Q. 1: Do you agree with the guiding principles indicated above?
I mostly agree with the guiding principles, but I believe they're more complex than presented. They need to elaborate on key aspects, particularly the rights of indigenous peoples to traditional food and to nature. The right to food should not be interpreted as any food, but specifically traditional foods essential to their cultures, which determine their health and well-being. If these nuances are not captured, the right to food loses its significance. It is about the right kind of food—one that is cultivated in a way that ensures health and nutrition. Indigenous crops, livestock, poultry, and fish are integral to this right, yet modern society often overlooks them. Additionally, the traditional tastes and preparation methods tied to their culinary practices are not sufficiently recognized. Therefore, the right to food for indigenous peoples should not be oversimplified.
Q 2: Should the objectives include mainstreaming Indigenous Peoples food and knowledge systems and lessons learned from them for the benefit of all, or solely for the benefit of Indigenous Peoples as rights holders?
Indigenous peoples' traditional food and knowledge systems, along with the lessons learned from them, should be shared globally for everyone's benefit. While preserving their way of life is a right for Indigenous peoples, modern society also has the right to critically evaluate and understand these truths, as knowledge is essential for progress and sustainability. However, if traditional knowledge serves as a basis for business ventures to generate wealth, the originating community should receive a fair share, as they are the rightful owners. This reflects the transparency and decency expected in modern practices involving traditional knowledge.
Q.3: What are the challenges related to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent and Access and Benefit Sharing when widely promoting and mainstreaming Indigenous Peoples's food and knowledge systems?
Modern interactions with traditional communities face significant challenges due to potential dishonesty and lack of transparency. When individuals fail to recognize and respect traditional knowledge, these communities struggle to preserve their understanding. This issue is exacerbated when traditional wisdom remains undocumented, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and rights erosion. Thorough documentation of traditional knowledge and methods to strengthen their rights with retroactive effects need to be worked out to safeguard this invaluable heritage.
Q. 4: How can the report ensure the inclusion of marginalized groups, sustainability, and protection against commercialization risks for Indigenous Peoples' food and knowledge systems?
Ensuring the inclusion of marginalized groups, sustainability, and protection against commercialization risks for Indigenous Peoples' food and knowledge systems is challenging. However, if the global community commits to creating a directory of all marginalized peoples and their traditional food and knowledge systems within a specific timeframe, this issue can be addressed. Nations should be tasked with preparing a national directory, which, after evaluation and approval by a global expert committee, can become a reality. Once a database is available, it will allow verification of the authenticity of commercial products and whether the rights of marginalized peoples are being violated.
Q. 5, 6, and 7: How should oral knowledge and traditions be documented and referenced in the development of the report? What dimensions linked to Indigenous Peoples' agency, e.g., in governance issues, could be addressed? Are there important/relevant policy papers and instruments missing from the foundational documents list?
All oral and written knowledge shall be documented within a time frame in all countries, and on the basis of that, a global database shall be available. There are severe lapses in international policy issues to register or document traditional knowledge, and accordingly, in the current world, the rich and the powerful have chances to exploit the poor and less powerful people. However, once a global database is ready, the issues can be easily solved.
Q.8: Could you please indicate relevant references that should be taken into account?
The principles of honesty and justice should be sufficient to advocate for the conservation of indigenous peoples' rights.
Prof. Joseph George Ray