Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

This member contributed to:

    • Mr. Bruno Magalhaes

      former-WFP and former-IFAD employee; Universidade de Brasília(MA), Universidade de São Paulo (MBA)
      Brazil

      Congratulations for this first draft. It is already a great instrument for discussion and advancing the FNS agenda in many localized agendas. 

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      • Conceptual framework

       

      • Do you find the proposed framework effective to highlight and discuss the key issues concerning urban and peri-urban food systems?

      The proposed framework is effective and very insightful. An additional point could be considered as “sustainable” alongside the regenerative agriculture. The “mixed use of U-PU land” can also a sustainable measure able to allure the private sector support (technical and financial) under their ESG agenda. Most of the urban soil is under private ownership, however, some of them can be used for: sustainability, utilization, agency, and availability.

      For example, in many cities of Sao Paulo Metro area (Brazil), under the high voltage transmission wires, organic gardens spring up abandoned land and expand agroecology. These lands are private and are not enough to change food systems, but can promote behavioral change towards food utilization (food and nutrition education of school-aged children on the city ground, for example), sustainability (put the land to productivity use instead of being use as garbage dumps); agency (smallholder farmers living in the U-PU area can use this land to produce small batch of fruits and vegetables); and availability (locally sourced food for local restaurants and markets).

      https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2021/11/25/sp-embaixo-dos-fios-hortas-o…;

      • Is this a useful conceptual framework to provide practical guidance for policymakers?

      The conceptual framework is useful, but it does not dialogue a lot with the ESG agenda of the private sector, which is able to provide financial support, especially in the upper-middle and middle-income countries. Alignment with GRI indicators and nomenclature could me the private sector become interested in financially supporting the outputs of the HLPE. 

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      Can you offer suggestions for examples to illustrate and facilitate the operationalization of the conceptual framework to address issues relevant for FSN?

      • Are the trends/variables/elements identified in the draft report the key ones to strengthen urban and peri-urban food systems? If not, which other elements should be considered?

      It is valid to mention the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Fragile ecosystems, high vulnerability to climate change, natural disasters, external economic shocks, distance from global markets, and high rates of all forms of malnutrition and food-related diseases are just some of the challenges hindering the development process for SIDS. In São Tomé and Principe, for example, more than 60% of the population lives in urban areas, however, more than 50% of the daily food basket is imported at the same time the country exports cocoa. Applying the conceptual framework in lands with physical limitations and already highly urbanized can become a challenge to be noted by the HLPE.

      https://jointsdgfund.org/programme/promoting-local-food-value-chains-and-equitable-job-opportunities-through-sustainable

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      • Could you suggest case studies and success stories from countries that were able to strengthen urban and peri-urban food systems?

      Add in a single environment information on sustainable rural development, tourism, environment and healthy eating, where any citizen can explore and discover the rural areas of the city. This is the goal of the Sampa+Rural platform!, idealized by the Municipality of Sao Paulo, Brazil. This initiative is complemented by studies on U-PU agriculture led by the Sao Paulo Food and Nutrition Security Observatory (ObSANPA).

      Sampa+Rural seeks to connect rural areas to the city. It may seem surprising, but about one third of the territory of the municipality of São Paulo has rural characteristics. Concentrated in the southern, east and northern areas of the city, these areas have a huge potential for diversity. Simply put, you can find data on where to buy local products, who are the city's farmers and those who market these products. The platform also brings tourist attractions linked to nature and rural tourism, showing the environmental and economic characteristics of these regions. In addition, it is possible to find civil society and public power initiatives to make the city more connected to sustainable practices.

      https://sampamaisrural.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/sobre

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      Additionally, in the document there it is a mention to gender in Brazil.

      “Gender disparities in food insecurity result from shocks and differences in education, income, opportunities, social networks, and entitlements.

      Research in African and cities and Brazil indicate that although female headed households generally experience higher food insecurity than male headed households, when factors such as household income or education of household head are controlled for, this disadvantage disappears and sometimes even becomes an advantage (Dodson and Riley, 2020). This is in part attributed to women’s greater role in food purchase and consumption decisions despite lower income (Levin et al., 1999).”

      In Brazil, for the abovementioned reasons, the Bolsa Família is transferred preferably to the female in the household.

      https://repositorio.ipea.gov.br/bitstream/11058/8051/1/td_2331.PDF