European Union

The following side events were covered by ENBOTS on Thursday, 20 October 2016: Carpe Diem! Addressing the Nexus – Water, Energy, Food & Ecosystems – For #zerohunger in Africa The Challenges of Monitoring Hunger and Food Insecurity in the Context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided web coverage of CFS 43 and selected side-events. The summary report of CFS 43 is available in HTML and PDF. Carpe Diem! Addressing the Nexus – Water, Energy, Food & Ecosystems – For #zerohunger in Africa Organized by the African Union, Global Water Partnership (GWP), International Water Management Institute. This side event, chaired by Ambassador Godfrey Magwenzi, Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to FAO, illustrated how work done at the global level by CFS on the water, energy and food nexus to address food security and nutrition challenges can be applied at the country or local level through a partnership approach. Magwenzi noted that poor rainfall, degraded ecosystems and poor water management were challenges facing Zimbabwe, as well as many countries in Africa, but that they were being addressed through a multistakeholder approach that included the ministries of water and agriculture, civil society and NGOs. He added that the process identified several priorities, such as the need to raise more awareness on water conservation and develop long-term water policies. Laila Lokosang, African Union (AU), highlighted the work of the AU’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, which includes a focus on increasing food supply, reducing hunger, and improving responses to food emergency crises. He stressed the interconnectedness of water, energy, food and ecosystem issues and that they should addressed together to ensure food security in Africa. Abel Afouda, Global Water Partnership, stressed the need for a more integrated approach between water and food security, highlighting a multistakeholder initiative that has identified water and food security priorities in nine African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda). He said the aim is to support governments in addressing the challenge of managing water and food security in an integrated holistic manner, and to contribute towards SDG2 to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. Tim Williams, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), said there is a good understanding today of the water, food and security nexus, but it is also important to include the ecosystem element. When addressing the nine-country initiative, he said stakeholders need to look at irrigation as an ecosystem activity as it has environmental and food security consequences. He also said that practical policies need to integrate ecosystems management into water resource management. Olcar Unver, FAO, introduced the FAO’s approach to the water-energy-food nexus, which provides a framework to address food security and sustainable agriculture. He said the nexus approach can help identify and manage trade-offs and to build synergies, allowing for more integrated and cost-effective planning, decision-making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. He announced a new FAO initiative, Coping with Water Scarcity in Agriculture, which will be launched at the UN climate change meeting in Morocco, with the aim of bringing together knowledge and investment partners to address food security within the framework of water scarcity.  In discussions, participants considered, inter alia, the buy-in of smallholder famers, the effects of urbanization on water use, competing water demands and climate change, and the use of waste water as a resource.   Contacts: Manuel Fulchiron, GWP, manuel.fulchiron@gwp.org Laila Lokosang, African Union, lokosang@africa-untion.org Amare Haileslassie, IWMI, a.haileslassie@cgiar.org More Information: http://www.gwp.org http://www.au.int http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org   The Challenges of Monitoring Hunger and Food Insecurity in the Context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda Organized by Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (AICS), EU Delegation to the UN Organizations in Rome, UK Department for International Development (DFID), FAO. This side event, moderated by Anne Kepple, FAO, provided an opportunity for policy-makers to discuss the challenges and opportunities for strengthening policy-making in the area of food security and nutrition at national and international levels, and within the context of the SDGs. Pietro Gennari, FAO, provided an overview of FAO’s approach to help countries step up capacity to monitor SDGs, especially with regards to food security and nutrition. With 169 targets and 230 global indicators – five targets alone for SDG2 – he said monitoring indicators are a demanding task for many countries that lack statistical capacity. He stressed, therefore, the need for new, timely, reliable and granular data to be collected through a more holistic approach. He added that the responsibility for generating data to inform the global indicators rests with national institutions, but there are global tools, such as FAO’s Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), which has the potential to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the causes and consequences of food insecurity and to inform more effective policies and interventions.   Jean-Pierre Halkin, European Commission Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO), stressed the importance of development assistance in tackling food security and sustainable agriculture, and support for the SDGs, especially SDG2, which calls on stakeholders to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. He noted the importance of making sure countries adopt SDG targets and the right policies to reach these targets. Access to data, he said, would help track progress, and having the right evidence would help countries meet their targets. Martino Melli, AICS, said good statistical systems are key for effective economic and social development and are an essential tool to meet the challenge of achieving the SDGs. He added that data and statistics deserve increased attention in the development context, adding that they are recognized in SDG17. Melli called for a data revolution and identified four strategic priorities to produce, analyze and use effective statistical data: civil registration and vital statistics systems; partnerships for development; optimal use of financial, human and technological resources; and new technologies and innovative methods of collecting and analyzing data. Nina Hissen and Vincent Gainey, DFID, presented on the future of the FIES and how it can be embedded in national institutions. They said the FIES -- consisting of eight short questions that focuses on self-reported, food-related behaviors and experiences associated with increasing difficulties in accessing food due to resource constraints – is an important tool for national institutions to use and translate the statistical information into policy actions to improve food security. They added that it is important to help countries build national statistical capacity while ensuring quality, consistency and maintaining global coherence. National ownership of the process is key, they said, with a strong role for an international body, like the FAO, to oversee national data collection. In discussions, participants considered, inter alia: the importance of engaging civil society and youth in data collection; broadening the scope of the system to possibly include a nutritional dimension; using social media to collect responses for the FIES survey; and applying the FIES to both developed and developing countries.   L.:-R.: Carlo Cafiero, FAO; Anne Kepple, FAO; Nina Hissen, Department for International Development (DFID), UK ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti Pietro Gennari, FAO ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti Martino Melli, Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (AICS) ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti Contacts: Aymeric Songy, FAO, amyeric.songy@fao.org More Information: http://www.fao.org https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/general_en http://www.agenziacooperazione.gov.it  

On Tuesday, the forty-fourth session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-44) continued in Bangkok, Thailand. In the morning, discussions continued on the participation of developing countries in the Panel’s activities. Participants also heard a report on the IPCC’s carbon footprint, and discussed the review of the IPCC conflict of interest policy and the workshop on Climate Change and Cities. In the afternoon, the Panel discussed the revised outline for the special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above preindustrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty. The IPCC also discussed the outline of the methodology reports to refine the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse (GHG) Gas Inventories, which the Panel agreed to dedicate to Jim Penman. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, is providing digital coverage and a summary and analysis report from IPCC-44 that is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Leila Mead For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Participants stand for a moment of silence to pay respects to Jim Penman, UK, who passed away Delegates during the morning plenary Fatima Driouech, Morocco Svitlana Krakovska, Ukraine Sophie Schlingemann, IPCC Secretariat, and Hoesung Lee, IPCC Chair Abolfazl Azizipanah,  Economic Cooperation Organization  UN Environment Programme intervening in plenary Observer organizations during the plenary Kiyoto Tanabe, Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Co-Chair Valerie Masson Delmotte, Working Group I Co-Chair Working Group II Co-Chair Debra Roberts Kokou Marcellin Nakpon, Benin, and Tayba BuddhaTamang, Bhutan Ramanlal Bhatt, India IPCC Deputy Secretary Carlos Martin-Novella with IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee and IPCC Secretary Abdalah Mokssit Anastasios Kentarchos, EU Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, Belgium Andreas Fischlin, Vice-Chair, Working Group II Panmao Zhai, Working Group I Co-Chair IPCC Vice-Chair Youba Sokona, Leo Meyer, University College London, and Martine Vanderstraeten, Belgium Ramon Pichs-Madruga, Working Group III Vice-Chair Delegates in the plenary Leo Meyer, University College London, and Sunday Leonard, Climate and Clean Air Coalition for Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Said Djamal-Dine, Comoros Oyvind Christophersen, Norway, and Working Group II Co-Chair Debra Roberts

The following side events were covered by ENBOTS on Tuesday, 18 October 2016: How to Reduce Food Loss and Waste While Connecting Smallholders to Markets The Role of Livestock in Sustainable Agriculture: Delivering for People, Animals and Planet IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided web coverage of CFS 43 and selected side-events. The summary report of CFS 43 is available in HTML and PDF. How to Reduce Food Loss and Waste While Connecting Smallholders to Markets Organized by Brazil, Italy, Costa Rica, FAO This side event, moderated by Anna Lartey, Nutrition and Food Systems Division, FAO, welcomed solutions to help smallholders reduce food losses, connect to markets, protect their livelihoods and increase their incomes. Maria Laura da Rocha, Permanent Representative of Brazil to FAO, stressed the importance of reducing food loss and waste within the context of SDG 12.3 – to halve by 2030 per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses. She added that ensuring smallholders have access to markets is critical to achieving the SDG. Laura Brenes, National Network for Food Loss and Waste Reduction, Costa Rica, noted that the manipulation or handling of produce is one of the biggest contributors to food loss facing independent farmers in her country, adding that farmers’ associations can contribute to waste reduction in this regard. Such associations, she said, could help connect farmers to a client that will demand more value added and help meet quality standards. Aurora Cavallo, Universitas Mercatorum, Italy, said Italy loses up to 1 million tonnes of agricultural products each year. She underlined several ways for smallholders to reduce such loss, including the need to improve: supply chain management; access to low-cost handling and storage technologies; packaging to keep food fresh; and market access. She also listed several cross-cutting governmental strategies: set food loss and waste reduction targets; create entities devoted to reducing food waste; increase financing and regulatory intervention; and increase capacity building, especially for smallholders. Xie Jianmin, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to FAO, reported on his country’s efforts to reduce food waste, which has seen the number of hungry people drop by 100 million. Measures taken to reduce waste and better protect smallholder farmers include, inter alia, promoting legislative processes and regulations, investing in storage facilities, accelerating food logistics and distribution, and promoting new technologies. He added that better communication is needed to provide smallholders with timely market information and technologies. Caoi Tiberio Dornelles da Roca, Ministry of Social and Agrarian Development of Brazil, reported on the success of food banks throughout the country, which function as points of storage and distribution. He also highlighted the government’s Food Purchase programme, which buys agricultural products from smallholders and delivers them to at-risk categories, including children and youth through school feeding programmes. Judith Hitchmann, Urgenci, extolled the benefits of community-supported agriculture (CSA), noting it is one of the best examples of a successful, alternative food distribution system that provides affordable healthy food for consumers. CSA, she said, includes little or no food loss on the farm, with little or no miles of packaging. Citing a UK study, she said supermarket value chains have a much higher rate of food loss and waste than CSA.  Ann Steensland, Global Harvest Initiative, noted that many private sector actors are working to reduce waste and connect smallholder farmers to larger markets. This, she said, includes national and multinational companies investing in bio-fortified seeds and orphan crops, offering weather index insurance and providing affordable storage technologies. She said infrastructure, such as roads, electricity and communications, is important and also access to affordable financing.   Aurora Cavallo, Universitas Mercatorum Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito Anna Lartey, Nutrition and Food Systems Division, FAO Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito Judith Hitchmann, Urgenci Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito The Role of Livestock in Sustainable Agriculture: Delivering for People, Animals and Planet Organized by Senegal, Kenya, FAO, University of Winchester Centre for Animal Welfare, The Brooke This side event, chaired by Badi Besbes, Animal Production and Health Division, FAO, explored how livestock can best support food security, nutrition and livelihoods, including their role in food production value chains. Besbes said that livestock provide essential services, including a third of human protein intake, and have an important cultural role in society, especially in rural communities. Ali Mohamed dit Séga Camara, National Council for Food Security, Senegal, highlighted the crucial role equine play in the livelihoods of national economies; in Senegal 28.2% of households are livestock keepers. He noted that horses, donkeys and mules are used to plow fields and for the transportation of fuel, water and agricultural products, adding that most households in the West African country, and their income, come directly from these animals. The poorest households, he said, are those who do not have a working animal. Kiss Juma Ngeiywa, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Kenya, said livestock are an integral part of food security in rural communities in Africa. Families with livestock, he said, have better overall nutrition, and are often viewed on par with conventional currency, serving as a family’s savings or fixed deposit. To protect this valuable resource, Ngeiywa said that it is important for people to look after the welfare of animals as they are an essential part of one’s livelihood. Philip Lymbery, University of Winchester Centre for Animal Welfare, decried the development of large-scale, industrial agriculture, which he viewed as one of the biggest threats to global food security. He noted that the largest area of food production waste is feeding crops edible to humans to industrialized-reared animals. To achieve humane and sustainable food production, Lymbery stressed the need to return to more sustainable farming practices, such as mixed-rotational or free-range farms, or pastoralism, where animals are treated more humanely.   Dil Peeling, The Brooke, said working livestock play a fundamental role in agricultural and animal-sourced food production, with hundreds of millions of people depending on them for income and food security. He noted that they represent an important asset of the poor and help keep those that benefit from their labor out of poverty. Peeling added that despite their indispensable contributions, working livestock remain largely invisible in the eyes of decision-makers and have not been recognized in development policies. This, he said, needs to change, especially as livestock offer a huge potential in delivering food security. Fabio Fuseli, Ministry of Agriculture of Italy, noted that recognition of livestock in policies is being reflected in national agenda policies, as well as in EU legislation and legislative measures to manage sustainability. In discussions, participants considered, inter alia, the low level of investments in livelihood development compared to agriculture, lack of understanding of livestock issues, particularly in the West, animal hygiene and health, and the impact of livestock on climate change.   Contacts: Jennifer Dias, The Brooke (UN Advocacy Manager) – Jennifer.dias@thebrooke.org More Information: http://www.thebrooke.org  

On Monday, 17 October, Chair Amira Gornass (Sudan) opened the 43rd plenary session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS 43), drawing attention to CFS’ 40th anniversary. In the morning, plenary addressed organizational matters and held an opening session on sustainable food systems, nutrition and climate change. In a video message, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underlined CFS’ key role in the 2030 Agenda and in ending hunger, and urged combating malnutrition in all its forms. FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva noted that integration of food security concerns into the climate change agenda represents a recognition of FAO’s work. Underscoring that more than half of world population suffers from malnutrition, including undernourishment and obesity, he drew attention to the failure of food systems to deliver healthy diets. Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) drew attention to the 2016 Rural Development Report, noting that undernutrition can persist even when incomes rise. Elisabeth Rasmusson, Assistant Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) underlined climate change and population increase as challenges for sustainable food systems, and highlighted the role of smallholders and social protection systems, such as WFP school meal programmes. In the afternoon, plenary endorsed the proposed recommendations on sustainable agricultural development for food security and nutrition, including the role of livestock, which were based on the report and recommendations of the the High-Level Panel of Experts (HLPE). IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided digital coverage and a summary report from CFS 43 which is available in HTML and PDF. Opening Plenary: Sustainable Food Systems, Nutrition and Climate Change Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, addressing CFS 43 via video message Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti CFS 43 Chair Amira Gornass, Sudan Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti José Graziano da Silva, Director-General, FAO Copyright ©FAO ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti Kanayo Nwanze, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Copyright ©FAO.©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti Elisabeth Rasmusson, Assistant Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP) Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti Sustainable Agricultural Development for Food Security and Nutrition including the Role of Livestock The dias during the discussion on the report on Sustainable Agricultural Development for Food Security and Nutrition including the Role of Livestock. L.-R.: Wilfrid Legg, HLPE Team Leader; Amira Gornass, CFS Chair, Deborah Fulton, CFS Secretary, Yaya Olaniran, Permanent Representative of Nigeria to FAO Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito Wilfrid Legg, HLPE Team Leader Copyright ©FAO.©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito Patrick Caron, Chair, HLPE Steering Committee Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti Slovakia, for the EU Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito Around the Venue Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto Copyright ©FAO. ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti Copyright ©FAO.©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto Daily Web Coverage — About | 17 Oct | 18 Oct | 19 Oct | 20 Oct | 21 Oct | Summary Funding for coverage of CFS 43 has been provided by CFS CFS Resources Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security FAO Website Website for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) CFS Website CFS 43 Website Website for the United Nations World Food Programme IISD ENB/ENB+ Meeting Coverage Follow-Up to the High-Level Forum (HLF) on Connecting Smallholders to Markets, 8-9 June 2016, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on Sustainable Development Goals of the Committee on World Food Security, 21 January, 24 February, 3 May and 22 June 2016, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy OEWG Meetings on Nutrition, 14 January, 25 February and 29 April 2016, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy CFS 42, 12-15 October 2015, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015, 25-27 September 2015, UN Headquarters, New York 2nd International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), 19-21 November 2014, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy Additional IISD Resources SDG - A Mailing List for News on Sustainable Development Policy Sustainable Development Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of International Activities Preparing for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development Linkages Update - Bi-weekly International Environment and Sustainable Development News © 2016, IISD Reporting Services. All rights reserved.