Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Uchendu Chigbu

TU München
Germany

Received through Land Portal (https://landportal.info)

Addressing rural-rural linkages

I find "rural-rural" linkages or exchanges missing in the discussion on "territorial approaches" and/or "smart systems" in pages 17-19 of the Zero Draft. I will like to suggest the inclusion of rural-rural linkages or exchanges (or partnerships, interrelationships, cooperations) within the territorial or/and smart systems approaches.

In the context of food security, it is important to recognize that rural areas have to be primarily food secure to contribute to broader food security at regional or national levels. And as different rural areas have different concentration of agricultural or food systems, they need to partner and link with each order to attain a more balanced security and then have a stronger potential for urban-rural cooperation. Although little or no research efforts have been dedicated to rural-rural linkages, it has been in operation and only need to be further sensitized as part of the broader picture.

In another way (and from a system perspective), what I am saying is that the "rural" and "urban" as two systems and internally driven by sub-systems such as "urban-urban" and "rural-rural" first. But in the case of "rural" where the primary food sources are mostly generated, a "rural-urban" system that is not supported by a "rural-rural" system will not be sustainable to rural transformation, hence, will not have the best impact on global Food Security and Nutrition.

"Tenure security" and "tenure responsive land use planning"

The entire 26-page document has no word or phrase like "tenure security" or "land tenure security". Land use planning and land tenure security can provide strong links on how the issues mentioned in the Zero Draft can connect to food security.

Tenure security is directly connected to food security. Considering that most developing countries and rural areas depend largely on land-based activities and/or natural resources for their food security attainment, it will be good to mention the need to make land tenure more secure.

Concerning land use, let's give a thought to "tenure responsive land use planning" -that is conducting land use planning in ways that lead to tenure security improvement, hence, will have a high impact on food security.