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

My comment relates to around page 11 of the zero draft where there is a discussion of "pull" and "push" factors in off-farm employment.

UN studies some 20 years ago in Sri Lanka showed that about two-thirds of farm family income was derived off-farm. Where farmers have small land-holdings it is obviously the only way to support a family.

The fact that people who are perceived as "farmers" have other more important interests often seems to be not adequately appreciated in development planning. Initiatives such as Systems of Rice Intensification (SRI) always expect intensification in order to get better production and allow water saving.

In situations where the "farmer" is only on the farm for planting and harvest he may well not be interested in increasing his labour input, and certainly not in saving water. Similarly he will not be interested in moving into non-paddy crops. Paddy is the best crop for such part-time farmers.  

This situation you see clearly in many areas of South and East Asia and also in Egypt, in the delta, where extension staff moan about the large areas of 'illegal' paddy cultivation, in situations where many farms are only around 0.5 ha with a family of 7.

No easy solution, just something that needs to be considered in planning. Ultimately land consolidation through sale or renting would allow the return of full-time farmers.    

Scale of analysis and cross-region effects are important consideration when assessing urban/rural transformation for food security and nutrition. Take land use for example. Rising household demand for meat in urbanizing China may be impacting deforestation in the Amazon. This has implications for household health in urban China, household livelihoods in the Amazon frontieer in Brazil, regional implications for the Amazon, and global implications for climate change.

Russian original below

With my best wishes for your success I would like to share my thoughts on the subject!

I’m excited that you’ve started the discussion on such a theme as ‘’Urbanization, Rural Transformation and Implications for Food Security’’.

In fact, the subject is important in all respects, but very few people give it a thought. The subject may be well covered in those countries that have high consumers demand for agricultural goods, but it is very much relevant for such countries as countries of Central Asia. Without going into details, I’ll answer only those questions that are listed for the discussion:

Are the key challenges and opportunities related to food security and nutrition in the context of changing urban-rural dynamics addressed? Are there issues missing or any that are included that don’t seem directly related?

This process has an irreversible growth dynamic, since more and more workforce will seek access to food which will be less and less available to people. In order to solve these problems more and more innovation will be involved in growth factors and fruiting; therefore, it will destroy the whole mechanism and as a result change food security situation for the worse.

Is it clear how each of the dynamics explored affects food security and nutrition? If not, how could this be better clarified?

This process can be easily implemented. The ways for implementation are: monitoring the correctness of growing during food cultivation process and food control before it leaves to the market and until it gets to the consumer.

Have the key elements of governance issues and integrated approaches to addressing rural-urban linkages been captured? If not, what is missing?

There are many issues that require complex solutions in the area of food security, but they all require personal contributions, at least a desire to take effective steps in the field of agricultural and food production.

Where/how do you think CFS can add the most value to current initiatives aimed at addressing food security and nutrition in the context of urbanization and rural transformation?

The value of such initiatives should be based on enabling all sorts of awareness services, and it should affect those projects, that are aimed at rewarding contribution to food security and nutrition, regardless of where it was initiated - in cities or in rural areas.

With best regards,

SaidA'zam Khabibullaev

С Наилучшими пожеланиями Ваших успехов я хочу начать свои мысли по озвученной тематике!

Мне приятно, что начато обсуждение подобной темы: Урбанизация, Сельское Преобразование и Последствия для продовольственной безопасности.

Предмет фактически является важным во всех отношениях, но очень мало кто задумывается об этом. Да, эта тема, возможно, действительно широко не затронута в странах, где потребительский спрос высокий на сельскохозяйственные товары, но в таких странах, какими являются страны Средней Азии эта тематика очень актуальна. Не вдаваясь в подробности отвечу лишь по вопросам, которые приведены для обсуждения:

Are the key challenges and opportunities related to food security and nutrition in the context of changing urban-rural dynamics addressed? Are there issues missing or any that are included that don’t seem directly related?

У этого процесса есть необратимая динамика роста, потому что все больше и больше рабочей силы будет стремится иметь доступ к еде, а она будет доступна  все меньше и меньше людям. Для решения этих проблем будут вовлечены в факторы роста и плодоношение все больше инноваций, а оно сломает весь механизм, итогом конечно же будет изменение продовольственную безопасность в худшую сторону.

Is it clear how each of the dynamics explored affects food security and nutrition? If not, how could this be better clarified?

Этот процесс может быть реализовано с легкостью, он реализуется следующими путями: отслеживание правильного выращивания во время культивирования еды и заканчивается контролем перед выпуском продукции как пища, вплоть до попадания продукта на стол потребителя.

Have the key elements of governance issues and integrated approaches to addressing rural-urban linkages been captured? If not, what is missing?

Есть много проблем подпадающие в категорию со сложными решениями в области продовольственной безопасности, но все они требуют собственного вклада, по крайней мере желанием действенные шаги в области сельскохозяйственного и пищевого производства.

Where/how do you think CFS can add the most value to current initiatives aimed at addressing food security and nutrition in the context of urbanization and rural transformation?

Ценность этих инициатив должна быть основана на представлении возможности все возможного информационного оповещения, и она должна отражаться на проектах, направленных к вознаграждению вклада в решение продовольственной безопасности и пищи, независимо от того где она будет инициирована: в городах или сельских районах.

--

С уважением,

СаидАъзам Хабибуллаев

Ваш сообитатель во Вселенной.

English translation below

Es importante tener presente  que lo más importane no es lograr la seguridad alimentaria, sino  fomentar   el logro de la   Soberaia    y Autonomia  Alimentaria y nutricional    para nuestra  familias  en  toda Latinoamerica, Africa y Europa del Este. Se debe favorecer  una recontricción de politicas publicas  que favorezca la producción local  y los sisteas y circuitos de comercializacön. PAra nadie es  un secreto que  en  nuestros paises  subdesarrollados  las politicas neoglobalizantes, y la a pertura de mercados loque ha ocasionado  cada dia es  una  completa dependencia  y perdidad de eocnomias  locales. SItuación que  vulnera nuestro derecho a una alimenación  sana, segura y  soberana  acorde a nuestra cultura. Colombia importa casi el  70% de los alimentos  que  se  consumen,   loc ual  lo comparamos con la situacion   de hace  15 años en donde  eran  la  despensa de  LAtinoamerica.  Los  tratados Internacionales libres   son y seran mecanismos  perversos de  ahcer  queperdamos nuestra soberania  y  que cada dia  se vulnere mas nuestros derechos.

Es necesario  volver alos campos a producir  nuestros alimentos,  pero desde el estado  se deben fortalecer  esto apartir de politicas  que favorezcan  y fortalezcan  una  produccion sostenible  o sustentable que  favorezca  el d erecho a todo  tipo de vida, que proteja nuestros bienes comunes, que  cuide y conserve nuestra biodiversidad y agrobiodiversidad. Existen 102  agriculturas  alternativas con las cuales podemos lograr una produccion mas respectuosa y sustentable.

Solo podemos hablar de  seguridad, soberania    y autonomia   en el momento  en que nuestros  propios paises, estados y gobiernos   defiendan   y contruyan nuestras politicas  , y que los modelos agropecaurios realmete  sean  creados   de  acuerdo a nuestras   condiciones y no fiel coppia de   los paises desarrollados.

Finalmente  si deseo  dejar bien claro que ninguna de las 102  agriculturas alternativas existentes  como Agroecologia,  Agricultura Ecologica, Agricultura biodinamica, Permaculura, etc  NO ES NI SERA   lo que   ahora   se conoce como agricultura ecoeficiente, que no es mas que   seguir acabando  con  nuestros  recursos naturales y nuestra biodiversidad.

Bearing in mind that promoting the attainment of Food and Nutrition Sovereignty and Self-Reliance for our families throughout Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe is what matters most -rather than achieving food securit - is important.  Public policies supporting local production and marketing systems and circuits should be fostered. It is no secret that neo-holistic policies and opening of markets in underdeveloped countries have led to complete dependence and ruined local economies. This infringes our right to culturally appropriate healthy, safe and sovereign food. Colombia imports nearly 70% of its food whereas 15 years ago it was Latin America’s larder. International treaties are and will be perverse mechanisms that contribute to the loss of our sovereignty and the increasing infringement of our rights.

We need to return to the fields to produce our food. The state must support this process by developing policies that promote and strengthen sustainable production, facilitate the right to all life forms, protect our common goods, and preserve our biodiversity and agro-biodiversity. There are 102 types of alternative agricultures which can lead to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly production.

Food security, sovereignty and self-reliance will only be achieved when our own countries, states and governments protect and design our policies. And when agricultural models are really designed considering our circumstances, and not simply copying those of developed countries.

Finally, I would like to make clear that NONE of the 102 existing types of alternative agricultures, including agro-ecology, organic farming, biodynamic agriculture, or permaculture, ARE (OR WILL BE) a form of what is now known as eco-efficient agriculture, an approach that continues to destroy our natural resources and biodiversity.

I found this document that may be useful.

Globalización, dependencia y urbanización: la transformación reciente de la red de ciudades de América Latina

http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?pid=S0718-34022009000300001&script=sci_arttext

Thanks for the paper which is very interesting. I agree with Dr Florence Egal that the CFS work should take into account work done by FAO and UNEP on food security and sustainable food systems. See below some reflexions about the paper.

• Q1 : Are the key challenges and opportunities related to food security and nutrition in the context of changing urban-rural dynamics addressed? Are there issues missing or any that are included that don’t seem directly related?

Globally, key challenges and opportunities related to food security and nutrition in the context of changing urban-rural dynamics are well addressed. I have two comments:

- for coastal territories, fisheries can play a major role in food security and nutrition, both in rural and urban areas. Fisheries should be strongly affected by climate change: it can be relevant to mention this issue when climate change and food security and nutrition are addressed page 13

- I agree that there are pros and cons both for short and long supply chains. However, environmental benefits of shorter supply chains don't mainly come from reduced food miles (mean of transport and logistics are as significant as food miles considering the carbon footprint of transportation phase) but for consumption of seasonal products, role of local agriculture in climate change mitigation and adaptation and, indirectly, shift to more environmental friendly agricultural practises, see http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/Buying-locally-the-benefits-are.html

• Where/how do you think CFS can add the most value to current initiatives aimed at addressing food security and nutrition in the context of urbanization and rural transformation?

- Knowledge sharing on practises and models which have worked and those that haven't and identification of lessons learned on this basis

- Guidelines on how implementing adequate governance allowing a transversal and multi-stakeholders approach

- Production of references, e.g. case-studies

Best regards,

Florence Scarsi

Implications of Urban Expansion and Rural Change for Food Security

Before we proceed to identify the implications of urban expansion and rural change for food security, it is necessary to see which aspects of them could have a significant impact on it.

Urban expansion has two main causes; urban birth rate and migration of people from outlying areas. The former leads to a gradual increase in the need for an adequate food supply to an urban centre, while the latter brings about an abrupt increase in it. So, other things being equal, urban expansion may result in a combination of those two increases in the need for food, which could threaten the food security of an urban centre.

At present, rural changes that need concern us represent emigration of people from the rural to urban centra.  Most rural populations are engaged in agriculture related activities in a labour-intensive manner. A simple real-life observation is sufficient to convince anyone of this fact in many parts of Africa, Asia, South America, etc.

This would inevitably lead to a reduction in rural food production, which could have a significantly adverse effect on the food security of the outlying urban centra. Today, this can be easily observed around the big cities in Angola, South Africa, India, etc., etc.

At this point, it is essential to remember two things, viz.,  lack of food security entails hunger now, and its alleviation calls for urgent practical measures. Let us next look at the relevant aspects of the problem, with which we have to deal.

First, I will outline what we cannot do. We cannot wait for long term solutions while millions go hungry every day. It is unrealistic to talk about finding employment for the migrants for even if they are qualified and work exists, that does not  entail an increase in food supplies to urban centra. Moreover, even if they found work, they will have to wait for their potential salaries to purchase food, which is highly uncertain for reasons described above.

Further, it is the rural poor who migrate to urban centra, and a considerable portion of them represent unskilled labour. It only requires a day’s observation tour to any of the immense camps/settlements/slums  around the big cities I have noted earlier to see this stark fact of real life.

Even though urban expansion has become global,  the extent of its adverse effect on food security, varies with the priority agriculture receives in a given country and people’s expectations. It is unfortunate that in many  poor and unevenly affluent countries,  political sources elicit in people  rather unrealistic expectations, which motivate them to migrate from their villages in search of ’a better life’.

This has resulted in millions of people exchanging their rural poverty with abject urban poverty involving greater deprivation. One may take it as a rule that in most affected countries, authorities give priority to ‘industrial development’, ‘high technology’, and ‘ICT’ as though that entails a commensurable increase in food supply!

Food security remains an unknown entity to millions of living people who live under appalling conditions around many large urban centra in Southern Africa, Asia, etc.  They all have left their rural homes leaving once cultivated fields lying fallow today. So, this change in rural and urban demography will inevitably threaten food security by increasing the need for food at urban centra while reducing food production.

I suggest a two-pronged approach to resolve this problem insofar as it can be resolved in isolation. Obviously, common humanity demands an appropriate action to deal with  hunger now, i.e.,  achieving a temporary food security by carefully targeted food supply, whose details are area dependent.

It may range from free distributions of food rations to subsidised food supplies, both of which ought to conform to the local food culture. Extra precautions ought to be taken to ensure that such food supplies end in the bellies of the hungry.

Remembering that this problem is endemic to poor and to countries where wealth is highly sequestered in a  few hands, it is imperative that labour-intensive agriculture  and the infra-structure it requires are given the highest priority.  At the same time, it is necessary that the governments emphasise to the public how vital is agriculture to human well-being, and that it has logical priority over ‘high technology’ and ‘ICT’, which in the final analysis are mere means of secondary support to actual food production.

Hence, agriculture ought to be given the prestige it has in real life, for it is the sole means of sustaining life most of us have at our disposal. Let us underline the obvious; without food, there will be no life for anything else. Food security is the goal whose achievement ensures that we all have access to an adequate food supply.

Lal Manavado.

English translation below

Este es un tema que se debe manejar de manera particular y de acuerdo a los contextos. Colombia es un pais en dodne el conflicto armado ha genrado un amplio rango de desplazados y por lo tanto estos vienen a engrosar los cinturones de pobreza de las ciudades. De ahi que es urgente que desde el Estado se generen politicas publicas que favorezcan la produccion familiar en pequeña escala como huertas y produccion de especies menores con el fin de fortalecer la seguridad alimentaria y nutriconal familiar . Considero muy importante el fortalecer l agricultura urbana y periurbana sobre todo para estos contextos.

--

Myriam Del Carmen Salazar

In. Agronoma, M.Sc.

This is an issue that should be handled in a particular way, and according to the contexts. Colombia is a country where armed conflict has generated a wide range of displaced people, who have gone to swell the poverty belts of cities. Hence the urgency for the state to implement public policies that favor small-scale family production -like gardens- in order to strengthen family food and nutrition security. I consider very important to strengthen urban and peri-urban agriculture, especially in these contexts.

--

Myriam Del Carmen Salazar

In. Agronoma, M.Sc.

Security of tenure shapes the dynamics of urbanization and rural transformation to a larger extent. Land grabbing for instance, creates food and nutrition insecurity. In the rural areas it competes with food and nutrition security related initiatives. It drives people away from their livelihoods. It increases urban migration. On the contrary, urban dwellers whose security of tenure is compromised have to negotiate new spaces of which rural areas is a key option.

Thank you for sharing this excellent draft. Several very relevant comments and suggestions were already submitted. However, I should like to underline a few challenges that could deserve more emphasis.

1. As suggested by one discussant, malnutrition has to be clearly defined right from the onset to include both undernutrition (which includes micronutrient malnutrition) and nutrition-related chronic diseases. The rural and the urban poor are more exposed to both forms of malnutrition and the resulting ‘double burden of malnutrition’ than their more affluent peers. We showed that the poor and women were particularly affected by the double burden, in urban Burkina Faso and Benin. This double burden of malnutrition is quite a challenge and it deserves more emphasis.

2. A more complete and clear definition of food security should be reminded, and whether or not it includes access to a diversified diet (qualitative dimension of food security). Access to food and nutrition information was part of the initial FAO definition but it seems to have been dropped or at least neglected. Both the quantitative and the qualitative dimensions of food security are to be addressed. I totally agree that food security indicators should be modulated for urban and rural areas.

3. A distinction is needed between ‘minimally-processed’ foods and ‘ultra-processed’ foods. The former are essential while the latter are not. The challenge is how to increase and improve local food processing in order to displace imported foods and drinks. The issue of increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods, mostly produced and marketed by the Big Food, is directly linked with increasing obesity and other nutrition-related chronic diseases. It cannot be overlooked anywhere. Local food systems have to be protected and made more efficient, even if they cannot feed the whole population.

4. We would suggest that more emphasis be given to the ‘pull’ effect that urban food demand should have on local production. This was highlighted in our discussion paper for FAO which Dr Florence Egal referred to. This would imply that local foods are valued, reversing the current trend. Social marketing efforts are needed to counteract the effective and powerful commercial marketing of imported foods, fast food and carbonated beverages.

5. It has been convincingly argued elsewhere that food value chains may be acted upon with a nutrition lens in order to improve the nutritional profile of foods, and not only to increase efficiency and reduce waste. The integration of nutrition in food value chains may be considered.

6. In several industrial countries, several strategies are implemented to bring food producers and consumers closer together. One of these is the ‘Family Farmers’ approach whereby urban families sign contracts with local producers and pay in advance to get their basket of vegetables (and some local fruits) on a regular basis. Organic farms are primarily involved. Can such an approach not be applied in low and middle income country cities as a means of consuming local fresh products and supporting local food production while reducing the environmental damage?

7. As mentioned by Bert Cramer, community and traditional food practices contribute to food security and need to be better recognized. Several traditional plant or animal foods should also be valued and their consumption promoted.

8. Finally, I should like to give an example of an initiative linking nutrition and agriculture for improved health in Cotonou (Benin, West Africa). The project was implemented a few years ago with external and local funding. It links self-help groups formed several years earlier for the surveillance and prevention of nutrition-related chronic diseases, with a cooperative of urban food producers. The dual purpose is to increase vegetable consumption and to support local producers while improving the safety and quality of the produce (contact person: Dr Victoire Agueh, Director of the Regional Public Health Institute [email protected]).

Hélène Delisle, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Nutrition Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Canada