, food, energy and environmental doctrines of Central Asia in the context of climate change. There is strong necessity to develop cooperation between national and regional research and academic institutions in the field of climate change. Taking into account COVID 19, it is necessary to improve the program "Food security and nutrition" in all countries of Central Asia. Strong attention should be directed towards introduction of water-saving technologies (drip, sprinkling, subsurface and other micro-irrigation methods) for irrigation of agricultural crops; It is necessary to develop regional cooperation on prevention of natural disasters (mudflows, floods, etc.) and protection of water bodies; Develop joint research programs on intensive technologies, the creation of drought-resistant crops, agricultural diversification, rotational water use and other innovative approaches for the rational use of water and land resources; It is necessary to create a unified database platform (DB) and develop an information system. These aspects have been proposed by the members of the group and ways in which progress could be assessed, it has been indicated necessity to develop and implement a monitoring system to assess the actions taken.236- 238
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Policy coherence and institutional coordination in water, food, energy and climate change that operationalize the WEF nexus
It has been concluded that there are exist relevant institutions and organizations at the regional and national level who shall consider WEF nexus in their operations. One of such structure at the regional level is considered International Fund for saving the Aral Sea (IFAS). However, IFAS hasn’t fully integrated the full competencies for the sectoral cooperation. This organization shall and can unite different sectors and develop regional WEF nexus programs and initiatives. Setting correctly at the Regional level policy coherence and institutional coordination provides good conditions to move it at the national levels. Participants has also highlighted the role of academic and research institutions who generates knowledge for policy through applied research. There has been also stressed importance of bringing private sector, specifically bilateral interstate projects conducted by private companies or consortia.
It was admitted that existing structures, they undergo challenges related to the fact that currently developed plans for the management for the incorporating WEF nexus are merrily of national level and focused on national interest. Regional programs like the program for the basin of the Aral Sea is still rather sectoral and has only limited nexus elements. Also, the problem of the original programs is that they are developed mainly by water and ecology expert without referring to knowledge from other sectors like energy and agriculture.
To overcome these challenges there is a need for ranging more regional awareness at the level of decision makers about the need of WEF nexus approaches. Also, there's the need for more knowledge to support the limited available human resources to implement such an approach to develop long term plans.
Participants of the session highlighted that currently WEF nexus mainly applied within on-going projects and working groups on WEF nexus also established and promoted by donor supported projects. This donor supported initiatives are not sustainable in the long run and there is a need stronger engagement from Central Asian government representatives and they should feel that outcomes of WEF nexus improve inter-sectoral cooperation and help to develop coordinated policies on WEF nexus at national and regional level in Central Asia. There is a need to create enabling environment, formal and informal platforms to discuss WEF nexus at national and regional level and highlight it’s importance via mass media in a nutshell publicize nexus to maximum extent. Regional and International organizations together with development partners should play important role in this process in upcoming years.
It was a highlighted and that's there is a need for systematic capacity building which the participating organizations could offer. Secondly there is a need for platforms for leading discussion on the intergovernmental and multi stakeholder levels where participating institutions interest to facilitate.236- 238
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Advancing technical WEF models, tools and frameworks for decision making at multiple scales
The group participants highlighted that WEF models, tools and frameworks will work for the decision makers when the data which is going to be used for modelling is accurate and trust is established from the source of data. From the practical perspective, WEF models are becoming more complex, expanding its narrative, and require whole institutions to code and run them. This induces high requirements to a technical background of the personnel, working with WEF models, and also a technical background of the policy-related personnel, who will be analyzing the results. Group indicated that most of the staff based in the provinces, districts and local on-farm irrigation systems requires to go through the trainings. There is a need in investing in stakeholders and building relevant knowledge and understanding of the importance of the WEF framework. The stakeholder community working under the WEF framework needs to have a clear sense of ownership of the process (“understand and accept it”) and be actively involved throughout its implementation in order to reach necessary results.
The WEF process is still at its preliminary stage of application and none of the existing stakeholders in the region have the power to trigger its wider application. So, finding that entry point both in Uzbekistan and in the region would stimulate the wider acceptance of WEF.236- 238
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Enhancing resilience of water system across multi-sector (agriculture, domestic, industry and environment) demands
The group highlighted that the legislations in the region does not clearly state the “rights” of ecosystems to water. There is no clear methodology for assessing and recording ecosystem water requirements. There is weak coordination of actions between sectors of the economy in terms of meeting environmental needs. The existing principles of water allocation provide for releases for deltas and ecosystems, but they are implemented in reality according to the residual principle - therefore, there is no guarantee of stable water supply for ecosystems.
Active work is underway to develop environmental codes in each countries. A number of projects are being implemented to develop clear environmental legislation and test innovative methods and approaches to improve the sustainability of protected areas (UNDP and GEF, GIC, USAID, CAREC, etc.). Water conservation programs in agriculture are being actively implemented, as well as the transition to less water-intensive and more productive crops - however, how the saved water will be used is not yet clear.
The creation of agriculture clusters should be supported and developed, including the creation of cross-border clusters. There are reclamation expeditions in the countries that monitor the processes of land degradation (salinization, groundwater levels, the state of the drainage network) - it is necessary to strengthen the technical potential of these services in order to move from simple monitoring to real management of reclamation regimes.
Environmental portals are being created in the countries - it is necessary to accelerate their development in order to bring up to date the process of exchange of environmental and water management information between all sectors.
It is necessary to raise the status of protected areas of groundwater deposits, groundwater monitoring should become part of ecosystem management.236- 238
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Socio Economic Impacts of WEF nexus:
The main way stakeholders can implement WEF nexus approaches to improve socio economic outcomes is by having the research sector generate up-to-date data and scientific evidence that governments can use to improve food and energy production, water saving, transboundary water management, sanitation, and health. Markers for the success of such initiatives would be less water conflict (including inter-farm), better water/energy use efficiency, stronger agricultural value chains and farmer incomes, more sustainably managed land, better data availability, lowered unemployment/migration, higher incomes, and improved cooperation between countries.236- 238
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Community approaches to operationalize the WEF nexus
The group has discussed following question in the breakout: how could be promoted equity and inclusion in WEF nexus governance to create opportunities for transformation towards more just food, water and energy systems? Participants of the discussion pointed out that communities can exert a possible influence on the policy in the field of foreign economic activity only by uniting in public professional and non-professional organizations (PA), while the organizational and legal format of such associations is determined by the legislation of each individual country.
The existing role and influence of communities on the policy in the field of renewable economic activity are very different in different countries (they are at different stages of development). Therefore, action planning should be maximally adapted to the situation in each individual country. The realistic goal is to raise the status of communities in the planning and implementation of the WEF policy in the country by one step. At least to the role of an "observer", it is better to the role of a "participant in the process" with an advisory vote, ideally to the status of a "full member" of a collegial body for shaping the national policy of the WEF.
The main success of the actions is effective communication between the PA and other participants in the process of forming a policy of interrelation of WEF at the state and local levels.237- 238
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During the discussion subject of “moving towards low carbon energy for food production”, participants agreed on most points, there were some areas of divergence. For example, there was constructive debate over the feasibility of widespread renewable energy implementation in agriculture (initial and long-term costs). There was also much focus on poor water and irrigation use/management as a main source of agricultural emissions, but some participants put more emphasis than others on the need for land-use changes.
During the discussion subject of Community approaches to operationalize the WEF nexus, participants highlighted inconsistencies in the degree of consideration of the role of community organizations in the management of the interrelation of WEF in the legislation of the country or in regulations, procedures and mechanisms. Furthermore, there is inconsistency in the level of financing of measures to involve community based organization into the governance of the WEF nexus.
Group which discussed Enhancing resilience of water system across multi-sector: the expediency was expressed to establish an exchange of information in the region on ecology and water resources and to create a unified database in these areas, since this is not organized at the proper level.
Group which discussed topic advancing technical WEF models, tools and frameworks for decision making at multiple scales highlighted there is a need to move away from the competitive behavior in the transboundary planning of CA states. The potential integration of different sectors across different levels within the WEF cannot be successful without a good transboundary cooperation of Central Asian countries. Hence, advocating for a basin planning, integration of WEF-related tools and methodologies in other sectors (as IWRM for the water sector and stakeholder participation) would set the scene for a common regional vision.- Group photo 1https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Dialogue-Group-photo-1.jpg
- Group photo 2https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Dialogue-Group-photo-2.jpg
- Concept Note (Eng)https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Eng_Central-Asia_UNFSS_Dialogue_Concept-Note.pdf
- Concept Note (Rus)https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Rus_Central-Asia_UNFSS_Dialogue_Concept-Note_Apr.pdf
- Invitationshttps://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/UNFSS-Invitation-Central-Asia-Eng-Rus.pdf
- Invitation to UNFSS Independent Dialogue in Central Asiahttps://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/events/unfss-independent-dialogue-in-central-asia/
- Innovations and smart water technologies key to food systems transformation in Central Asiahttps://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/2021/04/innovations-and-smart-water-technologies-key-to-food-systems-transformation-in-central-asia/
2021-05-07 12:57:59205Stage 2Enugu Food System Exploratory Dialoguehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8629/- 135
1341778336685791034431015551041271032444344168201012How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The organization of the dialogue centred the rules specified in the curator’s guidelines. The preparation involved communication with the highest level of office in the state (the office of the governor) State Commissioners of Budget and Planning for Imo and Abia states. In ensuring that the principles were incorporated, we ensured that the urgency of a discourse on the food systems was communicated and that the commitment to the dialogues was ensured through clear communication to the State governors and stakeholder mobilizationHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue agenda and structure reflected the principles of multi-stakeholder inclusivity, act with urgency, respectful, complement the work of others. At the meeting, the curator set the tone of the meeting by providing the context to the purpose of the meeting and encouraged participants to look at the food systems holistically as opposed to sectorally. The dialogue was also re-emphasised as a safe space for productive discussions amongst stakeholders towards a better food system.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement? It is important to set the tone for the conversations and provide some background/context before the dialogue deliberations commence. This is because the stakeholders in the room are from a diverse range of sectors and doing this encourages collective thinking about the food systems as opposed to participants thinking of just their sector.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Before the meeting held in various regions of the country, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) commissioned a diagnostic study of the food system as it operates in the 6-geopolitical zones of the country. The diagnostic paper explored the agricultural scene, nutrition and food safety, food trade and transportation as well as external factors that affect the food systems including environmental factors, policies and plans, insecurity amongst others in the country. The diagnostic paper revealed that the South-East food system is characterized by agricultural livelihood activities such as crop production and livestock production. Food waste and loss is also high in the region leading to food insecurity, hunger and loss of income for farmers. The South-East has actively processes cash and staple crops such as rice, cassava, oil palm. Food consumption is below recommendations and diets are not diversified in the same vein, malnutrition rates are slightly higher than international average. Adoption of climate smart agricultural practices is low and the region faces climate change effects such as seasonal flooding and soil erosion. Actors involved in the food system in the South-East States include farmers and farmer groups, trader associations, processors, government, private sector, nutrition and health workers and extension (community health and agriculture) workers. The major focus of the south-east dialogue was to drive discussion on reshaping the food systems in the south east to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030 taking into consideration the challenges in the system. Identifying key drivers of the food systems particular to Imo and Abia States and also making outcomes and recommendations for the advancement of the Food System in the South East and Nigeria as a whole. The focus of this meeting was achieved by an exploration of the five (5) action tracks as they pertained to the South-East. Five facilitators who are skilled in the action tracks led participants on discussions on the 5 action tracks as they relate to the South-East.235- 238
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• South East experience shocks and stresses such as flooding, soil erosion and more recently bouts of insecurity
• Diets consumed in the south east is laden with starchy staples and needs to be diversified
• Over 60% of the farmers in the South-East are women who are disproportionately limited in terms of access to productive resources
• Consumption of healthy diets needs focus on production and availability of healthy and safe foods
• Consumer education is important to instruct and inform consumers
• Budgetary release of funds for capital projects is low
• The South east needs to develop and implement Social Investment Programmes that take into consideration the vulnerable groups and are wide spread.
• The region has active Agro-Processing Zones which farmers are encouraged to take advantage
While these transformations will be a journey, we must start by taking some strategic and immediate transition steps – the suggested steps include
• Development of agro processing zones and Institution of cooperatives and off taker systems for communities
• Collaboration across sectors
• Addressing vulnerabilities through social investment programmes
• Innovation in agricultural processing e.g. hydroponics, drip irrigation and mechanization of agriculture, biotechnology and genome editing
• Review of existing policies limiting access to resources e.g. the Land Tenure System/Land Use Act. Enforcement of court rulings which grants women right to inherit land
• The Food supply chain needs to be shortened to reduce middlemen and ensure that farmers have adequate value for agricultural products
• Improved Nutrition Education in schools, hospitals and marketplaces
• Promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding practices
• Promotion of Good Agricultural Practices including conservative use of chemicals and processing methods
• Strengthen local regulatory agencies to enforce and monitor food production, processing and packaging for safer food consumption
• Reduction of food losses and wastes through innovative food storage and processing methods from the point of harvest to the point of consumption
• Home gardening to ensure increased access to nutritious foods all year round
• Linking farmers with large markets in existing initiatives of the government such as HGSFP, Prisons and large institutions
• Development of robust M&E systems that also highlights the key indicators to track development and programme implementation
• Improving access to health care for all through strengthening of the primary health care system
• Advocacy to government, religious leaders, key stakeholders236- 238
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What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality;
Addressing the inequalities around access to agricultural inputs by
• Ensuring women and vulnerable populations have access to inputs
• Land Tenure System improvement.
• Provision of fertilizers and loans to rural, small holder farmers.
• Access to loans for small holder farmers.
• Improvement of Social Services in the rural communities and equitable distribution of farm implements and inputs
Using modern technologies to scale agricultural production
Preservation and processing of farm produce to make sure that they stand the test of time through the provision of silos and food processing factories at the local government areas.
Improved security for the farmers to curtail the Farmer/Herder clashes
Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods:
- Creation of public awareness on improved varieties that will yield more nutritious content e.g fortified foods and biofortified varieties
- Increase in income through increased employment opportunities leading to poverty reduction
- Increase in Nutrition Education and awareness to teach the importance of eating adequately
- Family support for exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding
- Planting of improved near-extinct varieties of food trees
- Guidelines to advice and educate individuals on what to consume
Strand 3: Ensuring Safe food:
- Avoid the use of insecticides and pesticides in the cultivation and preservation of crops.
- Encourage the use of organic fertilizers /manure.
- Avoid the consumption of sick or dead animals.
- Ensure the adherence of food safety compliance at abattoirs and markets
- Consumer protection Agency should look into what food manufacturers claim.
- The food outlets/vendors should be trained and retrained on best food practices
- Exclusive Breast feeding which is safe for children under 6-months should be encouraged.
- Provision of safe water.
What contributions will our organisations make?
1. The Civil Societies should be part of advocacy and sensitization everywhere, at the community and local government areas.
2. The Ministry of Budget and Economic planning should make adequate provision for agriculture in the budget.
3. Relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies should formulate and implement agricultural policies.
4. The academia should train and retrain to make sure that the right things relating to food production, storage and processing are done.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
1. Food security and safe food for all
2. Employment for the young people
3. Provision of social amenities in the rural areas thereby discouraging rural urban migration236- 239
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Discussion Topic Shift to Healthy and Sustainable Consumption Patterns
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality
Reduction of post-harvest losses through enhanced and improved storage and processing mechanisms.
Productivity should be targeted at specific crops with comparative advantage in the state. Some of them are; maize, cassava, oil palm, cashew nuts, poultry, udara, vegetables etc
Provision of hard and soft Infrastructure such as Power, Road networks, Transportation, Security, Processing Facilities, etc.
Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods
Enhanced productivity through provision of mechanization by government and with the assistance of fabricators, partners and investors.
Offtake through the Home-grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) of the Federal Government and other programmes.
Strand 3: Ensuring safe food
Efficient preservation of available foods, as well as value addition though processing for extended shelf life
Cross-Cutting
NIL
What contributions will our organisations make?
Researchers and research organizations should uncover and validate new and hidden varieties
Government and the organized private sector should empower scientists and monitor their activities
Government should improve on Imo State’s research and development base through inter-ministerial collaboration and partnerships
Government should prioritize public-private partnerships. At the present time, the private sector and its private capital is looking to invest its resources in profitable ventures.
Government and relevant agencies should sensitize farmers and other stakeholders on nutritional benefits of healthy food, as well as consequences of unhealthy diets. This sensitization should be targeted specifically at youths and women through appropriate channels like periodic town hall meetings
The legislature should lock in policies to ensure continuity
Government should support and fund technological advancements through targeted policies.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
The Imo State government has kick-started the process of developing its rural infrastructure through the Special Agro-Industrialization Processing Zones Project (SAPZ)
Underscoring of key performance indicators (KPIs) and critical players
Evolving of targeted timelines
Periodic monitoring and evaluation which can be formal and informal
Some of these indicators are;
Increased production
Targeted Processing and Value Addition
Sensitization through workshops, town-hall meetings, adverts, tv programmes
Infrastructural and rural development
Nutrition Security236- 240
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Discussion Topic BOOSTING NATURE POSITIVE FOOD PRODUCTION
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
1. Infrastructural development.
2. Establishment of Agricultural Processing Zones.
3. Strengthening of policy advocacy for a mind, policy and practice change to take place, from the traditional notion of food as a mere human need to the contemporary notion of food as a fundamental human right in Nigeria.
4. The quick passage of the Right to Food Bill (SB 240) pending before the National Assembly.
5. Intensification of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices and reforestation
6. Guaranteeing of the regeneration of our ecosystems and nature and to substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
7. Creation of National Agricultural Development Fund.
8. Creation of effective relationship between the federal and state governments for agricultural development.
What contributions will our organisations make?
Our organisations will help in:
i. Policy formulations and implementations.
ii. Putting Legislation and enforcements.
iii. Ensuring compliance: through improved budget oversight by National Assembly
iv. Strengthening the policy process (Policy framework)
v. Investing in new farming technology (biotechnology, Tissue Culture and Genome editing)—from better seeds to digital tools to machinery
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Operationalized transformative and smart partnerships.
• Improvement in the Functionality and effectiveness of Food System.
• Improved security-ability of farmers moving freely to their farms
• Ability of Nigeria participating in global trade without challenge236- 241
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Discussion Topic Action Track 4: Advanced Equitable Livelihoods
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Address insecurity
Resolve the difficulty in assessing land and the land tenure system
Use of poor implements and farm inputs
Inclusion of vulnerable population into social investment programmes
What actions can be taken within the next 3 years in other to improve livelihoods?
Improved security in rural areas
Improvement of infrastructure at rural areas
Reorientation from local to a more modern way of agriculture
Credit facilities for agriculture financing
Social Investment programs
Revitalization of primary health care facilities
Monitoring budgetary allocations to agriculture
Timely release of counterpart funding from government
Modern agricultural practices and maintenance of standards
Reduction of postharvest losses
What contributions will our organisations make?
Contribution we will provide is in the area of advocacy to government and local/traditional authorities on the issues such as:
1. Land leasing for poor families and women.
2. Empowerment of government agencies like ministry of agric. to provide farm inputs and implements as well as information dissemination to farmers.
3. Provisions of starter packs and support to trained young generation farmers.
4. There should be non-governmental agencies/civil society organizations set for the monitoring of budgets from the source of release and implementation of budgetary allocation to agriculture.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
The indicators of the success of the action will be
1. Quarterly or yearly assessment of livelihood status of the poor families and poor widows in South east Nigeria.
2. Proactive monitoring and evaluation of the extent of implementation of the inputs from various organisations in advancing and equitable livelihood supports.
3. Generating base line data of the status of livelihoods at the moment to enable build-up of strategies to advance and ensure equitable distribution of livelihood supports.
4. Training of individuals for the data collection, records and statistics on the trending of livelihood supports236- 242
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Discussion Topic Building Resilience to Vulnerability Shock and Stress
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• Preservation and Storage Facilities ; improving the storage facilities in the SE zones to modern and standard storing system, to accommodate more perishable food items . government should go into partnership with cooperative societies, and individuals to build storage facilities in all communities in the south east zone
Government should partners with society in providing solar panel cold rooms
• Climate- the government should cooperative with the metrological unit (NMETS) to monitor forecast and plan with farmers association on climatic emergencies and response such as drought and flooding,
• Urban Agriculture planning; government policies should be consistence on school gardening ensuring that all schools have a garden . government to allot land in urban areas on urban agricultural farms
• Agro- processing zones – making agriculture more accessible, govt should make aggregate or cluster for processing zones which will have most aspect of the food system such as production processing , storage
• Off – takers a system a community-based initiative in which small and medium scale farmers produce will easily be bought by involving other stakeholders and multisector
• Food distribution and Marketing strategy – govt interventions on Agriculture produce group who tax farmers heavily, and also curtail the security issues of curfew to allow identified farmers to easily distribute their goods curfew.
• Home gardening sensitizing the people on the importance of home gardening for sustainable food chain
• Hydroponics systems of agriculture to be encouraged such as hydro phonics, Aero phonics farming especially in urban areas with limited land
• Gender mainstreaming in all policies formulation and removal of gender baise or determinants in accessing agricultural loans and land acquisitions. Gender sensitive policies in Agriculture.
• SMART AGRICULTURE by farmers planting plants with shorter duration of maturity in flood prone areas or drought resistance crops in drought areas. Sensitizing farmers on climate smart practices such as cover cropping, mulching.
Food tracking system – food surveillance and equitable distribution of food supplies and food data base for evidence-based intervention and policy formulation
• Cooperative societies expanding registration in the cooperative societies and encouraging transparency in seedlings distribution, loans tax exemption, and price regulation of food produce by biodiversification and comparative competitions among farmers
• Mechanized farming through government support to cooperative to expand farming.
What contributions will our organisations make?
• Supporting the Government of the South east zones on developing a Agro-processing zones
• Financially supporting small and medium scale farmers through cooperatives by giving incentives and soft loans
• Building up a data based to track progress in the food system of the South east zones
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
Through simple indicators such as tracking food supply, malnutrition indices in the south east, and agricultural indigenous innovations237- 238
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GROUP 1
Divergences revealed include:
1. Continuous use of traditional methods of farming because some farmers trust the methods they are used to
2. Lack of modern farming implements and improved varieties from Research Institutes
3. Different levels of government attempting to do the same thing in favour of households and farmers thereby duplicating efforts and resources that could be channelled into other uses
4. Considering some farmers more important than others in the provisions inputs
How to manage them:
1. Team Work
2. Policy formulation
3. Synergy
4. Partnership
5. Nutrition education and awareness
GROUP 2
Sensitization and media activities should not be prioritized over primary production and processing
Conversations and brainstorming should be replicated at grassroot levels
Sincerity and political will on the part of government is key
GROUP 3
The divergences are ‘healthy diet’ and ‘sustainable diet’. The members of the Global Panel (2016) recognize that “While there is no universal ‘diet quality index’, there is general agreement on what a healthy or high-quality diet should include”, [that is] “a diversity of foods that are safe and provide levels of energy appropriate to age, sex, disease status and physical activity as well as essential micronutrients.”
The answer is clearly: not necessarily. It is dangerous, therefore, to unconditionally associate a healthy diet with a sustainable diet and promoting too broadly win-win scenarios. While evidence suggests that synergies can, in principle, be identified (e.g., such as reducing animal protein in meat-based diets), these are often very difficult to achieve. On the other hand, completely decoupling healthy diets from the sustainability of value chains that deliver them would also not be desirable from a food system’s, environmental and climate change perspective.
In sum while synergies are feasible if we capitalize on innovations, trade-offs and hard choices are more likely to characterize the near future of food systems and it is important to understand how diets (as proxy for health) and sustainability interactions play out at different scales and in different contexts.- SUBMISSION OF OWERRI DIALOGUE REPORT FOR ENUGU DIALOGUEPLEASE I MADE A MISTAKE OF SUBMITTING OWERRI DIALOGEU REPORT FOR ENUGU.
I NEED TO CORRECT THE ERROR.
THANK YOU2021-05-07 13:37:40
- https://summitdialogues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Enugu-Exploratory-Dialogue-Report.docx
2021-05-07 13:23:59205Stage 2Owerri Food System Exploratory Dialoguehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8634/- 135
13401778336068579103443101555104127100324541034416820101How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The organization of the dialogue centred the rules specified in the curator’s guidelines. The preparation involved communication with the highest level of office in the state (the office of the governor) State Commissioners of Budget and Planning for Imo and Abia states. In ensuring that the principles were incorporated, we ensured that the urgency of a discourse on the food systems was communicated and that the commitment to the dialogues was ensured through clear communication to the State governors and stakeholder mobilizationHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogue agenda and structure reflected the principles of multi-stakeholder inclusivity, act with urgency, respectful, complement the work of others. At the meeting, the curator set the tone of the meeting by providing the context to the purpose of the meeting and encouraged participants to look at the food systems holistically as opposed to sectorally. The dialogue was also re-emphasised as a safe space for productive discussions amongst stakeholders towards a better food system.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is important to set the tone for the conversations and provide some background/context before the dialogue deliberations commence. This is because the stakeholders in the room are from a diverse range of sectors and doing this encourages collective thinking about the food systems as opposed to participants thinking of just their sector.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Before the meeting held in various regions of the country, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) commissioned a diagnostic study of the food system as it operates in the 6-geopolitical zones of the country. The diagnostic paper explored the agricultural scene, nutrition and food safety, food trade and transportation as well as external factors that affect the food systems including environmental factors, policies and plans, insecurity amongst others in the country. The diagnostic paper revealed that the South-East food system is characterized by agricultural livelihood activities such as crop production and livestock production. Food waste and loss is also high in the region leading to food insecurity, hunger and loss of income for farmers. The South-East has actively processes cash and staple crops such as rice, cassava, oil palm. Food consumption is below recommendations and diets are not diversified in the same vein, malnutrition rates are slightly higher than international average. Adoption of climate smart agricultural practices is low and the region faces climate change effects such as seasonal flooding and soil erosion. Actors involved in the food system in the South-East States include farmers and farmer groups, trader associations, processors, government, private sector, nutrition and health workers and extension (community health and agriculture) workers. The major focus of the south-east dialogue was to drive discussion on reshaping the food systems in the south east to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030 taking into consideration the challenges in the system. Identifying key drivers of the food systems particular to Imo and Abia States and also making outcomes and recommendations for the advancement of the Food System in the South East and Nigeria as a whole. The focus of this meeting was achieved by an exploration of the five (5) action tracks as they pertained to the South-East. Five facilitators who are skilled in the action tracks led participants on discussions on the 5 action tracks as they relate to the South-East.235- 238
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• South East experience shocks and stresses such as flooding, soil erosion and more recently bouts of insecurity
• Diets consumed in the south east is laden with starchy staples and needs to be diversified
• Over 60% of the farmers in the South-East are women who are disproportionately limited in terms of access to productive resources
• Consumption of healthy diets needs focus on production and availability of healthy and safe foods
• Consumer education is important to instruct and inform consumers
• Budgetary release of funds for capital projects is low
• The South east needs to develop and implement Social Investment Programmes that take into consideration the vulnerable groups and are wide spread.
• The region has active Agro-Processing Zones which farmers are encouraged to take advantage
While these transformations will be a journey, we must start by taking some strategic and immediate transition steps – the suggested steps include
• Development of agro processing zones and Institution of cooperatives and off taker systems for communities
• Collaboration across sectors
• Addressing vulnerabilities through social investment programmes
• Innovation in agricultural processing e.g. hydroponics, drip irrigation and mechanization of agriculture, biotechnology and genome editing
• Review of existing policies limiting access to resources e.g. the Land Tenure System/Land Use Act. Enforcement of court rulings which grants women right to inherit land
• The Food supply chain needs to be shortened to reduce middlemen and ensure that farmers have adequate value for agricultural products
• Improved Nutrition Education in schools, hospitals and marketplaces
• Promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding practices
• Promotion of Good Agricultural Practices including conservative use of chemicals and processing methods
• Strengthen local regulatory agencies to enforce and monitor food production, processing and packaging for safer food consumption
• Reduction of food losses and wastes through innovative food storage and processing methods from the point of harvest to the point of consumption
• Home gardening to ensure increased access to nutritious foods all year round
• Linking farmers with large markets in existing initiatives of the government such as HGSFP, Prisons and large institutions
• Development of robust M&E systems that also highlights the key indicators to track development and programme implementation
• Improving access to health care for all through strengthening of the primary health care system
• Advocacy to government, religious leaders, key stakeholders236- 238
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Discussion Topic [ENSURING ACCESS TO SAFER AND NUTRITIONAL FOOD FOR ALL]
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality;
Addressing the inequalities around access to agricultural inputs by
• Ensuring women and vulnerable populations have access to inputs
• Land Tenure System improvement.
• Provision of fertilizers and loans to rural, small holder farmers.
• Access to loans for small holder farmers.
• Improvement of Social Services in the rural communities and equitable distribution of farm implements and inputs
Using modern technologies to scale agricultural production
Preservation and processing of farm produce to make sure that they stand the test of time through the provision of silos and food processing factories at the local government areas.
Improved security for the farmers to curtail the Farmer/Herder clashes
Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods:
- Creation of public awareness on improved varieties that will yield more nutritious content e.g fortified foods and biofortified varieties
- Increase in income through increased employment opportunities leading to poverty reduction
- Increase in Nutrition Education and awareness to teach the importance of eating adequately
- Family support for exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding
- Planting of improved near-extinct varieties of food trees
- Guidelines to advice and educate individuals on what to consume
Strand 3: Ensuring Safe food:
- Avoid the use of insecticides and pesticides in the cultivation and preservation of crops.
- Encourage the use of organic fertilizers /manure.
- Avoid the consumption of sick or dead animals.
- Ensure the adherence of food safety compliance at abattoirs and markets
- Consumer protection Agency should look into what food manufacturers claim.
- The food outlets/vendors should be trained and retrained on best food practices
- Exclusive Breast feeding which is safe for children under 6-months should be encouraged.
- Provision of safe water.
Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality;
Addressing the inequalities around access to agricultural inputs by
• Ensuring women and vulnerable populations have access to inputs
• Land Tenure System improvement.
• Provision of fertilizers and loans to rural, small holder farmers.
• Access to loans for small holder farmers.
• Improvement of Social Services in the rural communities and equitable distribution of farm implements and inputs
Using modern technologies to scale agricultural production
Preservation and processing of farm produce to make sure that they stand the test of time through the provision of silos and food processing factories at the local government areas.
Improved security for the farmers to curtail the Farmer/Herder clashes
Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods:
- Creation of public awareness on improved varieties that will yield more nutritious content e.g fortified foods and biofortified varieties
- Increase in income through increased employment opportunities leading to poverty reduction
- Increase in Nutrition Education and awareness to teach the importance of eating adequately
- Family support for exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding
- Planting of improved near-extinct varieties of food trees
- Guidelines to advice and educate individuals on what to consume
Strand 3: Ensuring Safe food:
- Avoid the use of insecticides and pesticides in the cultivation and preservation of crops.
- Encourage the236- 239
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Discussion Topic Shift to Healthy and Sustainable Consumption Patterns
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality
Reduction of post-harvest losses through enhanced and improved storage and processing mechanisms.
Productivity should be targeted at specific crops with comparative advantage in the state. Some of them are; maize, cassava, oil palm, cashew nuts, poultry, udara, vegetables etc
Provision of hard and soft Infrastructure such as Power, Road networks, Transportation, Security, Processing Facilities, etc.
Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods
Enhanced productivity through provision of mechanization by government and with the assistance of fabricators, partners and investors.
Offtake through the Home-grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) of the Federal Government and other programmes.
Strand 3: Ensuring safe food
Efficient preservation of available foods, as well as value addition though processing for extended shelf life
Cross-Cutting
NIL
What contributions will our organisations make?
Researchers and research organizations should uncover and validate new and hidden varieties
Government and the organized private sector should empower scientists and monitor their activities
Government should improve on Imo State’s research and development base through inter-ministerial collaboration and partnerships
Government should prioritize public-private partnerships. At the present time, the private sector and its private capital is looking to invest its resources in profitable ventures.
Government and relevant agencies should sensitize farmers and other stakeholders on nutritional benefits of healthy food, as well as consequences of unhealthy diets. This sensitization should be targeted specifically at youths and women through appropriate channels like periodic town hall meetings
The legislature should lock in policies to ensure continuity
Government should support and fund technological advancements through targeted policies.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
The Imo State government has kick-started the process of developing its rural infrastructure through the Special Agro-Industrialization Processing Zones Project (SAPZ)
Underscoring of key performance indicators (KPIs) and critical players
Evolving of targeted timelines
Periodic monitoring and evaluation which can be formal and informal
Some of these indicators are;
Increased production
Targeted Processing and Value Addition
Sensitization through workshops, town-hall meetings, adverts, tv programmes
Infrastructural and rural development
Nutrition Security236- 240
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Discussion Topic BOOSTING NATURE POSITIVE FOOD PRODUCTION
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
1. Infrastructural development.
2. Establishment of Agricultural Processing Zones.
3. Strengthening of policy advocacy for a mind, policy and practice change to take place, from the traditional notion of food as a mere human need to the contemporary notion of food as a fundamental human right in Nigeria.
4. The quick passage of the Right to Food Bill (SB 240) pending before the National Assembly.
5. Intensification of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices and reforestation
6. Guaranteeing of the regeneration of our ecosystems and nature and to substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
7. Creation of National Agricultural Development Fund.
8. Creation of effective relationship between the federal and state governments for agricultural development.
What contributions will our organisations make?
Our organisations will help in:
i. Policy formulations and implementations.
ii. Putting Legislation and enforcements.
iii. Ensuring compliance: through improved budget oversight by National Assembly
iv. Strengthening the policy process (Policy framework)
v. Investing in new farming technology (biotechnology, Tissue Culture and Genome editing)—from better seeds to digital tools to machinery
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Operationalized transformative and smart partnerships.
• Improvement in the Functionality and effectiveness of Food System.
• Improved security-ability of farmers moving freely to their farms
• Ability of Nigeria participating in global trade without challenge236- 241
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Discussion Topic Action Track 4: Advanced Equitable Livelihoods
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Address insecurity
Resolve the difficulty in assessing land and the land tenure system
Use of poor implements and farm inputs
Inclusion of vulnerable population into social investment programmes
What actions can be taken within the next 3 years in other to improve livelihoods?
Improved security in rural areas
Improvement of infrastructure at rural areas
Reorientation from local to a more modern way of agriculture
Credit facilities for agriculture financing
Social Investment programs
Revitalization of primary health care facilities
Monitoring budgetary allocations to agriculture
Timely release of counterpart funding from government
Modern agricultural practices and maintenance of standards
Reduction of postharvest losses
What contributions will our organisations make?
Contribution we will provide is in the area of advocacy to government and local/traditional authorities on the issues such as:
1. Land leasing for poor families and women.
2. Empowerment of government agencies like ministry of agric. to provide farm inputs and implements as well as information dissemination to farmers.
3. Provisions of starter packs and support to trained young generation farmers.
4. There should be non-governmental agencies/civil society organizations set for the monitoring of budgets from the source of release and implementation of budgetary allocation to agriculture.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
The indicators of the success of the action will be
1. Quarterly or yearly assessment of livelihood status of the poor families and poor widows in South east Nigeria.
2. Proactive monitoring and evaluation of the extent of implementation of the inputs from various organisations in advancing and equitable livelihood supports.
3. Generating base line data of the status of livelihoods at the moment to enable build-up of strategies to advance and ensure equitable distribution of livelihood supports.
4. Training of individuals for the data collection, records and statistics on the trending of livelihood supports236- 242
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Discussion Topic Building Resilience to Vulnerability Shock and Stress
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• Preservation and Storage Facilities ; improving the storage facilities in the SE zones to modern and standard storing system, to accommodate more perishable food items . government should go into partnership with cooperative societies, and individuals to build storage facilities in all communities in the south east zone
Government should partners with society in providing solar panel cold rooms
• Climate- the government should cooperative with the metrological unit (NMETS) to monitor forecast and plan with farmers association on climatic emergencies and response such as drought and flooding,
• Urban Agriculture planning; government policies should be consistence on school gardening ensuring that all schools have a garden . government to allot land in urban areas on urban agricultural farms
• Agro- processing zones – making agriculture more accessible, govt should make aggregate or cluster for processing zones which will have most aspect of the food system such as production processing , storage
• Off – takers a system a community-based initiative in which small and medium scale farmers produce will easily be bought by involving other stakeholders and multisector
• Food distribution and Marketing strategy – govt interventions on Agriculture produce group who tax farmers heavily, and also curtail the security issues of curfew to allow identified farmers to easily distribute their goods curfew.
• Home gardening sensitizing the people on the importance of home gardening for sustainable food chain
• Hydroponics systems of agriculture to be encouraged such as hydro phonics, Aero phonics farming especially in urban areas with limited land
• Gender mainstreaming in all policies formulation and removal of gender baise or determinants in accessing agricultural loans and land acquisitions. Gender sensitive policies in Agriculture.
• SMART AGRICULTURE by farmers planting plants with shorter duration of maturity in flood prone areas or drought resistance crops in drought areas. Sensitizing farmers on climate smart practices such as cover cropping, mulching.
Food tracking system – food surveillance and equitable distribution of food supplies and food data base for evidence-based intervention and policy formulation
• Cooperative societies expanding registration in the cooperative societies and encouraging transparency in seedlings distribution, loans tax exemption, and price regulation of food produce by biodiversification and comparative competitions among farmers
• Mechanized farming through government support to cooperative to expand farming.
What contributions will our organisations make?
• Supporting the Government of the South east zones on developing a Agro-processing zones
• Financially supporting small and medium scale farmers through cooperatives by giving incentives and soft loans
• Building up a data based to track progress in the food system of the South east zones
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
Through simple indicators such as tracking food supply, malnutrition indices in the south east, and agricultural indigenous innovations237- 238
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GROUP 1
Divergences revealed include:
1. Continuous use of traditional methods of farming because some farmers trust the methods they are used to
2. Lack of modern farming implements and improved varieties from Research Institutes
3. Different levels of government attempting to do the same thing in favour of households and farmers thereby duplicating efforts and resources that could be channelled into other uses
4. Considering some farmers more important than others in the provisions inputs
How to manage them:
1. Team Work
2. Policy formulation
3. Synergy
4. Partnership
5. Nutrition education and awareness
GROUP 2
Sensitization and media activities should not be prioritized over primary production and processing
Conversations and brainstorming should be replicated at grassroot levels
Sincerity and political will on the part of government is key
GROUP 3
The divergences are ‘healthy diet’ and ‘sustainable diet’. The members of the Global Panel (2016) recognize that “While there is no universal ‘diet quality index’, there is general agreement on what a healthy or high-quality diet should include”, [that is] “a diversity of foods that are safe and provide levels of energy appropriate to age, sex, disease status and physical activity as well as essential micronutrients.”
The answer is clearly: not necessarily. It is dangerous, therefore, to unconditionally associate a healthy diet with a sustainable diet and promoting too broadly win-win scenarios. While evidence suggests that synergies can, in principle, be identified (e.g., such as reducing animal protein in meat-based diets), these are often very difficult to achieve. On the other hand, completely decoupling healthy diets from the sustainability of value chains that deliver them would also not be desirable from a food system’s, environmental and climate change perspective.
In sum while synergies are feasible if we capitalize on innovations, trade-offs and hard choices are more likely to characterize the near future of food systems and it is important to understand how diets (as proxy for health) and sustainability interactions play out at different scales and in different contexts.2021-05-07 23:07:39204The role of grains and oil seeds in Sustainable Food Systems – The Western Hemisphere’s perspective towards the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summithttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/13293/- 203
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Con el objetivo de difundir conocimientos actualizados y conceptos probados sobre el papel de los granos y las semillas oleaginosas en el sistema alimentario sostenible, el seminario web promoverá la perspectiva del hemisferio occidental sobre las prácticas de producción sostenible en preparación para la Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarios de las Naciones Unidas (UNFSS) de 2021. Además de las presentaciones de expertos de renombre internacional, los debates facilitados por los líderes de la industria fomentarán la interacción de la audiencia.
El contenido del webinar será publicado por el IICA como un subsidio para las discusiones técnicas y de políticas que darían forma al posicionamiento de los miembros del IICA y de la industria hacia el UNFSS.
Habrá interpretación simultánea trilingüe (español, inglés y portugués).
Objetivos:
Compartir el conocimiento científico actual y las perspectivas de los expertos sobre el importante papel de los cereales y las semillas oleaginosas en un sistema alimentario sostenible.
Explorar oportunidades y desafíos para el futuro.
Público objetivo: autoridades gubernamentales, representantes de la industria, agricultores, academia y miembros de la sociedad civil de los Países Miembros del IICA.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Actuar con urgencia - debida antelación en relación a la cumbre
Asumir los compromisos de la Cumbre + Crear confianza- con comunicación adecuada y transparencia
Ser respetuosos + Reconocer la complejidad + - por la oportunidad y acceso equivalente a todos interesados en opinar
Adoptar un enfoque inclusivo de múltiples grupos de interés - a través de la representatividad adecuada a los distintos sectores
Complementar la labor de los demás - asociandonos con los diversos representantes de la cadena de valorDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Estudiar las guías del portal de diálogos.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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El papel de los cereales y las semillas oleaginosas en los sistemas alimentarios sostenibles: la perspectiva del hemisferio occidental hacia la Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarios de las Naciones Unidas (UNFSS) de 2021235- 238
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1. Hay que pensar la Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarios desde el punto de vista del continente americano.
2. Los sistemas alimentarios de la región iniciaron, hace tres décadas, un proceso gradual y continuo de transformación a sistemas sostenibles y amigables con el ambiente.
3. Se destaca la importancia de comunicar los importante avances científicos y técnicos acerca de la forma de producir y comercializar a nivel mundial y cómo estos avances forman parte importante de la solución a los retos ambientales que enfrentamos.
4. Se necesita aumentar el desarrollo social, económico, siendo importante para esto el desarrollo agrícola, como generador de empleo, desarrollo sostenible, sacando a las personas de la pobreza.236- 238
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1. Hay que pensar la Cumbre de Sistemas Alimentarios desde el punto de vista del continente americano. En tal sentido es importante subrayar:
a. La importancia del continente como máximo proveedor de recursos ecosistémicos y como máximo productor de granos y semillas oleaginosas, las cuales son esenciales para la seguridad alimentaria global y para la recuperación post pandemia;
b. Que el hemisferio occidental exportó el 60% del comercio mundial de cereales, en ese sentido es líder en la temática y ante la demanda de una población que crece, deberá aumentar su producción con la tarea de utilizar menor cantidad de tierra y uso sostenible de los recursos;
c. Que la agricultura, durante la pandemia, fue uno de los únicos sectores que siguió funcionando y llamativamente la mayor parte de los indicadores ambientales mejoraron;
d. La agricultura familiar debe estar al centro de los sistemas alimentarios, por medio de una plataforma para dar voz a los agricultores y conformar una estrategia continental para enfrentar retos en común.
2. Los sistemas alimentarios de la región iniciaron, hace tres décadas, un proceso gradual y continuo de transformación a sistemas sostenibles y amigables con el ambiente. En tal sentido, resulta necesario:
a. Ampliar la diversificación de la demanda de producciones agrícolas con nuevas tecnologías procurando mayor sostenibilidad y reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero;
b. La consolidación de políticas públicas eficientes para el sector agrícola en lo que se refiere a sostenibilidad, asuntos jurídicos y fiscales;
c. Continuar trabajando en este proceso de mejora, de generación de conocimiento, donde es muy importante la matriz interinstitucional, el vínculo empresario, emprendedurismo, ciencia y tecnología;
d. Hacer más con menos, dado que cada vez hay más presión ante el creciente aumento de la población, no solo hay que considerar la cantidad de alimentos sino su calidad, además de usar sabiamente los recursos limitados de agua, tierra, y además proteger los suelos.
3. Se destaca la importancia de comunicar los importante avances científicos y técnicos acerca de la forma de producir y comercializar a nivel mundial y cómo estos avances forman parte importante de la solución a los retos ambientales que enfrentamos. Se destaca:
a. El rol de las nuevas tecnologías genéticas y productos para la sanidad vegetal, los cuales permiten a los agricultores producir más alimentos con menos insumos;
b. La importancia de la biotecnología para garantizar una producción adecuada de alimentos, tanto en volumen como calidad, que supere los desafíos crecientes;
c. La necesidad de seguir trabajando en mejorar la eficiencia logística del sector.
4. Se necesita aumentar el desarrollo social, económico, siendo importante para esto el desarrollo agrícola, como generador de empleo, desarrollo sostenible, sacando a las personas de la pobreza.
a. De acuerdo con datos de Mato Groso, el índice de desarrollo humano (HDI) está directamente relacionado a la expansión de la producción agrícola. Se destaca también la importancia del agro como generador de empleos, que garantiza la permanencia de los habitantes en su territorio;
b. También se destacó el rol del arroz en Uruguay y su aspecto social: genera 30000 puestos de trabajos directos e indirectos, provee mano de obra genuina, mejora la calidad de vida de ciudades y pueblos, estimula la ciencia y la tecnología. Es un sistema productivo de bajo impacto ambiental y uso racional de los recursos, donde existe un modelo de producción sostenible.237- 238
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El reporte enfocó los puntos de convergencia en los debates.2021-05-08 15:32:46205Stage 2Ibadan Food System Exploratory Dialogue https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8600/- 135
34114211774816917113412612210265492102126458How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Probing issues relating to food system value chain revolving around the 5 Actions Tracks were thrown into panel discussion to sensitize and open the mind of the participants to the direction of what the dialogue entails. The panel discussion also highlighted different food systems perspectives and stimulated the thoughts of the different stake holders ahead of group discussions to be led by Facilitators with emphasis on the peculiarities across participating states and food systems.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The dialogues was able to complement the work and preliminary efforts of others critical stakeholders. For example, prior to the regional exploratory dialogues that was held across the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria, FAO supported the process by commissioning a review of evidence and actions currently on-going in the country. The outcome of the review was provided to all appointed experienced and knowledgeable facilitators ahead of the dialogues so that they could come up with questions to guide the discussions and probe for more information and suggestions for improving our food systems to deliver high quality diet and affordable nutrition; and also inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable; and work for everyoneDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?There is need to interface, coordinate and establish relationships with all key stakeholders in the food system space including scientists, researchers, economists, farmers, civil society, government agencies, private, and political and social, the coordination is very key because each of these groups have a vital role to play in transforming food systems.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The major focus of the exploratory dialogues at the geopolitical level was to create an opportunity in guiding governments and other stakeholders to identify for implementation of reforms that would transform food systems towards achieving the SDGs; identify game changing ideas that would transform the food systems of various sub-populations in the Country; help develop the future direction for Global Food Systems and inspire necessary action; and promote potentials and understanding the challenges that arise from food systems by collaboration and consensus among all stakeholders.
The major challenges facing the Nigeria Food Systems were identified by stakeholders to include - gaps in food insecurity and malnutrition across Nigeria and populations, forests and deforestation is a serious challenge in the region; No land space in the South West and population is increasing;
There are other several critical issues that challenge food system performance: rapid urbanisation and the growth of megacities, requirements for agro-food systems upgrading, and management of food access, distribution and price through rural-urban linkages. Efforts were made by the facilitators to get the stakeholders to suggest ways they think the challenges they have identified could be addressed.235- 238
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To ensure that the food production systems produce good quality and nutritionally adequate food commodities, stakeholders recommended the that there is need to change the face of agriculture in South West in favour of agribusiness and mechanized farming to avert the risk of famine and starvation. It is suggested that crop farming in the region should be revolutionize to incorporate efficient irrigation system as against the usual rain-fed agriculture in order to encourage an all year-round food production.
An associated recommendation is that there is need to have adequate data on farming population, food production, comparative advantage of different crops and other produce and reposition agriculture as a career in the region.
To conserve the environment, stakeholders was of opined that the region should conduct environmental audit of various interventions that have been done in times past, especially those on smart agricultural practices, national fadama and critical ecosystem management projects, national erosion and watershed management projects, and do a modelling of impact, scale-up where necessary, and strategize on the way forward for a sustainable food system by 2030. Stakeholders believe that a Modern technology such as IT and GIS should be deployed into soil and nutrient mapping, land banking and weather modelling as means to control poor farming system. There was a call by the stakeholders to encourage organic farming and the planting of biofortified crops through community sensitization as a means of protecting the environment.
Stakeholders called for improvement of the infrastructure and create incentives in the rural areas such as the creation of farm estates to stem the rural – urban migration. It was also suggested to put in place policies action to reduce women vulnerability and protect their livelihoods to bridge gender gap for them to contribute more to the food systems
Stakeholders concluded that post-harvest losses can be drastically reduced through provision of rural infrastructure, including access (feeder) roads, power and facilities for storage and processing, including cold chains, perishables and cereals. Improvements in these areas will have an immediate and dramatic positive effect on the volume of food reaching the market (consumers) in good condition. This will increase food availability and reduce food inflation. Improving storage facilities to increase food availability such as silos for grains to improve storage; Creation of Farm estates from farm settlements to creating an enabling environment for those involved in food production and also as a means of making Agriculture attractive to the youths and Regular education provided to the public to help them make healthy food choices.
Stakeholders recommended the urgent implementation of the following actions to kick start the process of repairing the SW geopolitical zone food systems.
i. Crop farming in the region should be revolutionize to incorporate efficient irrigation system as against the usual rain-fed agriculture in order to encourage an all year-round food production;
ii. Extension services should be improved to include environmental extension which should incorporate environment friendly farming systems;
iii. There should be capacity building for farmers on new farming techniques climate smart Agriculture, aqua-ponics, wildlife domestication, intensive vegetable gardening, & aquaculture in order to improve food supply;
iv. There should be a well-established storage facilities located in strategic places across the States to prevent post-harvest losses;
v. Development of good and efficient road and rail networks to ensure effective transportation of farm produce, so as to bridge the gap between farm gate and markets and reduce post-harvest losses;
vi. Strengthening of the security system by the government so as to to secure our lands and forests and recover farmlands from bandits in order to build the confidence of farmers back to the farm;
vii. Provision of well-structured credit facilities which are farmer friendly, accessible and sustainable will help to cope with stresses from poverty;
viii. Development of a robust commodity market system that will absorb market glut and hence ensure price stability;
ix. Collaborating with research institutes and various higher institutions of learning and investing more in demand-driver research activities by the government, as well utilizing research findings that can help in building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses;
x. Develop traditional foods like wild vegetables, wild fruits, condiments, spices, organics like mushrooms, to feature more in the national food system.
xi. Establishing effective monitoring and evaluation strategy.236- 238
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Discussion Topic Southwest Food System for Ensuring Access to Safe and Nutritious Food for All
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality
1. Provision of rural infrastructure, including access roads, power and storage and processing facilities.
2. Implementation of policies to drive the attainment of access to safe and nutritious food for all.
3. Massive irrigation programme for year round farm production.
4. Encouragement of youth farming /agricultural business, as replacement for ageing farming population.
5. Facilitation of access to farm land through the establishment of Land Banks.
6. Facilitation of land clearing with farm mechanisation as a critical requirement for youth and older, as well as women farmers.
7. Encouragement of urban farming, particularly for women-led production and processing of food.
8. Robust Agricultural Extension Services to support the agriculture value chains.
9. Formation of Smallholder farmers’ cooperatives, for financing and agro-processing.
Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods
1. Re-establishment of agricultural commodity boards for good, stable prices for agricultural commodities, and regional farm produce markets for access to cheaper fresh food.
2. Promotion of wholesome indigenous foods and livestock and apiculture.
3. Sustenance of National Home Grown School Feeding programme.
4. Promotion of biofortified foods, for provision of vitamin and mineral-enriched staples.
Strand 3: Ensuring safe food
1. Adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and safe food handling practices.
2. Establishment of public health laboratories, to support Nutrition Units in ensuring food safety compliance.
3. Collaboration between state food safety agencies and Federal regulatory agencies, to curb food adulteration.
Cross-cutting
1. Mainstreaming of agriculture into elementary and secondary education.
2. Promotion of local production of agricultural implements and processing machines.
3. Enhancement of rural security network by formation of farm clusters and deployment of Joint Task Forces of State and Non-state security entities.
What contributions will our organisations make?
1. Outcomes of researches by Federal, state and private universities and institutes, need to be streamed into the private sector, for greater efficiency and productivity in food production.
2. Some Southwest states’ initiatives like Start Them Early Programme (STEP) for sustainable food production and Youth in Commercial Agriculture Development (YCAD) should be adopted by other Southwest states.
3. There is a need to ensure the support of development partners and multilateral organizations, particularly for provision of technology and market development.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
1. Provision of robust Monitoring and Evaluation system in line with global best practices where key performance indicators could be monitored.
2. The Southwest States’ Committees on Food and Nutrition will, with timely and adequate funding, be effective in project assurance.236- 239
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Shift To Healthy and Sustainable Consumption Patterns AT2 Oyo state
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
(i) A sustained, institutionalised, content and context-specific education at each segment if the food system (ii) un-interrupted supply of electricity for processing, preservation
And storage of food products (iii) Active participation of relevant regulatory Agencies (IV) Full involvement of electronic and print media
What contributions will our organisations make?
(i)Construction of rural road networks to improve access to farm settlement, to enhance the transfer of food products to the markets.
(ii)Improving storage facilities to increase food availability: Commissioning of 10,000 tons silos for grains to improve storage
(iii)Creation of Farm estates from farm settlements to creating an enabling environment for those involved in food production and also as a means of making Agriculture attractive to the youths
(iv)Regular education provided to the public to help them make healthy food choices
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
Baseline evaluation and periodic evaluations with intent for necessary interventions236- 240
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BOOSTING NATURE- POSITIVE FOOD SYSTEM PRODUCTION
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• Government actions of improving security in farming areas connected with food production, processes and distribution, access to funds, reduction of post-harvest losses will encourage farmers.
• Government should make policies on intervention on mechanized farming for farmers and ease of doing business and value addition to farm Products.
• Other major issues that will boost nature positive food system is that Agricultures should have attractive incentive attachment that will attract youths to go into farming, and change their orientation about get rich quick attitudes ..
• This can be achieved through enlightenments campaign , improved sensitization for farmers, improve irrigation process in farming, optimization in technology, and Infrastructure back up
What contributions will our organisations make?
• All organization present agreed to synergise and collaborate through networking and timely arrange for workshop , seminar and training on home gardening and homestead Aquaculture practise.
• Commodity exchange, community and aggregation farming (Pay more attention to organic farming) in order to boost Nature –Positive food production.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• The successful action will be observed through measurement and evaluation of aligning our indicator with the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Evaluation methods of reduction of inflation of food prices, better nutrition and improved health status for children, reduction in malnutrition and stunted growth among under 5 years children.
What are the divergences that are revealed and how to manage them?
• The major divergences among the participants are on the different belief systems on methods of production and food processing, usage of agrochemicals and its implication on human health.
• Arguments on better food production through the technology of genetically modified organisms(GMO).Diverse attitudes and habits of farmers not willing to learn improved farming methods for better yields.
Suggested Management Options are as follows:
• Government should expose different categories of farmers and food producers through training, workshops, and seminars at the grassroots level from local governments and wards by government on agriculture extension workers.
• There should be enlightenment campaigns through radio, media houses, flyers and jingles.Regulators of investment processes should encourage businesses into sustainable practices, and give accessibility to soft loans, funds on a timely basis.
• There should be a strong political will to break invisible glass walls, market structuring, whole sale market, cold chain infrastructure and market standardization and structuring.236- 241
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Discussion Topic Advance Equitable Livelihoods
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• Develop partnership with big private players in agriculture for capacity building and empowerment of small scale, poor, women and youth farmers.
• Put in place food information system to provide relevant and accurate information on production practices, farm management, prices of agricultural produce, food security dimensions and markets for agricultural products
• Enact policies to reduce women vulnerability and protect their livelihoods to bridge gender gap for them to contribute more to the food systems
• Since the South West region is highly urbanized, the government of that region should encourage urban agriculture in order to enhance food security in the region
• Enhance the earnings of the farmers by creating aggregation centers for uptake of farmers’ produce by companies who make use of the farm produce in their product development at good regulated prices such as it is being done by WAMCO which buys milk directly from small scale producers
• Invest and encourage value addition food processing by women, youth, small scale entrepreneurs etc. to enhance equitable livelihoods in the food system
• Put in place insurance scheme to enhance profitability and mitigate loss in the food system
What contributions will our organisations make?
• State governments must enact policies to pull down discriminatory barriers in accessing public finances and other requisite resources for equitable livelihood in the food system
• The Academia should serve as think tank in formulating appropriate strategies and policies to achieve equitable livelihood for all
• The development partners can help in the development of food information system and advocacy for urban agriculture in the region
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Existence of relevant agencies, partnership, policies and legislations to reflect the recommended actions
• The number of small scale entrepreneurs, women and youth that have received capacity building and empowerment resulting from the partnership of government and big players in the food system
• Existence of a functioning food information system for the region
• Number of people that start practicing urban agriculture
• Existence of aggregation centers for uptake of farmers produce by companies which make use of the farm produce in their product development
• Number of value addition food processing units by women, youth, small scale entrepreneurs etc.
• Existence of a comprehensive food system insurance scheme and the number of stakeholders that participate and benefit from such scheme236- 242
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Discussion Topic Building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress.
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• Crop farming in the region should be revolutionized to incorporate efficient irrigation system in order to encourage an all year-round food production.
• Environmental extension services should be incorporated into the overall extension service system in the zone to promote environment friendly farming systems.
• There should be capacity building for farmers on new farming techniques climate smart Agriculture, aqua ponics, wildlife domestication, intensive vegetable gardening, aquaculture and homestead farming.
• There should be a well-established storage facilities located in strategic places across the States to prevent post-harvest losses
• Development of efficient road and rail networks to ensure effective transportation of farm produce.
• Strengthening of the security architecture by the government so as to recover forest and farmlands from bandits and build confidence of farmers back to the farm
• Development of agricultural industrial hubs such as farm settlement schemes in the states.
• Provision of well-structured credit facilities which are farmer friendly, accessible and sustainable.
• Development of a robust commodity market system that will absorb market glut and hence ensure price stability.
• Collaborating with research institutes and various higher institutions of learning and investing more in demand-driver research activities by the government, as well as collating and utilizing research findings that can help in building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses.
• Our correctional institutions should incorporate inmates into the food production system right from land preparation to cultivation and food processing
• Develop traditional foods like wild vegetables, wild fruits, condiments, spices, organics like mushrooms, to feature more in the national food system.
What contributions will our organisations make?
• The Academia and research institutes will assist in conducting demand-driven researches that will promote a more environment-friendly agriculture, increase yield as well as food and nutrition security and equitable livelihood for all, while ensuring the sustainability and functioning of the ecosystem.
• The NGOs will be willing to collaborate with government to provide services in the area of monitoring and evaluation of interventions in the food system.
• Enactment of enabling laws to back up the necessary policy initiatives will be made by the government in the zone
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Setting verifiable indicators of achievements and establish effective monitoring and evaluating strategies at the inception of each project.
• Evaluate various interventions that have been done especially those on smart agricultural practices, National fadama and Critical ecosystem management projects, National erosion and watershed management projects in the time past and do a modelling of impact, scale-up where necessary and strategize on the way forward.237- 238
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GROUP 1
There was no divergence in opinions in the group.
The group concluded that the most critical factor in ensuring the success of the renewed effort on food security is the political will of government leaders.
GROUP 2
Education: The need for different types of Education for different actors along the food system
Lack of constant Electricity: Provision of alternative source of electricity that is cheap, clean and sustainable.
GROUP 3
• Government actions of improving security in farming areas connected with food production, processes and distribution, access to funds, reduction of post-harvest losses will encourage farmers.
• Government should make policies on intervention on mechanized farming for farmers and ease of doing business and value addition to farm Products.
• Other major issues that will boost nature positive food system is that Agricultures should have attractive incentive attachment that will attract youths to go into farming, and change their orientation about get rich quick attitudes ..
• This can be achieved through enlightenments campaign , improved sensitization for farmers, improve irrigation process in farming, optimization in technology, and Infrastructure back up
What contributions will our organisations make?
• All organization present agreed to synergise and collaborate through networking and timely arrange for workshop , seminar and training on home gardening and homestead Aquaculture practise.
• Commodity exchange, community and aggregation farming (Pay more attention to organic farming) in order to boost Nature –Positive food production.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• The successful action will be observed through measurement and evaluation of aligning our indicator with the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Evaluation methods of reduction of inflation of food prices, better nutrition and improved health status for children, reduction in malnutrition and stunted growth among under 5 years children.
What are the divergences that are revealed and how to manage them?
• The major divergences among the participants are on the different belief systems on methods of production and food processing, usage of agrochemicals and its implication on human health.
• Arguments on better food production through the technology of genetically modified organisms(GMO).Diverse attitudes and habits of farmers not willing to learn improved farming methods for better yields.
Suggested Management Options are as follows:
• Government should expose different categories of farmers and food producers through training, workshops, and seminars at the grassroots level from local governments and wards by government on agriculture extension workers.
• There should be enlightenment campaigns through radio, media houses, flyers and jingles.Regulators of investment processes should encourage businesses into sustainable practices, and give accessibility to soft loans, funds on a timely basis.
• There should be a strong political will to break invisible glass walls, market structuring, whole sale market, cold chain infrastructure and market standardization and structuring.
GROUP 4
The insecurity crisis in the farming communities in the South west region is creating so much fear and distrust among the farming communities and is affecting the food system very gravely. The state governments to come together as a unit to collaboratively monitor their borders, farmland and forests
GROUP 5
• Farming in whatever form is generally seen as a profession of the poor which is poorly embraced by the society. This may jeopardise the good intentions of farm settlement initiatives. There should therefore be psychological reorientation that will engender the needed attitudinal change for youths to embrace agriculture in order to ensure a resilient national food system.2021-05-08 16:19:54205Stage 2Lagos Food System Exploratory Dialogue https://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/7737/- 135
162266886917131114687237141687111719How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?A panel session was held to facilitate easy understanding of the issues to be discussed at the Dialogue and stimulate ideas from the participants at the Exploratory Dialogue. Thereafter, Facilitator-led breakout sessions to discuss and deliberate on the 5 Action Tracks of the UN Food Systems SummitHow did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Prior to the exploratory dialogues held across the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria, FAO supported the process by commissioning a review of evidence and actions currently on-going in the country. The document was to identified facilitators ahead of the dialogues so that they could come up with questions to guide the discussions, provide more information and suggestions for improving the food systems to ensure that they deliver high quality diet and affordable nutrition; are inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable; and work for everyoneDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is important to pay more attention to the group composition in both virtual and physical. It is observed that many of the key sectors were not represented. It is important to invite more grass root individuals and small holder farmers from the regions to make sure that they are well represented during the event.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The major focus of the exploratory dialogues at the geopolitical level was to enable the States explore different perspectives about the zonal food systems; examine the possibilities for making the food systems inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable; and turn possibilities with the greatest promise into priority actions that can be implemented towards building sustainable food systems and accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and consider ways in which different the groups of stakeholders can advance these options as contributions to the national pathway towards sustainable food systems.
It was clear from discussions that there was very little understanding, even among policy makers that the excessive focus on agriculture and food security resulted in creating a less diverse food environment that is unable to provide an adequate variety and affordable, safe, and nutrient dense food. It was also very clear that more dialogues focussed on specific areas are still needed to harvest suggestions of game changers among various stakeholder groups.
The general lack of understanding and low level of awareness among many rural inhabitants on nutritious and healthy diets coupled with high level of poverty came up prominently in the discussion. Most interventions in nutrition are health facility based with limited reach. This can only be addressed through community- based nutrition programmes and education complemented by nutrition education through the mass media.
Other issues identified as militating against sustainable and resilient food systems are social norms leading to gender inequality and limited access to productive assets and weak integration of youth and women in agriculture. Poverty was also cited as limiting the access of majority of the population to diverse and nutritious diets.
Efforts were made by the facilitators to get the stakeholders to suggest ways they think the challenges they have identified could be addressed.235- 238
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To ensure that the food production systems produce good quality and nutritionally adequate food commodities, stakeholders recommended the promotion and encouragement of the use of improved high yielding varieties of crops and livestock to increase productivity, and the provision of incentives to farmers in form of subsidy.
An associated recommendation is the reduction of dependence on rain-fed agriculture and the promotion of irrigation methods that will shift focus to dry season production to ensure all year-round availability and affordability of nutritious foods, and the adoption of climate smart and nutrition responsive agricultural practices across the zone.
To conserve the environment, stakeholders believe that a gradual shift from the use of inorganic fertilizers to the use of organic fertilizers and the proper use of herbicides and pesticides will protect the environment and support efforts towards ensuring the safety of agricultural produce and prevent food borne illnesses related to food safety issues. There was a call for the use of biological control agents in food production as a means to protecting the environment. There was a call to investigate and promote traditional practices that ensure the protection of the environment including the planting of cover crops to prevent soil erosion. Stakeholders also called for the enforcement of existing laws and regulations that prevent environmental degradation, and for the protection of the ecosystem against new conversions for food and feed production. The efficient recycling of waste, and the use of solar smoking kiln for fish and as against the traditional smoking method that uses wood smoke was also suggested as a means to protecting the health of the environment and of the people.
Stakeholders called for the promotion of urban agriculture particularly for the production of vegetables and fruits for household consumption and the sale of the excess production for income generation. The enhancement of access to land for female farmers was also suggested as a way to ensuring household food access.
Stakeholders opined that the provision of basic rural infrastructure will facilitate access of farmers to the market so as to reduce wastage, and curb the rising rate of rural urban migration, which in itself is a major underlying cause for household food insecurity and the rising levels of malnutrition in the country.
Stakeholders concluded that post-harvest losses can be drastically reduced through the encouragement of on-farm processing activities and the provision of gender appropriate processing equipment, and the associated linkages to off-takers. The creation and revival of commodity boards was proposed as a means of addressing the issue of waste and linkages to off takers. The rehabilitation of, and the use of silos in each of the Local Government areas was also put forward as a means to reducing food post-harvest loses.
To ensure the consumption of nutritious, safe, and diverse foods, stakeholders suggested a massive public enlightenment programme because they believe that a large proportion of the population do not have the information to be able to make informed decisions about what they should or should not eat. They also believe that there should be awareness creation on the benefits of consuming healthy, nutritious, and diverse foods.
The following actions were recommended
1) Promotion of private sector agricultural extension systems to complement the public sector system for providing extension service to farmers along with awareness creation on the consumption of healthy diets.
2) Promotion of efficient storage techniques for various commodities and facilitating access to such.
3) Provision of basic rural infrastructure by government or through PPP.
4) Positioning & strengthening of research institutes to engage in demand driven research, clarifying their mandates, and monitoring their performances.
5) Setting out regulations and sanctions for environmental degradation from Agro-processing waste.
6) Government to work in partnership with private extension service providers, CSOs/NGOs to build capacity and strengthen extension service delivery.
7) Ensure that farmers have access to early maturing & disease resistant varieties of crops and livestock.
8) Massive enlightenment and sensitization of the general public on the benefits of afforestation and the challenges associated with deforestation.
9) Conflict management and reforms aimed at moderating clashes between farmers and herders.
10) Creating and maintaining a database of farmers to ensure that productive inputs reach practising farmers.
11) Strengthening the agricultural insurance scheme and breaking the monopoly of NAIC in this area.
12) Put in place a monitoring framework.236- 238
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Discussion Topic South West food system eliminates hunger, reduces malnutrition, improves health, and provides food free from all forms of contamination for everyone, including the poor
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality
• Food must first be available before there can be nutritious or safe food. To increase food availability, farmers must be reached with financing, improved seeds that are high yielding, mechanization to reduce drudgery, irrigation to multiply number of planting cycles in a year, and chiefly, security of lives and property.
• To improved access, market linkages must be improved, including roads rehabilitation, to facilitate distribution from areas of surplus to areas of scarcity.
• For the very poor, nutrition-sensitive social protection programmes, including nutritious school meals, are indispensable.
Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods
• Promote value addition during food processing.
• In rapidly urbanizing areas, affordable markets that sell fresh food products must be preserved.
Strand 3: Ensuring safe food
• Regulation of informal street food vendors is important. Local governments must strengthen environmental health regulatory system to incorporate supportive supervision practices and education before regulation.
• Inappropriate use of agrochemicals along entire value chains must be addressed, including the regulation of agrochemicals.
• Education of all food system actors to deliver and/or demand foods that meet minimum safety standards.
• Production and promotion of improved packaging materials
Cross-Cutting
• Improved food storage and processing to ensure food availability year-round, prevent waste, preserve nutrient content, and ensure food safety.
• Harness use of technology for information dissemination and education of actors along entire food supply chain
• Homestead food production in both urban and rural areas.
• Focus on women and active engagement of the youth.
• Education of children, including incorporation of school gardens and food production and processing into school curriculum.
What contributions will our organisations make for food systems transformation?
• Local governments must be actively and strategically engaged.
• Ministries of agriculture, environment, and health should facilitate and coordinate actions.
• Associations of farmers, food vendors, and food and beverage manufacturers should be used to reach grassroots.
• Research institutes would identify necessary improved solutions
• Regulatory agencies should facilitate food safety transformation.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Better performance of children in schools in disadvantaged areas in external examinations
• Reduced incidence of illnesses, evidenced by lower volumes of patients visiting medical facilities
• Strengthened data collection, analysis, and dissemination.236- 239
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Shift to healthy and sustainable consumption pattern
Poor nutritional knowledge and ignorance on nutritious and healthy diets coupled with poverty are the causes of malnutrition among rural and urban dwellers. Shifting to healthy and sustainable consumption patterns requires motivating and empowering consumers to make informed, healthy, safe and sustainable food choices. To achieve this there is need for value reorientation of consumers through community engagements, mass media discussion programmes for parents and school children to rely on nutritious local foods like wholegrains, legumes, eggs and vegetables. Embarking on large scale production of blended foods from local sources to prevent and manage moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and community driven food assistance programmes where communities procure food in bulk and distribute at cheaper rate to members should be explored. Training of food processors on the use of appropriate storage and preservation techniques especially for perishable foods is crucial in addition to consumer education on what constitutes healthy diets as well as reducing the consumption of high calorie, sugar and salt processed foods for healthy living cannot be overemphasised.
Enhancing availability and access to healthy, safe and sustainable diets is also critical. This will involve rebranding the social investment policies to improve the nutrition status of the vulnerable groups, policy reorientation and reintegration of indigenous foods into fast food menu lists, legislation and enforcing regulations guiding fortification of processed foods for improved nutrition. Government assisted branded transportation system to move farm produce from farm gates to rural and urban markets to reduce costs, spoilage, improve availability and access to consumers should be encouraged. School feeding programme has the potential for laying a good foundation for healthy diets and sustainable food consumption among school children and when linked with small holder farmers can also ensure sustainable supply of fresh and safe foods for children.
Governmental, non-governmental organisations, small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) are important stakeholders in shifting to healthy and sustainable consumption patterns. They can contribute by producing dietary guidelines and food recipes for different age groups using National food based dietary guidelines, training farmers, agro processors, retailers in good agricultural practices as it concerns the use of pesticides and chemicals to ensure food safety. Reintroducing the commodity boards for produce uptake and price regulations of farm produce is essential. Low cost interventions that can improve child nutrition should be implemented while civil society organisations and other non-state actors should educate consumers on safe and nutritious foods and dispel food misinformation being peddled on social media. Farmers association should also embark on training of members on good agricultural practices for healthy and sustainable food production and consumption. Primary Health Care facilities should integrate food demonstration to caregivers on sustainable food diversification/consumption.
To ensure the success of these actions, baseline data should be established at the beginning of interventions to know if they are successful or not while developing measurable and time bound indicators to collect data, track and measure the effects of interventions through periodic monitoring of the interventions.236- 240
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Discussion Topic BOOSTING NATURE –POSITIVE FOOD SYSTEM PRODUCTION
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• The Various government at all level of governance should strengthen the institutions and parastatals that controls food manufacturing ,food processing to assist in logistics and infrastructures such as roads, in order to reduce post-harvest losses and wastages of farmed products.
• Efforts should be geared towards advocacy of qualitative and quantitative production under strict hygienic condition, effective handling, processes and safe distribution.
• Another important factor of greatest impact is the availability and continuous provision of food for children, improving standard of living, realistic infrastructure planning, budgeting and efficiency through partnership support.
• Farmer earnings must be considered and regulated to encourage all season farming with emphasis on subsidy in agricultural input for seasonal food storage.
• Other areas incudes the involvement of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to provide newer, better and quicker ways for people involved in food production to interact, network, help gain access in boosting nature positive food system production.
What contributions will our organisations make?
• The Multidisciplinary Stakeholders agreed to jointly have regular meeting ,focus on Synergy and Collaboration, Networking together to deliberate on constraints and opportunities to resolving issues around food production system and regulations.
• Other areas of commitments is to take Statistical data collection and analysis of food production system by Multisector stakeholder by domesticating exploration for a speedy action in organizing food system summit at the grass root level.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• The Successful action can be detected through the following : i.e., Proper efficient accurate monitoring and evaluation(M&E),Participatory stakeholder Key Performance Indicator(KPI), to be measured continuously as well as widely publicised results to know the level of progress on the actions, level of compliance and what is lacking.236- 241
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Discussion Topic 1. Vision for food systems in the next 10 years
2. On changes that must be made so that food systemscan meet SDG expectations by 2030
3.On how stakeholders can work well together and differently for collective action
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
1.
Synopsis of AT 4: Advancing equitable livelihoods and this encompasses, the youth; the very future of the food systems, women; statistically more involved in the actual food systems and the vulnerable groups; IDPs and refugees.
Encouraging family centred enterprises may be the fastest way to real changes as women run these families.
Policy makers should tweak policies to favour the youth, women and vulnerable groups. E.g. extending credits, loans and land ownership.
Urban farming to highlight the multiple roles of plants. E.g. Most local vegetables used as food also have highly potent medicinal properties.
Leverage on the Covid-19 pandemic crisis to advance subsistent farming of high value plants.
To advertise Agriculture in an attractive way speaking the language of the youth
2.
Capacity building, exclusively for women, youths and vulnerable peoples because they usually have limited skills and knowledge.
To tackle poverty from multi-dimensional aspects and focus on the the specific groups whose livelihoods and equity are threatened.
Tackling clear and present problems eg. Middlemen superiority and short-changing
3. Agricultural private sector ; corporations, small- and medium- sized enterprises, small businesses, women self-help groups etc. Can be a big help here as Track 4 involves structural changes and resetting of cultural mindsets that take time to achieve
Collective action of stakeholders is mostly in the area of capacity building.
Motivations need to be put in place for practitioners e.g. tax exemptions.
What contributions will our organizations make?
Our organizations, made up of mostly agricultural private sector (corporations, small- and medium- sized enterprises, small businesses, women self-help groups, Youth groups, Leaders at IDP camps etc.),
Intensive game-changing advocacy directed at the youth, women and vulnerable peoples. To adopt novel ways of creating awareness.
To use Techy terms in the same breath as food systems, agriculture. To make agribusiness attractive to young people.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
Effective monitoring and evaluation;
Generating data and records which are currently unavailable in order to study the trends of the changes.
Statistically taking data of youth and women involvements in a serious way profitable to the authentic data generator.236- 242
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Discussion Topic Building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress.
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• To have in place structures such as cottage processing facilities, cold chain logistics, and proper storage system to reduce post-harvest losses.
• An improved agricultural practices that ensure all year-round production by having a robust dry season farming/irrigation, taking advantage of numerous inland waterways, streams and lakes in the states.
• Capacity building for farmers to embrace new technologies such as insitu production of organo-mineral fertilisers, farmer friendly soil testing techniques, principle of zero tillage farming and other simple methods of environment friendly farming practices like exsitu conservation of fauna species.
• Good road network to ensure effective transportation of farm produce, so as to bridge gap between farm gate and markets
• Decentalise National grain reserve services, establish functional commodities markets and establish functional agricultural insurance schemes to cater for shocks from failures due to disasters and other emergencies such as COVID-19 pandemic.
• Frantic efforts by the government to strengthen security network in order to recover farmlands from bandits and build the confidence of farmers back to the farm
• A more robust extension service system that will incorporate contemporary environment friendly protocols to protect soil and biological diversity.
• Policy reforms and enabling acts to ensure preservation of forest reserves, greenbelts, wetlands, watersheds and other critical ecosystems to improve during adverse weather conditions.
• Develop traditional foods like wild vegetables, wild fruits, condiments, spices, organics like mushrooms, to feature more in the national food system.
• Development of home-based agriculture like aquaponics, and other home-based gardening, animal domestication like grass-cutter farming, snailery etc.
• Well structure credit facilities which are farmer friendly accessible and sustainable will help to cope with stresses from poverty.
• More investment in demand-driven research activities in various higher institutions of learning and research institutes, as well as collating research findings that can help in building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses.
What contributions will our organisations make?
• The Academia will assist in conducting demand driven research that will bring about environment friendly agriculture, while ensuring sustainable functioning of the ecosystem.
• Farmers association will be willing to collaborate with government and development partners to ensure compliance with regulations on how to ensure a resilient food system for the benefit of all.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Establishing effective monitoring and evaluation strategies that will be multisectorial, multidisciplinary and with wide stakeholder participation.
• Evaluate various interventions that have been done especially those on smart agricultural practices, National fadama and Critical ecosystem management projects, National erosion and watershed management projects in the time past.237- 238
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GROUP 1
• Actors benefitting from irregularities and inefficiencies in current systems are likely to be divergent. Food system transformation must incorporate inclusiveness and negotiation.
• Conflicts among farmers and extension agents due to seeming incompatibilities between indigenous and new knowledge. Advances need to be introduced with sensitivity and innovative approaches.
GROUP 3
• Some of the issues of divergence discussed are :
• Many states are running different programs that are not having positive impact on boosting nature food production systems, for example the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Platform (DAWN) that was in operation before election has been abandoned.
• Constant agitations and disagreement on land tenure, acquisition and politics, different opinions of technocrats inclusion on governance and the policy makers on food production system,
• Inability to collaborate on boosting nature food production by different divergent opinions by relevant stakeholders .
• Suggested management option advises all Southern government to go back to the drawing board and reappraise, overhaul their capacity building that will have a positive impact on boosting all season food production system that will not be affected by climate change .
Stakeholders with land shortage will need to be trained on diverse methods of urban farming; aeroponics, hydroponics etc and these are available already at least in Lagos.
GROUP 4
Stakeholders with abundance of land resources,need encouragement through tax exemptions, subsidies on products, easy access to loans.
GROUP 5
There were divergences in the definition and classification of migrants leaving as destitute, miscreants and other categories of migrants not leaving in IDP camps but require adequate attention for shock resistance for attainment of a sustainable food system in 2030.2021-05-08 17:24:51205Stage 2Sokoto Food System Exploratory Dialoguehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8622/- 135
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The Sokoto dialogue centre was made up of participants from Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States. The exploratory dialogue harnessed promising approaches to solving challenges from diverse stakeholders that are critical to food systems in the zone. In preparation for the dialogue there was engagement among the various groups and stakeholders for a common position to be presented during the dialogue. The dialogue had an opening ceremony with goodwill messages from various stakeholders from the participating states with the dialogue declared opening by the host Governor. There was a technical session during which the dialogue took place with focus on the five action tracks with summary of outcome presented in plenary.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Exploratory Dialogue was guided by the United Nations Five Action Tracks and also explored key cross-cutting issues like finance, technology and empowerment of women and young people which can be mobilized to ensure that food system in the North west is inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable in order to deliver quality diet and livelihood.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?There is need to plan for more dialogues at the rural communities to get to the population that their voices are seldom heard of which many of them their livelihood depends largely on the food system. Such dialogue will give them the opportunity to contribute to finding solution to their challenges.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The major focus of the exploratory dialogue in the Sokoto Dialogue Centre was a comprehensive exploration of the Food Systems in the North West Zone with focus on the participating states (Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara). Participants identified the issues/challenges affecting the food systems along the five action tracks and levers of the UN Food Systems Summit. They conducted discussion on the food systems, major stakeholders, potentials, vulnerabilities, as well as opportunities for its transformation so that it can deliver high quality diet and affordable nutrition that is inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable and as means of livelihood.
The discussions revealed that the negative impact of the 2020 flood witnessed in the zone which ravaged the farm lands thereby throwing many families into poverty with implementable strategies that would assist in mitigation against such future occurrences. There are misuse of Agrochemicals and selling of grains to farmers in the place of seeds which affect their production output. There is inadequate knowledge on post-harvest management, lack of clear data on actual requirements of farmers, Government support towards improving agriculture using mechanized agriculture, advanced storage facilities are inadequate and lack of collaborations between federal and state towards improving the food system.
Furthermore, there are many challenges across the food systems in the participating states. There is equity issues affecting access to land, loans and agricultural inputs propagated by the existing gender norms, vulnerability, poverty and illiteracy of the peasant farmers. Specifically, there is neglect or improper representation of women in the areas of food production, discrimination against women in sharing of agricultural inputs and credit facilities despite the significant role they play in the transformation of the food system, marketing monopoly by middlemen, poor government implementation of social protection programs, agricultural insurance and farmers loans, poor support for small and medium size enterprises which are major part of a strong agricultural value chain. Insecurity due to banditry and farmer-herdsmen clashes have made it difficult for farmers to access their farms. Effect of environmental changes such as drought, flood and desertification is hitting hard on the farmers with a lots of loss of crops which lead to poor yield.235- 238
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1. The dialogue was able to identify the mentioned food systems challenges from multiple perspectives which include inadequate support from government and agricultural inputs, gender discrimination in terms credit facilities and farm input distribution and land acquisition.
2. The participants identified promising strategies for improving nutrition security, reducing hunger and prevalence of malnutrition in line with the National Policy on Food and Nutrition for Nigeria.
3. We have a unique opportunity to build our new national food systems narrative into our key national development plans for 2025, 2030 and 2050.This will require radical thinking, smart partnerships, but strong political will and courage to advance the food systems transformation we need in Nigeria.
4. There is need to promote more inclusive, healthier food systems, encourage collaborative approach towards building sustainable food security and enhancing the achievement of the SDGs.
While these transformations will be a journey, we must start by taking some strategic and immediate transition steps – the suggested steps include
o Generate regular appropriate production data through ADP or other agencies and identification of comparative advantage crops in each state for support by government in the area of farm inputs and value addition
o Organizing training for farmers on good agricultural practices and use of improved seed varieties to optimize yield
o Encouragement of small scale food processor and aggregating farms for reliable off takers thereby expanding farmers market
o Support for Mass media education of the public on safe and healthy nutritious diet
o Government to ensure sufficient fund and adequate support given to agriculture with appropriate timeliness.
o There is need for strong partnership between government, private sector and other funding agencies both local and international for improvement in the food system.
o Emphasis were made on the need for urgent and immediate collaboration between the national and state agencies and also engaging all stakeholders, so as to know the actual statistics of the problems, demands and requirements gaps that need to be bridge through Agricultural extension workers.
o Federal Government to address the issue of insecurities, fertilizer distributions and also take measures to ensure government interventions reach the intended beneficiaries.
o Active sensitization and mass media communications to the grass root on the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption.
o Made available access roads for easy conveyance of the farm produce to avoid losses before getting to the market.
o Adoption of modern techniques of farming by empowering farmers with local technologies and farm implements that can be maintain by the local farmers.
o Derive a means of reliable and sustainable storage patterns throughout the year.
o Enlighten women on the process of cooking a healthy food.
o Empower youth to embrace farming as an occupation/business
o Make lands available and accessible for farming to take place.
o Government to enforce price control across all levels
o Women groups should be created and encouraged to participate and be involved in every decisions with regards to Food System.
o Enforcement of Deforestation Act by the government in other to reduce the negative effect associated with it.
o Adoption or implementation of Climate Smart Agriculture System with effective and proactive land preparation like soil testing etc.
o Government direct investment in Agriculture Extension Education to empower and assist farmers in food production and value addition in order to reduce post-harvest losses
o Equitable social protection programs and insurance that works for farmers.
o Government policies should be effectively implemented by agencies e.g., CBN anchor borrower scheme.
o Involvement of women and physically challenge in agricultural program planning and implementation.
o Actions on the role of Women in the transformation of the Food system in the North western Nigeria include Women empowerment, Encourage the women cooperative association, Allocating a percentage to the women group when sharing items at all level including credit facilities
o Actions on the issue of insecurity: use of current technologies and methods such as the use of drones for the application of fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides; the use of mechanized farming tools; Geological surveys and mapping of areas of agricultural activities and insecurity prone areas; Group security system/Community security system (Vigilante)
o Actions on Environmental factors: use improved seed varieties and Pest control measures, Mapping of drought and flood prone areas for necessary mitigation measures; Practice of sustainable agriculture to preserve236- 238
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Recommendations from the discussants are as follows:
Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality
o Identify the vulnerable
o Addressing poverty by increasing purchasing power of the poor
o Bio-fortification
o Address post-harvest loses
o Government regulation on food price/incentives
o Encouraging Corporate Social Responsibility
Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods
o Revive and improve on irrigation system
o Engaging in good agricultural practices GAP to increase food production
o Harm farmers with skill and knowledge
o Home gardening and backyard farming
o Raising official off-takers for crops to have competitive advantage
o Good road network for easy movement of the farm produce
o Adequate security in the country to protect farmers and their farms.
o Educating farmers on the use of agrochemicals
o Promotion of aquaculture among women and youth
o Training of the farmers on modern ways on food storage
o Embracing Mechanization in all our agricultural system
o Use of ICT to monitor the processes of our production
Strand 3: Ensuring safe food
o Engaging research agricultural institutes to do the needful
o Pass the Food Safety Bill and legislate food safety
o Provision of portable water for all the vulnerable
o Food Sanitation
o Regulation of street food vendors and restaurants
o Greater regulation of ingredients in industrially produced foods
o Encourage mobile food bank
o Less use of inorganic fertilizer
o Training on food handling, cooking and consumption
Actions to be taken the next 3 years:
o Appropriate production data through ADP or other agencies
o Identification of comparative advantage of crops in each state
o M & E Department must be involved
o Identify the area of value addition
o Improvement in seed varieties to optimize yield
o Organizing training for farmer on good agricultural practices
o Draw out a work plan and achievable time lines
o Resources must be committed to the project
o Emergency food security assessment
o Farmers need to be trained
o Aggregating farms for reliable off-takers
o Mass media education on nutritious dieting on weekly basis
o Training and support for health worker and care givers.
Action plan for next 10 years (2030)
o It is progressive from what result we get from 3 years work plan
o Government should release budget allocated to agriculture sufficiently and on time.
Cross cutting
o Home gardens/backyard farming gives you access to nutritious foods.
o Revitalization of our agricultural institute of research and regular funding to upscale production.
o Government should develop nutrition based dietary guidelines for all at all level
o Financing and Increasing modern biotechnology research,
o Public education on responsible use of agro-chemicals.
o Establish credible and integrated data base for detailed food systems information.
o Establishment of Food Systems Bill236- 239
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Discussion Topic SHIFT TO HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION PATTERNS
After explaining the track in line with the summit’ goals. Definition of some basic terms like the food security, food system, chains involved in the food chain, problems already identified by the FAO reports all in relations to the Track (Track- 2). Then the floor was declared open for brainstorming, which gave out the following recommendations:
Responses Regarding the actions greatest impact in the next 3 years
• Emphasis were made on the need for urgent and immediate collaboration between the national and state agencies to engage all stakeholders, so as to know the actual statistics of the problems, demands, requirements gaps that need to be bridge through Agricultural extension workers.
• Immediately shift away from the use of chemical fertilizers and adopt the use of organic fertilizer. Because residues from chemical fertilizers causes a lot of health hazards.
• Emphasizing on the exclusive system of feeding so as to safeguard the health of infants between 0 to 6months
• FG to address the issue of insecurities, fertilizer distributions and also taking furnishable measures on those misappropriating the government interventions.
• Active sensitization and mass media communications to the grass root farmers on the importance of garnishing the food by some vital vegetables like moringa.
• Provision of access roads for easy conveyance of the farm produce, as some are spoilt before transporting them to the market.
• Adoption of modern techniques by empowering the local technologies to form farm implements that can be maintain by the local farmers.
• Derive a means of reliable and sustainable storage patterns throughout the year.
• Enlighten women on the process of cooking a healthy food.
• Empower youth to embrace farming as an occupation/business for all not for the villagers and old ages.
• Make lands available and accessible for the farming to take place.
• Appropriate Implementation of all the vital information.
• Government to enforce price control across all levels.
Contributions to be made by organizations
• Civil Society Organizations wish to embark on massive sensitization (different age groups) on the health importance of the fruits and vegetables
• Government promised to improve quality production by introduction of a clustered system of farming
• Empowering the farmers and ensuring improve local production.
• Government to assists and empower widows and orphans, to be self-reliant.
• Farmers Associations bow to give a series of orientations to their members on how to access, utilizes and manage government interventions
• The actions can only be possible by implementation of the whole observations/ issues that were raised during the summits.
• Ensuring good governance and sincerity in implementations of action plans
• Ensuring all year-round irrigation system of farming as that of raining season may not be enough.
• The believed that government are doing enough but the farmers are abusing the efforts and majority of the farmers associations disputed the assertions.236- 240
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Boost Nature Positive Production at Sufficient Scale
The goal is to provide healthy and nutritious food to all people, while creating livelihood opportunities and reducing the negative environmental, climate and health impacts associated with food systems.
The following were observed and recommended:
Challenges Associated with Nature-Positive Production
• Time lag of benefits
• Weak knowledge and advisory systems
• Higher labor demand
• Higher transaction costs
• Policy incoherence
• Poor marketing and processing facilities
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
1. Increasing the knowledge and innovation for Nature-Positive Production which can be achieved through research funding.
2. Women groups should be created and encouraged to participate and be involved in every decisions with regards to Food System. Likewise, their access to land, water and biodiversity should be improved.
3. Promote marketing and processing facilities for nature-positive products.
4. Develop Policy on nature-positive production and its coherence with other available policies should be ensured.
5. Enforcement of Deforestation Act by the government in other to reduce the negative effect associated with the act.
6. Adapt and strengthen the knowledge development of farmers, farm advisors, food technologist and academics.
7. Adoption or implementation of Climate Smart Agriculture System.
8. Promoting the Urban Food Production System
9. Tackling the issues of insurgency affecting the region.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
1. Through proper and effective monitoring and evaluation of:
- Implementation of Policy on Nature-Positive Production if developed by the relevant MDAs
- Women participation by both the Federal and States Ministry of Women Affairs
- Enforcement of Deforestation Act by the Federal and States Ministry of Environment
- Climate Smart Agriculture System by Federal and States Ministry of Agriculture
2. Through Food Production Inventory Data Base
Conclusions
Policy intervention and prudent governance are needed to transform food production from nature-negative to nature-positive production systems. Nature-positive production systems must be integrated into school and college curricula and vocational educational programs.236- 241
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Advancing equitable livelihoods in Nigeria.
The Summary of discussions are presented as follows:
1. What actions in the next 3 years will have the greatest impact on the discussion topic?
• Effective and proactive land Preparation – Co-ordination, soil testing, etc.
• Govt. direction and investment in Agric. Extension Education and general education of the population
• Agric. Value chain development by individual with government input
• Strong community board for market control and promoting of finance and agric. inputs.
• Equitable social protection programs and insurance that works for farmers.
• Government policies should be effectively implemented by agencies e.g., CBN anchor borrower scheme.
• Carry women and disabled people along in agricultural program planning and implementation.
• Improvement of security situation in the country to allow farmers to move to their farms with ease and businesses to operate freely.
2. What contribution will our organizations make?
• Religious and community leaders have a role in stabilizing communities and managing gender norms.
• Government should support development of strong market associations.
• State commodity boards should be more effective in monitoring and implementing price control for agricultural commodities as well as regulating the activities of middlemen.
3. How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Peaceful, prosperous, and productive farmers who are using technology in their farms to improve output.
• Effective and functional agricultural extension services which are supporting farmers’ activities.
• Religion and culture are fundamental gender issues but are enablers for empowering women and disabled people at the grassroots.
• Use of technology and mechanization is widespread with the adoption of simple tools and more complex machinery.
• Reduction of poverty.
Vision of Success/Solutions
• An organized value chain is in place in every agricultural community.
• The well-educated workforce who has basic education who are involved in the agricultural value chain.
• Sufficient numbers of well-trained agricultural extension workers are available to help all farmers of different gender, ability, and locations.
• A well-established, well-funded and equipped agricultural extension service.
• Reduction in poverty in the rural areas among the peasant farmers
• Widespread adoption of technology with evidence of improvement of activities and output by local farmers
• More environmentally friendly agricultural activities in local communities.
• Organized, effective, and functional agricultural cooperatives, farmers associations and commodity boards that provide strict price regulation and guarantee value for the rural farmers and others in the local agricultural value chain.
• Other types of farming activities beyond arable farming are established and people across all strata, gender and capability are participating in the food system.
• Well-Functioning insurance schemes available to farmers to mitigate unforeseen shocks.236- 242
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Discussion Topic Building Resilience to Food system in North western Nigeria to withstand Vulnerability, Shock and Stresses
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
The actions that can have the greatest impact in the next three years:
1. Role of Women in the transformation of the Food system in the North western Nigeria:
i. Women empowerment
ii. Encourage the women to form corporative and association
iii. Allocating a certain quarter to the women group
2. Actions on the issue of insecurity:
i. Technological equipments and methods such as drones for the application of fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides; the use of mechanized farming tools
ii. Improved seed varieties
iii. Geological surveys and mapping of areas of agricultural activities
iv. Group security system/Community security system (Vigilante)
3. Actions on Environmental factors:
i. Improved seed varieties
ii. Pest control measures
iii. Mapping of drought and flood prone areas
iv. Practice of sustainable agriculture
v. Measures to make sure the agricultural inputs reach the grassroot farmers
4. On shocks such as the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020:
i. Provision of storage facilities
ii. Provision of food processing facilities
iii. Provisions of credit facilities and other palliative measure
What actions in next 10 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
1. The use of high tech modern farming equipments
2. Construction of Earth dams and water reservoirs across the communities
3. Sustainable agricultural measures such as afforestation.
What contributions will our organizations make?
1. Ministry of Animal Health and Fishery development:
i. Artificial insemination
ii. Cross breading
iii. Provision of quality breeds of animals including fish fingerlings
iv. Provision of extension service
v. M &E
2. Ministry of Water resources:
i. Geological survey
ii. Laboratory assessment of Water
3. Ministry of Agriculture and rural development:
i. Pest control measures
ii. Provision of extension services
iii. M & E
4. Nigeria Cassava Growers Association
i. Improve seedlings
ii. M &E
5. National Sheeps and Goat Development Association
i. Tracking of activities
ii. Monitoring and evaluation of how credits facilities are utilized
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
Monitoring and evaluation of projects and activities by various stakeholders including government MDAs and Non-Governmental Organizations.
The divergent was on the approaches to avert the effect of insecurity:
i. Issue of Group security
ii. Government been responsible for securing the population
iii. Individuals should be empowered to provide securities for themselves
Way forward on the above issues:
1. The government should do more on handling the issues of insecurity and should work with the community leaders in this respect putting into considerations the peculiarities of each community.
Recommendations
i. Women empowerment at all level of government
ii. Government should work with various stakeholders
iii. Government should utilize the services of stakeholders that can provide various extension services.
iv. The farmers and other stakeholders should form groups/cooperatives/associations.237- 238
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GROUP 1
o Delay in release of funds for farmers to address by Government.
o Researchers should liaise with farm to update them in useful methodology
o Government need to be buying directly from the farmers not off-takers
GROUP 3
The divergence revealed was the possibility for continue of the Irrigation System of farming considering its negative effect with regard to our natural environment.
However, the issue was managed by ensuring its negative impact has being reduced through the creation or provision of Digital Elevation Model, Small Earth Dam and Water Harvesting System.
GROUP 4
• Political inference in allocation and distribution of land, loans, and input should be addressed.
• Government should address the issue of land grabbing de wealthy individuals.
• Female and disabled farmers need to be supported, carried along and given opportunities.
• Use of technology on the farm should be promoted.
GROUP 5
The divergent was on the approaches to avert the effect of insecurity:
i. Issue of Group security
ii. Government been responsible for securing the population
iii. Individuals should be empowered to provide securities for themselves2021-05-08 17:55:30205Stage 2Gombe Food System Exploratory Dialoguehttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8641/- 135
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Participating states were written to formally by the convenor and the states leadership were engaged at opportune meetings where the issues and expectations of the regional food system dialogues were addressed including the expectations, participation that stressed leaving no one behind including the generation of participants at the physical and virtual meeting to ensure full participation of all involved in the food system in the states and the region. The urgency of actions to make the food systems work for everyone and the environment in the region was stressed during the preparations for the dialogue,and in all speeches, good will messages, and discussions. The dialogue agenda setting stressed the principles and expectations at the meeting proper. ALL the 5 action tracks were given equal opportunities of being discussed and analysed as they relate to the region.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Recognize complexity: The agenda setting reflected the complexity and inter relatedness of the 5 action tracks as well as set a common understanding of what constitute the food systems. The published issues, status and challenges of the North East’s food system was included in the agenda setting to stimulate the discussions. The setting concluded with a call to ALL participants to proffer a holistic course of action that will ensure that the food system delivers high quality diet that are affordable, healthy, nutritious and able to meet the need of all, inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Need to plan for dialogues based on the challenges of the new normal with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic – consideration of the mode of participation (virtual or physical or both). Infrastructural limitations with internet access and quality will be a limiting factor to participation of people in areas with limited infrastructure. The build up to the explorative dialogue in resource poor zones with limited infrastructure can be daunting.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The North East regional dialogue was a comprehensive exploration of the regions’ Food Systems along the five action tracks and levers of the UN Food Systems Summit. Participants conducted a thorough diagnosis of the food systems, including its functionality, major stakeholders, potentials, vulnerabilities, as well as opportunities for its transformation so that it can deliver high quality diet that is affordable, healthy, nutritious, inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable; as well as able to meet the need of all actors of the food system.
The dialogue observedthat the focus on agriculture value chain and food security resulted in anunintended consequenceof creating a less diverse food environment that is unable to provide needful food variety that are affordable, safe, and nutritious enough to meet the needs of all in the region. The region’s Food systems are noted to be under stress and shocks continually being disrupted as a result of the conflicts and insecurity. In addition, part of the region is threatened by climate change and stresses due to the impact of drought, flooding, erosion, inflation, the COVID-19pandemic, and conflict. Poverty, unemployment, and insufficient food reserves limit the capacity of the food systems to cope with shocks and stresses.
The COVID pandemic has amplified the fragility, inequities and suboptimal functionality of the region’s food systems thus requiring significant transformations in polices, practices and business models that would make the food systems fit for purpose and enable the delivery of the most important functions rooted in robust evidence base, context and emerging regional, country global trends and realities.
Most times, the vulnerable group in the region are the most affected by the challenge of food safety and the most nutritious foods are noted to have the most complicated challenge around safety. There are huge post-harvest losses in the region, where losses could be as high as over 50% of harvest and over 50% of waste generated in the region are classified as food waste within the food systems; we lose more than half of what we produce, and this comeswith significant impact on the environment. Inequality and power imbalances at the household, community, state and regional levels consistently constrainthe ability of the region’s food systems tosignificantly contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable, equitable livelihoods.235- 238
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The region recognizes the need to rebuild and strengthen the regional food systems driven by radical thinking, smart partnerships, backed by strong political will and courage to advance the food systems transformation need of the region.
The envisaged food system will be development focused that prioritizes healthy diets and affordable nutrition, that is inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable, while working for everyone, with ability to contribute to rebuild the economy of the region, create jobs, spur growth across sectors and sustain our ecosystems.
The regional food system narrative will be to supportnourishing beyond feeding, that makes human health and nutrition a priority, emphasizing the primacy of diet quality, that would eliminate hunger while addressing all forms of malnutrition, considers planetary health, pro-growth while supporting job creationand livelihoods, and economic sustainability.
While these transformations will be a journey, we must start by taking some strategic and immediate transition steps – the suggested steps include
- Transformative policy reviews rooted in a new and common narrative and anchored on philosophy of food as a human right in line with UN conventions.
- Operationalize a coordinated Food Systems data transformation agenda
- Scale/Democratize proven innovations that considers the common man at the common market
- Ramp up investment in Food Systems research & development
- Depoliticize, expand, and modernize social protection programs in Nigeria.
- Promote optimum breastfeeding practices
- Operationalize resilient financing mechanisms by leveraging domestic and international facilities
- Ramp up investment in infrastructures that support critical innovations & opportunities with special focus on rural infrastructures
- Build critical leadership, technical and human and organizational capacities
- Operationalize key guidelines rooted in transformed policies, data & the new narrative
- Engage in fair trade, taking relevant country and global contexts into consideration
- Foster transformative and smart partnerships
- Revise and implement the National Resilience framework
- Redirect Policy – aim at getting youths engaged in the agriculture sector using technology and e-commerce.
- Implement plans to mechanize agricultural production to enable innovation and increase resilience and productivity with a focus on nutrition
- Scale up sustainable technologies including cold chain technologies to tackle post-harvest food losses
- Pass the food quality and safety bill into law
- Change the culture of adequate food consumption by concentrating on the new generation, e.g., children
- Put in place a monitoring framework to ensure implementation of all recommendations for the improvement of food systems by all actors236- 238
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Discussion Topic Ensuring Access to Safe and Nutritious Food for All
What actions in the next 3 years will have greatest impact on Shifting to Sustainable Consumption Patterns?
The actions key out are;
Strand 1: Reducing Hunger and Inequality
• Maximum utilization of dams, rivers and water ways - Irrigation
• Use of improved varieties of crops
• Improvement of micro-climate of the zone
• Increase security measures to protect farmers and herders
• More investment in agricultural inputs and modern farming technology
• Avails farming with agric credit facilities.
• Gender mainstreaming and advocacy
• Gender sensitive and responsive policies
• Tracking mechanisms to curb corruption and allocation of facilities.
Strand 2: Increasing Availability and Affordability of Nutritious Food.
• Improve production, harvesting, preservation and processing of food produces
• Eradicate food processing activities that reduces the quality and nutrients in food
• Fortified foods due to losses during production
• Robust extension service system
• Demonstration of nutritious food during maternal and child health activities
• Nutrition Education awareness
• Organization and promotion of community food fair
Strand 3: Ensuring safe food
• Advocacy and proper training of farmers on standard operating procedures (SOP)in applying agrochemical
• Good agricultural practices
• Good storage facilities
• Food produces testing facilities
• Encourage the use of organic fertilizers and other forms of manure.
What contributions will our organizations make?
• Promotion of science and research for combating hunger and malnutrition.
• Disseminating outcome of researches.
• Encourage fundamental transformation of the food chain to full nutrition with an initiative linking human wellbeing, agriculture, and the environment.
• Promote agricultural innovation and attract investment to agricultural development projects.
• Legislation against the use of inappropriate farming activities e.g. agro-chemicals
• Connecting researchers with industry and enhancing supply chain
• Introduction of improved varieties.
• Eliminate the injustices that cause hunger, working with social movements to amplify their voices and boost their efforts toward food justice and sovereignty.
• Creation of sustainable sources of income and local networks for farmers to share resources with one another.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Implementation of appropriate policy and good monitoring system
• Reduced morbidity and mortality rate
• Improved standard of living
• Sustainability of the goals and actions
• Better warning signal and security support system
• Improvement in education and sustainable agricultural practices236- 239
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• What actions in the next 3 years will have greatest impact on Shifting to Sustainable Consumption Patterns?
The following specific actions stood out;
1. Boost income and purchasing power at the household level
2. Address state of insecurity
3. Advocate for the consumption of diversified, safe and nutritious foods that can be sustained
4. Intensive advocacy for behavioural change to address foods with low consumption patterns
5. More investment in road infrastructure
6. Promote the cultivation and consumption of improved varieties of crops
7. Promote diversification of food production through mixed farming
8. Scaling up of fish farming to generate employment and increase the purchasing power as well as increase access to animal protein
9. Initiate modular processing within farm cluster to address wastage
10. Initiate industrialization of the region to boost purchasing power of the people
11. Active involvement of youth in food value chain
What contributions will our [participants] organisations make?
1. Ensure proper multi-sectoral interphase
2. Strengthening the extension services
3. Push for policies that target food production, consumption and wastage
4. Prioritize consumption of healthy food
5. Encourage homestead gardening in the grassroot
6. Push for appropriate legislation
7. Ensure continuity in policy implementation irrespective of the government in power
8. Ensure the establishment of Information Management System
9. Advocacy to the traditional rulers and community influencers.
10. Strengthening of women groups and cooperatives
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
1. Defined indicators for assessment and evaluation
2. Setting of targets
3. Improvement in the state of health
4. Low level of malnutrition
5. Low mortality rate
6. Improved income
7. Better security
8. Early warning system236- 240
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Discussion Topic Boost Nature - Positive Production
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1
▪ Promote skill acquisition and encourage Youth to embrace food entrepreneurship
▪ Government should build capacity of citizens on environmentally friendly agriculture
▪ Government should encourage alternative green energy sources for households to curb deforestation
▪ Strengthen the capacities of relevant Institutions in the region to respond to natural disasters
▪ Land allocations, tenure and use acts should support investment in agroforestry
Strand 2
▪ Enforcement of laws and policies to protect forest reserves
▪ Government should provide incentives to famers to adopt climate smart crops, irrigation and sustainable fishing
▪ Encourage skill acquisition and massive environmental education
Strand 3
▪ Diversify agricultural production by investing in high valued crops, vegetables, fruits, pasture, animals and fisheries
▪ Develop policies and best practices on use of agrochemicals and mechanised farming
Strand 4
▪ Encourage cluster farming and processing
▪ Promote alley and legume cropping to revitalize soil health
▪ Develop early warning system to alert communities prone to seasonal floods
▪ Map the current food systems in the region and build capacities of producers to be globally competitive.
▪ Curb out seasonal food wastage by value addition
▪ Ensure proper solid waste disposal
Strand 5
▪ Create adequate sensitization for the production and consumption of micro livestock
▪ There should be premium pricing for environmentally friendly agricultural products
What contributions will our organisations make?
▪ Support the enactment of laws and practices that will promote sustainable environment, boost nature production and strengthen the food system in the North East, Nigeria
▪ Build famers capacities to adopt climate smart agriculture
▪ Promote the use of weather forecasting for farming operations planning
▪ Strengthen extension services and access to markets
▪ Promote Innovative technologies especially for grading, storage, processing and value addition for both crop and livestock
▪ Promotion of formal and informal education that encourages agriculture of both crops and livestock
▪ Encourage cluster farming and cottage processing of produce
▪ Support the utilisation of nutrient rich foods and fortification
▪ Promote tree planting
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
Increased awareness on anthropogenic impacts of climate change and adoption environmentally friendly actions. This means an improvement in our environment and the natural eco-systems, reduced environmental degradation and improved biodiversity.
• improved biodiversity especially plants, insects (eg honey bees),fish and animals( wildlife inclusive).
• Reduction in erosion and floods
• Increased crops and animals’ productivity
• Improve water quality for both human and agricultural purposes
• Reduction in indiscriminate cutting of trees and resource based conflicts236- 241
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Discussion Topic Advance Equitable Livelihoods
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1 Trade laws and its impact on agriculture and food systems
Effective enlightenment on farming and food chain activities.
Provision policies that will have greatest impact on local food chain
Demarcation of statutory mandates between *MANR and *MOWR
Review Land tenure system to eliminate discrimination against women
Massive support on irrigation.
Subsidizing agricultural inputs for the marginalized and rural people.
Creation of an agency to advance the equitable livelihoods.
Strand 2 Environmental problems
Protection of forest reserves
Introduction of climate smart agriculture.
Government to resuscitate the services of extension workers in the region.
Encourage the use of cooking gas in the rural areas.
Strand 3 Insecurity
Creation of community policing.
Introduction of advanced technology in agriculture to reduce conflicts.
Provision of basic necessities of life in the rural areas.
Integration of IDPs in their respective host communities.
Women and youths empowerment.
Strand 4 Shocks
Replicate food storages in the LGAs.
Be proactive during emergencies
Establishment of emergency agencies in the LGAs.
Strand 5 Agriculture, food and nutrition policies
Create adequate advocacy and sensitization in harnessing local foodstuffs.
Comprehensive database of farmers and the type of products cultivated.
Women and marginalized people should have access to loans at a minimum interest.
Land tenure system should favour the women especially in land inheritance.
1.12 GENDER ROLE IN THE CURRENT FOOD SYSTEMS IN THE NORTH-EAST ZONE
Empower the women in agricultural value addition chain.
Small scale cottage industries to employ more women
Promote the aggregation of women into civil societies.
Provide credit facilities for land ownership to women at a 0% interest.
What contributions will our organisations make?
Support on infrastructural development of the rural and marginalized population.
Establishment of small scale industries to the local and the most vulnerable populations
Capacity building.
Developing and funding an agency to protect the social needs of the poor, women, youths and the most vulnerable in the society.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Elimination of all root causes of inequality, poverty, food and nutritional insecurity amongst the poor and most vulnerable populace of the North East.
• Everyone should have equal access to economic opportunities.
• Protection of our environment and the natural eco-systems with efforts on tackling climate change, environmental degradation.236- 242
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Discussion Topic Building Resilience to Vulnerabilities, shocks and Stresses
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1
• Enact laws, strengthen security, extension services, insurances and invest in mechanization.
• Provision of low interest loans, improved seeds and incentives to attract youth into agriculture.
• Conduct credible livestock census to link livestock production with value chains.
• Work with livestock producer associations and professionals to address issues of livestock movement as well as enforcement of ECOWAS protocol.
Strand 2
• Incentivize the youth to become engaged in agriculture through knowledge sharing within the sector and improve extension services delivery.
• Linking environmental policies and programmes to food security.
• Provide infrastructures such as access to water and link afforestation to cattle routes.
Strand 3
• Support the North East States to establish Strategic Food Reserves and Agriculture Trust Fund.
• Support displaced people to have access to land and low/no interest loans.
• Enhance security through peace committees and community policing.
Strand 4
• Establishment of Strategic Food Reserves by Federal, States and Local governments to absorb sudden shocks and stressors occasioned by factors such pandemics, floods, rainstorms and fire disasters.
• Establishment of viable Commodity Exchange and Marketing Boards with policies that will discourage price manipulations.
Strand 5
• Enlighten the populace on available local nutritious foods and in right combinations.
• Intensify advocacy and sensitization on the nutritive values of local food ingredients.
• Capacity building on the production and packaging of dairy and meat products.
Strand 6
• Establishment of women and youth empowerment interventions such as skill acquisition centres.
• Intensify advocacy on value chain addition of our local foods and farm produce.
• Establishment of loan schemes in animal and domestic poultry to enhance income generation and nutritional status.
What contributions will our organisations make?
• Construction of earth dams, herder data capture facilities and provision of livestock vaccines.
• Establishment of modern Strategic Food Reserves.
• Provision of modern facilities/gadgets for tackling insecurity such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and animal rustling.
• Provision of modern agricultural implements and improved seeds/livestock.
• Establishment of standard skill acquisition centres for capacity building.
• Advocacy and sensitization on the fortification of local foods for adequate nutrient supply through UN agencies.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• The success of these actions will be reflected in increased population of healthy animals, adequate food production, improved living standard, improved human productivity, secure and peaceful communities.
• Enlightened farming population, improved environmental conditions, increased productivity of crops and animals.237- 238
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GROUP 1
• Gender equity : Empowering and strengthening of women groups and cooperatives
• Diverse views : Intensive campaign and advocacy on gender disparity due to religion and cultural beliefs
• Communal crisis: Effective conflict management, conflict resolution committee should be set up to prevent escalation of violence.
• Natural disaster: National Emergency Management Agency should be strengthened to forecast and predict possibility of catastrophe
GROUP 2
1. Women and decision making at the household level- with improved purchasing power, men will be able to play their leadership role at home and support the consumption of diversified diet
2. Cultural beliefs being difficult to address but through intensive campaign and advocacy, this can be managed effectively
3. Diverse views on the sustainability of the adoption of cold chain for perishable crops due to non-suitability of energy and power for cold storage-adoption of modular processing
GROUP 3
Promotion of Agro-forestry should take cognizance of possible missuses by criminals and insurgents as hide outs.
GROUP 4
• The role of religion on land inheritance by women in the sub-region.
GROUP 5
• There were no divergent views in the issues raised and the approaches to ensure adequate food supply in conflict and disaster prone areas in the North East Zone.
• AT5 members were unanimous in their submission.2021-05-08 18:15:53205Stage 2BAUCHI FOOD SYSTEM EXPLORATORY DIALOGUEhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8652/- 135
How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?Participating states were written to formally by the convenor and the states leadership were engaged at opportune meetings where the issues and expectations of the regional food system dialogues were addressed including the expectations, participation that stressed leaving no one behind including the generation of participants at the physical and virtual meeting to ensure full participation of all involved in the food system in the states and the region. The urgency of actions to make the food systems work for everyone and the environment in the region was stressed during the preparations for the dialogue,and in all speeches, good will messages, and discussions. The dialogue agenda setting stated the principles and expectations at the meeting proper. ALL the 5 action tracks were given equal opportunities of being discussed and analysed as they relate to the region.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Recognize complexity: The agenda setting reflected the complexity and inter relatedness of the 5 action tracks as well as set a common understanding of what constitute the food systems. The published issues, status and challenges of the North East’s food system was included in the agenda setting to stimulate the discussions. The setting concluded with a call to ALL participants to proffer a holistic course of action that will ensure that the food system delivers high quality diet that are affordable, healthy, nutritious and able to meet the need of all, inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Need to plan for dialogues based on the challenges of the new normal with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic – consideration of the mode of participation (virtual or physical or both). Infrastructural limitations with internet access and quality will be a limiting factor to participation of people in areas with limited infrastructure. The build up to the exploratory dialogue in resource poor zones with limited infrastructure can be daunting.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The North East regional dialogue was a comprehensive exploration of the regions’ Food Systems along the five action tracks and levers of the UN Food Systems Summit. Participants conducted a thorough diagnosis of the food systems, including its functionality, major stakeholders, potentials, vulnerabilities, as well as opportunities for its transformation so that it can deliver high quality diet that is affordable, healthy, nutritious, inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable; as well as able to meet the need of all actors of the food system.
The dialogue observedthat excessive focus on agriculture value chain and food security resulted in anunintended consequenceof creating a less diverse food environment that is unable to provide needful food variety that are affordable, safe, and nutritious enough to meet the needs of all in the region. The region’s Food systems are noted to be under stress and shocks continually being disrupted as a result of the conflicts and insecurity. In addition, part of the region is threatened by climate change and stresses due to the impact of drought, flooding, erosion, inflation, the COVID-19pandemic, and conflict. Poverty, unemployment, and insufficient food reserves limit the capacity of the food systems to cope with shocks and stresses.
The COVID pandemic has amplified the fragility, inequities and suboptimal functionality of the region’s food systems thus requiring significant transformations in polices, practices and business models that would make the food systems fit for purpose and enable the delivery of the most important functions rooted in robust evidence base, context and emerging regional, country global trends and realities.
Most times, the vulnerable group in the region are the most affected by the challenge of food safety and the most nutritious foods are noted to have the most complicated challenge around safety. There are huge post-harvest losses in the region, where losses could be as high as over 50% of harvest and over 50% of waste generated in the region are classified as food waste within the food systems; we lose more than half of what we produce, and this comeswith significant impact on the environment. Inequality and power imbalances at the household, community, state and regional levels consistently constrainthe ability of the region’s food systems tosignificantly contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable, equitable livelihoods.235- 238
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The region recognizes the need to rebuild and strengthen the regional food systems driven by radical thinking, smart partnerships, backed by strong political will and courage to advance the food systems transformation need of the region.
The envisaged food system will be development focused that prioritizes healthy diets and affordable nutrition, that is inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable, while working for everyone, with ability to contribute to rebuild the economy of the region, create jobs, spur growth across sectors and sustain our ecosystems.
The regional food system narrative will be to supportnourishing beyond feeding, that makes human health and nutrition a priority, emphasizing the primacy of diet quality, that would eliminate hunger while addressing all forms of malnutrition, considers planetary health, pro-growth while supporting job creationand livelihoods, and economic sustainability.
While these transformations will be a journey, we must start by taking some strategic and immediate transition steps – the suggested steps include
• Transformative policy reviews rooted in a new and common narrative and anchored on philosophy of food as a human right in line with UN conventions.
• Operationalize a coordinated Food Systems data transformation agenda
• Scale/Democratize proven innovations that considers the common man at the common market
• Ramp up investment in Food Systems research & development
• Depoliticize, expand, and modernize social protection programs in Nigeria.
• Promote optimum breastfeeding practices
• Operationalize resilient financing mechanisms by leveraging domestic and international facilities
• Ramp up investment in infrastructures that support critical innovations & opportunities with special focus on rural infrastructures
• Build critical leadership, technical and human and organizational capacities
• Operationalize key guidelines rooted in transformed policies, data & the new narrative
• Engage in fair trade, taking relevant country and global contexts into consideration
• Foster transformative and smart partnerships
• Revise and implement the National Resilience framework
• Redirect Policy – aim at getting youths engaged in the agriculture sector using technology and e-commerce.
• Implement plans to mechanize agricultural production to enable innovation and increase resilience and productivity with a focus on nutrition
• Scale up sustainable technologies including cold chain technologies to tackle post-harvest food losses
• Pass the food quality and safety bill into law
• Change the culture of adequate food consumption by concentrating on the new generation, e.g., children
• Put in place a monitoring framework to ensure implementation of all recommendations for the improvement of food systems by all actors236- 238
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Discussion Topic Ensuring Access to Safe and Nutritious Food for All
What actions in the next 3 years will have greatest impact on Shifting to Sustainable Consumption Patterns?
The actions key out are;
Strand 1:Reducing Hunger and Inequality
• Action on insecurity in relation to farming activities.
• Provision of alternative farm land in other states to diversify agricultural practices due to insecurity.
• Quality control of farm input e.g. Improved varieties.
• Provision of designated centers for procuring farm input and ensure timely supply of farm input
• Research into sustainable and location specific technology
• Strengthening agricultural extension services
• Women development, empowerment and self -reliance
Strand 2: Increasing Availability and Affordability of Nutritious Food.
• Farmers should be trained in modern method of harvesting, handling and storage.
• Provision of storage facilities and strengthen processing procedures
• Enhanced nutritional value
• Provision of good road network
• Nutrition Education awareness
• Organization and promotion of community food fair
Strand 3: Ensuring safe food
• Strict control of use of agro-chemical
• Encourage the use of organic manure
• Use of Botanical insecticide.
• Control of micro-organism, insects and rodents
• Enlightening farmers on proper storage and processing practices
• Demonstration of nutritious food during maternal and child health activities
What contributions will our organisations make?
• Promotion of science and research for combating hunger and malnutrition.
• Disseminating outcome of researches.
• Encourage fundamental transformation of the food chain to full nutrition with an initiative linking human wellbeing, agriculture, and the environment.
• Promote agricultural innovation and attract investment to agricultural development projects.
• Legislation against the use of inappropriate farming activities e.g. Chemicals
• Connecting researchers with industry and enhancing supply chain systems to allow farmers to bring their products to market.
• Introduction of improved varieties.
• Creation of sustainable sources of income and local networks that farmer to share resources with one another.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Improvement in the livelihood of the farmers, herders and the people
• Behaviour change towards sustainable farming system
• Improvement in security issues, education and agricultural practices
• Sustainability of appropriate policy and implementation
• Effective monitoring and evaluation of policies
• Improvement in the nutritional status , availability of food and nutritious diets236- 239
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• What actions in the next 3 years will have greatest impact on Shifting to Sustainable Consumption Patterns?
The actions identified are;
1. Improved animal protein in the household food consumption
2. Commercialization of soyabeans farming to increase the consumption of plant protein
3. Homestead cultivation and consumption of Moringa Oleifera
4. Adoption of the cultivation of biofortified food such as orange flesh sweet potato
5. Improve the purchasing power of the people by encouraging economic enterprising
6. Adequate handling of postharvest food loss and storage
7. Less dependable on cash crop
8. Encourage and empower people to venture into agriculture for family consumption
9. Prioritize animal husbandry at home
10. Adoption of community-led farm extension system
11. Extensive training of the youth on modern and sustainable agricultural system
12. Establishment of market information system
13. Creation of grazing land to enable farmer diversified their agricultural practices
What contributions will our [participants] organisations make?
1. Provision of awareness and food education
2. Revival of farm extension system
3. Introduction of improved varieties
4. Incorporation of agricultural in school curriculum
5. Proper education
6. Subsidizing the production of pick bags (double bagging for storage)
7. Support farmers’ cooperative to increase purchasing power
8. Legislation against the use of chemicals
9. Effective conflict management
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
1. Behaviour change towards healthy food consumption pattern
2. Implementation of appropriate policy
3. Continuous policy implementation
4. Sustainability of the actions
5. Monitoring and evaluation
6. Creation of a coordinating body
7. Define measurable indicators to know if progress is being made236- 240
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Discussion Topic Boost Nature-Positive Food Production
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1: Deploying food production systems that are ecofriendly, sustainable and resilient.
The major impediments to achieving this is our farming practices which includes indiscriminate cutting of trees, bush burning, use of agrochemicals and over grazing.
Their effect includes increased carbon dioxide emission, climate change, desert encroachment in extreme north, perennial floods in parts of Bauchi state, soil erosion, shrinkage of the lake chad basin etc. Apart from affecting the ecosystem, all this have also adversely affected food production and livelihood of the people.
The team recommended afforestation, reclaiming the Lake Chad basin, providing alternative sources of cooking energy, enacting good government policy on land classification, change to organic fertilizer and ecofriendly chemical fertilizers and water harvesting for dry season farming.
Strand 2: Improving on existing food production system to benefit both people and the ecosystem.
The use of Agrochemicals (fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide) has adverse effects on the ecosystem and human wellbeing.
We advocate engaging breeders to produce pest resistant and higher yielding crop varieties.
More extension agent will also need to be engaged to disseminate the improved farming systems to the farmers.
State governments in the region should also collaborate to provide farm lands to farmers displaced by the insurgency.
Strand 3: Ensuring improvement in nutrition and provision of safe food for the people.
High level of poverty, inadequate production and poor awareness on what constitute a healthy diet is a serious problem in the sub region.
The solution is ensuring sustainable production of crop and livestock.
Encouraging youths in the house holds to engage in back yard gardening, rearing of small live stocks and planting of economic trees.
Also enlightening the women on what constitutes a healthy meal. This would go along way in improving family nutrition, health, income and reducing poverty.
Cross-Cutting:
What contributions will our organisations make?
The organization will contribute by co-creating and sharing knowledge with the communities on improved systems of farming that are ecofriendly and impact positively on the populace.
By providing financial support to government to improve livelihood of the people and resettle the internally displaced peoples in the region.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
The performance of these actions can be accessed by improvement in standard of living of the populace, higher life expectancy and lower expenditure on health.
Sustainable food production to reflect in better security and less crime rates because they are linked to resource control.236- 241
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ADVANCE EQUITY LIVELIHOOD AND VALUE CHAIN DISTRIBUTION
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
S/N PRIORITY AREAS ACTIVITTIES
1 How can agricultural livelihood be sustainable
• By educating the farmers and empowering them to be in charge of their affairs
• There should be community involvement at all stages (Planning and execution stages)
• Agricultural extension services should be strengthen
• Data base of real farmers should be establish/ identified
2 How can this smallholder actors be well coordinated to harness their full potential and capacity • Through the formation of groups and association in various groups and values chain and enlightenment of groups dynamics
• Establishment of cluster market and identification of off takers
3 How can government through our various establishment work more effectively in a coordinated manner to deliver the goals
• There should be synergy and collaboration between relevant government agencies and various farmers organization
• There should be policy formation and implementation
4. How can support from intervention agencies be leverage upon for food system transformation and delivery of SDG goals
• Public Partners Partnership should be encouraged
• Private intervention should be encourage
• De-politicize the intervention proves
• Ease the accessibility of fund to real farmers
5 How can women be supported to overcome the challenges limiting their participation and more productivity contributed in the Nigeria food system
• Institutional support through our religions and traditional institutions
• Monitoring
• Capacity building of women and children/youth
• Establishment of women CBOs, He for She to provide support and enlightenment
• Adaptation of climate smart agriculture
What contributions will our organizations make?
• The various organizations will support government agencies and line ministries in executing most of the identified activities listed above
• Also, the organizations and development partners will create awareness and sensitize the women and children, including people with special needs on appropriate skill acquisition and empowerment
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Increase in farm produce through adaptation of climate smart agriculture
• Reduction in dependency on imported food and improved storage facilities across the nation
• Farmers accessibility to farming equipment, improved seedling, credit facilities and availability of cluster markets
• Establishment of women support group and empowering the women and children
• Existence of enabling legally support policies with implementation236- 242
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Discussion Topic [Action Track 5: Build Resilience to Vulnerabilities, Shocks and Stresses]
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Educating the farmers on the use of alternative inputs e.g. use of organic manure, compost, etc.
Use of briquette, solar, cooking gas etc. as an alternative fuel to replace wood and charcoals.
Sensitization of farmers on right farming practices.
Afforestation – tree planting campaign, woodlots establishment, etc
Planting of improved seeds to tackle short rainfall period.
Irrigation system to supplement rainfall.
Timely release of NIMET reports to farmers plan their farm operations.
Strong community policing (civilian JTF) to complement government effort.
Settle the nomadic herdsmen on good grazing areas to avoid clashes with farmers.
Public enlightenment to sensitize people on communal efforts, such as group farming.
Appropriate storage facilities to store food and preserve vegetable for future use.
Encourage home farming and gardening.
Empower women to embark on petty trading.
Capacity building of health workers on the basic food required by our body system.
Enrich food with soybean and essential micro and macro nutrients to supply the necessary amino acid and vitamins required by the body.
What contributions will our organisations make?
Regular radio program to enlighten farmers on the market situation, and involve farmers in the design of government policy.
Avoid multiple taxation via evidence of first payment.
Enact/enforce laws to protect environment.
Establish irrigation systems to supplement rainfall.
Timely distribution of NIMET reports.
Public enlightenment on communal efforts, such as group farming.
Strengthened public schools to provide qualitative education.
Provision of greenhouses (cheaper and simply constructed) to produce food during shocks.
Provide appropriate storage facilities to store food.
Capacity building of the health workers on the basic food required by our body system.
Strengthened School feeding program using appropriate food formulation.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Reduction in the cost of inputs hence cost of production which lead to increase in output.
• Reduction in massive tree felling and the consequent land degradation, erosion, environmental pollution, excessive heat among others.
• General public and farmers will be aware hence will desist from bad farming practices, adopt new technologies and benefit from better production, processing and marketing systems.
• More job opportunities will be created through engagement in the food value chain.
• Reduction in postharvest losses and increase in buffer stock thus measures against shocks and stresses
• Modification of consumption pattern hence better nutrition for children, women and vulnerable groups.
• As people have livelihood activities: less hunger, less restiveness and all other vices237- 238
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GROUP 1
• Gender equity :Dialogues with stakeholders on gender equity due to religion and cultural beliefs
• Diverse views :on householdfood and nutritious diet allocation- education and dialogues with men on gender disparity
• Communal crisis: Several silent communal crises, conflict resolution committee should be set up to investigate remote causes and provide prompt solutions before is escalated.
• Natural disaster: National Emergency Management Agency should be strengthened to forecast (early warning signal)
GROUP 2
1. The exploit by the middlemen-the re-adoption of off-takers
2. Gender disparity in-terms of land allocation
3. Divergence on the change in the role of gender especially in areas grossly affected by insurgency where women are becoming the household head
Equitable control of the resources-continuous education and dialogues with men on gender equity
GROUP 3
The members of this group though from different backgrounds, were able to dialogues amicable to foster a way forward to achieve the goal of zero hunger by the year 2030.2021-05-08 18:48:12205Stage 2ILORIN FOOD SYSTEM EXPLORATORY DIALOGUEhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8657/- 135
131327226191401435763331531914148683335How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?None of the action tracks was given more importance than another. Stakeholders’ groups were given the opportunity to engage among themselves and diagnose the food systems from where they stand and come to the dialogue with consensus ideas and also areas of divergence.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Complement the work of others: Prior to the exploratory dialogues held across the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria, FAO supported the process by commissioning a review of evidence and actions currently on-going in the country. The paper was provided to the identified facilitators ahead of the dialogues so that they could come up with questions to guide the discussions and probe for more information and suggestions for improving our food systems to ensure that they deliver high quality diet and affordable nutrition; are inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable; and work for everyoneDo you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?The discussions within stakeholder groups are very critical to harvesting actionable areas that can improve our food systems. If possible and feasible, these should be supported through facilitation and with funding.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The major focus of the exploratory dialogues at the geopolitical level was to create an opportunity for engagement and interconnection among a broader set of stakeholders than was possible at the Inception dialogue at the National level - to explore food systems from a wide variety of perspectives, identify promising options for their improvement and consider ways in which different the groups of stakeholders can advance these options as contributions to the national pathway towards sustainable food systems.
It was clear from discussions that there was very little understanding, even among policy makers that the excessive focus on agriculture and food security resulted in creating a less diverse food environment that is unable to provide an adequate variety and affordable, safe, and nutrient dense food. It was also very clear that more dialogues focussed on specific areas are still needed to harvest suggestions of game changers among various stakeholder groups.
The major challenges facing the Nigeria Food Systems were identified by stakeholders to include - low public investments in the Agricultural sector resulting in underdeveloped rural infrastructure such as roads, storage facilities and processing facilities, as well as a lack of agricultural extension services, and access to inputs and finance. Other challenges identified are inconsistent, uncoordinated, and inappropriate policies, coupled with inappropriate philosophy of agricultural sector development; land tenure system limiting new entrants into commercial agriculture; low technology for food production and processing; improper disposal of agricultural waste and waste from food transformation activities leading to land degradation and water pollution; loss of land and water resources, and increased deforestation, and loss of biodiversity.
Other issues identified as militating against sustainable and resilient food systems are social norms leading to gender inequality and limited access to productive assets and weak integration of youth and women in agriculture. Poverty was also cited as limiting the access of majority of the population to diverse and nutritious diets.
Efforts were made by the facilitators to get the stakeholders to suggest ways they think the challenges they have identified could be addressed.235- 238
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To ensure that the food production systems produce good quality and nutritionally adequate food commodities, stakeholders recommended the promotion and encouragement of the use of improved high yielding varieties of crops and livestock to increase productivity, and the provision of incentives to farmers in form of subsidy.
An associated recommendation is the reduction of dependence on rainfed agriculture and the promotion of irrigation methods that will shift focus to dry season production to ensure all year-round availability and affordability of nutritious foods, and the adoption of climate smart and nutrition responsive agricultural practices across the zone.
To conserve the environment, stakeholders believe that a gradual shift from the use of inorganic fertilizers to the use of organic fertilizers, and the proper use of herbicides and pesticides will protect the environment and support efforts towards ensuring the safety of agricultural produce and prevent food borne illnesses related to food safety issues. . Stakeholders also called for the enforcement of existing laws and regulations that prevent environmental degradation, and for the protection of the ecosystem against new conversions for food and feed production. The efficient recycling of waste, and the use of solar smoking kiln for fish and as against the traditional smoking method that uses wood smoke was also suggested as a means to protecting the health of the environment and of the people.
Stakeholders called for the promotion of urban agriculture particularly for the production of vegetables and fruits for household consumption and the sale of the excess production for income generation. The enhancement of access to land for female farmers was also suggested as a way to ensuring household food access.
Stakeholders opined that the provision of basic rural infrastructure will facilitate access of farmers to the market so as to reduce wastage, and curb the rising rate of rural urban migration, which in itself is a major underlying cause for household food insecurity and the rising levels of malnutrition in the country.
Stakeholders concluded that post-harvest losses can be drastically reduced through the encouragement of on-farm processing activities and the provision of gender appropriate processing equipment, and the associated linkages to off takers. The creation and revival of commodity boards was proposed as a means of addressing the issue of waste and linkages to off takers. The rehabilitation of, and the use of silos in each of the Local Government areas was also put forward as a means to reducing food post-harvest loses.
To ensure the consumption of nutritious, safe, and diverse foods, stakeholders suggested a massive public enlightenment programme because they believe that a large proportion of the population do not have the information to be able to make informed decisions about what they should or should not eat. They also believe that there should be awareness creation on the benefits of consuming healthy, nutritious, and diverse foods.
Stakeholders recommended the urgent implementation of the following actions to kick start the process of repairing the NC geopolitical zone food systems.
1) Promotion of private sector agricultural extension systems to complement the public sector system for providing extension service to farmers along with awareness creation on the consumption of healthy diets.
2) Promotion of efficient storage techniques for various commodities and facilitating access to such.
3) Provision of basic rural infrastructure by government or through PPP.
4) Positioning & strengthening of research institutes to engage in demand driven research, clarifying their mandates, and monitoring their performances.
5) Setting out regulations and sanctions for environmental degradation from Agro-processing waste.
6) Government to work in partnership with private extension service providers, CSOs/NGOs to build capacity and strengthen extension service delivery.
7) Ensure that farmers have access to early maturing & disease resistant varieties of crops and livestock.
8) Massive enlightenment and sensitization of the general public on the benefits of afforestation and the challenges associated with deforestation.
9) Conflict management and reforms aimed at moderating clashes between farmers and herders.
10) Creating and maintaining a database of farmers to ensure that productive inputs reach practising farmers.
11) Strengthening the agricultural insurance scheme and breaking the monopoly of NAIC in this area.
12) Put in place a monitoring framework to ensure implementation of all recommendations for the improvement of food systems by all actors.236- 238
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Challenges and possible solutions to providing quality, safe and nutritious foods for all along the food systems
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality
• Preponderance of smallholder farmers in agricultural agriculture.
• High cost of land preparation.
• Low agricultural productivity.
• Politics in the distribution of farm inputs.
• Lack of awareness and capacity for farmers to uptake production technology.
• Lack of nutritious food for human consumption.
• Low level dry season farming.
Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods
• Increased postharvest loss.
• Food price anomalies due to poor linkages between production and distribution.
• Lack of adequate storage facilities.
• Poor uptake of research outputs.
• Lack of farmers education/capacity.
• Poor linkages to markets.
• Poor rural infrastructure.
• Lack of modern farming and processing equipment.
• Shocks and stresses to the agricultural production systems.
• Widespread insecurity.
Strand 3: Ensuring safe food
• Lack of quality planting materials.
• High import duties on materials for construction of food processing machines.
• Sale of deteriorated perishable crops in the markets as a result of poor access to efficient storage and transportation.
• Indiscriminate use of agrochemicals.
• Poor awareness on the need to consume nutritious and safe food.
• Lack modern processing machines.
• Lack of proper vaccination of animals.
• Use of woods consisting of carcinogenic compounds for the roasting of fish/meat.
• Lack of sensitization on proper packaging of processed foods.
Cross-Cutting
• Problem of insecurity of farmers and their produce.
• Problem of natural disaster.
• Lack of farmers education/capacity development.
• Lack of awareness and capacity development of the farmers in terms of technology demonstration and adoption.
• Lack of community sensitization.
What contributions will our organisations make?
• Small-Scale Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria to produce more nutritious food
• Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to implement policies.
• Ministry of Health to engage in sensitization and promotion of healthy living and consumption of safe foods.
• Civil Society Organizations to advocate for increase in private extension systems and increase allocation to Agriculture.
• MARD/ ADPs for awareness creation to strengthen extension services.
• MARD to encourage use of improved crop varieties and good manufacturing practices (GAP).
• MARD to encourage organic farming.
• MARD to encourage production of organic fertilizer to reduce environmental pollution.
• CBN to expand anchor borrower program to cover more value chains.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Higher crop productivity.
• Biofortified crops available in the market.
• Increased number of extension agents.
• Production inputs are subsidized for small holder farmers.
• Farmers have easy access to credit and insurance facilities.
• Improved market linkages.
• Increased youth engagement in the agricultural sector.
• Improved access to land for cluster farming, credit, and insurance for women farmers.
• Availability of affordable gender friendly farming and processing equipment/machines.
• Easy access to irrigation and storage facilities.
• Improved rural roads.
• Reduced tariffs on materials for equipment fabrication.
• Increased number of agro-processing zones.
• Absence of deteriorated crops in markets236- 239
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Discussion Topic Shift to healthy and sustainable consumption patterns
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• Create awareness, advocate for, and educate on safe and healthy food consumption
• Farmers to embrace market-driven production to enhance income and purchasing power
• Dry season farming to ensure all year-round availability
• Revisit neglected and underutilised foods
• Scale up school feeding programme
• Promote integrated farming and backyard farming and work into primary and secondary school curriculum
• Promote high yielding crop varieties
• Strengthen linkages between research, policy, and practice
• Improve rural infrastructure
• Adaptation indigenous processing and storage methods, and explore modern technologies
• Price control and regulation of activities of middlemen
• Provide incentives for healthy consumption and production of healthy food by food and beverage companies
• Use community-based extension volunteers for food demonstrations using locally sourced healthy foods
• Identify other sources for agricultural financing
• Strengthen farmer-groups and other rural associations for community development
• Encourage contract farming with buy-back arrangements
• Perfect recycling process for agricultural waste
• Reposition and strengthen agricultural research institutes.
• Create awareness and educate on dangers of unhealthy environment
• Enforce existing regulation and sanction for environmental degradation
• Regulate chemical use in all aspects of agricultural production
• Intensify consumer protection activities
What contributions will our organisations make?
• Religious and traditional leaders, opinion moulders, local leaders and the media will contribute to awareness creation and education on need for healthy food consumption and environmental sustainability
• Ministries of Health and Environment will enforce regulations on environmental degradation
• Agriculture research institutes with mandates for processing and storage will develop technologies for processing and storage
• Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) will review and revise mandates of Research Institutes in line with current realities.
• Regulatory agencies will enforce existing regulations to prevent the nefarious activities of some food and beverage companies
• Federal and state Ministries of Agriculture, through the Agricultural Development Projects, will ensure prompt dissemination of information on safe and healthy food consumption, and on environmental sustainability.
• The federal and states Ministries of Education will mainstream integrated and backyard farming into primary and secondary school curriculum.
• Farmer groups, other rural associations and banking institutions will provide farm credit
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Reduction in the current rates of malnutrition indices and related deaths
• Reduction diet related illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity etc.
• Reduction in percentage annual food loss
• Increase in demand for safe and healthy foods
• Increase in production and utilisation of neglected and underutilised crops
• Reduction in environmental degradation
• Increased alternative uses of agricultural waste236- 240
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Discussion Topic Boost nature-positive food production at scale
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• Massive afforestation/reforestation.
• Encouraging the production of cover crops, to control erosion.
• Converting wastes to wealth through efficient waste recycling systems.
• Revisiting the land tenure laws.
• Promoting the use of organic fertilizers as against the use of inorganic ones.
• The use of biological methods of pest control and food preservation.
• Discouraging the use of chemical for fish farming.
• Enacting and enforcing laws against the use of scoop nets for artisanal fish harvesting, to preserve fingerlings, especially of rare species.
• Promoting the use of solar smoking kiln for fish processing.
• Discouraging the use of firewood for cooking, through the use of gas cooking facilities.
• Increasing the diversity of crops/fish by implementing laws for their conservation.
What contributions will our organisations make?
• Capacity building through strengthening our extension delivery (extension agents, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations).
• Provision of ecosystem-friendly fishing inputs (Ministry of Agriculture and research institutes)
• Establishing hatcheries for fingerlings (Ministry of Agriculture)
• Encouraging access to early maturing and disease resistant varieties (Ministry of Agriculture)
• Sensitization of food system actors on following climate reports (NIMET and Ministry of Communications)
• Sensitization on the benefits of afforestation and the dangers of deforestation (CSOs, Ministries of Communication; Environment and Forestry)
• Enacting and enforcing laws against negative nature-food production practices.
• Improving synergy between the state/federal government and regional/international organizations (like ECOWAS, UN) on desertification.
• Developing climate-smart varieties.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• At least, a 50% increase in the number of trees in the next three years,
• Periodic environmental assessment.
• A review of the current Land Use Act.
• Having stable budget plans, budget lines, budget releases and monitoring/evaluation for the suggested actions.236- 241
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Advance Equitable Livelihoods and Value Distribution
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the above
1. Deliberate policy formulation and implementation to promote gender inclusiveness along the food system in North Central Nigeria
2. States to develop strategies to domesticate and implement all existing International and National Gender Policies.
3. Women and other vulnerable groups should be given access and opportunities for social investment schemes.
4. Advocacies to traditional leaders, Religious leaders, and Social-Cultural organizations to abolish cultures and norms that discriminates access to resources by women and other excluded groups in the communities.
5. Review of the land tenure system to create opportunity for women access to land.
6. Trade laws and tariff: The need for only one body to regulate collection of agricultural Tariff
7. Environmental problem: The need to rehabilitate canals and irrigation infrastructures in the State.
8. Afforestation laws and policy: promotion of smokeless stoves, the use of biogas and animal dung as alternative to wood.
9. Continuous sensitization of farmers on climate smart Agriculture.
10. Food system and insecurity: Can be addressed by encouraging entrepreneurship opportunities for youths to engage in farming which will promote food production and reduced vulnerability of youth to social vices
11. Promotion of Homestead agriculture
12. Periodic update of farmers database for equitable distribution of inputs.
What contributions will our organisations make?
Civil Society Organizations / Ministry of information: Information dissemination from urban to rural; Policy reforms and implementation; Advocacy to market on various Government schemes; Advocacy for increase funding into the Agriculture Sector; monitor investment in Agriculture; and Public sensitization and orientation.
Ministries of Agriculture: Promote Good agricultural practices among rural farmers; Promote adoption of modern technology in agricultural operations by farmers; train Small holder farmers especially women on food processing, packaging as well as hygienic food handling; train farmers on value addition; Strengthen extension services; and, Empower Farmers and other vulnerable groups for alternative income generating activities.
Ministries of budget and Economic planning: ensure that resources are adequately allocated to Agricultural infrastructures; make contingencies plans for emergency support to vulnerable groups before international intervention; strengthen Agricultural Research institutes and colleges; ensure needs assessment, participatory approach, for effective inclusiveness during project planning; create database of real farmers; and strengthen insurance scheme for farmers.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
1. Improvement in involvement of women and youth in Food system activities
2. Increase in number of women in leadership positions at community level
3. Discriminating laws and norms are renounced by communities to pave way for inclusiveness of women and youth in decision making.236- 242
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Discussion Topic Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Social Resilience
1. Develop and implement an Institutional Framework to enhance resilience and reduce vulnerabilities within the Food System; and formulate policies to support the Framework.
2. Develop/strengthen systems to provide farmers with information on onset and retreat of rains, and best time to plant.
3. Develop critical rural infrastructure for farm-market linkages, and storage.
4. Review primary and secondary school Curricula to promote proper nutrition and develop interest in agriculture.
5. Identify and abrogate obnoxious practices that are discriminative against women.
6. Develop agricultural commodity data bases for planning purposes.
7. Strengthen Extension Services including e-extension and make private extension services work.
8. Harness Indigenous Knowledge to support farmers.
9. Develop strategies to make land accessible to farmers irrespective of gender.
10. Review security apparatus including state policing to reduce conflicts and banditry.
11. Provide irrigation facilities for farmers.
12. Review State Agricultural Polices to make them responsive to the challenges of the Food System.
Economic Resilience
1. Build capacity of staff in relevant MDAs to properly respond to challenges within the Food System.
2. Adopt climate smart and nutritionally responsive practices.
3. Ensure access to credit and insurance for all stakeholders in the Food System.
4. Revise budgets to respond to the challenges identified along the Food System.
5. Establish/strengthen aggregation centers and off-taker agreements.
6. Establish/strengthen farmers’ associations and cooperatives.
Environmental Resilience
1. Protect watersheds and associated streams from drying up.
2. Engage traditional institutions to reduce conflicts and banditry and strengthen local policing arrangements.
3. Control deforestation and facilitate afforestation.
4. Promote urban agriculture.
5. Promote cooking with clean fuels, and other alternatives.
What contributions will our organisations make?
1. Support policy formulation/review for the Food System.
2. Provide leadership for the response.
3. Manage budget process to implement the various actions and plans.
4. Work to rapidly improve the ease of doing business.
5. Work to provide resources for infrastructure development.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
1. Institutionalizing food system management.
2. Track Food System improvement actions.
3. Conduct Social Auditing to know what is working from the people’s perspective.237- 238
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GROUP 1
• Linkage of large family size to poverty and hunger.
• Effectiveness of the School feeding program
GROUP 2
1. Pursuing market-driven production to enhance farmers’ income versus low dietary diversity for the family.
2. Government investment in value addition to agricultural produce to reduce wastage, and failure of government owned businesses.
3. Contract farming and controversies around contractual agreements in the face of price fluctuations.
4. Subsidies for agricultural inputs, and targeting of intended beneficiaries – are subsidies needed when they go only to political farmers?
GROUP 3
Establishing RUGA settlements to address the issue of livestock production vis-a-vis green gas emission. State governments should meet with relevant stakeholders on the suitability of the programme given their ecological differences.
Preference for inorganic fertilizers compared to organic ones. There should be sensitization/capacity building on the benefits associated with the use of organic fertilizers.
GROUP 4
1. Women leadership and Religious/Cultural Believes
2. Youthful exuberant and purposeful leadership responsibility
3. Impatience among the youths versus delayed gratification
GROUP 5
1. Review of electoral to elect right leaders who will guarantee effective Food Systems, and the school of thought that knowledge and experiences are not as critical as mindset in ensuring quality leadership that will strengthen food systems.
2. Some believed that indigenous knowledge is not enough and experiences from elsewhere are usually better. Others think otherwise2021-05-08 19:42:25205Stage 2LAFIA FOOD SYSTEM EXPLORATORY DIALOGUEhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/8666/- 135
1241247658341184329521471135815471217710261103How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The four state in the cluster for this dialogue jointly planned the event, the number of participants from each stakeholder group, and from each state; multistakeholder inclusivity was embraced in the organization and implementation of the dialogue.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Complement the work of others: Prior to the exploratory dialogues held across the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria, FAO supported the process by commissioning a review of evidence and actions currently on-going in the country along the Food System domains in the geo-political zones. The paper was provided to facilitators ahead of the dialogues for them to come up with questions to guide the discussions and probe for more information and suggestions for improving our food systems to ensure that they deliver high quality diet and affordable nutrition; are inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable; and work for everyone
Recognize complexity: The executive governor of Nasarawa state and all policy makers in attendance paid special attention to the complexity of food systems in their speeches and this eventually played a great role in getting participants at the dialogue to look at the challenges facing the food systems through this lens. The dialogue was greatly enriched because no stakeholder felt that its role was more important than another.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?The discussions within stakeholder groups are very critical to harvesting actionable areas that can improve our food systems. If possible and feasible, these should be supported through facilitation and with funding.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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The major focus of the exploratory dialogues at the geopolitical level was to facilitate engagement and discussions among a broader set of stakeholders than was obtainable during the Inception dialogue. The dialogue explored the food systems from a wide variety of perspectives, identified promising options for their improvement and considered ways in which the different groups of stakeholders can advance these options as contributions to the national pathway towards sustainable food systems.
The dialogue explored the five action tracks in five groups and examined the links between the action tracks at plenary when the groups made their presentations. The discussions centred around the many challenges across the food systems – challenges chief of which is post-harvest losses and food wastage; declining productivity; gender inequality; lack of resilience in the food systems; and a poor mix of policies. The dialogue identified the roles of various stakeholders in ensuring that the broken food systems are fixed, and how the various stakeholders will be mobilised to deliver what is required from each of them in achieving sustainable food systems that work for everyone.235- 238
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Stakeholders believed that the exploratory dialogue was necessary in an effort to improve food and nutrition security, reduce hunger and malnutrition, and identify challenges with the food systems from multiple perspectives including voices seldom heard; and that it provided an opportunity to debate, collaborate, and take actions to address challenges identified.
The main findings and conclusions are presented by action track.
Action Track 1: Stakeholders recommended an increase in public investments in the agricultural sector to improve rural infrastructure such as roads, storage, and processing facilities, as well as total overhaul of the agricultural extension system by encouraging private sector investments and recruiting and training more public sector extension staff. Other recommendations improving access of smallholder farmers to inputs, finance, and insurance; encouraging diet diversification through mixed home gardens and urban agriculture; promoting ‘good agriculture practices’ and discouraging unsafe practices to speed up ripening of fruits; and facilitating linkages of smallholder farmers to markets to prevent post-harvest losses. The government was called upon for consistent, coordinated, and appropriate policies, alongside appropriate philosophy for development of the agricultural sector; and mainstreaming of gender considerations in different aspects of the food system, including access to land.
Action track 2:Stakeholders recommended awareness creation for policy makers on importance of food systems for food and nutrition security, job creation and economic development; and the challenges facing our food systems together with actions needed to fix them. Other recommendations include strengthening of nutrition divisions in various Ministries, Departments and agencies of government, and ensuring budgetary provision and release for nutrition program implementation; implementing an enlightenment campaign on diet diversity, healthy eating and home food fortification using micronutrient powders; identifying and promoting efficient storage and transportation facilities for agricultural produce and reactivating commodity boards for price regulation; rehabilitating and putting exiting silos into use; promoting and facilitating access of small holder farmers to appropriate scale of irrigation facilities for year-round farming; investing in identification and promotion of neglected and forgotten food crops; developing and disseminating food based dietary guidelines; and increasing investments in Primary Health Care sector to provide nutrition education/counselling, and monitor child growth. Government, and CSOs were called upon to work with traditional, religious, and community leaders to continuously engage with their subjects on the importance of consuming safe and nutritious foods to good health.
Action track 3: Recommendations include protection of the ecosystem against new conversions of land for food and feed production by promoting crop intensification; use of cover crops to reduce soil degradation and erosion; investing in breeding of crops for high yields and improved attributes including biofortification; facilitating sustainable management of food production systems to benefit the environment and people through good agriculture practices (GAP); restoring degraded ecosystems and rehabilitating the soil for sustainable food production through renewed afforestation efforts, and scaling up the use of organic soil amendments, crop rotation and intercropping.
Action track 4: The recommendations include encouraging and supporting the setting up and functioning of cooperative societies for women and other vulnerable groups; and promoting ‘Village Savings Association Model’ to facilitate access to credit, inputs, and trainings; providing access to land for cultivation by vulnerable groups, e.g., women, youth, persons living with disabilities, new settlers, and other marginalized groups at community level; addressing social norms and practices that systematically provide privileges to some groups over others; eliminating market access barriers, and social exclusion for vulnerable groups; ensuring that social protection schemes reach the intended beneficiaries; promoting the use of clean energy; and identifying alternate sources of funding for interventions apart from the government.
Action track 5: Recommendation include facilitation of timely access to improved breeds of livestock and seeds/seedlings for small holder farmers; reduction of deforestation, increasing access to land for women and other vulnerable groups; developing a food security dashboard that tracks the implementation of programs such as safety nets, CCTs, etc.; encouraging participation of of vulnerable groups.236- 238
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Discussion Topic Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
Strand 1: Reducing hunger and inequality
1. Support Small Holder Farmers to increase productivity with modern techniques.
2. Establish commodities and cooperative societies for marketing and financing.
3. Revive Public Agriculture Extension Services and encourage development and operationalization of Private Extension Service.
4. Rehabilitate/construct rural roads to improve food distribution.
5. Facilitate easy access to appropriate irrigation facilities.
6. Invest in land clearing to improve access to farmlands.
7. Create awareness on the various aspects/elements of the Food System and critical actions that are required to improve them.
8. Provide/improve access to credit and insurance for Food System stakeholders.
9. Invest in post-harvest storage systems including appropriate transportation.
10. Equip and deploy trained agro rangers to protect farms from vandalization.
11. Fund research on various components of the Food System to inform programmes and actions.
12. Engage young people to determine/enlist their interests in various aspects of the Food System and facilitate their entry.
13. Develop mentoring programmes across different domains of the Food System to support new entrants.
14. Review school curricula to include nutrition education and making the food systems work for everyone.
15. Revise agriculture education at the tertiary level to include a focus on the Food System.
16. Revive Commodity Marketing Boards to regulate/stabilize prices of farm products and facilitate off taker arrangements for small holder farmers.
Strand 2: Increasing availability and affordability of nutritious foods
1. Create awareness on diet diversity and consumption of nutritious foods.
2. Encourage diversification in crop production.
3. Promote urban and peri-urban farming for diet diversity.
4. Discourage pre-mature harvesting of crops through awareness creation and enforcement of standards.
5. Promote use of organic soil amendments.
6. Facilitate access to credit and insurance for all Food Systems actors.
Strand 3: Ensuring safe food
1. Create awareness and build capacity of stakeholders on food safety.
2. Prevent abuse of agro-chemicals.
Cross-Cutting
1. Develop capacities for all food system domains.
2. Mainstream gender in different aspects of the food system.
3. Use ICT in Food System process management
What contributions will our organisations make?
MINISTRY OF FINANCE BUDGET & PLANING
1. Revise annual Budgets to include actions to improve the Food System.
2. Revise States’ Agricultural Policy and its implementation plan to respond to Food systems’ challenges identified.
3. Engage development partners for partnerships to develop the Food System.
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
1. Purchase farming equipment and distribute to cooperative societies as well as farmers’ associations.
2. Enhance the capacity of Extension Service Providers.
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AFFAIRS
1. Engage development partners for women empowerment.
2. Focus on women groups for capacity building
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
1. Periodic and annual review of Food System improvement actions across MDAs.
2. Monitoring the food system to ensure that suggested actions are implemented.
3. Deploying ICT tools to monitor performances of actors along the Food System.236- 239
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Shift to health and sustainable consumption patterns (Action Track 2)
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
• Awareness creation and communication with policy makers about food system
• Strengthening of nutrition units/divisions of MDAs to perform their functions
• Awareness creation on health dietary habits, home food fortification and supplementation
• Promote efficient storage facilities, expand use of exiting silos.
• Encourage year-round farming
• Promote backyard farming
• Revisit neglected food crops for potential to improve diet diversity and nutrition
• Develop nutrition guidelines for consumers, and food industries
• Promote dietary diversity through backyard farming, and address problem of poverty
• Policy redirection to promote consumption of safe and nutritious foods.
• Translate data to formats for effective engagement with communities, media, and policy makers
• Improve storage system
• Promote appropriate timing of harvest
• Create platforms for linking farmers to processors, marketers, and other up takers.
• Improve rural infrastructure
• Reactivate commodity Boards
• Develop policies and implementation plans to address post-harvest losses
• Implement the multi-sectoral Food and Nutrition Plan of Action.
• Increase investments in Health sector
• Scaling up behavior change interventions that will increase consumption of healthy and sustainable diets
What contributions will our organisations make?
Health Sector:
• Create awareness on healthy dietary habits
• Enforce food safety standards
• Promote age-appropriate breastfeeding practices
• Promote consumption of fresh and nutrient dense foods
• Carry out food demonstration
• Promote Home food fortification through use of Micronutrients Powders
Agricultural Sector
• Ensure that farmers have timely access to improved high yielding, pest resistant, climate smart seeds and seedlings.
• Facilitate establishment and maintenance of strategic food reserves
• Encourage year-round farming
• Promote School agriculture programs and home stead gardens
• Promote income generating activities women.
• Advocate for engagement of more extension agents
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
• Reduction in the prevalence of undernutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies
• Increase in number of people reached with nutrition education
• Increased consumption of micronutrient rich foods,
• Decreased consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, fried snacks, and carbonated drinks
• Reduction in prevalence of NCDs
• Availability of Agricultural and nutrition data
• Increased number of households with backyard farms.
• Availability of dietary guidelines
• Reduction in food waste and post-harvest losses, especially for fruits and vegetables
• Increased number of schools establishing school gardens
• Increased investments in rural infrastructural236- 240
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Boost Nature-Positive Food Production at Scale
What actions in next 3 years will have greatest impact on the Discussion Topic?
1. PROTECT natural ecosystems against new conversions for food and feed production
a) Breeding high yielding crop varieties/ Bio- fortification
b) Crop Intensification
c) Use of cover crops to reduce soil degradation
d) Evidence based Soil amendment
e) Farmers to plan and organize farm operation ahead of planting season
f) Control use of Agro chemicals
g) Complementary use of organic fertilizers
2. SUSTAINABLY MANAGE existing food production systems to the benefit of both nature and people
a) Good Agriculture Practice (GAP)
b) Crop rotation and intercropping
c) Promote use of Bio pesticides
3. RESTORE degraded ecosystems and rehabilitate soil function for sustainable food production
a) Afforestation
b) Practice Agro-forestry
c) Use of organic soil amendments and gradually scale down use of inorganic fertilizers
d) Use of cover crops.
What contributions will our organisations make?
Ministry of Finance
• Budget provision for farmer education on the need for reclamation of ecosystem.
AFAN
• Educate members on the need to practice Good Agricultural Practices to protect the ecosystem
States’ Ministry of Agriculture
• Intensify extension service delivery and increase number of extension agents.
• Create awareness around bad practices that destroy the ecosystem.
• Re-stock natural water bodies with fishes
• Approve and implement State Agricultural policy.
• Advance development of regional/zonal Agricultural policy.
Tertiary Institutions
• Modify curriculum to promote Agripreneural Skills Acquisition
• Research towards increasing agricultural productivity that are nature positive
ASSAPIN:
• Promote private sector extension services provision
• Advocate for inclusive budget formulation.
SMALL SCALE WOMEN:
• Encourage women to plant economic trees
• Advocate for establishment of community woodlot to reduce deforestation.
How will it be possible to tell if these actions are being successful?
1. Improved budget provision for Agricultural sector
2. Improved water and environment quality
3. Increased productivity
4. Increased awareness on ways to restore degraded ecosystems
5. Reduction in food prices236- 241
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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 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.236- 242
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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 of 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 measurement237- 238
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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 NCDs 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.2021-05-08 21:36:01204Healthier islands through sustainable food systems-1: Honoring culture, diversity and identityhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/6510/- 203
578165117403325331321523534159213128326How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?“Healthier Islands through Sustainable Food Systems'' is a two-part dialogue series organized by four partners: 1) Hawai‘i Public Health Institute; 2) City and County of Honolulu- Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency; 3) Hawai‘i Pacific University - Department of Public Health, and 4) University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa - Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Health, Office of Public Health Studies. This core group consists of members representing different fields. The organizations made a commitment to participate in the UN Food Systems Summit through a memorandum of understanding. To build trust, prior to the Independent Dialogues, a state-wide round table discussion was held on March 31, 2021 - entitled, “Our Health, Our Food Systems, Our Islands, Our People” - designed to create a process for introducing the UN Food Systems Summit to Hawai‘i. Through this initial event, the organizers developed a better understanding of the complexity of food systems and the need to accommodate a wide range of participants representing different sectors. Subsequently, the Independent Dialogues were informed by the statewide activity and enabled the core group to target key participants who could speak on farming, culture, culinary art, governance and indigenous knowledge. One of the comments was that participants in the dialogue represented the four corners of the “blue continent” - Hawai‘i, Guam, the Philippines and New Zealand. To show respect to all those engaged, the core group reached out to participants and speakers on a personal basis and had conversations around the dialogue and its purpose. Inclusivity was one of the most important aspects of developing the dialogue topics and inviting participants.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?The Independent Dialogues on ‘Healthier Islands through Sustainable Food Systems: Honoring culture, diversity and identity” exemplifies acting with urgency as the organizers were able to mobilize speakers and participants in a short period of time. A briefing on the UN Food Systems Summit by the curator at the opening of the meeting, provided a context for the Independent Dialogue in relation to global challenges and action and commitment to the summit as a vehicle for engagement with all possible stakeholders. Participants in the dialogue reflected multisectoriality by including farmers, teachers, advocates, community champions, policy-makers, project managers, health professionals, lawyers, urban planners and indigenous peoples. Throughout the dialogue, participants were encouraged to participate. Breakout groups were small, enabling more time for participants to share their views. This created a respectful environment where everyone's voices could be heard.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?Participation in the global orientation and training for convenors, curators, and facilitators was very useful in appreciating the principles of engagement. Having a core group that represents different fields of expertise is extremely useful in identifying the right participants and speakers. Forward looking statements need to be agreed upon and framed in a way that encourages engagement of a wide range of stakeholders. The UNFSS dialogue manual was very helpful in the development of some of the framing questions that were used to focus the discussions. To create a respectful environment, it is critical that facilitators are prepared and trained to handle different situations during the dialogue. The use of a short video in the plenary enables participants to grasp the complexity and far-reaching impacts of a food system. Sending out information to registrants prior to the dialogue session helped to inform participants prior for the event and prepare them for a productive event. Given this was a global virtual setting, anticipating any technical challenges beforehand ensured smooth execution of the event.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?Yes234- 238
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Healthier islands through sustainable food systems seeks to underscore the convergence of food systems, health and culture through the forward looking statement:
“Honoring culturally-appropriate, diverse and inclusive approaches to transformation from import dependent food systems in islands toward self-sufficient, climate-resilient and equity enhancing island food systems that emphasize the importance of community-based food security interventions and advocating for food self-sufficiency within every island.”
Changing the narrative on food systems and health in island settings was a major focus of the dialogue. Culture is a critical component of food systems change due to the centrality of food in the customs and traditions of people. Reframing of the way we speak about food was captured in key statements of participants, “food is not a commodity; it defines social interaction”, “food brings people together through culture”, “food security cannot be realized without land ownership of indigenous farmers”, the land is the chief and we are the servants”, “diabetes and non-communicable diseases are social problems”, the food system is a social determinant of health,” “farming is rewarding”, “food is a public good,” “local food is the bridge between culture and the food supply chain.”
Small island nations, states, territories and areas around the world are estimated to have a combined population of more than 63 million people. These island populations own a rich heritage of indigenous wisdom and knowledge on sustainability. Throughout centuries these island populations have been self-sufficient in food production and have proven to be resilient. Today, island communities face dire conditions related to economic, social and educational policies and conditions that do not optimize the potential of cultural heritage or diverse natural resources of land and sea. Today, island food systems are characterized by import dependence, lack of support for local production and small farmers, and health inequity linked to food insecurity.
Island communities face common and unique food security challenges related to geographic isolation, high vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters as well as profound socio-cultural displacement of indigenous knowledge and practices in food production that have been destroyed in the past century. COVID19 has unmasked severe health inequities in island populations as disruptions in food supply chains pushed many into poverty and hunger.
Using indigenous knowledge, island communities have the power to use their own solutions to address food insecurity. Bringing families and communities together to connect over food and identity is critical to revival and pride in one’s culture. Bringing people and communities to connect with the ‘aina (land) and caring for the land is also an important cultural practice. Individuals need to remind each other that what we eat, how we prepare our food, how we eat, how we share our food -- are all facets of who we are. Our identity is linked to food systems. Therefore food systems must be culturally appropriate.
Bringing together various stakeholders will be essential to think through these strategies and come to a consensus as to action steps for the coming years.235- 238
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Why we need to act urgently
To date, most island states and territories rely almost completely on imported food (up to 90%). Historical drivers of import-dependent food systems in islands include colonization, militarization, rapid development, industrialization, urbanization and westernization of diets. Small and indigenous farmers and producers of food are the hungriest, the poorest and the most malnourished. Progressive devaluation of indigenous food culture and practices impacts negatively on youth translating into loss of identity - and consequently the loss of purpose -- resulting in disproportionately higher rates of delinquency, substance abuse, and criminality. Unhealthy food is an underlying factor in the NCD crisis in islands where diabetes, obesity, and hypertension cause the highest premature death rates in the world.
Food is not just a commodity, but a public good. Access to healthy food is a human right. Indigenous knowledge and practices around food production is the key to equity, sustainable food production, food security, and environmental protection in island settings.
What we need to do together
Island states, nations, and territories around the world must work together to protect and promote indigenous knowledge, wisdom and practices on food systems.
ACTION POINT: Sustained dialogue and advocacy for preservation of indigenous knowledge on food must continue through existing and new networks that foster collaboration for sustainable island food systems throughout the world.
How we will do it
Comprehensive approaches/strategies that engage all sectors (i.e. agriculture and environment; production and farming; delivery and processing; marking, distribution and purchasing; consumption and waste; etc.) are essential for change.
Honing in on a social movement was recommended to transform a food system that is unsustainable and has negative health impacts. A whole-of-society approach is needed. A social movement will restore, rediscover, revive and reconnect people with their food heritage. A concrete example: the Pacific Island Food Revolution, a reality television cooking show featuring local cuisine of the South Pacific was effective, entertaining and showed evidence of impact in consumption patterns of participants and viewers.
ACTION POINT: It is proposed that the successful reality television show, “Pacific Island Food Revolution” be expanded to include Guam and Hawai‘i as well as other island groups.
Supporting local farmers is of critical importance. Oftentimes they are unable to access grants or other forms of support as funding support is directed toward a scale that cannot be achieved on islands. Farm-to-school programs in Hawai‘i are good models to integrate farming and education for children and adolescents.
ACTION POINT: Prioritize the opening of funding tracks to support indigenous and small farmers in island settings as well as farm-to-school initiatives.
Research and data generation to sustain policies and programs that enhance cultural approaches to food systems require data systems, but these must belong to communities who should own and use data for their own informed decision-making.
ACTION POINT: Create information systems to identify problems and promote solutions for food insecurity in island settings.
Opportunities should be available for youth to derive substantive income from working in food systems. Young people are already driving initiatives on organic food, climate and the environment. Their engagement in food systems - production, cooking and sharing --- provides additional opportunities to converge solutions that are community specific and sustainable.
ACTION POINT: Collaborate across island states and nations to adapt the “one-island economy” model in the Philippines to engage youth in farming that is profitable and appealing.
Who the key actors are
There are several key actions within the food system that need to be engaged, however, here are some of the priority actors that emerged from the dialogue session:
Youth are key to a sustainable food system. They must be engaged in ways that are economically viable through education and job training.
Women play a key role in food production but also in ensuring that food on the table is healthy.
Chefs play an important role in promoting locally produced food and healthier dishes in popular and enjoyable ways.
Teachers are key to education.
Celebrities and artists play an important role in influencing consumption patterns.
Lawyers are needed to revisit regulatory regimes that do not support small farmers.
Others: Social entrepreneurs, academia, urban planners, farmers and producers, financial policy planners, climate advocates, health professionals236- 238
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Youth are losing their cultural identity because of the food system (marketing of fast food, “traditional food is for older persons”, shift in nutritional preferences) so efforts are needed to reconnect youth to their culture through food - and provide economically rewarding/ viable income to incentivize youth to be involved in the food system.
Changing the narrative around the idea that food is not a commodity; it defines social interaction, brings people together culture, cultivates our relationship to the land. We need to speak about food from different perspectives including:
“The food system as a social determinant of health”
“Farming is rewarding”
“Food sovereignty and decolonization of food systems”
“Food access as a human right”
“Food as a public good”
“The land is the chief, we are the servants”
“Local food is a bridge between culture and food supply chain”
“One island economies” - every island should strive to be food self-sufficient even if the main industry is tourism. Food systems need to be linked to tourism to benefit the tourism industry and the food production sector simultaneously.
Indigenous groups have knowledge on food systems that can result in equity, food security, sustainability and environmental protection. Indigenous farmers need to have access to resources and opportunities to increase their cultural prominence. Traditions should be revived but can have a modern twist.
Empowering communities to take the lead is the key to a social movement - change will not be sustained through academia, non-profit institutions, and government. Educate families and communities to improve food access in backyards, urban gardens, vertical gardens, coastal areas/food sources.
Educating the public through popular media like reality cooking shows on television, soap operas and other forms of entertainment are proven to have impact and can bring about changes in behaviour and attitudes because they are enjoyable and restore pride in local cuisine.
Communication campaigns including social campaigns, are needed to counteract the fast food marketing with promotion of fresh and locally produced food that is properly labelled.
At the global level Indigenous and intergenerational knowledge about food will result in eating healthier, food security and environmental protection. Sustained advocacy for the preservation of indigenous knowledge around food is very important and should be done as a global effort of island communities.
Investing in women results in investments in the community. Women play an important role in agriculture and aquaculture.They also make sure that healthy food is on the table. They share information about opportunities and resources that people can access to grow food, making them valuable educators within the community. It is important to mobilize resources to support initiatives for women empowerment and engagement in food systems.237- 239
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Divergent views included:
1) labelling the actual cost of food (in relation to health effects, carbon foot print) to inform consumers of what they are buying
2) use of words to describe what is appealing and attractive to youth2021-05-09 07:57:38205Stage 2The Enabling Environment for Food Fortificationhttps://summitdialogues.org/dialogue/9908/- 39
606341824416238161417253260016711261197How did you organize the Dialogue so that the Principles were incorporated, reinforced and enhanced?The dialogue was organized to be representative of multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral engagement on food fortification. Stakeholders included government both at national and sub-national (spanning the different ministries that have a mandate related to food fortification, such as MOP, MOH, MISTI, among others), private sector (using SUN Business Network as entry points), business association and chambers of commerce, donors, and development partners. The participants from the sub-national included representatives from T’boung Khmum, Siem Reap and Kampong Cham Provinces. The participants were informed of the principles of engagement at the start of the dialogue. Furthermore, the panelists were comprised of different stakeholders (government, UN, private sector) so that the role of each related to food fortification and the enabling environment would complement one another and lead to a rich and interesting discussion.How did your Dialogue reflect specific aspects of the Principles?Introduction by senior representatives of government encouraged trust and respect for all parties and emphasized the importance of listening to the whole diversity of views, participants were reminded that it is possible for us to disagree in the dialogues without be disagreeable. Facilitators were careful to ensure that different viewpoints did not dissolve into arguments back and forth and that the participants respected one another's rights to express their views without need for contradiction by other participants. The participation of provincial participants is an important element of inclusiveness and the use of a single laptop and camera enabled this group to participate. The whole process reflected adherence to these principles.Do you have advice for other Dialogue Convenors about appreciating the Principles of Engagement?It is important to start with the end in mind and clearly define the high-level objective and main output that is sought through the FSS in-depth dialogue. The dialogues present an opportunity to engage diverse stakeholders across sectors, at national and sub-national levels, and garner support for collective action on thematic areas related to food systems.Did you use the same method as recommended by the Convenors Reference Manual?NoPlease consider commenting on how the event was curated as well as the reaction of participants to this curation. It may also be appropriate to comment on the facilitation in the Discussion Groups: were points of divergence and convergence both able to surface? Were all voices heard?We had adapted the method of the dialogues from face to face to virtual due to the COVID-19 restriction policy in Cambodia. For this dialogue, there were keynote speakers to set the scene, followed by a panel discussion involving experts from Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, UNICEF and the private sector. After the panel discussion, the floor was open to questions and comments from participants.234- 238
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The Enabling Environment for Food Fortification in-depth dialogue is the first of a two-part series of in-depth dialogues on food fortification. The second dialogue will take place on 25 May and focus on the operational environment.
The Enabling Environment for Food Fortification in-depth dialogue aims to bring together key stakeholders, including technical ministries, the United Nations, civil society, private sector and business associations, financial institutions, and donors, at national and sub-national levels who are involved in setting or supporting food fortification standards, regulation, law, policy and strategies in Cambodia to share challenges & opportunities and identify strategic action to improve food fortification.
The focus of the dialogue was on assessing the enabling environment for food fortification in Cambodia and identifying the key challenges and steps required for improvement. The dialogue was multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder, attracting representatives of 8 ministries plus the Medical Board of Cambodia, 11 development partner agencies and private sector representatives including SMEs who will play an important role to fortified suitable micronutrient into their products such as rice, snack, or drink; promote nutrition messaging and integrate workforce nutrition in their company etc.
It was widely agreed that food fortification is a very important strategy to combat micro-nutrient deficiencies. Food fortification through staple foods is economically efficient and efficacious in terms of delivering adequate micro-nutrients to target groups. Food Fortification is an identified joint priority for the 2nd National Strategy for Food Security and Nutrition 2019-2023.
The existing enabling environment is characterized by the existence of regulatory structures and guidelines for food fortification, limited resources and capabilities, including for enforcement of standards for processing and marketing. There has been limited progress with fortification in Cambodia, and a deterioration in salt iodization. Demand for fortified products is limited, as consumer awareness of the benefits of fortification is generally low. The use of fortified products in school feeding is a standard and successful practice. The key challenges for fortification included cost and difficulties of importing ingredients and equipment and limited technical capacities.
It was widely agreed that more research (e.g. effectiveness of micronutrient strategy implementation, micronutrient survey etc.) is required and that resources and capacity building are critically lacking in both the public and private sector. Consumer awareness and trust needed to be cultivated through SBCC and supported by enforcement of standards and regulations.235- 238
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Inadequate diet is a pertinent problem for Cambodia, with low quality and low diversity leading to micro-nutrient deficiencies. The situation is made worse by the COVID-19 situation. Food fortification of staple foods is a proven, cost-effective, timely mechanism for addressing malnutrition at the national level. The dialogue was a call for all stakeholders to provide inputs for incorporating food fortification in the Roadmap for Sustainable Food System for Cambodia for 2030. Whilst the use of food fortification to improve nutrition is a cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder issue, and supported at the highest policy including the Rectangular Strategy Phase IV, the National Strategic Development Plan 2019-2023, the 2nd NSFSN 2019-2023 and in the Cambodia SDGs for ending hunger.
The dialogue highlighted that food fortification has huge potential to address micronutrient deficiency within Cambodian population, contribute to healthy diets, and engage with private sector to support to nutrition priorities. The efforts for food fortification thus far have been conducted in piecemeal fashion and that as major output of the FSS we want to support the RGC to develop a unified roadmap for food fortification.236- 238
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Future Directions
The steps recommended for developing a better enabling environment for food fortification included the further development of strategy for food fortification; research into key topics such as the micro-nutrient needs of vulnerable population (e.g. PLW, children under five, school age children and adolescent), experience from other countries, and the suitability of staple foods for fortification; the strengthening and enforcement of existing regulations; improved process/mechanism for importing necessary ingredients and equipment; the provision of necessary training and sharing experience of techniques or procedure of fortifying foods between the public and private sector; the development of SBCC strategy; improved labelling and accountability private sector and government. Technical assistance and financial support are needed from the development partners to help at the national level and to extend capacities to the sub-national level.
At this stage, voluntary standards are important for industry, backed by testing, labelling and enforcement in the marketplace because the government has limited capabilities to impose mandatory standards.236- 238
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Challenges
One of the main challenges for the advancement of food fortification lies in the insufficient engagement of stakeholders to support fortification at both national and subnational level. In addition, enforcement is limited, and this leads to lack of faith on the part of the private sector. There are financial constraints for development of fortification, with limited investment and support. Despite the success of iodization efforts in the past, the dissolution of the Kep-Kampot Salt Producers’ Association and resulting pursuit of individual interests has led to a collapse of iodization efforts. The raw materials and equipment required for fortification are expensive and must be imported from other countries. Testing of product in the market reveals that 60% of refined salt does not meet the iodine levels required under the national guidelines. The general level of awareness about food fortification is low. People tend to buy what is cheapest and do not appreciate the benefits of fortified products.
Because the capabilities of government to test and enforce standards for fortification are limited, it is not possible for government to send notification of infringements to the WTO to prevent inferior imported products from being sold in Cambodia. MISTI can help to develop standards but they have no power to police those standards in the marketplace. The Ministry of Commerce is responsible for the goods on sale. Consumers should be educated to use their influence in the marketplace. Inter-Ministerial cooperation is lacking and the incentives for industry are also lacking. Firms cannot capture a return on fortified products if cheaper non-fortified products are also allowed into the market and consumer awareness of fortification benefits is low. Industry cooperation is low because of these challenges.
There is a need for more research and evidence related to effectiveness of micronutrient strategy implementation, micronutrients survey to be generated to identify bottlenecks, suitable micronutrient to be fortified and for re-strategizing.236- 238
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Suggestion and Recommendation
Food fortification falls under the mandate of several ministries and improved inter-ministerial coordination is needed.
Stricker enforcement of the laws and regulations is required. Incentives for the private sector (subsidies, letter of recognition, business and technical assistance, tax breaks, free of charge business registration).
Improved cooperation between the private sector and the public sector Nutrition labelling is used in other countries and consumers use these facts to make purchasing decisions.
Cambodia needs to make progress with consumer education and awareness and improvements in labelling.
Advocacy is critical to gather more political support for food fortification. If food fortification is profitable it will be driven by the private sector. Where there is no profit, it will fail. Producers respond to market demand.237- 238
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Local producers always want the government to block the import of foreign products. At the same time, farmers are always urging the government to pave the way for the export of agricultural products. However, in the free-market economy and globalization, the government cannot ban the imports. Consumers wonder why imported goods are cheaper than local products.