Indigenous Peoples

CFS50: Collective rights to lands, water, territories, and natural resources for sustainable Indigenous Peoples’ food systems and biocentric restoration


12/10/2022 - 

Rome - The 50th Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) was held from 10 to 13 October 2022. CFS 50 featured a full-day ministerial segment on coordinating policy responses to the global food crisis – The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022; endorsed newly agreed Policy Recommendations on Promoting Youth Engagement and Employment in Agriculture and Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition; and focused on boosting responsible investment in sustainable agriculture and food systems through a Global Thematic Event on the CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems.

In order to call attention to the urgency and immeasurable cost of insecure rights of Indigenous Peoples on their lands, waters and territories in form of lost opportunities for climate mitigation, conservation, ecological restoration and sustainable food systems for the global community, FAO’s Indigenous Peoples Unit (PSUI) organized a CFS 50 side event on “Collective rights to lands, water, territories, and natural resources for sustainable Indigenous Peoples’ food systems and biocentric restoration,” moderated by Mariana Estrada, PSUI.

Unfortunately, despite the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ lands, waters and territories for biodiversity, climate mitigation ecological restoration and sustainable food systems, Indigenous Peoples’ rights over natural resources have been historically disregarded in most parts of the world. With exception of a few countries, the majority of Indigenous People’s lands, water and territories remain without legal recognition and protection. For Indigenous Peoples, the lack of recognition and protection of their lands, waters and territories, important for spiritual, social, cultural value and sources of identity, is an existential threat.  Tenure insecurity has led to forced evictions, displacement and relocation of Indigenous Peoples affecting their security and cultural survival. Policies and practices linked to food production and agricultural supply chains are major contributors in the Indigenous People’s tenure insecurity. Collective tenure of water requires special mention. Due to the increasing water demand, coupled with the predicted impacts of climate change, the lack of recognition of collective water tenure poses a significant challenge for Indigenous Peoples’ communities worldwide.

In this context, within the framework of the 10th anniversary of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT), the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022, this side-event provided an opportunity to discuss emerging issues related to collective rights to lands, water and natural resources, successful interventions and relevance of instruments, such as the VGGTs.

Indigenous Peoples are collective rights holders

"Indigenous Peoples are at the forefront in preserving biodiversity and water. Indigenous Peoples need to be respected as collective rights holders, especially as some governments might favour extractive industries," urged Darío Mejía Montalvo, Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

The cost of not recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Territorial Rights is high for all of us

"The cost of not recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Territorial Rights is high for all of us. Ecological degradation, the loss of carbon and biodiversity in Indigenous territories affect us all. Conflicts, human rights violations and legal action risk investments for climate, conservation and restoration. Also, the global community misses the opportunity to learn from Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, potential food solutions, and effective Indigenous Peoples led climate mitigation, conservation and restoration,” urged Kundan Kumar, Collective Rights expert, PSUI.  

 Collective rights are part of the solution to climate change

"Most land in Africa is claimed under customary tenure rights. The VGGTs are a goodwill tool, but governments need to better understand and apply them. Collective tenure of land needs to be part of the solution to address climate change," explained Stanley Kimaren ole Riamit, Indigenous peoples’ leader from the Pastoralists Maasai Community in southern Kenya.

Collective rights are the glue that maintains communities, cultures and biodiversity

“The division between land and water is artificial. Indigenous Peoples understand territories holistically as mother earth, and water as the blood that gives it life. Collective rights are the glue that maintains communities, cultures and biodiversity," added Yon Fernández de Larrinoa, head of PSUI.

Global consensus on the key role of Indigenous Peoples

"There is a strong global consensus that Indigenous Peoples’ territories, governance, knowledge and food systems are vital for climate regulation, biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration and the future of sustainable food systems," concluded Marcela Villarreal, FAO.

 

The event concluded that given the urgency of climate change and biodiversity collapse, it is important that the global community engage with the critical bottleneck of insecure rights of Indigenous over their lands and territories.

 

 Watch the recording