My comments are found below. Otherwise this is very timely and will be very relevant.
Online consultations -Comments
1 Do you agree with the guiding principles indicated above? Yes
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? The benefit of all
3. What are the challenges related to Free, Prior and Informed Consent and Access and Benefit Sharing when widely promoting and/or mainstreaming Indigenous Peoples food and knowledge systems? Trust issues, misuse of data, containment and control of use of data once handed over
4. How can the report ensure the inclusion of marginalized groups, sustainability, and protection against commercialization risks for Indigenous Peoples' food and knowledge systems? By engaging Scientists and experts in these areas. We have people already working on various indigenous peoples’ foods; You should either partner or fund research in these areas.
5. How should oral knowledge and traditions be documented and referenced in the development of the report? We have done a video of oral knowledge which can then be transcribed into text. Our research can be applied in many regions BUT if you require information about East Africa, we have rich text including video and oral recordings on various foods in the region
6. What dimensions linked to Indigenous Peoples’ agency, e.g., in governance issues, could be addressed? Policies on safeguarding the knowledge and protection of these foods; Documentaries showing how these foods are prepared and consumed; Passing knowledge from generation to generation through story telling; an aspect that has been lost in the recent past
7. Are there important/relevant policy papers and instruments missing from the foundational documents list?
8. Could you please indicate relevant references that should be taken into account?
9. What best practices, ethical standards, and strategies for addressing climate change should be highlighted in the report?
10. Which best practices or strategies to promote cross-cultural understanding should be highlighted in the report? Story telling as a means of passing knowledge; Video and films, art, etc as means of preserving indigenous culture; Cultural activities
11. Are the previous legal documents such as Prior and Informed Consent, enough in light of this evolution of thinking about Indigenous People’s knowledge, or do they need to be revised?They need to be revised to fit the purpose; continuous improvement
Dr. PATRISIO NJERU