Foro Global sobre Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (Foro FSN)

Dear FSN Forum members,

1.       General comments on the Draft of the Rome Declaration on Nutrition.

While the document captures multi-dimensional aspects of nutrition issues comprehensively, it would be beneficial to include and highlight other related factors to food and nutrition security, e.g. sustainable use of natural resources, in particular forests. In this regard, some specific comments are made below for your consideration.

2.       Specific comments on the paragraphs related to the multiple threats that malnutrition poses to sustainable development (paragraphs 4-10).

1) For the existing paragraph 8, additional words in bold below are suggested to be added:

“Recognize that climate change and unsustainable use of natural resources are negatively impacting the quantity, quality and diversity of food grown and are therefore posing a major threat to food and nutrition security.”

2) Another paragraph is suggested to be inserted after the paragraph 8 before the paragraph 9 as follows:

“Recognize that unclear and/or unequitable land tenure rights are threats to the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger.”

3.       Specific comments on the vision for global action to end all forms of malnutrition (paragraphs 11-12).

1) As for the paragraph 11. c), additional words in bold below are suggested to be added:

“global and national policy coherence is needed among relevant sectors, including in trade and investment agreements, in investments and incentives for  agricultural production, sustainable natural resource management, food processing and distribution;”

2) As for the paragraph 12. c), an additional word in bold below is suggested to be added:

“food and agriculture including crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture systems need to be addressed holistically by public policies, including the resources, investment, environment, people, institutions and processes with which food is produced, processed, stored, distributed, prepared and consumed;”  

3) As for the paragraph 12. h), additional words in bold below are suggested to be added:

“food systems should be sustainable, and all components for food production, processing and distribution (including land, soil and other natural resources, seeds, fertilizers, water, energy, harvesting, storage and transport) should be managed sustainably, with due attention to environmental impacts;”

4) As for the paragraph 12. f), additional words in bold below are suggested to be added:

“food systems need to promote healthy dietary patterns by providing year-round access to safe and nutritious foods including fruits, and vegetables, pulses, wholegrains, non-wood forest products, edible insects and animal source foods such as fish, while limiting the consumption of processed foods that negatively affect nutrition and health;”

4.       Specific comments in the appropriate fields relating to the commitments (paragraph 13)

1) As for the paragraph 13, a new section is suggested to be added as follows:

x) Capture all untapped opportunities that natural resources, including non-wood forest products, edible insects, etc. , can provide for a better nutrition.

2) In paragraph 5, the 2nd bullet point recognises, “Poverty as a major contributor to malnutrition in both rural and urban areas.” As such the commitment to action in paragraph 13 should reflect actions that address poverty alleviation, especially targeting smallholder farmers, fisher folk and forest communities.

The document represents an important paradigm shift, one that recognizes the multidisciplinary and complex links between food and nutrition, through prioritizing the food system. Furthermore, this prioritization will allow countries to characterize the appropriate policy prescriptions for a sustainable and equitable food system. 

[See specific comments in the attachment, Ed.]

We appreciate that the opening paragraphs emphasize the right to adequate food. However, for the outcome document to help the still existing divide between food and nutrition, these opening paragraphs should ensure this gap begins to be closed in this Declaration by always referring to the right to adequate FOOD and NUTRITION.

With regard to the list of commitments which should be footnoted under Para 2, we wish to ensure that also the Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding (WHO 2003) with it protect, promote and support framework,  and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent relevant WHA resolutions are listed.

Rationale: In this manner the contribution of women/mothers to the attainment of the right to adequate food and nutrition and the right to health will be at least implicitly recognized. It is important to not forget that women, by providing 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding to their child are THE perfect food system feeding a population of 0-6 months old with food which is tailored to the need of the consumer, healthy, in the right quantity and quality, available on demand and environment friendly (no packaging transport and required, no discarding of rubbish, packaging etc.). Breastfeeding continues to provide an important contribution to infant’s and young child’s food security well into the second year of the child’s life and beyond. However, this ‘food system’ is also influenced by social, political, economic and environmental contexts and requires inputs in a form of policies that ensure respect, protection and promotion (facilitation). policies and programmes that support it. Today, less than 52 of 135 million children are being optimally breastfed despite the fact that breastfeeding is cited internationally as one of the most cost effective ‘interventions’ in mother and child health. Thus apart from the poor nutritional and health outcomes and thus major gap in attainment of the right to adequate food and nutrition, this alsos means an enormous waste in resources. When we use market prices to value the milk that women produce around the world each year, it highlights that women’s capacity to breastfeed is an extremely valuable national asset. Worldwide, its value is around USD 1983 billion a year based on breastfeeding rates and demographics in the UNICEF state of the world’s children report. Therefore it’s important to act on several fronts, including this political declaration, to normalise breastfeeding, ensure mothers do not suffer discrimination and are supported in their country and community, including through their own right to adequate food and nutrition being met, as they are making this enourmous contribution to the attainment of the child’s right.

[See specific comments in the attachment, Ed.]

El prf 3 dice: "... tener acceso a alimentos suficientes, sanos y nutritivos ..."que esto sea todos los días (estable) no es relevante? En el punto 5 es visto como un elemento central

Ninguno de los argumentos entre el punto 4 y 10, se explica en sus magnitudes sin la Cultura Alimentaria de paño de fondo, así como la adecuación y la sostenibilidad en la observación general 12 del PIDESC.

El plan de acción propuesto no es posible si no va acompañado con una sólida estrategia de educación en cultura alimentaria que además de lo propuesto permita reforzar las estrategias adaptativas a las variaciones de disponibilidad y acceso de alimentos, como orienta el prf 9 de la OG12, en su segunda parte, como se observó en centro américa en las pasadas crisis de los precios de los alimentos. A esta línea deberían integrarse educación, salud, agricultura y seguridad social. Otros elementos igualmente relevantes que pueden alcanzarse con una estrategia de este tipo son: i) optimización de los recursos alimentarios disponibles; ii) fortalecimiento de las relaciones de la cultura alimentaria local y a biota alimentaria local; iii) incremento de biodiversidad alimentaria total global disponible por revinculación de la cultura alimentaria local con la biota alimentaria local

1. General comments on the Draft of the Rome Declaration on Nutrition.

On behalf of the International Agri-Food Network, I wish to make some brief points in the area of nutrition and attach our position paper. The Network is a unique focal point for the food value chain from farmers to small and medium entrepreneurs, to large multinational companies, national associations and co-operatives. The IAFN seeks to represent members in 135 countries.

As we go forward together, the private sector is committed to offering tools and capabilities in robust partnerships with other stakeholders that seek to launch nutrition solutions for country driven programs and initiatives.

We want to build on the game changing achievements of the past 5 years through a network of these partnerships that identify, prioritize and implement initiatives and programs in areas that can make a real difference.  

The private sector recognizes the values it can leverage through public- private partnerships among key drivers to help:

• - Support programs and initiatives to achieve the Zero Hunger Challenge;
  
  fulfill the recommendations and guidance directions of the 2013 Lancet Series;
• - Participate in the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN)  movement;
  
  strengthen the policy dialogue and advocate for relevant UN Committee on World Food Security (UN CFS) guidelines;
• - Shape the sustainable agricultural productivity and nutrition targets in the Post-2015 Development Framework; and
• - Fulfill the mission of the  International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) to build a new nutrition policy framework.

We believe the following two principles are absolutely essential to help fulfill the mission of building a new nutrition policy framework:

• - Embed nutrition in multi-sector strategies within national and local government plans and initiatives, stressing the valued roles for nutrition with health, agriculture, education, environment, finance, gender, diversity, and other development factors.

• - Recognize that the Zero Hunger Challenge depends on collaborations among stakeholder partners to implement mutually shared, purpose driven goals and aspirations

To our partners at FAO and WHO, we respectively offer that the 2014 ICN2 planning body would be well served to establish and maintain open, transparent interactive platforms and mechanisms for the civil society and private sector mechanisms and other interested stakeholders to fully participate as the process and events move ahead over the coming months.  

And to our friends and colleagues at FAO, WHO and the Civil Society Mechanism, we express our interest and desire to work together to help create the environment for building trust as we seek to demonstrate the effective value of leveraging our capabilities in these partnerships.

Thank you.

Greetings!

As nutrition is a fundamental need of everyone, food security in its general sense, i. e., access to an adequate supply of appropriate food, ought to be a goal of a post-2015 strategy.  There is more than enough evidence to show that millions are severely under-nourished in the world.

I think the Rome Declaration  would have reflected  its appreciation of the 'know-how' mankind has gained through millenia of experience, if it had acknowledged the diversity of food culture in the world.

It would be a mistake to overlook the local culinary traditions, for these have been developed over centuries with reference to not only the human needs, but also to what may be securable with least difficulty within a given geographic and climatic locus.

Attempts  to replace those with the food production and eating habits from elsewhere has often resulted in high production costs, inappropriate eating habits leading to obesity, etc., not to mention the drastic reduction in bio-diversity among crops and domestic fauna.

Even though this may prove a moot point, I believe that it is time to outlaw commodity speculation, and it is time to encourage and support co-operative food production, wstorage and distribution, so that more benefits would accrue to the producers of food and to its consumers than to the middlemen as it does now.

Best wishes!

Lal Manavado

It is indeed well written document. It contains almost all parts of the food and nutrition aspects . However, What there is missing is mention of issue of land concentration in few hands all around the world ( land reforms issues.) We believe that lack of land reforms is basic hurdle behind access to resources. Concentration of land in few hands deprives majority from access to land and subsequent blocked access to agriculture products ( food ). Therefore, this document should make  commitment to promote land reforms all around the world.

Secondly, this document should also mention FAO responsible Governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests in the Context of national food security. This declaration should endorse the guidelines.

Thirdly, This declaration seems to promotes role of IFIs which are not in favour. Doing business guidelines of the Bank  produce sufficient  evidence that  Bank has nothing to do with common man's concerns. 

Suggestion for 4. Specific comments in the appropriate fields relating to these commitments (paragraph 13):

Commitment b)

reshape food systems through promotion of new legislations, development and implementation  of  coherent public policies and investment plans throughout food value chains to serve the health and nutrition needs of the growing world population by providing access to safe, nutritious and healthy foods in a sustainable and resilient way;

Chers membres, mes avis.

1. General comments : Je pense que dans les 03 premiers paragraphes, il faudrait d'emblée poser le problème sous l'angle DES malnutritions. Parce que la simple écriture DE LA malnutrition renverra toujours pour les non-informés aux seuls cas de malnutritions par carence. Ensuite, le paragraphe 3 fait mention du droit d'accès de chacun (...) conformément à une alimentation adéquate et au droit fondamental (...) d'être à l'abri de la faim... Je propose qu'il y soit complété ... '' et au droit naturel des minorités et des peuples autochtones de disposer de leur propre alimentation.

2. Specifics comments (4-10) : RAS

3. Specifics comments (11-12) : Avant toute action mondiale, il est impératif de mettre à jour les bases de données des statistiques nationales sur les indicateurs clés concernés, en l'occurence dans les PED, pour fournir aux organisations internationales des chiffres et des catégories pertinents pouvant faciliter la coordination mondiale. Sans quoi nous tournerons encore en rond.

4. Specifics comments (13) : RAS

5. Vision for implementation : L'idée du plaidoyer pour le lancement d'une décenie d'actions pour la nutrition est fort louable et pourrait contribuer, bonne coordination étant faite, à faire avancer les choses. Ce serait la décennie idéale pour promouvoir dans l'enseignement des programmes d'éducation nutritionnelle à tous. Cela ne suffit certes pas mais est un programme d'actions parmi tant d'autres pour éveiller la conscience depuis la base.

Merci, 

Ariel Djomakon (YPA Development, Bénin)

Questions:

1. General comments on the Draft of the Rome Declaration on Nutrition.

Nil

1. Specific comments on the paragraphs related to the multiple threats that malnutrition poses to sustainable development (paragraphs 4-10).

5. Recognises the root causes of malnutrition…

Promotion of NUTRITION EDUCATION, BEHAIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION  in schools, colleges, work places

1. Specific comments on the vision for global action to end all forms of malnutrition (paragraphs 11-12).

Paragraph 12

1. Reducing Food losses..

To promote rural godowns for storing the excess harvests, local governments to fix procurement prices for farmers produce, crop insurance for farmers, promotion of rural post harvest processing centres  ( In India if drought affected, only paddy/wheat farmers getting compensation grant while fruit, vegetable and other millet growers don’t get)

1. Specific comments in the appropriate fields relating to the commitments (paragraph 13)

b. reshape food systems

promotion of nutritious legumes, millets, fruit seedlings (free distribution to small holders, especially women farmers and rural children) as intercrop, relay crop or mixed cropping

d. encourage and facilititate contribution..

Exchange visits of field sites – successful models-  to be arranged for women/ small holder farmers (family) inter country and inter state. Enocuraging NGO participation through Government ( promoting Public Private Partnership)

5.       We would also appreciate your vision on policies, programmes and investment that might help translate such commitments into action. 

Policy like promotion of home gardens (structured home gardens with greens, legumes, tubers, yellow vegetbales,gourds,  annuals and fruit trees) along with GREEN HOUSES or HOUSING SCHEMES FOR THE POOR.

PROMOTION OF VALUE ADDED FOOD (eg. Fortified Foods) through Public Distribution system.

COMMUNICATION – Media to promote nutritious foods, sanitation and personal hygiene using Behavious change communiction tools, ICT, street plays and through famous film actors/ actresses

RIGHT TO FOOD- RIGHT TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR CHILDREN schemes – supporting free food to school children with fruits and salads

Policies governing public funds need to converge before reaching the beneficiery ( For promoting nutrition for women and children, convergence of  work plan of state department of Agriculture, Nutrition board, ICDS, Rural development, Education department is necessary)