Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

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Ms. Asikaralu Okafor

Member since
Organization: Village Farmers Initiative (VFI)
Country: Nigeria
Field(s) of expertise:
I am working on:

Elevation and Promotion of Indigenous Food Systems, Rural Women and Youth Entrepreneurship Development and Local Economy Development

Asikaralu Okafor is a versatile, strategic and facilitative leader with over 20 years of experience and expertise on Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, Information Technology, Community Development, Women & Youth, Peacekeeping & Conflict Resolution and International Development.

I am particularly interested in using agroecology, regenerative approaches and indigenous knowledge to tackle challenges that are holding back food systems transformation.

This member contributed to:

    • Dear CFS/HLPE-FSN Team,

      Thank you for the opportunity given to me to provide feedback. Kindly see our contributions and case study below.

      I’m sharing the following contributions from my experience as a Farmer and Commodity trader:

      1.            What are the main bottlenecks hampering the contribution of urban and peri-urban food systems to food security and nutrition?

      One of the bottlenecks hampering the contribution of urban and peri-urban food security and nutrition is high cost of labor and unqualified human capital caused by urban-rural migration. Most city dwellers today are migrants and internally displaced persons who use to be smallholder farmers in the rural areas in times past. The youth have abandoned the farms and sojourned for white collar jobs and greener pastures leaving behind the old and aged adults and women as food producers.  Those who were forcefully displaced by climate events such as floods and insecurity challenges also migrated and added to the population number of urban dwellers resulting in too many mouths to feed, but less human and natural resources to produce enough food in abundance.

      2.            How can urban and peri-urban food systems be transformed and made more equitable and accessible both for food system actors and in terms of food security and nutrition outcomes?

      Urban and peri-urban food systems can be transformed with the elevation and promotion of indigenous food systems which are mostly staple foods in an average home in low-income countries. Increasing the production capacity of smallholder farmers and women to grow more indigenous food crops will make urban and peri-urban food systems to become more equitable, available, accessible and affordable all year round.

      3.            How can urban food supply chains, formal and informal, local and global, be made more resilient to ensure food security and nutrition within urban settings?

      Urban food supply chains, formal and informal, local and global can be made more resilient to ensure food security and nutrition with urban settings through favorable agricultural policy and regulatory frameworks, sufficient finance schemes, strong domestic research and innovations, strong government investments in agriculture.

      4.            What changes are needed in urban planning to better support all dimensions of food security – including support for human rights, agency and sustainability? Which are some of the measures that can strengthen the agency of local actors in urban and peri-urban food systems?

      The changes that are needed in urban planning to better support all dimensions of food security – including support for human rights, agency and sustainability increased access to land, establishment of food producers and market clusters, enforcement of price control and volatility regulations. The above mentioned measures if implemented that can strengthen the agency of local actors in urban and peri-urban food systems

      5.            How can national and municipal governments strengthen the potential for low-carbon, inclusive, relatively self-sufficient and resilient cities and towns to drive improved food security and nutrition in the wake of climate change and other crises?

      Women are catalysts and agents of change, to drive inclusive self-sufficient and resilient cities and towns to drive improved food security and nutrition in the wake of climate change and insecurity threats; national and municipal governments strengthen the potential and production capacity of women small-scale food processors to curb food loss and waste.

      6.            What are the most appropriate policies (and gaps in existing policies) along the rural-urban continuum to address issues of land tenure, urban expansion into farmland and the growing competition for natural resources?

      Establishment of home-grown gardens in the urban settings and agricultural clusters in the rural areas especially in communities that have comparative advantage to most sought-after staple and indigenous food crops to address issues of land tenure, urban expansion into farm lands and the growing competition for natural resources.

      7.            How can urban and peri-urban food systems ensure that food and nutrition need of specific groups of people, such as migrants, the internally-displaced, children, adolescent, etc., are met?

      From my experience as a farmer and commodity trader, I observed that most staple foods even when they are in season are not available, accessible and affordable. The daily food and nutrition need of the vulnerable population such as migrants, the internally displaced, pregnant women, children and adolescents dwelling in the urban areas are never met as a result of this. The interference of middlemen who manipulate and extort the farmers to sell at lower prices with small profit, still make it impossible in such a way that is even when they are available, most times not too fresh or too expensive and out of reach for the common man on the street. This is where price regulations from market forces such as commodity boards should come into play to enforce price control and volatility regulations. Unfortunately, there’s an insignificant existence of this price regulation bodies in low-income countries, rather what we have is intermittent artificial scarcity of food created most times by traders and commodity associations especially when they are in high demand. I’m suggesting that in the absence of existing commodity boards in the meantime, policy makers and Regional Trade Areas (RTAs), farmers traders, distributors. Processors, transporters and all actors in the food value chain should come to a roundtable dialogue and find a lasting solution to all this unnecessary spike in food prices in urban and peri-urban areas.

      8.            What are the potential benefits and challenges of territorial markets for strengthening food security and nutrition for urban populations?

      The potential benefits of having territorial markets for strengthening food security and nutrition for urban population is increased profit and production capacity of farmers and other actors in the value chain. But there’s also the danger of monoculture cultivation of crops that are in high demand by city dwellers to the neglect of most nutritious and more affordable indigenous food crops. 

      Another major challenge is the infiltration of territorial markets with imported processed exotic foods. This discourages city dwellers and consumers from patronizing local farmers and other food value chain actors, after laboring for so much with little or nothing to show or have adequate return on their investments.

      9.            In what ways can the incorporation of climate resilient agricultural and circular economy practices in urban and peri-urban agriculture provide climate co-benefits for all and enhance climate resilience?

      Development of farm markets in the cities and urban centers for easy market access to farmers to avoid food loss, middlemen exploitation and also help them sell their farm produce at a good price to earn more profit.

      10.         How can citizens be engaged and empowered to drive inclusive, transparent, participatory processes for urban transformations, ensuring synergies and complementarity with city councils?

      More provision of finance schemes and increased access to public procurement, standard conformity and certification of products for safe consumption.

      11.         Which experiences of urban communities to increase access to fresh food and healthy diets can inspire broader public policies?

      Provision of necessary infrastructures in the rural areas such as roads, water, irrigation facilities and power supply can catalyze increase access to fresh food and healthy diets that is also affordable and accessible all year round.

      Asikaralu Okafor, Executive Director

      Village Farmers Initiative (VFI) Nigeria.

    • Dear Sameer,

      I appreciate the opportunity given to us to provide our inputs in the online consultation. We found both the Theory of change and Result framework to be well drafted. Kindly see attached a few contributions made on the theory of change and result framework. Kindly find my contribution below.

      Theory of Change:

      1. Do the barriers identified reflect your experience as Community Based Organizations (CBOs) / Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), private sector and local communities (women, men, youth, indigenous peoples)? Are there key barriers that are missing in TOC?

      I’m making the following contributions on the barriers affecting food systems based on my experience as a Community Based Organization (CBO)/Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) working with indigenous peoples, women and youth smallholder farmers from the socially and economically disadvantaged communities.

      In recent years, agricultural policies on trade, financing and value chains support have largely been focusing mainly at increasing yields and expanding production, particularly of staple crops. But the COVID-19 pandemic and associated conflicts, social unrest and wars have exacerbated the situation through supply-chain disruptions and high cost of energy causing spiraling food-price inflation.

      Most low-income countries are unable to meet their domestic requirements for food, as population growth rate has outpaced the rate of food production.  This has also fueled rapid consumer demand for food and the intensification of agricultural production to meet the demand of both local and export markets. Government policies promotes conventional agriculture which utilizes monocropping cultivation with the use of artificial fertilizers to increase food production and meet up with the consumption demand. Climate change invasions such as extreme weather events like flood, drought and high rise in temperature introduces new pests, biodiversity loss of crop varieties and species were also major drivers of negative health, environment and economic consequences.

      2. Do the first level Outcomes appropriate and adequate for transformation of food systems’ impacts on the environment?

      For a sustainable food systems transformation that will benefit people, protect and restore nature, urgent action should be taken to reduce pressure for agricultural expansion, trade and economic development; that fosters increase in natural habitat conversion, deforestation, heavy use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides.

       

      Draft Results Framework:

      3. Are the Outcomes planned appropriate and adequate for food systems transformation?

      Yes, we need to bring together all actors and participants from the national, regional & global levels and balance voices and build partnerships across board with mutual respect, collaboration and trust.

      4. What could be examples of types of intervention and outputs that could ensure stronger engagement and ensure capacities of CBOs/ NGOs, the private sector, and communities (including women, men, and youth, indigenous peoples) to continue food systems transformation?

      Scaling up nature positive food production and innovations that protect natural ecosystems against new conversions for food and feed production. Managing existing food production approaches sustainably, to the benefit of both nature, people and planet. Restoration, remediation and rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems and soil function for sustainable food systems transformation.

      5. What might be specific contributions of each stakeholder group to the achievement of the components? 

      In addition, the Program development team seeks inputs on your experiences and advice on:

      Examples of scaling up approaches, including policies, for more sustainable/ regenerative food systems practices.

      Successful examples of multi-stakeholder processes at national level that brings local communities (including indigenous peoples, youth, women and men), the private sector, the civil society and academia and the government to develop policies related to food systems.

      Village Farmers Initiative (VFI) Nigeria’s strategic focus is on the elevation and promotion of indigenous food heritages. This is an all-inclusive approach that supports sustainable/regenerative food systems and embeds a clear goal on nature-positive food production.

      Village Farmers Initiative’s Community engagement and outreach programs such as Community Biodiversity Management CBM showcases the role of smallholder farmers, women, youth and indigenous knowledge in saving lost landraces within community diversity management.

      The program promotes sustainable use of natural resources, climate change mitigation & adaptation and regenerative agriculture and involves a lot of public-private partnerships across the value chains.

      Research gaps or innovations on food systems transformation for global environmental and climate benefits.

      We are currently engaged in partnership with various ongoing research work and innovations on food systems transformation for global environmental and climate benefits that will be published in due course.

      Best regards,

      Asikaralu Okafor

      Executive Director,

      Village Farmers Initiative (VFI), Nigeria