Forum global sur la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition (Forum FSN)

Dear Mr. Fratini and members of the FSN-Forum,

First of all, thanks for the opportunity to participate in this crucial process.  Whereas each of the issues raised by contributors deserves great attention, I believe that time has come to assess the results achieved by the CFS in fulfilling its mandate to provide global coordination for food security policies.

Why am I proposing this issue?

The global governance of food security has often been defined as a conflictive “regime complex”, in which the partial overlapping of institutions that are different in character, constituencies, spatial scope, and primary subject matter jeopardizes the possibility of delivering coherent and effective policies.

This is indeed the raison d'être for the establishment of the CFS, whose primary role is to provide coordination at a global level and promote policy convergence by representing the most inclusive platform for all stake-holders, including relevant international organizations, to work together.  Nevertheless, the proliferation of international instruments for food security and sustainable agriculture has continued throughout the last 5 years, and little is known about the capacity of the CFS to avoid contradictions between these different initiatives.

In this sense, I consider extremely important to study the influence of the CFS on other relevant international private and public actors which exert a noteworthy influence on regional and national behaviors.

What issues should be addressed by the Committee in the biennium? 

• To what extent are CFS recommendations included in  the policies/discourses of public and private international actors whose activities are relevant for food security?
• To what extent has the CFS managed to integrate in a significant manner the different stake-holders (international organizations, private sector, civil society) and concerns (food availability, food access, nutrition, justice, etc.)  which are pertinent to the governance of food security?
• Which ways forward could be explored to enhance the capacity of the CFS to provide policy coherence at a global level?

What kind of activity do you propose to address this issue?

The most appropriate way to approach this topic is probably to appoint the HLPE to write a report, which would then serve as a starting point for further discussions and reflections by CFS officers and interested parties.

Dear Luca, the chair of the Open-Ended Working Group on MYPoW

and the members of FSN-Forum,

Firstly, thank you very much for inviting us for the inputs on the "selection and prioritization of the CFS activities for the biennium 2016-17".  Please let me share my little concern to be addressed in the CFS activities as follows:

After the revealation by the Lancet Series in 2008 and in 2013, the global community has taken the agenda of child malnutrition with a very high priority and the most of activities are revolving around this them. The Scaling Up Nutrition, SUN is the global movement, which has reinforced the past efforts in convincing the global and national leaders in investing for this area. As identified by the Lancet studies, the 13 nutrition specific interventions as well as other complementary nutrition sensitive development efforts, which includes nutrition- sensitive agriculture.

Similarly, CFS's vision states " ....The CFS is and remains an intergovernmental Committee in FAO. The reformed CFS as a central component of the evolving Global Partnership for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition will constitute the foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform for a broad range of committed stakeholders to work together in a coordinated manner and in support of country-led processes towards the elimination of hunger and ensuring food security and nutrition for all human beings........" , which has clearly stipulated the nutritional well-being of all. Now, the global situation urges  us to focus on the nutritional improvement of young children.  

I think, it's a very high time for CFS to reciprocate with the global efforts in nutrition from the part of agriculture to improve the nutrition of women ( pregnant and lactating) and children ( 6-24 m0nths) through  nutrition sensitive agricultural interventions. The existing workstream " Responsible Agriculture Investment (RAI) principle has the essence in broader term. However , it's necessary to make it more specific to make it aligned with the existing global efforts i.e. SUN. I , therefore , propose " Nutrition- Sensitive Agriculture for Improved Nutrition of  Women and Children " as one of the workstreams or  otherwise can be integrated into the existing workstreams. This can include the activities such as :

• -Advocacy to the national governments, development partners, I/NGOs and CBOs/CSOs on nutrition sensitive agricultural investments
• -Coordination all the sectors for converged and comprehensive and nutrition education to the communities
• -Advocacy to the stakeholders to make food consumption in terms of dietary diversity and nutritional indicators as the progress indicators of agricultural projects
• -Advocacy to the stakeholders to increase the supply through value chain development of nutritionally important crops and livestock and at the same time increase the demand by social marketing and intensive nutrition education
• - Putting efforts in scaling up of some of the proven approaches such as Trials of Improved Practices ( TIPs) on nutrition and feeding of children and women as FAO has already tested and has gained a overwhelming acceptance in some countries

Thank you and best regards,

The word nutrition is appearing in more programs than ever before. 

This is good news. Consumers are becoming more aware of what they eat and how it affects their health. Many are resorting to supplements whose use they may not understand well. Food-based nutrients are the best and so all efforts need to go into ensuring that the foods we grow provide most essential nutrients in sufficient amounts for all groups, and that food processors have nutrition in mind as they process and market their foods to consumers. The CFS needs to send a strong message on this and to make nutrition an integral part of its 2016/2017 program, by also properly weaving the definitions into its wordings and programs.

Dear Friends,

I would suggest more spaces for civil society participation in the formulation and monitoring of public policies such as local councils, councils and committees with the presence of the public sector and the private sector.

Thank you,

Jader.

Dear Mr. Fratini and FSN forum participants, 

Thank you for your objective consideration of my suggestions in response to your questions.

1. What issues should be addressed by the Committee in the biennium 2016-2017? 

The nutritional value of Cannabis hemp must be addressed, at the same time hemp's unique and essential climate mitigation potential is considered. 

Explain the issue and describe why you are proposing it;

Dear FSN Moderator,

With respect to your request for thoughts on the selection and prioritization of food security and nutrition issues the Committee on World Food Security should address in the biennium 2016-2017 and how, I would recommend conducting in parallel  two investigations and then combining their results and recommendations by a third

The first one would address the issue of how to increase food supply including, but not limited to, prices, infrastructure and sustainable agricultural practises. The second would address the issue of access to sufficient food (in terms of quantity and quality). Assuming attractive prices are a necessary condition for increased food supply, a third task force would then seek how to bridge the gap between remunerative farm prices and access to quality food for the poorest.

If the FAO can thus suggest a set of policies to reconcile and achieve these ideals, governments could then measure their own efforts against them.

Best regards,

Patrick Chatenay

Director, ProSunergy (UK)

Over again, I would point out that in the years to come food security and quality would depend very much on the GM food and nutrition and it is somewhat strange that the FAO shy away from discussing this priority item.

Environmentally yours,

Dr Renat Perelet

Institute for Systems Analysis

Moscow, Russia

Hello, 

I would like to propose:

1.- The consideration of Food and Nutrition Security as a Global Public Good and its implications for global good governance

See latest SCN News #40: 87-91. What if food is considered a common good? The essential narrative for the food and nutrition transition 

http://www.unscn.org/files/Publications/SCN_News/SCNNEWS40_final_standard_res.pdf

2.- The alternative food networks (urban movements and indigenous traditions): moral economy, sharing food schemes, peer to peer food production, community-based agriculture, food gleaning, collective ownership and management of arable land. 

3.- Universal Food Coverage to guarantee that everybody gets a minimum amount everyday (this idea is being developed in Ecuador at present, FLOK Initiative).  

best regards

JOSE LUIS VIVERO POL 

Anti-hunger and Social Rights Activist 

PhD candidate in Food Governance (Université Catholique de Louvain)

 

Dear Moderator and FSN members,

I recommend that the following agenda is included in the CFS activity list for the Biennium 2016-17.

1. AGENDA/ ISSUE

Addressing growing problems of communal and public land resources complemented food production systems

INTRODUCTION OF THE AGENDA

Communal and public land resources complemented food production and livelihood support systems is an indigenously evolved system of food production in some communities of many developing countries. The resource serves as a critical element (plays complementary instead of supplementary role) in the production system and makes the food production possible in the areas. The complementary production system was practiced to adapt in harsh local agro-ecological condition in some communities (e.g. mountain and dry-land /desert regions) or evolved with special nature of social behavior of some ethnic groups (e.g. tribal/ indigenous communities).  Long term and innovative uses of the resources (e.g. forest products and grazing) in farming contributed in evolving the socio-ecological systems which provide much higher level of environmental, social and economic goods and services than the intact or conventional management system of the resources in the communities. A journal article on this link (DOI:10.4236/ojf.2014.41010) provides some details about the system and its importance in alleviating local food insecurity issues, environmental problems and socioeconomic challenges. 

There are deliberately growing external interventions to cease the indigenous uses of the public/ communal land resources for sake of distance users’ (affordable forest products for urban consumers and reducing carbon offsetting cost of overseas industries and affluent societies) benefit. The interventions have also ceased the resources traditional available for food production. Common activities ceasing the opportunities include the management of the resources for carbon trade, biodiversity conservation under protected area scheme and commercial timber production. The payment for other uses of the resources (if offered by any external agency)cannot compensate the real level of food production loss due to instrumental role in sustaining upstream and downstream linked food production system. Let’s take a case in the Nepal’s high mountain belt which is a highly remote and critical food shortage area. The farmers in the region have marginal quality of land with ultra-size of private landholding. Livestock is the most valuable means of food security (e.g. source of draft power for food transportation and farm ploughing, and milk, manure and meat production). The alpine pasture resources are principal means for sustaining the livestock. Grazing access to the lower hill forests particularly in winter (snowing) season is also critical to sustain the alpine resource based livestock business. Practicing of externally/internationally induced forestry protection policies and programmes has reduced fodder availability or increased restriction on the livestock grazing in the mid-hill forests. The undernourished and poor farmers are further suffered. Here I cannot explain the pain of suffering people and other social problems associated with the loss of their livelihood means. I would like to ask the FAO experts whether any payment for climate mitigation service of the lower hill forests can compensate the food security and other social loss of those victim communities.

Let’s take another heart touching case published in a Nepali newspaper (Nagariknews) on 17 April 2014. The newspaper found that many forest user groups in a highly food deficit district purposively put fire on in their community forests. In reality forest development and protection agencies had socially trapped the community people to plant pine tree species densely in their forestland which was historically managed for multipurpose uses including grazing. The understory growth of grasses was suppressed as the pine tree grew. The declining of grass production made it difficult for the small farmers or marginal landholders to sustain livestock business - a means of food security. The desperate farmers compelled to set fire on in the pine forest despite knowing that the fire setting in the forest is a criminal activity.

Conservation and enhancement of public and community resource complemented food security system would bring many benefits in addition to relieving the undernourished people and preventing poor farmers from being involved in criminal activity for food security.  It would provide a safety net for the resource users under the condition of natural disasters and political institution failure. Supporting in the uses of the resources, as in Satoyama farming system in Japan, would contribute to the existence of human residences in low populated and remote areas where emigration has been a serious social problem. Conservation of agro-biodiversity is another benefit. The community would also contribute in conserving the cultural heritage or social identity of mountain people and promoting indigenous knowledge.

REQUIRED ACTIVITIES

·         Identification of and mapping the regions and communities where such system can make significant difference in food security and social wellbeing

·         Policy lobbying and advocacy at national and international levels to conserve and enhance the system

·         Exploring resource management options including period in both participatory approach and independent research

·         Development of resource management plans and enforcement institutions in participatory approach

·         Implementing the management plans

·         Research and intensive monitoring of work progress for timely correction of emerging problems and weaknesses.

WORKSTREAM

I found it difficult to identify the appropriate work stream in the linked document. The work-streams and themes are not universal concepts; rather organizations or working committees classify them for management convenience.  The agenda might overlap with many streams or themes such as sustainable livelihood, ecosystem services, indigenous communities and mountain development. After reading many documents the issue was poorly related to the FAO work stream of “Forests for Food Security and Nutrition” as the program focused on “trees beyond forests”. Increasing trees beyond forests or intensification in private land makes little difference in alleviating food security problem in those communities due too small size of private landholding. The intensification of trees in private lands of some regions (e.g. high-mountain) can make food security worse due to high degree of effect of space, light and nutrition competition with other kinds of food production activities. In addition making functional of some of the systems requires lands in multiple communities including different ecological zones. Poor people cannot afford to have there.  Based on my reading of many documents  the FAO team working in the “Forests for Food Security and Nutrition” program seems inappropriate to lead this agenda because the team has not acknowledge this very important issue in any document. In addition the recommendations of “The International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition” organized by this team has not recognised the proven threats or problems of REDD+ and other forest protection initiatives for escalating food insecurity problem in developing countries. The initiative is rather considered an opportunity for food security of indigenous ethnic groups. The policies and programmes are the main obstacles to conserve the indigenous food security systems. It means the team cares little about poor communities, the public/communal resource based  people and indigenous practices. In essence, the work-stream makes small difference but the working team requires pro-community attitude and good level of knowledge of the system and root causes.

REMARK

There are many reasons that FAO should play proactive role to address the growing problems of communal and public land resources complemented food production system. The root causes of escalating the food security problem in these areas are international policies and programmes. Dealing with this issue is under the work mandate of FAO.  In some areas (e.g. Nepal) FAO played some roles to create the problem in the system.  If FAO is committed to take corporate social responsibility of any bad impacts in societies it should accept the liability of past work programmes or policies.  The food security problems in developing countries and marginalized areas are the most powerful instrument of FAO to convince to and get funds from donor agencies. The communities with the forest resource based food production system are also living in marginal production areas and are socially, economically and environmentally vulnerable. Therefore they deserve the FAO support.  If some initiatives of protecting the systems are not taken in time, the opportunity of protecting the complex system based food security will be locked due to increasing social, legal and environmental complexities related to the resources. From my understanding FAO is the right organization to explain the threats and convince the stakeholders who play crucial roles in dealing with the problem of the indigenous food production systems. Finally, if FAO ignores the problems of marginalized people in developing countries for the sake of conserving forest to offset emission from industries and affluent societies and mitigate global warming, it will be nick named western vehicle.  

REFERENCES

1.    The Local Environmental, Economic and Social Tragedies of Managing Community Forests for Global Environment Conservation: A Critical Evaluation. The Open Journal of Forestry. 2014. 4(1):58-69. DOI: 10.4236/ojf.2014.41010

2.    उपभोक्ता नै लगाउँछन् वनमा आगो (User group set fire up on their community forest). Nagariknews 17 April 2014. http://www.nagariknews.com/society/nation/story/16668/16668

3.    FAO. 2014. Recommendations, reflections and photos from the FAO conference Forests for Food Security and Nutrition. http://www.focali.se/en/news/recommendations-reflections-and-photos-from-the-fao-conference-on-forests-for-food-security-and-nutrition. FAO Rome

Un cordial saludo a todos:

¿Qué temas deben ser abordados por el Comité en el bienio 2016-2017?

El Comercio mundial en agricultura, su entorno político y técnico, deben estar más inmersos en la Seguridad Aimentaria y de Nutrición. Las relaciones multisectoriales deben establecer mecanismos y metodologías efectivas y simples ( en lo posible), para un implementación de acuerdo a la institucionalidad de país o región. La difusión de información es prioritaria para sectores amplios de la población ( Campañas )

Explique el problema y señale por qué lo está proponiendo;

Las circunstancias políticas nacionales siguen siendo un escollo para establecer políticas regionales más pragmáticas, las situaciones de conflictos armados o étnicos, socavan un entorno adecuado para la producción y alimentación de miles de personas, y el posible desarrollo de cultivos locales, binacionales o regionales. Las instancias de comercio mundial ( OMC ) deberían tener un papel protagónico en los escenarios vulnerables, no solo las agencias relacionadas con alimentación y nutrición. las plataformas multisectoriales deben hacer un esfuerzo por fijar de manera vínculante y obligatoria las prioridades en la seguridad alimentaria y de nutrición. La situación extremadamente cambiante y volátil por el cambio climático será un elemento siempre presente en las estrategías a seguir. Las condiciones de género, equidad y comercio justo, deben ser ejes en la apertura y democratización de las soluciones alimentarias y de nutrición. Los gestión institucional, es variable en muchos países, máxime en los en vías de desarrollo y debe ser artículada con criterios específicos a su realidad.

 ¿ Qué tipo de actividad propone para solucionar este problema? ¿Qué tipo de línea de trabajo del CFS debe establecerse para hacerle frente?

Crear un Cuerpo Vínculante con capacidad para ejercer la aplicación de las medidas vínculantes establecidas por las estrategias de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición " Mundial ", por medio de una Secretaria o un órgano colegiado de la UN, y otros entes.

Temas para futuros informes del Grupo de alto nivel de expertos  HLPE.

* Situación de tierras cultivables y tenencia de tierra.

* Tratados de libre comercio y vulnerabilidad en la producción agropecuaria

Mis mejore deseos. 

Regards to all

What issues should be addressed by the Committee for the biennium 2016-2017 ?

The world trade in agriculture, its political and technical environment , should be more involved in the Food Security and Nutrition . The multisectoral relations must establish effective and simple mechanisms and methodologies (if possible ) , for implementation in accordance with the institutional framework of the country or region. Information dissemination is a priority for large segments of the population ( Campaigns )

Explain the problem and indicate why it is being proposed ;

Domestic political circumstances remain a stumbling block to establish pragmatic regional policies or situations of armed ethnic conflicts , undermine the right environment for the production and supply of thousands of people , and the possible development of local, binational or regional cultures . Instances of world trade ( WTO ) should take a leading role in vulnerable scenarios , not only the agencies related to food and nutrition. multisectoral platforms should make an effort to set binding and compulsory priorities on food security and nutrition. The extremely moody and volatile situation by climate change will be an ever-present element in the strategies to follow. The terms of gender, equity and fair trade should be axes in opening and democratization of food and nutrition solutions . The institutional management is variable in many countries , especially in developing and should be articulated with criteria specific to their reality .

What type of activity proposed to solve this problem? What line of work of CFS should be established to deal ?

Create a binding body with the capacity to exercise the implementation of the measures imposed by binding strategies and Food Security " World " Nutrition , by a secretary or a collegial body of the UN, and other agencies.

Topics for future reports of the High Level Expert HLPE .

* Location of arable land and land tenure.

* Free trade and vulnerability in agricultural production

My best wishes.