Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition

 

Right to Food Forum

 

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Spaces for dialogue on food security at the municipal level

Until 14 April 2014

Digest n.2

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Dear Right to Food Supporters,

The online discussion on Spaces for dialogue on food security at the municipal level is picking up and we are glad to share with you the feedback by the facilitator of the debate, Ciro Kopp from FAO, Bolivia.

Ciro comments on what has been said so far, comes to first conclusions and revamps the discussion asking some interesting follow up questions.

We join Ciro in inviting you to share your ideas on the role that municipal councils, committees, commissions and working groups can play as spaces for dialogue promoting participation in the definition of local food and nutrition security policies.

You can read the full introduction on the Forum webpage, were it is also available in French and Spanish. To take part in the discussion simply visit the Forum and share your comments online. Alternatively you can also send us your contributions via mail to [log in to unmask].

Looking forward to reading your comments!

Your Right to Food Team

 

 

Ciro Kopp Valdivia, FAO, Bolivia - Facilitator of the discussion

Dear forum participants,

The contributions made so far are very important because they present different aspects of the characteristics, roles and results achieved by the spaces for dialogue at municipal level.

Based on these contributions, I would like to share the following preliminary conclusions: Spaces for dialogue should be promoted by municipal authorities, responsible of ensuring broad participation of representatives from public and private institutions and civil society, who in turn shall be seriously committed in their engagement.

Spaces for dialogue should be based on the rules of good governance, be transparent, promote informed and timely decision making, and have regulations supporting their operation. An important aspect to highlight is that the creation of spaces for dialogue also depends on the local political and economic context.

Urban municipalities have been mentioned, and achieving there an effective participation of vulnerable groups in decision making is more challenging.

The main tasks to be undertaken through spaces for dialogue include: achieving the coordination of local NFS and HRAF policies (models) targeting the communities welfare; influencing the budgets allocation; raising awareness on the NFS; promoting multisectoral work with the purpose of adding capacities and avoid duplication of efforts; fostering accountability and promoting informed decision making.

Topics to be discussed should not be only limited to agricultural production. Other more structural issues like access to land and food sovereignty, and other more specific topics like food quality and safety, analysis of school feeding local programs and monitoring of indicators, should also be considered.

The main results achieved by spaces for dialogue are: revaluation of local food production, budgeting for NFS related projects, assistance to public management by civil society and monitoring of nutritional indicators.

I would like to take this opportunity to raise some questions that will allow me to complete these preliminary conclusions and prepare some recommendations:

For Carlos Alberto (Costa Rica): According to the experience with the project, was the space for dialogue formalized? Or did it only work with the FAO project? Did municipal authorities take the lead?

For Oswell (South Africa): What do you think is required to establish this space for dialogue and involve all the stakeholders in the discussion of the land issue?

For Donald (Tanzania): Do you have any work experience related to food sovereignty at the municipal level?

For Gonzalo (Bolivia) and Jhannete (Bolivia): How do you think this political willingness can be achieved? What actions could be undertaken?

For Maria Janeth (Colombia): Involving vulnerable populations in policy making is precisely one of the challenges. How do you think it can be achieved, making public policy in Medellín more inclusive?

For Ricardo (Argentina): Can you name any specific experience of this process of including family farmers in food safety regulations?

For Delicia (Perú): Do you have a documented systematization of this process that can be shared? Does the agreement provide for the creation of a space for dialogue between authorities, community members and project technicians for the analysis of information and decision making? Or is Bureau I just a project activity? Thank you very much.

 

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