New York - From the 15th to the 26th of April 2024, the 23rd Session of the UN Permanent forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is taking place at the UN Headquarters in New York. In this framework, on the 22nd of April FAO co-organized a side-event focused on the Coalition on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems and its connection with Indigenous Youth. 

The Coalition on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems was established after the UNFSS21 (UN Food Systems Summit) to enable Indigenous Peoples to work with UN member states, UN Agencies, the private sector, bilateral and multilateral development institutions, and other relevant stakeholders to build healthy, equitable and sustainable food systems. Its work aims to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are engaged as effective partners, recognising their food and knowledge systems as game-changers for the sustainable transformation of food systems.  

Founded by 7 FAO Member States, currently the Coalition is formed by 14 Member States, 6 UN Organizations, Indigenous organizations, and Indigenous Peoples from the 7 socio-cultural regions of the world. 

The side event that took place at the UNPFII was titled “Indigenous Youth as game-changers in biodiversity conservation, nutrition and food systems transformation: Insights from the Coalition on Indigenous Peoples' food systems” and it was aimed at sharing the work of the Coalition in relation to the 2024 UNPFII's Theme: emphasizing the voices of Indigenous Youth. 

In this respect, the Coalition also shared its work in connection with the UN Global Indigenous Youth Forum (UNGIYF), which took place in October 2023. The Coalition played an active part in the UNGIYF, engaging with Indigenous Youth and with the resulting “2023 Rome Declaration on Safeguarding Future Generations in times of Food, Social and Ecological Crisis”.  

The event was facilitated by Ms. Lola Garcia-Alix, Senior Advisor of IWGIA, who reminded the importance of having this Coalition as an outcome of the UNFSS21. “The Coalition is an important platform for dialogue and policy implementation, aimed at recognising, preserving and strengthening Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems", she said. 

The opening remarks started with the words of Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, the newly elected Chairperson of the UNPFII, and, thus, also the new Chairperson of the Coalition. Ms. Oumarou Ibrahim acknowledged the work of the Coalition and its collaboration with the UNPFII. Ms. Oumarou also urged more countries to join the Coalition and invited it “to integrate its work with the other Coalitions that resulted from the UNFSS21, to work together with them". 

Her remarks were followed by the words of H.E. Miguel Garcia Winder, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Mexico to FAO, who emphasized the role of the Coalition in supporting Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems, which “are key elements that can help to transform the way we produce food and the way we relate with nature and with each other”, insisting also on the pivotal role that Indigenous Youth will play in this processes. 

Mr. Dario Mejía Montalvo, former Chair of the UNPFII, underlined how, for Indigenous Peoples, the concepts of nutrition and food security differ from the mainstream ones, since “for us it is not a mere matter of nutritional elements, but way more than that. Nutrition relates to cultural, linguistic and spiritual elements, as well as to our territories and natural surroundings”. Mr. Montalvo recognized the work of the Coalition to foster Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems in their uniqueness and diversity. 

H.E. Sonia Guajajara, Minister of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, which was the latest country to join the Coalition in March 2024, delivered a message for the side-event, even if she couldn't attend in person. H.E. Guajajara stated that “our aim is to contribute to Indigenous Peoples’ food systems being supported and recognised for what they are: a technically, socially and spiritually efficient way for a better relationship between humans and nature, producing healthy food and with the capacity to make the most of it”. H.E. the Minister also underlined the need for public policies, capacitation programmes, investments and technologies to strengthen Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems. 

The opening remarks were followed by a technical discussion focused on some of the areas of work of the Coalition on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems and on its engagement with Indigenous Youth.  

Ms. Tania Martinez Cruz, Food and Water Sovereignty Program Director of Land is Life, shared some insights on the work of the Coalition with regards to school meals. Culturally insensitive school feeding often results in the "displacement of our Indigenous Peoples’ food systems, causing harm to the health of Indigenous Peoples, as well as to their territories and land tenure systems". The Coalition is working for better School Meals programmes. 

Mr. Francisco Rosado, Founding President and Full Professor of the Universidad Intercultural Maya de Quintana Roo, intervened on the importance of the co-creation of knowledge: a complex process that put together “different cultures, different ways of creating knowledge and different ways of learning and transmitting it". Mr. Rosado highlighted the importance of creating the equal conditions necessary for the process of co-creation of knowledge, stressing also that at its base lies the concept of interculturality. 

Mr. Yon Fernandez de Larrinoa, head of the FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit (PSUI), which currently holds the Secretariat of the Coalition, highlighted one of its main achievements: “opening policy discussion spaces to Indigenous Peoples, which before were closed to them”. Mr. Fernandez de Larrinoa reminded that the Coalition is a space of dialogue between Indigenous Peoples, Member States and UN Agencies. A space that should continue its work in the future to keep strengthening Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems. 

Following this intervention, two Indigenous Youth took the stage to report on the outcomes of the UNGIYF and on Indigenous Youth priorities.  

Ms. Mai Thin Yumon, former Co-Chair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus (GIYC), underlined the importance of the UNGIYF, which II Session was held at FAO Headquarters last October. “The Forum brought together 186 Indigenous Youth from the seven socio-cultural regions and its main outcome, the Rome Declaration on Safeguarding Seven Generations in times of Food, Social and Ecological Crisis, was based on the inputs and the challenges pointed out by Indigenous Youth before and during the UNGIYF". She urged the audience to read and engage with the Declaration, reiterating at the same time the willingness of the GIYC to formally collaborate with the Coalition and to participate to its discussions. 

Ms. Elle Rávdná Näkkäläjärvi, Chair of the Youth Council of the Sámi Parliament, echoed these words reminding about the importance of “including Indigenous Youth and Indigenous Women in the discussion tables where they are labelled as ‘the future’". Capacity building for Indigenous Youth will be crucial for this to become a more consolidated reality. 

After the Youth intervention, Mr. Herbert Nakimayak, Vice President of International Affairs of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, highlighted the importance of funding, which is necessary "to make sure that Indigenous Youth participate in and co-lead these processes".  

Mr. Vital Bambanze, Director of the Unissons nous pour la Promotion des Batwa (UNIPROBA) reminded of the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ self-determination in the contexts where they are not recognised. Mr. Bambanze also pointed at the issues related to visas as one of the main obstacles for the participation of Indigenous Youth to international fora, as it was the case of the UNGIYF: many Indigenous Youth were unable to join it due to problems with their visas. 

Giving some final words to this side event co-organized by FAO on the Coalition on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems, Yon Fernandez de Larrinoa, representing the Secretariat, concluded that the Coalition took note of the inputs received during the event. The Coalition will continue working to increase Indigenous Youth participation in its work and processes, being a space that keeps being open for collaborations that can further strengthen Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems. 

The recording of the side event is available at the following link: 

https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1w/k1wnyote3f