Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

3) Towards an inclusive and equitable growth

Improving the productivity and sustainability of small-scale family farmers alone will not be sufficient to achieve the UNDFF milestones or SDG goals in the NENA region. The engagement of adolescents and youth, women and individuals in vulnerable situations such as migrants, will be critical to long term, inclusive and equitable growth.

Based on your experience, what are effective strategies, instruments or mechanisms to ensure adequate access to services, resources and social protection among marginalized or vulnerable groups, including in humanitarian contexts?

Despite the informality of the agriculture sector, any support for smallholder family farming can and should go hand in hand with the promotion of the Decent work Agenda. Family farmers are engaged in arduous and sometimes hazardous work to cut costs and compensate for the farm’s low productivity to an extent of involving children too, based on your experience please give three priority actions to enable decent employment for rural smallholders, youth and women and to eliminate child labour in family farming.

Response :

Setting up of textile industry components like woolen clothes can help in providing decent employment to women for rural communities. The women have to weave the clothes from the raw material which is sent to them from the supplier. The strategy is to provide basic employment by utilizing the man power at a nominal cost.

Generally, International bodies help the flood victims across the world by providing financial aid directly. Instead, it can provide material supplies like garments which are woven by the women in these rural areas. Those international bodies can pay for the services and the finished product is sent to the victims across different countries during natural calamaties.

A similar approach can be made when we see an excess production of food in few countries where storage is not possible. For instance, rice production in India sometimes was found to be very high and as a result a lot of food is wasted. If that rice is transported to NENA countries and converted into other products like Puffed rice etc, the product can be either consumed in the countries to meet the hunger. Additionally, pickle/ketchup/Jam manufacturing units can be set up by transporting food that is excess in any nearby country.

4) Enabling environment for the implementation of UNDFF

Building an enabling environment for the implementation of UNDFF regional action plan means that there are adequate resources and that governance and institutional arrangements are effective and inclusive.

How do you define roles of Governments, development agencies, farmers’ organizations, civil society and private sector in implementing the UNDFF in the region?

Response:

Governments and Development agencies

Governments and development agencies should play a crucial role in data collection because all the objectives and targets that are to be achieved are data driven. The governments should either deploy more workforce or take the help of organizations and universities to get the data that is crucial for the execution of the tasks.

Civil Society

Civil society should focus on solutions which can help the farmers indirectly by their systematic contribution. For instance, a small initiative in the waste management sector by the civil society in the urban and rural areas can provide the necessary compost and fertilizer to the farming communities at a cheaper and affordable rates. The civil society should focus on gathering resources, gaining expertise and developing a product and transport the product the local farming communities where the fertilizer is in demand. The farming community may help the residents by providing food products at a lower rate. However this initiative needs guidance and support from experts across the world.

Private sector

Private sector can help in identifying and scaling up small scale technologies which are needed for achieving the objectives. Setting up of small scale industries can be easily achieved with marginal profits with the intervention of the private sector. For instance, few firms have developed a battery driven tractor for ploughing fields which is much economical than the conventional diesel vehicle. Such technologies can be transferred to these countries to enable the farmers and inturn contribute to the upliftment of various sectors in NENA countries.

5) Partnerships

Partnerships associated with sustainable development initiatives can create synergies to address interconnected challenges that need to be addressed. With the aim to implement the UNDFF action plan in its seven pillars in the NENA region,

How can innovative partnerships be built and established? And how/what existing initiatives would you propose to replicate or scale up?

Scaling up of initiatives that were already taken up and that are to be taken up needs mentoring from the trained experts all over the world. For that we have to develop few of these partnerships.

Response :

Partnership with Software agencies for Providing Digital connectivity

A partnership with leading software agencies is the need of the hour for collecting data and for analysis of the outputs. We may need to use few softwares where we can map the areas and systematically analyze the data to track the progress of our objectives. The necessary tools have to be identified and the partnership with relevant agencies should be established as early as possible.

Partnership with Local universities

Local universities should identify potential “change makers” who can train the local people on various technologies which can improve agriculture. These change makers are to be trained by training agencies through online mode. The training agencies must be requested to train them for this cause. Further the local universities can help in identifying key challenges and help in local logistic support for execution of the tasks  

Partnership with Training agencies and Individual Researchers for capacity building

Many training agencies across the world charge for providing the training. A small initiative of training a couple of participants for free or at a discounted cost as a part of collaboration can help in capacity building in the NENA countries in the long run. Further, there might be individual researchers in various educational and research institutions across the world who can contribute willingly to provide the necessary training. Their online training and support can help the change makers to gain the necessary expertise. These change makers under the mentorship of the experts can further help in scaling up of the training facilities in the respective countries.

Partnership with Airline travel partners

Few Air line travel agencies has emerging as a new gateway to Africa in the recent years. This connectivity option can help NENA countries in many ways. Firstly, many transit passengers use different Airlines across key cities in africa. A fund raising center or an Information desk in airports where the transit passengers can contribute funds or any other resources or help in any form will help in achieving goals at a faster rate. This center can not only highlight the tasks that are being carried out but also will help in reaching more experts in various fields who can contribute for this cause.

 

English translation below

1) Impact de l'épidémie de la COVID-19 dans la région NENA

La région du Proche-Orient et de l'Afrique du Nord (NENA) est confrontée à des défis majeurs, dont l'éradication de la pauvreté et de la faim, ainsi que la lutte contre le changement climatique et la préservation des ressources naturelles afin d'éviter de nouvelles dégradations.

Comment l'épidémie de COVID-19 a-t-elle exacerbé les difficultés rencontrées par les petits exploitants agricoles familiaux (SSFF)?

• perturbation dans l’execution du plan d’action de l’atonomisation économique et sociale des femmes et filles en milieu rural, (ces perturbations ont touché les actions de vulgarisation, de formation et d’organisation des femmes dans les GDA et SMSA)
• difficulté dans la commercialisation des produits des femmes frais et aussi issu du petit élevage (apicole, cunicole, avicole)
• difficulté de mobilité des femmes ce qui s’est répercuté sur l’approvisionnement en intrants et la mise en place des cultures surtout d’été,
• difficuté dans les analyses des produits surtout issus d’une transformation artisanale dans les laboratories accrédités pour obtenir le certificat d’hygiène et de qualité et qui permettra aux femmes de commercialiser leurs produits via le commerce électronique,
• perturbation dans la mise en oeuvre du programme de la couverture sociale  “ahmini” des ouvrières agricoles et des collectrices de palourde,
• perturbation dans la mise en oeuvre des actions programmées dans les projets y compris GEMAISA

 

Et quels sont les principaux domaines d'intervention susceptibles de favoriser efficacement la résilience des SSFF et de garantir des moyens de subsistance durables?

Actions suggérées au profit des femmes:

• accompagnement techniques et soutien financier des agricultrices surtout celles qui adhèrent aux GDA et aux SMSA pour que leurs   produits transformés respondent aux normes d’hygiène et de qualité.
• mise en place d’une plateforme électronique pour commercialiser les produits des femmes.
• appuyer les agricultrices pour reconvertir leur exploitations en mode biologique à des prix préférentiels.
• doubler les credits destinés aux projets de femmes dans le cadre du programme d’entrepreneuriat “raida” et accorder une priorité à celles qui adhèrent aux GDA et SMSA.
• Réserver 70% du montant de ce programme aux regions intérieures du pays dans le cadre de la discrimination positive.
• alléger le nombre d’ouvrières dans les moyens de transport et veillez à la sterilisation permanente de ces moyens
• distribuer les moyens de protection aux ouvrières agricoles et collectrices de palourdes (gel hydroalcoolique, bavettes)
• préparer des spots televisés et des supports écrits pour sesibiliser les agricultrices et les collectrices de palourdes à respecter les gestes barrieres.

 

2) Transition viable vers des systèmes agroalimentaires plus durables

Pour répondre aux besoins d'une population croissante, il est essentiel d'accélérer la transition vers des systèmes alimentaires plus durables, notamment en tenant compte de la dégradation des ressources naturelles déjà rares et de l'impact du changement climatique dans la région NENA.

Comment la DNUAF peut-elle fournir des outils et des mesures qui aident le SSFF à faire face aux défis climatiques et socio-économiques?

A titre d’exemple :

• Encourager les semences autochtones pour certaines espèces
• La photovoltaique
• La récupération des eaux pluviales dans des citernes  surélevées

 

3) Vers une croissance inclusive et équitable

L'amélioration de la productivité et de la durabilité des petites exploitations agricoles familiales ne suffira pas à elle seule pour atteindre les objectifs de la DNUAF ou les ODD dans la région NENA. La mobilisation des adolescents et des jeunes, des femmes et des personnes en situation de vulnérabilité, comme les migrants, sera essentielle pour parvenir à une croissance à long terme, inclusive et équitable.

Dans votre expérience, quels sont les stratégies, instruments ou mécanismes efficaces pour garantir un accès adéquat aux services, aux ressources et à la protection sociale des groupes marginalisés ou vulnérables, y compris dans les contextes humanitaires?

Le bureau d’appui à la femme rurale travaille dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre de la stratégie d’autonomisation économique est sociale des femmes et filles en milieu rural. A cet effet au début de chaque campagne et en adoptant une approche participative et intégrée, un plan d’action d’autonomisation économique et sociale au profit des agricultrices est élaboré et mis en oeuvre par les coordinatrices du bureau d’appui au niveau des CRDA. Ce plan prévoit des actions de sensibilisation, d’encadrement, de vulgarisation, de formation et d’organisation des agricultrices en des GDAP et SMSA.

Concernant la protection sociale des ouvrières agricoles et des collectrices de palourde: on opère dans le cadre:

D’une convention tripartite a été signee entre les ministers  MAPMRH , MFFES et MAS en oct 2018 qui définit les engagements des 3 structures dans le domaine de la couverture sociale

Du  décret 379 paru en 2019 sur la couverture sociale des ouvriers agricoles mobiles et occasionnels 

Malgré le caractère informel du secteur agricole, tout soutien aux petites exploitations familiales peut et doit aller de pair avec la promotion de l’Agenda du travail décent. Les agriculteurs familiaux accomplissent des travaux pénibles et parfois dangereux afin de réduire les coûts et compenser la faible productivité de l'exploitation, au point d'impliquer également les enfants. Sur la base de votre expérience, pourriez-vous indiquer trois actions prioritaires qui permettraient de créer des emplois décents pour les petits exploitants ruraux, les jeunes et les femmes, et d'éliminer le travail des enfants dans les exploitations agricoles familiales.

Dans le cadre de la loi 51 parue en juin 2019 sur la creation d’une nouvelle catégorie de transport “le transport des ouvriers agricoles” et en attendant les textes d’application qui ne vont pas tarder je suggère que les jeunes peuvent bénéficier et profiter des avantages qui seront octroyés pour avoir des autorisations d’acquisition de moyens de transport et assurer le déplacement des ouvrières agricoles dans des conditions décentes

Egalement on peut suggérer la création de mini unites de transformation des produits agricoles qui répondent à des cahiers des charges

Aussi pour la commercialisation des produits des femmes en milieu rural et dans le cadre de l’application de la circulaire du MAPMRH qui envisage la création de points de vente, on peut confier la gestion de ces structures à des SMSA qui seront créees et recruter des jeunes qui assurent la gestion et le marketing.

4) Promouvoir un environnement propice à la mise en œuvre de la DNUAF

La création d'un environnement favorable à la mise en œuvre du plan d'action régional de la DNUAF suppose de disposer de ressources suffisantes et d'une gouvernance et de dispositions institutionnelles efficaces et inclusives.

Comment définir les rôles des gouvernements, des organismes de développement, des organisations d'agriculteurs, de la société civile et du secteur privé dans la mise en œuvre de la DNUAF dans la région?

Le rôle des des differents intervenants sera définit  selon leurs attributions. Il faut envisager d’institutionnaliser les mécanismes de coordination pour avoir de bons résultats

Quels sont les goulets d'étranglement auxquels les institutions susmentionnées peuvent se heurter dans la mise en œuvre de la DNUAF dans la région et comment y remédier? Par exemple, en termes de politiques, de ressources financières, de capacités techniques, etc.

Les moyens financiers,  les moyens humains et le renforcement des capacities techniques et pédagogiques du personnel existant

5) Partenariats

Des partenariats associés à des initiatives de développement durable peuvent créer des synergies permettant de relever des défis interdépendants qui doivent être abordés.

Dans le but de mettre en œuvre le Plan d'action de la DNUAF et de ses sept piliers dans la région NENA, comment construire et établir des partenariats innovants? Et comment/quelles initiatives existantes proposez-vous de reproduire ou d'étendre?

-Travailler dans le cadre de plan d’action et des comités de suivi.

1) Impact of COVID-19 outbreak in NENA region

The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region is facing key challenges including ending poverty and hunger as well as responding to climate change and the conservation of natural resources to avoid further degradation.

How does/did the COVID-19 outbreak exacerbate the challenges faced by small-scale family farmers (SSFF)?

• disruption in the execution of the action plan for the economic and social empowerment of women and girls in rural areas, (these disruptions affected the extension, training and organization actions of women in the Agricultural Development Groups (GDAs) and mutual agricultural service companies (SMSAs))
• difficulty in marketing women's fresh products and also products from small livestock (beekeeping, rabbit, poultry)
• difficulty of mobility for women, which has repercussions on the supply of inputs and the establishment of crops, especially in summer,
• difficulty in analyzing products, especially those resulting from artisanal processing in accredited laboratories to obtain the hygiene and quality certificate, which will allow women to market their products via electronic commerce,
• disruption in the implementation of the “ahmini” social coverage program for female agricultural workers and clam collectors,
• disruption in the implementation of actions programmed in the context of projects including GEMAISA
  
   

And what are the main areas of interventions that could efficiently build SSFF resilience and ensure sustainable livelihood?

Suggested actions for the benefit of women:

• technical and financial support for women farmers, especially those who are affiliated with GDAs and SMSAs so that their processed products meet hygiene and quality standards.
• establishment of an electronic platform to market women's products.
• support women farmers to convert their farms to organic mode at preferential prices.
• double the credits intended for women’s projects under the “raida” entrepreneurship program and give priority to those joining GDAs and SMSAs.
• reserve 70% of the amount of this program for the interior regions of the country within the framework of positive discrimination.
• reduce the number of workers in means of transport and ensure the permanent sterilization of these means
• distribute means of protection to agricultural workers and clam collectors (hydroalcoholic gel, bibs)
• prepare television spots and written support to educate farmers and clam collectors to respect barrier gestures.
  
   

2) Sustainable transition towards more sustainable agri-food systems

In order to meet the needs of a growing population, it is essential to accelerate the transition toward more sustainable food systems with special consideration to the degradation of the already scarce natural resources and climate change impact in the NENA region.

How can the UNDFF provide tools and measures that help SSFF facing the climate and socioeconomic challenges?

For example:

• Encourage native seeds for certain species
• Photovoltaics
• Rainwater recovery in elevated cisterns
  
   

3) Towards an inclusive and equitable growth

Improving the productivity and sustainability of small-scale family farmers alone will not be sufficient to achieve the UNDFF milestones or SDG goals in the NENA region. The engagement of adolescents and youth, women and individuals in vulnerable situations such as migrants, will be critical to long term, inclusive and equitable growth.

Based on your experience, what are effective strategies, instruments or mechanisms to ensure adequate access to services, resources and social protection among marginalized or vulnerable groups, including in humanitarian contexts?

The support office for rural women works within the framework of the implementation of the strategy of economic and social empowerment of women and girls in rural areas. To this end at the start of each season and by adopting a participatory and integrated approach, an action plan for economic and social empowerment for the benefit of women farmers is drawn up and implemented by the coordinators of the support office at the level of the Regional Commission for Agricultural Development (CRDA). This plan provides for awareness-raising, supervision, extension, training and organization of women farmers in GDAs and SMSAs.

Concerning the social protection of female agricultural workers and clam collectors: we operate within the framework of:

A tripartite agreement was signed between ministers Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries and Hydraulic Resources, Ministry of Women, Family, Childhood and Seniors and Ministry of Social Affairs in October 2018 which defines the commitments of the 3 structures in the area of social coverage

Decree 379 published in 2019 on social coverage for mobile and occasional agricultural workers

Despite the informality of the agriculture sector, any support for smallholder family farming can and should go hand in hand with the promotion of the Decent work Agenda. Family farmers are engaged in arduous and sometimes hazardous work to cut costs and compensate for the farm’s low productivity to an extent of involving children too, based on your experience please give three priority actions to enable decent employment for rural smallholders, youth and women and to eliminate child labour in family farming.

Within the framework of Law 51 published in June 2019 on the creation of a new category of transport “the transport of agricultural workers” and while waiting for the implementing rules, I suggest that young people can benefit and enjoy the advantages that will be granted to obtain authorizations for the acquisition of means of transport and ensure the movement of female agricultural workers under decent conditions.

We can also suggest the creation of mini processing units for agricultural products that meet specifications.

Also for the marketing of women's products in rural areas and within the framework of the application of the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries and Hydraulic Resources circular which envisages the creation of sale points, we can entrust the management of these structures to mutual agricultural service companies which will be created and recruit young people who are in charge of management and marketing.

4) Enabling environment for the implementation of UNDFF

Building an enabling environment for the implementation of UNDFF regional action plan means that there are adequate resources and that governance and institutional arrangements are effective and inclusive.

How do you define roles of Governments, development agencies, farmers’ organizations, civil society and private sector in implementing the UNDFF in the region?

The role of the various stakeholders will be defined according to their remits. We must consider institutionalizing the coordination mechanisms to have good results.

What are the bottlenecks –any of the above institutions may encounter in achieving the UNDFF implementation in the region and how to overcome them? E.g. in terms of policies, financial resources, technical capacities, etc.

Financial resources, human resources and the strengthening of the technical and educational capacities of existing staff.

5) Partnerships

Partnerships associated with sustainable development initiatives can create synergies to address interconnected challenges that need to be addressed.

With the aim to implement the UNDFF action plan in its seven pillars in the NENA region, how can innovative partnerships be built and established? And how/what existing initiatives would you propose to replicate or scale up?

-Work within the framework of an action plan and monitoring committees.

 

 

 

1. I can't speak to Africa but here in Bocas del Toro, Panama we are working a new permaculture concept that fits perfectly to a fast "action plan" pretty much anywhere.
2. The mentioned species should work or substitutes can be chosen for African sub climates.
3. This abstract article entitled Guerilla Permaculture is related to future projects and experimentation, and it may not be for everyone. It's certainly alternative thinking and is written to provoke specifically more "outside of the box" thought. It's not that alternative, being it is the most in-line with nature concept in the discussion.

The beautiful point plainly addressed; to live in harmony with nature using public lands and be productive, could be coined as Guerilla Permaculture, a title which describes kinda how I imagine harmonious natural life in my mind, anyway.

The installment of excellent species is out there now. It takes only to learn the immediate surrounding nature over a great area of land, and know the locations of good food trees and shrubs and be able to assemble a masterpiece of a meal menu from them.

It is just about proven truth that a diverse gathering of greens provided the evolutionary step to making spear and fire yet, it not known as so much to what degrees that a highly strategic nutritional diversity diet plan has the ability to go beyond the primitive selection.

You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.”

― Bob Marley

Science perhaps should have ventured in this direction, but instead, this community opted for the "direction of dissection" as opposed to realizing diverse combinations, and creative study. Right now, to modern culture (North American) what I am talking about in terms of planning out a "highly diverse diet to optimize yourself "is a crazy idea, that likely has a lot less of a benefit than I say it does. At this time it seems that cool is to be dumb and Cheetos are good. I really keep repeating myself so a few young people I care about consider the idea, and actually discover the athletic benefits. 

Since the pandemic, a health wave of fitness enthusiasm in the Bocas del Toro Islands has begun. I have been running biking and swimming here for ten years off and on. Biking and surfing is something you see a lot of. But there has always been more partying in the night then runners in the morning, and now I am joined even by a small few at 5 am, which has never been the case for me before.

Humbly, I would like to cover a few points of disclamatory wisdom that can offer a positive perspective and helpful must-knows from a world(s) of experience not everyone reading this has had.

I should say if you take land be prepared to give food and plants away. This particular idea likely works the best on public land. This idea should not be the root of land disputes so always do your homework and check with authorities. You should be able to get written permission to do at least a little garden somewhere for you to start.

Wisdom 1.) It would be good to have as many evolving models of growth as the planet can and share the diamonds of information that diverse experience comes up with. It is always tempting and now very viable with the internet to accomplish but at the same time; the biggest problem I have seen across the board in farming operations is working with people. Keep your circle small, make sure the people you do permaculture with are really into permaculture and you can do other things with those who like other things. I can't say it enough you need quality people to do quality farming at any quality level. Don't carry people through things, you'll be moving slower like that. Be your own winner and that means to know how to cut the dead weight and make moves. You will always be able to come back to that which you cut if you cut it the right way. That being said, some cuts should be permanent, believe me, those cuts are there for everybody, and they will have to be made in order to succeed as much as you may not like that fact or the person you may need to cut. These decisions about people are based on their honesty, integrity, toxicity, and strength. It takes time to get to know people, and superstars always have "haters," so remember diamonds are made under pressure and they are hard to find. People are dynamic and working them generally is dangerous so you just really need to get to know them before embarking on any kind of commitment with them and if they have been dishonest with you in the past, well - it is guaranteed to fail and it is your fault when it does because you knew that.

Wisdom 2). Land disputes are sort of interesting all their own as we don't thank the Great Spirit for these amazing lands, anymore. We (1) own them (2) we know better than nature does, and we torture and send to extinction all the biological life on this planet that existed long before us, through basically those two thoughts.

I started this paper at the 5 years into my Permaculture sciences study mark. I just passed ten years in this field. I am able to proceed in this pursuit of happiness and free-trail blazing thanks to receiving property from an Angel, a million and a half blessings from above, and the support of my Father, Bruce Bro, JPKill, my Bro Richie, My Sis Wendi, and plenty more thank you all.

I have though been in 7 years now, deeply, and have said the last 4 of those that I would like to do Permaculture on public, not owned lands, anonymously as a way of conjuring up the highly intelligent attention from nature; the ultimate school, in a new category of certification from nature herself.

Guerilla Permaculture :

Secret or at least sparratic or off-trail installations of human-intention-ed permacultures within greater naturaul landscapes.

Chinese general and strategist Sun Tzu, in his The Art of War (6th century BCE), was the earliest to propose the use of guerrilla warfare.

Guerrilla warfare is defined by Google as; irregular military actions (such as harassment and sabotage) carried out by small usually independent forces. Others see it as a term that also includes sneaking upon, rather than confrontation, from small parties oftentimes existing always nomadic-ally or in hidden locations.

There is no need so much for the secrecy at this time, other than to keep others from harvesting your stuff while away. The irregular planting style in contrast to the modern monoculture planting style has been loved by many now for half a century and diverse combinations were without a doubt the method of the most advanced growing systems through history and today in terms of nutritional quality.

The combat applied idea was key to America gaining her independence from British Rule, it can theoretically be the activity structure from which the little man or the underdog can come up.

Monoculture rows can easily be beaten in quality and can be outproduced by this style of intertwined with the natural cultivation of desired foods. This is an interesting (unfortunately) lateral comparison to war history whereas, rows of soldiers were beaten and outperformed by the strategy of guerilla tactics and techniques. hence my use of a similar term.

There is a real want to simply become a wild forager and hunter, that does not need agriculture and can travel a great distance.

Just short of that, within a certain smaller span of distance, I think it could be advantageous and fun to look at doing some small, quickly install-able guerilla permaculture sites.

The thing we did not see coming from this initiative was the amount of incredible insight that is downloading about everything through the practice.

The next step (if we survive that long) in human intelligence following the age where we thought we owned land, where we stabbed flags in it, wrote documents for it, went to war over it, will be an appreciation for the crazy awsome gift hopefully.

https://youtu.be/0dn5Y7bHD2k

Monoculture agriculture our primary source of food is a cocky person's attempt to show nature who is boss. It is working and will kill and mutate shelves of pollinators every day, cause millions of human cancer cases, and we deliver it all in a long-lasting pretty wax-coated version with a hefty price tag on it.

These items most purchase grow. It takes a good year of learning and working with the chosen species and then anyone can produce on a small amount of land. They are other gifts from God or Nature or Great Spirit the whole Earth is really one big gratitude test and should one choose they can learn to grow stuff anywhere.

 If one can move to the site for a while they likely would want to start with animals, moveable solar fences and controls for these animals, use simple shelter such as tents, and once a small trail of land is cleared and the animals have been situated the permaculture design installation of plants can go next.

True absolute freedom will come when

The permaculturist leaves the cancer patch on the skin of the Earth known as the city.

A method of eating and surviving far from the city has been established.

 

We can say that in a nomadic journey the best version of guerilla permaculture could be accomplished, but I have developed and experimented more on a re-visit style of doing this.

These unknown, un-owned, all free guerilla permaculture sites could even be strategically functioned to assist nature, to be a piece of the reforestation solution we so badly need to be today; sort of terraforming stations. 

The ecology we could kick off from a large movement of humans doing this could create a quality of life far greater than what we are looking at without this type of movement. I certain sect of people seem very made for something like this, but it also seems the mental constraints of ownership, or the need to own it before working it makes us focus on buying something when that is not in this case necessary to accomplish it.

Arguably it may not be as secure. I think to keep it to a trail format and stretch it out doing your daily runs and harvests on a strategic set of productive species is both less attractive of attention and provides security in the sense that the planting is stretched rather than a squared area.

Today provides us with GPS, and there are ways of exporting map files for a location so that in the event of a power outage or GPS failure real maps together with the exported maps should be able to get you back to the sites.

"It was a good life, you break your back, you snap your fingers, you snap your neck." - Prong 

The duality of technologies is interesting. They can increase ability but when there is too much the technologies begin to present evidence that they are hurting us (individually and ecologically) by creating toxins and causing us to perform less physical activity. To achieve the correct balance as a society and as individuals is daunting for the scientist.

This balance is the everyday success of nature. Support nature and nature will support all of this.

Mapping the stars can be fun for the family, is a very important skill, and other ways of creative site marking and finding come to mind in the endeavor. Planting specific plants in certain vicinities, and along trails that you and your group have mapped out could be mu9ch more productive of a daily activity that one would think.

We have thought to launch a star and sky study group that focuses mostly on biodynamics, which Guerilla Permaculture superstars should be familiarized with.

Biodynamic Agriculture principles and preparations as hard as they may be for some to believe in, really do work and the should also be considered for employment in the guerilla permaculture mission. Not being one to argue with the results, in my experience we are in a dynamic situation whether people believe it or not and those with more knowledge and belief in those dynamics will have a better chance of success at outgunning the major agriculture industry with an all-natural method.

I thought of some initial things that could help sites and trails blend in with nature.

1. Motorcycle, foot, or horse access only.
2. Several wall-expansion perimeters planted at the onset in a bullseye like a form (birds-eye view). This could be an excellent general permaculture focus, one for example; one tall tree, shorter trees next, shrubs next, ground cover next, chosen vine, etc. Using
3. Bees & other dangerous insects animals and reptiles...my little kid imagination runs wild. Bees  I think are perfect and I would do them at as many locations they are being so adversely affected by chemicals associated with mono cropping today. This could really drive and realize a new level of beekeeping - likely very needed already years ago now.
4. Sharp and scary plants can be sourced, and maze entry styles can be designed with certain species such as bamboo, wild ginger, and many others.
5. Tree "Y" planting.  With a piece of rope or natural twine-wrapped several times around a tree branch "Y" shapes, sticks, in a sort of high-up planting nest could be a wonderful method of doing this, that inspires tree climbing and integrated tree planting which I can see now could become very advanced.

 

A shrub list of starter stuff could be,

1. Damiana
2. Ambrosia Peruvianna
3. Ashwaganda

A ground cover list could be started at the same time could be,

1. Pumpkin Squash
2. Bitter Melon
3. Passion Fruit

The first thing that we need to do is pick our first installation spot, Sun Tzu's work may be the best guide for doing this, but again basically we are looking for a place off the beaten path, and there are many natural clearings where edge material and small stuff can be chopped up easily with a machete, the ground turned or not, and no clearing of larger plants.

I covered earlier that to move with some livestock one can be quickly established into this. That to be nomadic is a plus. The Kuna Yala tribe here in Panama was the only in the region, that was never conquered and they have some of the most preserved heritage and culture. There were not nomadic to start but became nomadic for centuries to survive until finally negotiating themselves the territory of the San Blas Islands in Panama, some of the most beautiful Caribbean Islands - and the vibe there is great!

Getting started with the agricultural part we want to make a pile of chop, start digging a hole, that is our soil mine for a time and could be a spring or other use hole later on. So if we can find seeps lets do that and start mining a piece of our soil mix from there.

If there is some rock we could break that up or use it as it comes, and if there is some larger stick we can use them as whole pieces or burn them for soil ash, we can also start powerful bio-char type processes. The options can be very optimized and are very dynamic in terms of direction.

We want the best soil possible and likely a thick topping of pasteurized chop, which the rain will do overtimes as it is in a pile. I am a fan of dicing my chop pile over and over to make it easier to apply and better functioning, but this is not necessary and would require more site visits.

Branches harvested without seriously affecting the trees can be cut and made into smart cover structures for smaller planting. It is always easy to get fairly straight 2' pieces and Lincoln log them up around special plantings. They can be charred a bit too. Rocks placed as petals of a flower around the planting is also a good way to help designate. So is sawdust, mulches, or collected leaves and needles.

Ash, concentrated fertilizer, on-site natural tea-making system, bio-dynamic preparation, logs in swales, and humanure should be considered for on site-soil preparation. I am in the tropics but there are species that can work for whatever microclimate you are in, it just takes a little bit of learning each day.

Simple ideas like these are building blocks to better nutrition anywhere. But we are concerned with patriarchy. Illusions instilled by deceit. Here in Panama people $purchased 4500 high-pressure sprayers and tanks were rolled out to spray the bottoms of cars in the tropics where it rains every day because they thought the virus crawled on the street. Someone is laughing somewhere I can almost guarantee.

https://youtu.be/4EUJ1DZXfr0

The steps of installation, and planting to be performed on the first visit starting as early in the A.M. as possible :

 PROTECT BIG TREES, FERTILIZE MEDIUM TREES OF PRIMARY FORREST get ready from shrub planting around these trees.

On the planting moon; Plantain, cassava, papaya, coconut,  katuk, damiana, culantro right from cutting rhizome or shoot, in "banana circles." 'Vegetables, and quick growing leaves, citronella grass, cranberry hibiscus, mustards, kales, pak choy, zapio, sandia, beans - leaves oftentimes edible, herbs, *hemp, ambrosia peruvianna,  sage, patchouli - keeps insects down in the area. Bamboo? Or small stick generating species.

Irrigation, if needed, and optional disguise for it. I think of a basic 20' by 20' plot being a trench around the square and trenches possibly across the center at 10' each or for one side.

The steps for the second visit;

Fertilizer delivery and application.

More planting of small crops, root crops such as ginger and turmeric paying attention to bio-dynamic planting days.

*Planting of the second wall on the other side of irrigation. If bamboo is used again, it is good to re-dig irrigation as much as possible and to a 6' swale, planting the next bamboo wall ten feet back, leaving 2' each side of the swale.

Planting more buffer area, camouflage outside of bamboo and irrigation, vines, ground covering plants.

Cut back of banana plants even if just a bit to stimulate growth.

In-Tree Planting Systems

Tree Y plant beds:  where a tree makes the "Y" shape, a barrier can be wrapped or nailed on either side, and smaller plants,  fungi, herbs, or flowers can be grown there. Get one done and learn, but move towards all-natural construction if that is not the starting place.

Using normal permaculture strategy such as;  trunks can be covered with vine, and also plant shelves can be carved out for all-natural nursery action.

This particular abstract concept in endless in possibility and certainly a work in progress here.

Social Pitfalls

I recently met a team of volunteers that claim to clean the island and want to plant food everywhere on public land. A group of ten having beers told me they planted 25 coconuts and you can see them, and this was good. They told me they wanted to do more and they had a website. Unfortunately, after weeks since I gave them the first task of replacing the plastic pots that one of the members through away and burned on top of a five-year compost while hastily trying to dominate the spaces around him in a primitive effort to be in control of home and garden situation where he was invited by someone helping him (interesting in itself right), I have no heard from the group for five weeks now.

In thoroughness, I have left my rants about this kind of fake talk, and no walk stuff everywhere to 1. encourage the successful point that if you are going to do this, you are going to have to do it on your own, or with a truly dedicated partner - which in the guerilla permaculture should be a great partnership.

In my permaculture and nature enthusiast experience, so many people have these good intentions, or they talk the good intention talk, but to actually perform in dedicated selfless service to nature (which really earns the most important relationship a person can have in life - a relationship with nature, nature they biologically depend on every day with no appreciation) is conducted by about less than 1% of the individuals in this group talks.

That less than 1% that does something, they will not do much. This is because usually laziness, so many of these types are just looking to escape from being responsible. They have this "hippie" attitude where "everything is alright, we don't want to do anything, the system already had us enslaved we are done with that," and as credible as much of these claims are the general output from these groups is unproductive.

Most of the productive farms I have seen are pushed by Latin-America-born workers getting paid for their time, volunteers who get travel subsidies out of the deal, or because of one worker (many times anti-social rooted in this very lack of productivity from his or her peers) gets up early and puts in a full workday on his project.

It ends up being a very productive point that I think should be part of any pass down or education that there is a lack of work ethic and a huge element of distraction, waist of time. If I compiled the number of hours people like this have waisted my time it would amount to several of these installations. The only installation like this that I know of I am doing alone.

The time I wasted waiting on people who waisted hours of my time just telling me they would replace plastic containers, to actually come up with those containers, or to actually do something I could have done 100 installations, including all the nursery work to prepare for them.

I do not recommend forms, groups, initiatives, clubs, or any of this for productive guerilla permaculture. In fact, I recommend the best headphones loaded up with permaculture podcasts, good music, and motivational media, to block out the fact that everyone and everything is trying to distract you from going into nature and getting it done - the healthiest thing for you and for the world to do!

I myself live in two sets of rechargeable headphones wake up at 3 am, and go to bed at 530pm mainly because of how sick I am of listening to people who don't actually say anything real, honest, or that they will ever follow up on.

I revisit this point, in a great extension of guerilla permaculture, I called "Rotational, Revisit-style Permaculture," at the Nutritional Diversity & Permaculture Study Center in Costa Rica.

 

 

 

 

 

1) Impact of COVID-19 outbreak in NENA region

FAO Iraq is in the process of collecting data from various stakeholders to assess the impact of COVID-19 on agriculture and the food supply chain.  Staff are conducting key informant interviews with government officials and extension officers, in addition to questionnaires with farmers and agriculture input suppliers. Understanding the perspective of stakeholders along the agriculture and food supply chain will be essential to craft policy advice and develop effective programming. This data will also be included in a joint analysis of the food security situation in Iraq, which is published jointly with WFP, World Bank and IFAD.

2) Sustainable transition towards more sustainable agri-food systems

​​​​​​​Climate change is anticipated to increase the mean annual temperature, result in more frequent heat waves and fewer frost days, and decrease mean annual average rainfall in Iraq.  Thus, climate change is likely to result in longer and more severe drought and decreased water flow that, combined with anthropogenic activities and upstream riparian development of the Tigris and Euphrates (i.e. dams in Turkey), will decrease the amount of surface and groundwater available for agriculture.  This will place more pressure on groundwater systems, with implications for water quality and quantity. Thus, farming systems will need to be able to continue to produce food with less water, requiring the adoption of water saving tools and techniques, both for irrigated and rainfed systems.

Digital innovation can transform the entire value chain; however, first Iraq must have the necessary infrastructure and enabling environment to promote the adoption of digital tools. Strides have been made and Iraq has publically announced that will focus on this issue in the future; however, additional work is needed to ensure that digital transformations do not increase the divide between rural-urban communities, in addition to the gender divide. IN order to ensure that the introduction of certain policies and programmes support this effort, more information is required on Examples of solutions includes precision agriculture (i.e. soil moisture sensors to optimize water delivery), digital remote extension services and technologies to track food safety (i.e. monitoring temperatures along the cold chain).

3) Towards an inclusive and equitable growth

​​​​​​​Ensuring that marginalized and vulnerable groups have equal access to knowledge and information is the first key step to ensure equity in terms of access to services, resources and social protection programmes. Additionally, programmes should be adapted to accommodate for the different needs of these groups. For example, Cash for Work programmes should be modified to ensure that women, disabled and elderly individuals can participate equitably, rather than only providing activities that require hard labor. These activities should be culturally appropriate and realistic – for example, FAO Iraq ensured that vulnerable women could partake in a Cash for Work scheme by introducing one nursery rehabilitation activity, which allowed women to focus on planting trees and other less labor intensive tasks. Other options could be to pay individuals to provide childcare and other services.

I would like to contribute to the question related to inclusive and equitable growth and more especially in relation to child labour elimination in family-based agriculture in the region. The league of Arab States in partnership with FAO and ILO has released in 2019 a qualitative and quantitative analysis of child labour in Arab States (http://www.fao.org/3/ca3190en/ca3190en) which encompasses several country studies about child labour and small-scale farming/agriculture.

Child labour elimination is part of the fundamental rights at work pillar of the decent work agenda and is clearly defined as work that is interfering with the child's education, not appropriate to the child's age (too difficult, to long hours etc.) and detrimental to his/her health and development. Many tasks that children undertake in agriculture are NOT considered child labour. However, child labour in family based agriculture is still widespread with 70% of all child labour as unpaid family work and 71% of all child labour in the large sector of agriculture. It is certainly a consequence of poverty but also a driver of poverty. Unfortunately child labour does not lead to skills development and employability. Child labour also contributes to youth unemployment by replacing potential paid and skilled workers with cheap or free unskilled labour.

Here are some selected solutions that could reduce the exposure of children to hazards, diminish the need for children to contribute to the production and contribute to an inclusive transfromation of agriculture:

- Promote sustainable farming practices, such as integrated pest management, or  some farming practices promoted through conservation agriculture and agro-ecology have the potential to reduce child labour by decreasing labour requirements, reducing pesticide us and improving incomes of farmers. that insists on the human health aspects and the specific physical vulnerabilities of children (their bodies and minds are still developing and strenuous tasks and exposure to chemicals will have more detrimental and irreversible impacts on their health)

- Promote labour saving practices, innovation, mechanization that will help reduce the need of workforce, increase the production, and will ease the burden of family farmers; labour-saving technologies (e.g. specialized tools for planting and weeding) or techniques (e.g. mulching) can save farmers’ time and energy, reducing the amount and type of work undertaken by children. Small-scale processing technologies (e.g. peanut shellers) also have the potential to reduce the work burden and free children’s time to attend school. Combining approaches, while also raising awareness in the community about what is child labour, and why it would benefit the community and small farms to send children to school and instead of work, can increase productivity of small-scale agriculture and create opportunities to move up the value chain or diversify income-generating activities.

For more strategies to end chidl labour in agriculture and on why family farming and agriculture would benefit from child labour elimination, see FAO Framework on Ending Child Labour in Agriculture.(http://www.fao.org/3/ca9502en/CA9502EN.pdf)

As you may know, a UNDFF Regional Action Plan is being developed for the NENA region by FAO RNE, in consultation with strategic partners and relevant stakeholders aiming to facilitate the implementation of the Decade in the region, translating the Global Action Plan and building on the experience of the FAO Regional Initiative on Small-Scale Family Farming (RI-SSFF). This seeks to contribute to a 10-year process in support of SSFF, implementing actions to achieve the UNDFF Global Action Plan (GAP) in the region.

In this context, FAO RNE launched this online consultation early August in order to gather stakeholders’ perspectives, actions and their expected outcomes at the regional and country levels.

Now that the e-consultation has ended, FAO Regional Initiative on Small-Scale Family Farming (RI-SSFF) team would like to thank those who participated and provided valuable contributions, great ideas and experiences were received on how to address priorities, challenges and opportunities in the NENA.

Some other suggestions received consisted of interesting insights on how to incorporate innovation and digital agriculture approaches, agroecology and climate smart agriculture, among others, into the solutions designed to respond to some of the most pressing challenges facing Small-Scale Family Farming.

The results of the consultation will be presented at a virtual eLaunch event for the UN Decade of Family Farming in the NENA region to take place in the autumn of 2020.

Special thanks go to the team and FSN Forum colleagues for their hard work and follow up.

 

 

English translation below

الإجابة علي السؤال رقم (5) الشراكات

مقدمة

تواجه الزراعة في عالم اليوم ضغوطا متزايدة لتوفير الغذاء الكافي للأعداد المتزايدة من البشر يوما بعد يوم ، وذلك في ظل وجود أزمات المياه والتغيرات المناخية ، وإستنزاف التربة ، والبناء عليها، وتفتت الحيازة الزراعية، وإرتفاع أسعار مستلزمات الزراعة من أسمدة وتقاوي ومبيدات، وصعوبات في تسويق المنتجات بأسعار مجزية أو الإنضمام إلي أي منظومة للزراعة التعاقدية، أو الإستفادة من نظم التمويل الزراعي ،وعدم وجود تأمين صحي، أو نظام للتكافل الزراعي، أو تأمين ضد المخاطر، وهجرة كثير من الشباب العمل الزراعي وعدم رغبتهم فيه ، وفي نفس الوقت يمثل المزارعون الأسريون العمود الفقري للإقتصاد الريفي حتي يمكن القول أن المزارع الأسري يطعم العالم مما يحتم ضرورة دعمه ومساندته  .

ويجمع كثير من المتخصصين والعاملين بالمناطق الريفية أن لدي الزراع الأسريين بفئاتهم المختلفة (رجالا ونساءا وشباب ) العديد من الإبتكارات والقدرة علي تطوير إستراتيجيات للتغلب علي التحديات الإجتماعية والبيئية والإقتصادية التي تواجههم إذا تم دعمهم بالسياسات والبرمج الناجحة التي تدعم العمل التعاوني بين مختلف فئاتهم وتؤكد علي دور المرأة والشباب لتحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة 2030 

وتقدم ورقة العمل هذه رؤية مقترحة لدعم الزراعة الأسرية يتمشي الهدف الإستراتيجي منها مع خطة العمل العالمية لعقد الأمم المتحدة للزراعة الأسرية 2019 – 2028 بتسريع الإجراءات المتخذة بطريقة جماعية ومتماسكة وشاملة لدعم المزارعين الأسريين.

مقترح إنشاء جمعيات المزراع الأسرية للإدارة المتكاملة للأراضي والمياه

مقدمة يعيش أكثر من نصف سكان مصر في المناطق الريفية. حيث يعمل 60 % منهم في اعمال مرتبطه بالزراعه، و هم بذلك يمثلون 30 %من إجمالي القوى العاملة في مصر ويساهمون بدورهم بحوالي 18 %من إجمالي الناتج القومي وحوالي 20 %من إجمالي الصادرات.  

 و تواجه الزراعة في مصر تحديات عديدة  مرتبطه بإرتفاع أسعار الغذاء عالميا وبتأثير سياسات العولمه على الدول النامية علاوة على تحديات اخرى محليه تتعلق بمدى إتساع الرقعة الزراعيه المتاحه ومدى توافر المياه اللازمه لريها. ويضاف لما سبق تحديات أخرى تتمثل في الزياده المستمره في عدد السكان والمتوقع ان تصل الى أكثرمن 100 مليون نسمه بحلول عام 2025  و من ثم تزداد مشكلات نقص الغذاء و تفتت الحيازة الزراعيه .

ويعد تفتت الحيازة الزراعية من أخطر المشكلات التي تعوق تحديث الزراعة المصرية وتحقيق الإستخدام الأمثل للموارد المتاحة من المياه والتربة ورأس المال  وأيدي عاملة  وتكنولوجيا زراعية حديثة ، وقد أصبح نمط الزراعة في الوادي نمطا تقليديا ذو مردود محدود، ومن المتوقع ان ينخفض متوسط الحيازة عن ثلاثة أفدنه لحوالي 80 %من المزارعين ، وطالما ظل العائد من الزراعة في الحيازات المفتته عائدا منخفضا فسوف يلجأ صغار المزارعين الى تبوير القطع الزراعية الصغيرة وبيعها كأراضي بناء لتحقيق عائدا أعلى من عائد زراعتها. وعليه فإن الزحف العمراني على الأراضي الزراعيه سوف يستمر ويمتد رغم تشديد الرقابة والتشريعات وتصبح المحصله النهائية هي انكماش الرقعة الزراعية وإتساع فجوة الاكتفاء الذاتي من الغذاء.  

 وتمثل الحيازات الصغيرة التى تقل عن ثلاثة أفدنه حوالي 38 %من اجمالي الاراضي الزراعيه ، ويؤدي ذلك إلي العديد من المشاكل أمام النشاط الزراعي من عمليات خدمة وري ومقاومة للأفات وميكنة زراعية وجني للمحصول وتقديم الخدمات الإرشادية وتسويق المنتج حيث يفضل تجار القطاع الخاص التعامل مع اقل عدد من المزارعين الموردين وبالتالي يتعاقدون من كبار المزارعين اصحاب الحيازات الواسعه. فالانتاج الزراعي المفتت لا يتيح لصغار المزارعين خفض تكاليف الانتاج او زيادة الربحيه بالمقارنه بالمزارعين الكبار بالإضافة إلي أن الحيازات الزراعيه الصغيرة لا تستخدم طرق الانتاج المجديه من حيث كيفية وكمية المبيدات والمخصبات ومواد تحسين التربه وخدمات الري وعليه فان جوده التربه تتأثر سلبا وترتفع نسب التلوث وتقل انتاجية الفدان وتنخفض جودة المحاصيل

الرؤية المقترحة

تسعي الرؤية المقترحة إلي تجميع الحيازات الأسرية الصغيرة في الحوض الواحد في عدد أقل من التجميعات الحيازية الأكبر يمكن من خلالها توظيف أساليب الزراعة العصرية واستخدام أفضل للتكنولوجيا وأساليب الإنتاج التي لايمكن إستخدامها إلا في المساحات الكبيرة ومساعدتهم علي إجراء العمليات الزراعية وخدمة الأرض  ومقاومة الآفات بصورة جماعية والحصول علي مستلزمات الإنتاج بأسعار أقل والتسويق الجماعي للمنتج الزراعي والإنضمام إلي منظومة الزراعة التعاقدية والحصول علي الخدمات الإرشادية وتصدير منتجاتهم من خلال تعريفهم بالممارسات الزراعية الجيدة وبمصدري الحاصلات الزراعية.

ويتم ذلك تحت مسمي جمعيات المزراع الأسرية للإدارة المتكاملة للأراضي والمياه

المبادرات الموجودة من قبل: مشروعات روابط مستخدمي المياه ، وكذلك مجالس المياه التي تم بموجبها تشكيل مجالس لإدارة المياه من الزراع بمحافظة الفيوم والتي عملت بها كخبيرة للنوع الإجتماعي لدعم مشاركة المرأة في هذه المجالس من خلال ترشيحها لعضوية مجلس الإدارة وترشيحها مرة ثانية لتكون عضوة علي مستوي أعلي وهو إتحاد مجالس المياه

الهدف من المقترح:

تحسين نوعية الحياة لصغار الزراع من خلال تنمية مشاركتهم في إدارة الموارد الأرضية والمائية والتأكيد علي مسؤلياتهم نحو الإستخدام الأمثل لوحدتي الأراضي والمياه لتحقيق أعلي عائد

المميزات

- الإستفادة من المسافات المهدرة بين حيازات الزراع والتي تقدر بحوالي 12% من الأراضي الزراعية

- سهولة إجراء عمليات خدمة الأرض، وتطهير المساقي والمصارف، وترشيد مياه الري، وإستخدام الميكنة الزراعية، ومقاومة الأفات، وشراء مستلزمات الإنتاج  والحصاد ، والتسويق بصورة جماعي

- إمكانية الإنضمام إلي منظومة الزراعة التعاقدية

- تحديد الدورات أو التركيب المحصولي المناسب

- إمكانية إرشاد الزراع بشكل أفضل

- تأسيس قنوات إتصال بين وزارة الزراعة والزراع

- تقليل الفاقد من المحاصيل الزراعية بتحسين وسائل التعبئة والنقل

- دعم دور المرأة من خلال المشاركة في هذه الجمعيات

متطلبات تكوين جمعيات المزراع الأسرية للإدارة المتكاملة للأراضي والمياه

جمع بيانات أساسية عن زمام القرية وذلك من حيث : المساحة المنزرعة – التركيب المحصولي الأمثل للمنطقة – عدد الحائزين وتصنيفهم طبقا للمساحة المنزرعة والنوع الإجتماعي ( ذكور وإناث ) مصادر الري وحالته والصرف الزراعي ، وتصنيف التربة

خطوات إنشاء  جمعيات المزراع الأسرية للإدارة المتكاملة للأراضي والمياه

1. إصدار قرار وزاري بإنشاء جمعيات للمزارع الأسرية لمستخدمي الأراضي والمياه  الهدف منه تقنين أوضاع الجمعيات لتتمكن من التعامل مع الجهات الرسمية وإبرام العقود والتعامل مع البنوك وإتخاذ قرار ضد المخالفين وتدبير الموارد المالية والحصول علي  منح مالية من أي جهة مانحة

 تحدد المادة الأولي منه أعضاء هذه الجمعيات وتكون كالتالي:

يشكل وكيل وزارة الزراعة بمحافظة ------- جمعيات علي مستوي الأحواض في مناطق تجريبية بالمحافظة تتكون من:

حائزي المزارع الأسرية بالحوض بالإضافة إلي لجنة مكونة من

مهندس الزراعة – المرشد الزراعي – مهندسة التنمية الريفية – مهندس ري المركز بحكم وظائفهم

1. يقوم الحائزين بإختيار مجلس إدارة يمثلهم ويتم إختيار من بينهم رئيسا وسكرتيرا وأمين صندوق تحدد اللائحة الداخلية للجمعية إختصاص كل منهم
2. تحدد المادة الثانية من القرار مهام اللجنة التي تم تشكيلها ومجلس الإدارة المنتخب فيما يلي :

• بحث المشاكل الزراعية بمنطقة عمل الجمعية
• وضع الخطط والأولويات لحل تلك المشكلات
• التنسيق بين الزراع أعضاء الجمعية لضمان الإستخدام الأمثل لمياه الري / الصرف وتحديد المحاصيل المنزرعة والمناسبة للمقننات المائية المتوفرة، وإعداد الأرض للزراعة وخدمتها بشكل جماعي وكذلك عمليات الحصاد والتسويق
• توفير مستلزمات الإنتاج من أسمدة ومبيدات وتقاوي
• الإبلاغ عن المخالفات البيئية والزراعية الأخري وتحديد موقعها وأسبابها والعمل علي حلها

1. المادة الثالثة من القرار تحدد قيام رئيس كل جمعيه أونائبه بعرض قرارات مجلس الإدارة علي وكيل وزارة الزراعة بالمحافظة لإعتمادها

 

  إختيار المناطق التجريبية

يتم تطبيق تجربة إنشاء جمعيات المزراع الأسرية للإدارة المتكاملة للأراضي والمياه

في بعض المناطق التجريبية لنشر الوعي بمفهوم جمعيات الزراع ليمتد بعد ذلك لتغطية مناطق أخري، وذلك بإختيار بعض المحافظات ( نمط الحيازة بها أكثر تفتتا ) ويتم إختيار أحد المراكز بها وكذلك بعض الأحواض في هذه المراكز

معايير إختيار المراكز

• وجود مشاكل تتعلق بالأراضي والمياه
• إنخفض مستوي إنتاجية المحاصيل الرئيسية
• وجود مراكز إرشادية بها لتكون مقرا لتلك الجمعيات
• أن تكون هذه المراكز في مواقع متوسطة ليسهل نشر الوعي بالجمعيات بالمراكز المجاورة

فريق العمل القائم بإنشاء جمعيات المزراع الأسرية للإدارة المتكاملة للأراضي والمياه

• رئيس فريق العمل وتكون أهم مهامه:

تحديد خطوات العمل والإشراف علي اتفيذها

الإشراف علي وضع اللائحة الداخلية للجمعية

وضع البرامج التدريبية لمجلس الإدارة

وضع معايير التقييم وأسس الإستمرارية

• أعضاء فريق العمل:

• باحثين من العاملين بالمحطة الإقليمية علي أن تكون تخصصاتهم طبقا للنمط الإنتاجي السائد ويختلف عددهم طبقا لمساحة الحوض
• مهندس زراعي
• مرشد زراعي

هذا وقد تم إستطلاع رأي مجموعات من الزراع بقريتين بمحافظة الغربية هما قرية نفيا وقرية كفر أبو داوود (ست مجموعات بكل قرية ممن تقل مساحاتهم المنزرعة عن فدان )

التساؤلات

• أهم المشاكل التي تواجه المبحوثين والمتعلقة بعملهم في الزراعة 
• كيف تم مواجه المشكلات المتعلقة بالزراعة وهل تم حلها
• العلاقة مع الجيران في الحوض في الموضوعات المتعلقة بالزراعة
•  الرأي في تشكيل مجلس لإدارة الأرض والمياه بالحوض

وتم جمع البيانات بإستخدام أسلوب المناقشات الجماعية المركزة وإستخدم في ذلك   دليل للمناقشة الجماعية لجماعتين من الزراع وجماعة للمزارعات بكل قرية

وكانت أهم النتائج هي:-

أهم المشكلات هي الري من حيث الكمية والنوعية ومواعيد توفرالمياه، والمستلزمات الزراعية من حيث أسعارها ومدي توفرها وجودتها، والتسويق من حيث أسار البيع وتوفر الأسواق

وقد تصدرت مشكلة الري قائمة المشكلات طبقا لرأي الزراع  وتلخصت في عدم وصول المياه لنهايات الترع بسبب نقص المياه من ناحية  وعدم وجود عدالة في توزيع المياه من ناحية أخري بالإضافة إلي سيطرة بعض كبار الزراع في أول الترعة وعدم إرتباط حصة المياه بالمحصول المنزرع 

الناس أللي في النهايات مظلومين – محرومين نزرع حاجات كتير بسبب الميه – مافيش عدل في توزيع المية إللي زرعته محتاجة ميه بيياخد أقل من إللي زرعته مش محتاجة– حتي الميه فيها واسطه  - الميه سبب  مشاكل كتير توصل لضرب النار وتخسر الأهل من بعضها– أحسن حاجه كلنا نزرع زي بعض ونأخذ ميه أد بعض

•  بالنسبة للمشاكل المتعلقة بمستلزمات الزراعة كانت أهمها قلة الحصة من الأسمدة  الكيماوي إللي بنصرفه لفدان مايكفيش نصف فدان – صاحب الحيازة بيصرف الكيماوي ويبيعه لحسابه – بنشتري من المحلات  أغلي وسعات بيكون مغشوش ده إذا لقيناه وقت مانعوزه وعدم توفرها في الوقت المناسب وشرائها من الأسوق بأسعار مرتفعة وأحيانا تكون مغشوشة
• بالنسبة للتسويق كانت أهم المشكلات هي التعرض لجشع التجار التجار بتتحكم فينا المكسب كله للتجار  وصعوبة التعاقد لصغر المساحة الزراعة التعاقدية للناس إللي عندهم أرض – بنحجز اللي يكفينا في البيت وبنبيع الباقي في السوق   و البيع في أسواق القرية بأسعار منخفضة
• كانت أهم أساليب التعامل مع هذه المشكلات هي:

زراعة محاصيل تحتاج مياه أقل – ترك الأرض بدون زراعة – إستلاف مياه من الجيران 

• بالنسبة لمشكلة المستلزمات الإعتماد علي حصة الجمعية والشراء من المحلات وأحيانا بالأجل
• بالنسبة للتسويق الإضطرار للبيع للتجار بأسعا ر منخفضة والبيع في سوق القرية وللجيران في حالة صغر الكمية
• العلاقة مع الجيران أحيانا تكون تعاون كما في حالات إعداد الأرض وتبادل الآلات، وأحيانا تكون خلافات كما في حالات الري وزراعة محاصيل تختلف في كمية المياه عن المحاصيل التي يقوم بزراعتها

 

وبالنسبة للراي في  تشكيل مجالس من الزراع لإدارة المياه والأراضي بالحوض كانت إستجابات الزراع بالموافقة في حالة إذا

كانت ستحل مشكلات الري، وأن تساهم الدولة   في عمليات الخدمة مثل الحرث والتسوية والري الآلي ، وأن تكون أسعار المستلزمات مدعمة وكافية، وإنشاء أسواق منظمة علي مستوي القرية وتنظيم التسويق بالجملة أو التعاقد مع الزراع بالحوض موا فقين 100 في ال100 لو الجمعية حرثت الأرض، ودرست الغلة - لوكان النظام ده يضمن لنا الميه لو كان كل واحد ياخذ حقه لوالمجلس حل مشاكل الميه بين الزراع  

كان تخوف الزراع من تحكم الدولة أو بعض الأفراد من الحوض في القرارات المتعلقة  بالزراعة ، أشار وأكد معظم الزراع علي ضرورة أن تكون الحدود واضحة بين الحقل والآخر ( لازم يحددوا حدود كل أرض ممكن يحطو حديدة بين كل أرض والثانية )

• الموضوع مش محتاج أنا ممكن أحدد لوكيشن أرضك بالموبايل والنبي إتكلم عربي الأرض بتتكلم عربي  نفس الشخص ممكن نعمل جروب علي الفيس ونسميه جروب الحوض نتكلم فيه مع بعض عن مشاكلنا

- كما تخوف بعض المزارعين من زراعة محصول واحد بكامل الأرض، أحب أزرع حاجتين لو واحدة وقعت الثانية تسندها

- أشار بعض المزارعين إلي أهمية زراعة جزء من الأرض لإستهلاك البيت أو المواشي، ( السيدات )

وأكد معظم الزراع علي ضروري توفر خدمة إرشادية لكل حوض كان زمان فيه مرشد حوض كان دريان بكل واحد فينا وعارف مشاكله في الزراعة

إسم المجلس طبقا لرأي الزراع: أرض مصر – أراضينا - مجلس الأرض – قوتنا في لمتنا – نفيا ( إسم القرية ) الخضراء

 

 أ . د / ليلي حماد الشناوي

رئيس بحوث بمعهد بحوث الإرشاد الزراعي والتنمية الريفية

رئيس الجمعية العلمية للإرشاد الزراعي

Answer to Question (5): Partnerships

Introduction

The agriculture of today is experiencing increasing pressures in providing adequate food for the fast-growing numbers of people. This is coupled with the crises of water, climate changes, depletion of soil, building on agricultural lands, fragmentation of agricultural holdings and high prices of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, seeds and pesticides. This is further complicated by the difficulties in marketing products at attractive prices or benefiting from contract farming systems or agricultural financing systems, as well as the lack of systems for health insurance, agricultural solidarity or risk insurance, and youth reluctance to engage in agriculture. At the same time family farmers are considered the backbone of the rural economy. We can say that they feed the world, so their support is a must.

Many specialists and workers in rural areas agree that family farmers, of all categories (men, women and youth), would be able to innovate and develop strategies to overcome the social, environmental and economic challenges they face if they are supported by effective policies and programs that boost cooperative work among the various groups of family farmers, and emphasize the role of women and youth in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

This working paper presents a proposed vision for supporting family farming. Its strategic objective is in line with the United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 global action plan, and it is focused on accelerating actions in a collective, coherent and comprehensive manner to support family farmers.

A proposal for establishing family farm societies for the integrated land and water management

Introduction

More than half of the Egyptian population live in rural areas, 60% of them work in agriculture related jobs, and thus they represent 30% of the total Egyptian workforce and contribute to about 18% of the gross national product and about 20% of the total exports.

Agriculture in Egypt faces many challenges due to the global increase in food prices and the impact of globalization policies on developing countries, in addition to other local challenges including, the extended agricultural area and the availability of water needed for irrigation. Other challenges include, the continuous population growth, which is expected to reach more than 100 million people by 2025. This in turn leads to other problems such as food shortages and fragmentation of agricultural holdings.

The fragmentation of the agricultural holdings is one of the major challenges hindering the Egyptian agriculture upgrade and the best use of the available resources including Water, soil, capital, labor and modern agricultural technology. The cultivation pattern applied in the valley has become traditional with limited returns. It is expected that about 80% of farmers will hold less than three acres. Since the return from cultivating fragmented land holdings remains low, the small farmers have to make the small plot of lands infertile and sell them for building purposes to achieve better gains compared to the yield of cultivating them. Accordingly, the urban sprawl on agricultural lands will continue and extend despite the tough restrictions and regulations imposed by the government. This would ultimately result in reducing the agricultural area and widening the gap of food self-sufficiency. 

The smallholdings with an area less than 3 acres represent about 38% of the total agricultural land area. This in turn imposes several problems to the acricultural activity including, acricultural services, irrigation, combating pests, agricultural mechanization, crop harvest, providing extension services and marketing products. The private sector traders prefer to deal with the fewest agricultural suppliers, and thus contract with large scale farmers. Fragmented agricultural production does not allow small scale farmers to reduce production costs or increase profitability compared to large farmers. In addition, small scale farms do not employ feasible production methods in terms of the quantity of pesticides, fertilizers and soil improvers and how to use them, as well as the irrigation services. Thus, the soil quality is negatively affected, pollution levels increase, the acre productivity decreases and the crop quality decreases.     

Proposed Vision

The proposed vision seeks to gather the small scale holdings in a single basin into fewer larger ones, to employ modern agricultural techinques, improve the use of technology and production methods that can only be used in large areas. This would also help smallholders to cooperate in implementing agricultural processes, serve the land, comabat pests, buy the production inputs at lower prices, marketing of agricultural products, joining the contract farming system, get extension services and export their products after being introduced to good agricultural practices and the agricultural crops exporters.

This is carried out under the supervision of the family farming associations for the integrated land and water management

Previous initiatives:

Water users associations projects, as well as water councils under which water management boards have been established. The members of such boards are farmers from Fayoum governorate. I have worked in these councils as a gender expert to enhance the women participation by nominating them for membership in the board of directors, and a second nomination for the membership in the Federation of Water Boards.

Objective of the Proposal:

Improving the quality of life for the small scale farmers by developing their participation in the management of land and water resources and emphasizing their responsibilities towards the optimal use of land and water to achieve the highest return.

Advantages

• Making best use of the wasted distances among farmers' holdings, estimated at about 12% of the agricultural lands.

• Smooth implementation of land services, cleaning ditches and drains, rationalizing the irrigation water, using agricultural mechanization, combating pests, purchasing production and harvesting inputs, and collective marketing of products.
• The possibility of joining the contract farming system.
• Identifying the appropriate crop structure and cycle.
• Providing better extension services to farmers.
• Appointing focal points between the Ministry of Agriculture and farmers.
• Reducing agricultural crops losses by improving packaging and transportation.
• Enhancing the women role by participating in these associations.

Requirements for establishing the family farming associations for the integrated land and water management

Collecting basic data on the area of the village in terms of: the cultivated area, the optimal crop structure for the area, the number of holders and their classification according to the cultivated area and gender (males and females), sources of irrigation, irrigation status, agricultural drainage, and soil classification.

Steps of establishing the family farming associations for the integrated land and water management

1. Issuing a ministerial decree on the establishment of family farmers and water users associations, with a view to legalize the status of these associations, so they can deal with official authorities, conclude contracts, deal with banks, take decisions against violators, secure financial resources, and obtain financial grants from donors.

The first article of this decree shall stipulate the membership of these associations as follows: 

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture in the Governorate of establishes associations at the level of basins in pilot areas in the governorate. These associations shall consist of:

Holders of family farms in the basin, as well as a committee consisting of: an agriculture engineer, extension worker, rural development engineer and the irrigation engineer by virtue of their capacities.

2. Holders elect a board of directors to represent them. A chairperson, secretary and treasurer from the holders are appointed, and the internal regulations of the association determine their terms of reference.



3. The second article of the decree defines the responsibilities of the established committee and the elected board of directors. These responsibilities are: 

• To discuss the agricultural problems in the association work area.
• To develop plans and priorities to address these problems. 
• To coordinate among the farmer members of the association to ensure optimal use of irrigation/drainage water, determine which crops are suitable for the available water supply, prepare the land for cultivation and collectively serve it, as well as harvest and marketing activities.
• To provide the production inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides and seeds.
• To report environmental and other agricultural violations, mapping them and identifying their causes, and working to solve them.

4. The third article of the decree stipulates that the association’s chairperson or his deputy presents the decisions of the board of directors to the undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture in the governorate for approval.

Selection of pilot areas

Applying the experience of establishing family farming associations for the integrated land and water management in some pilot areas to raise awareness of the concept of farmers' associations to extend to other areas, by selecting some governorates (where the pattern of tenure is more fragmented), one of its districts, and some basins in this district.

Districts Selection Criteria

• Suffering from water and land problems.
• Lower productivity of major crops. 
• Existence of extension centers to be seats of these associations.
• Extension centers should be suitably located to facilitate the awareness raising of these associations in the neighboring districts.

The workgroup concerned with establishing the family farming associations for the integrated land and water management

• Head of the Workgroup whose key responsibilities are:

• To identify the work process and supervise its implementation.
• To supervise the development of the association internal regulations.
• To develop the training programs for the Board of Directors
• To establish the evaluation criteria and continuity basics.

• The Workgroup Members:

• Researchers working in the regional station, with specializations that match the prevailing production pattern. Their number is identified according to the basin area.
• Agricultural engineer.
• Extension worker.

Groups of farmers were surveyed in two villages in the Gharbia governorate, Nefia and Kafr Abu Dawud (six groups in each village whose cultivated areas are less than an acre).

Inqueries:

• Major problems faced by the surveyed people due to their work in agriculture.
• How were the agriculture-related problems addressed and solved?
• Relationship with neighbors in the basin in agriculture related matters.
• Views on establishing a board for managing the land and basin water.
  
   

Data was collected through focus group discussions by using a group discussion manual for two groups of male farmers and one group of female farmers in each village. 

Key findings:

The major problems are the quantity and quality of irrigation, water availability periods, prices, availability and quality of the agricultural inputs, and marketing products in terms of selling prices and markets availability.

The problem of irrigation comes on top of the list as reported by farmers. The problem is that water does not reach the downstream of the canals due to the lack of water, and inequitable distribution of water. In addition, some larger farmers control water at the upstream of the canal, and the share of water is not related to the cultivated crop.       

• Holders whose lands are at the canal downstream are oppressed. We are not allowed to plant many crops due to the lack of water. Water is unequaly distributed. Those whose crops need less water, access more water than those whose crops need more. Favoritism even in water distribution. This causes many problems that lead to breaking ties with kith and kin and breaking ties with kith and kin. The best wayout is that all of us plant the same group and access the same amount of water. 
• The major problems related to the agricultural inputs are the insufficient share of fertilizers. The chemical fertilizers allocated to one acre can only cover half of it. Besides, farm holders take these fertilizers from government and sell them for profits. We buy fertilizers from markets at higher prices and sometimes they are adulterated, and not always available.
• The worst part in marketing is the greed merchants who control us and take the whole gains. It is not easy to market your products under contracts, because contract farming is applied only to land holders. We keep a part of our production that satisfies our needs at home and sell the rest in the village markets at low prices.

The main approaches to deal with these problems were:

• Growing low water crops.
• Leaving lands uncultivated.
• Borrowing water from neighbors
• Concerning the problem of inputs, the solution is to depend on the association share, and purchase from stores, sometimes on credit.
• Concerning the problem of marketing, the solution is to sell products at lower prices in the village market and to neighbors, in case of small quantities.  
• Relationships among neighbors are sometimes cooperative when it has to do with land preparation and machines exchange. While disputes arise in other cases when it comes to irrigation and cultivation of crops that need different amounts of water. 
• Concerning the establishment of farmers’ councils to manage water and lands in the basin, farmers expressed their agreement if this solves the irrigation problems, and if the government contributes to the service activities including, plowing, leveling and automatic irrigation. They also talked about inputs in terms of subsidized prices and sufficient quantities. They further highlighted the importance of establishing organized markets at the village level, and regulating the wholesale marketing or contracting with the basin farmers. We totally agree if the association plows the land, and threshes the yield, if this system secures water for all and guarantees our rights, and if the council solves water problems among farmers.
• Farmers expressed their fear that the government or some holders in the basin would misuse the decisions related to agriculture. Most of them indicated and emphasized the need clearly identify the boundaries between fields. (They must define the boundaries of each plot of land. They may place iron bars to separate among lands).
• It’s easy. I can identify your land location through the mobile phone. Please speak Arabic, we are Egyptians. The same person says “We can create a Facebook group named “Basin Group” to discuss our problems together.
• Some farmers expressed their worry about planting one crop on the whole land. It is better to plant two crops, so if one is lost, the other compensates the loss.
• Some farmers indicated the importance of dedicating a portion of the land production for the household consumption.

• Most of the farmers emphasized the need to provide an extension service for every basin. Once before, we had an extension worker who knew well our conditions and the problems we face in agriculture.
  
   

Farmers proposed the following names for the council: Egyptian lands – Our lands – The land council – We are strong together – Green Nefia (village name).

Dr./ Laila Hammad Al-Shenawi

Head Research in the Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Research Institute

Head of the Scientific Society of Agricultural Extension

 

1) Impact of COVID-19 outbreak in NENA region

How does/did the COVID-19 outbreak exacerbate the challenges faced by small-scale family farmers (SSFF)?

The Global COVID-19 pandemic had managed to amplify the already critical nature of the agriculture sector. The COVID-19 containment measures; lockdown and restrictions to movement imposed by authorities; have resulted in drastic disruption in farm activities in terms of sale of their products and purchase of the necessary agricultural inputs (Pesticides, Seeds and Fertilizers) and quite a difficulty to have access to labor. COVID-19 outbreak has led to disturbance in purchase of fresh food by regular consumers, a decrease in demand of fruit and vegetables by restaurants and hotels, and an increase in complexity to export fresh products.

And what are the main areas of interventions that could efficiently build SSFF resilience and ensure sustainable livelihood?

Policies should take in consideration measures to facilitate access to agriculture inputs, SSFF need to raise their resilience to reach market during unforeseen and exceptional period.

Area of intervention could be to assist farmers to cooperate and complement their activities together to distribute and reduce their losses; also they can be trained to store their products, and if resources are available, they need to be provided by the necessary equipments for processing and cold storage facilities.

Can you share success examples in the region?

The challenges that faced SSFF during the pandemic led some private reactions, women were encouraged in rural area to process fruit and vegetables that can be sell all year around. Also we witness e-service initiatives such as e-commerce to ease the delivery of products; many applications were developed lately to help deliver fresh produce during the curfew period. (sendme app)

2) Sustainable transition towards more sustainable agri-food systems

In order to meet the needs of a growing population, it is essential to accelerate the transition toward more sustainable food systems with special consideration to the degradation of the already scarce natural resources and climate change impact in the NENA region.

Can you give brief description of key CC impact factors on productivity of main farming systems in the region?

It is obvious that climate change has complex effects on agriculture in NENA region and some of the main effects are drought, in a region that is already suffering from a shortage in water,

Another indirect effect of climate change is its impact on higher incidence of crop pests and diseases.

Water availability, pest and diseases are the two main limiting factors to increase production.

How can innovation and digital solutions accelerate such transition of the agi-food systems?

Innovation is an important hope to agriculture; early warning system and new irrigation system for example, may help monitoring the ultimate uses of the natural resources and controlling pests and diseases, therefore increasing productivity. Also extension service are more reachable and easier.

How can the UNDFF provide tools and measures that help SSFF facing the climate and socioeconomic challenges?

UNDFF, in close collaboration with the national government and other stakeholders in the country, may develop and apply a new policy and update legislation that aim to address the socioeconomic and the well-being of SSFF. The successful measures implemented in other region and encoraging initiations can be replicated to support SSFF. 

3) Towards an inclusive and growth equitable

Improving the productivity and sustainability of small-scale family farmers alone will not be sufficient to achieve the UNDFF milestones or SDG goals in the NENA region. The engagement of adolescents and youth, women and individuals in vulnerable situations such as migrants, will be critical to long term, inclusive and equitable growth.

Based on your experience, what are effective strategies, instruments or mechanisms to ensure adequate access to services, resources and social protection among marginalized or vulnerable groups, including in humanitarian contexts?

Knowledge is a key factor to strengthen the FF, they should be socially and economically considered in the national strategies and their role should be highlighted among the whole population. However only efficient family farming organization can advocate acknowledgement to the role of FF in sustainable development and request social protection. A farm registry in this case at national level is inevitable.

Despite the informality of the agriculture sector, any support for smallholder family farming can and should go hand in hand with the promotion of the Decent work Agenda. Family farmers are engaged in arduous and sometimes hazardous work to cut costs and compensate for the farm’s low productivity to an extent of involving children too, based on your experience please give three priority actions to enable decent employment for rural smallholders, youth and women and to eliminate child labour in family farming.

For the development of family farmers the following actions can be done:

• Helping in organizing active FF cooperative structure
• Securing a social insurance of a minimum basic family income/case per case study must be done (update legislations, and allocate the necessary budget…)
• Providing an information and communication system such as weather forecast service, land and water use, access to credit, access to market…

 

4) Enabling environment for the implementation of UNDFF

Building an enabling environment for the implementation of UNDFF regional action plan means that there are adequate resources and that governance and institutional arrangements are effective and inclusive.

How do you define roles of Governments, development agencies, farmers’ organizations, civil society and private sector in implementing the UNDFF in the region?

All the stakeholders will cooperate if ownership of the program precedes its implementation.

A multistakeholder dialogue for communication among all the concerned entities and for information purposes may be held to create an enabling environment and a partnership atmosphere ahead of implementing the UNDFF action plan.

What are the bottlenecks –any of the above institutions may encounter in achieving the UNDFF implementation in the region and how to overcome them? E.g. in terms of policies, financial resources, technical capacities, etc.

Financial resources, policies, legal framework could be limiting factors to implement UNDFF, but also the inexistence of an active FF organizations.   

5) Partnerships

Partnerships associated with sustainable development initiatives can create synergies to address interconnected challenges that need to be addressed. With the aim to implement the UNDFF action plan in its seven pillars in the NENA region,

How can innovative partnerships be built and established? And how/what existing initiatives would you propose to replicate or scale up?

An environment of collaboration and cooperation need to be settle among the different institutions prior to implement the UNDFF in the region, the first step should be to define carefully all the institutions that should be involved and not leave any institution behind.

 

 

Dear Sir/Madam

This is Dr. Jiro Aikawa, Senior Advisor on Agriculture and Rural Development of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency).

I was very much appreciated you gave me a chance to provide my presentation on Zoominar for INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON INNOVATION FOR THE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS TO ACHIEVE SDGs on 30th of April, 2020. And it was nominated 3rd prize by votes of participants.

JICA has introduced and implemented SHEP (Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion) Approach not only in NENA region, but also other region especially Sub-Sahara and more than 30 countries in total have been involved.

SHEP Approach considers farmers motivation and referring “Self-Determination Theory”.

SHEP Approach tries to facilitate small scale farmers who are mainly family farming practitioners to conduct market survey by themselves,

and they make cropping calendar after crop selection based on the results of the survey.

Through those process, farmers can feel autonomy and competence, at lase they become autonomous and independent farmers.

JICA received several reports (internal) which indicated voices from extension staff.

They said it was obvious that SHEP farmers could soften damages by COVID-19 compared to ordinal farmers,

because SHEP farmers actively explored and discovered information of markets both their produces and inputs such as fertilizers and seeds.

They can adjust and modify their farming style by their own, while others just were suffered directory by fragile and unstable market condition without appropriate actions.

SHEP farmers have got used to conduct market surveys before sowing the seeds.

This custom may help them.

In NENA region, SHEP Approach has been introduced in Egypt and Palestine, and women groups are “SHEP farmers”.

They also conducted market survey by their own at adjacent areas and make business plan.

They could be independent and more confident.

So, my recommendation to Regional Action Plan is to consider introducing psychological aspects whenever implementing agencies such as government, developing partners, NGO, Private Sectors, etc. make plan to support family faming and establishment effective food system.

Regards

1) Impact of COVID-19 outbreak in NENA region

The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region is facing key challenges including ending poverty and hunger as well as responding to climate change and the conservation of natural resources to avoid further degradation.

How does/did the COVID-19 outbreak exacerbate the challenges faced by small-scale family farmers (SSFF)?

COVID-19 hit the Palestinian areas gradually starting from March 2020. The number of people who tested positive so far are 28,500 persons all over the West Bank. This had led to numerous restrictions imposed by the Palestinian Authority in order to contain the spread of the disease.

Palestinian small-scale family farmers, who already suffer from the presence of Israeli settlements, lack of water and occasional transportation problems, have been affected in different ways during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The closure of vegetable markets has limited the ability of SSFF to sell their produce.
• The decline of people’s purchase power has also created another obstacle for SSFF to sell their produce in their local communities.
• SSFF have faced difficulties in purchasing the agricultural input, such as seedlings, seeds, fertilizers etc. due to the closure of the suppliers.
• Consumption habits have made a shift from fresh vegetables and fruits to long shelf life products; which is the norm during disasters as people tend to stock food that can be preserved for a long time.

 

And what are the main areas of interventions that could efficiently build SSFF resilience and ensure sustainable livelihood?

• Establish local marketing channels in cooperation between farmers and the local communities represented by governmental or civil entities. This will ensure better marketing in hard times.
• Support the SSFF to produce by-products from their produce to increase the shelf life and diversify the marketing options. Farmers who produce strawberries, for example, should be supported to produce jam or dried strawberries, if need be. This will help them avoid loss in occasions such as pandemics and other disaster-like situations.
• Support the SSFF to produce essential agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and seedlings.
• And most importantly, restrict the selling of Israeli products, mainly vegetables and fruits into the Palestinian markets. There are various signed agreements between the Israelis and Palestinians such as the Paris treaty that enforces Palestinian markets to sell Israeli fruits and vegetables first which has left no market for the Palestinians to sell their products.   

 

Can you share success examples in the region?

Some bee breeding farmers in the north of Palestine have managed to sell their produce through “express-delivery companies” which are active in Palestine. Such service providers were allowed to move between cities and villages during the outbreak of COVID-19. The farmers established some marketing pages on social media and managed to sell their produce on line. Their success was possible because they produce a long-shelf life product. In the case of farmers producing fresh vegetables and fruits, such a success wouldn’t be possible due to the short life span of the products.

2) Sustainable transition towards more sustainable agri-food systems

In order to meet the needs of a growing population, it is essential to accelerate the transition toward more sustainable food systems with special consideration to the degradation of the already scarce natural resources and climate change impact in the NENA region.

Can you give brief description of key CC impact factors on productivity of main farming systems in the region?

Climate change has already affected the productivity and diversification of crops in Palestine. With the increasing levels of drought, many Palestinian farmers have shifted from producing crops that consume big amounts of water to crops consuming less amounts. This situation has resulted in increasing the supply of some crops while decreasing the supply of other crops. Farmers in the Jordan Valley used to produce lots of citrus and bananas, which consume big amounts of water. In the past decade, they have switched to planting palm trees which consume less water. Such a context has led to a wide area of monoculture which has a negative impact on the soil on the long run.

How can innovation and digital solutions accelerate such transition of the agi-food systems?

Digital solutions are now considered the next level of agricultural extension services. There are a few international experiences that have provided comprehensive support to farmers through smartphone applications. Such technology can be utilized to:

• Provide expert advice to farmers at a very low cost.
• Exchange experience among farmers from different locations.
• Provide early-alarm systems to warn the farmers against potential weather threats.

 

How can the UNDFF provide tools and measures that help SSFF facing the climate and socioeconomic challenges?

• Support youth and women to be involved in agriculture and enhance gender equality.
• Provide support to develop the capacities of SSFF in terms of production and marketing.
• Provide support to specialized actors from private or public sectors to make use of technology and innovation for the benefit of SSFF.
• Support CBOs and NGOs to practice pressure on decision-makers to improve the enabling environment for small-scale farmers in terms of laws, taxes, insurance, compensation, and comprehensive governmental support.
• Support exporting Palestinian products regionally and internationally