UN Food Systems Summit and Indigenous Peoples
The recognition of Indigenous Peoples' food systems as “game-changers” for the transformation of food systems towards sustainability and resilience by the Scientific Group of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 (UNFSS) was the result of key strategic and advocacy work led by Indigenous Peoples that our Unit had the honour to be involved in and support. This happened through various activities including:
- Mobilizing Indigenous leaders in over 25 UNFSS Summit Dialogues: The first Arctic Indigenous Peoples’ Regional Dialogue on Food Systems | High-Level Expert Seminar on North American Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems, Towards the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit | Indigenous Youth Global Declaration on Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems
- Supporting a delegation of 13 Indigenous representatives to participate in 14 sessions during the UNFSS Pre-Summit: “Indigenous Peoples’ food systems are a game-changing solution to ensure more sustainable food systems.”
- Coordinating knowledge exchanges with the Scientific Group and Action Track Technical Committees of the UNFSS Indigenous Peoples at the forefront of the UN Food Systems Pre-Summit: The Scientific Group of the UN Food Systems Summit starts a dialogue to bring together scientific and Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge.
- Drafting the White/Wiphala Paper on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems as a constructive and evidence based contribution to the summit.
FAO Indigenous Peoples’ unit advocates for improving the conditions of Indigenous Peoples particularly, Indigenous Women and Indigenous Youth, through various activities and publications:
Indigenous Peoples and the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA),
The White/Wiphala Paper on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems
Policy brief: COVID-19 and Indigenous Peoples
Recommendations: Indigenous Peoples' health and safety at risk due to Coronavirus
Three editions of Indigenous Peoples’ food systems flagship publications: Indigenous peoples’ food systems: the many dimensions of culture, diversity and environment for nutrition and health (2009), Indigenous Peoples’ food systems and well-being: Interventions and policies for healthy communities (2013) and Indigenous Peoples’ food systems: Insights on sustainability and resilience from the front line of climate change (2021).
Indigenous Women – Find out more
- The Knowledge Makers Programme in partnership with Thompson Rivers University (2022-23)
- The CFS Zero Draft Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition.
- Indigenous Women, daughters of Mother Earth Brochure (2020)
- Global Campaign for the Empowerment of Indigenous Women for Zero Hunger (2018 – 2021)
- High Level Forum “Empowerment of Indigenous Women for the eradication of hunger and malnutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean” (2018)
- Publication: Territorial Management on Indigenous Matrifocal Societies, Cases of Study on Khasi, Wayuu and Shipibo-Conibo peoples (2020)
Indigenous Youth - Find out more
- The "My food vision is..." campaign, led by the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus (2022)
- This first Global Indigenous Youth Forum leading up to the UN Food System Summit (2021)
- Policy brief - Indigenous youth: Innovation and traditional knowledge for food security (2021)
- Indigenous Youth as agents of change - Actions of Indigenous Youth in local food systems during times of adversity (2021)
- Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty (TIP) Youth Fellowship Program (2018)
Highlights:
Mongabay: Indigenous Peoples’ food systems series
Nature Food: Rethinking hierarchies of evidence for sustainable food systems
IWGIA: The Indigenous World 2021 – International processes and Initiatives - Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Indigenous Peoples
European Development Days: #EDD21- BRAINSTORMING LAB - Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems