Luisa Cruz and Margret Vidar- Facilitators of the discussion Dear Right to Food Forum Members, Thank you very much for the rich and diverse contributions received so far. We have gathered concrete experiences from different countries and regions showing efforts towards the realization of the right to food through a better governance of natural resources. Some of the inputs of the discussion have underlined the major role of traditional practices that moved from subsistence towards commercial focus. This is the case of Riverbed Farming as mentioned by one of our participants from Nepal. This point was also brought to the discussion by emphasizing that a solid knowledge of traditional land use and an impact assessment of future legislation is key in order to ensure effective implementation of legal frameworks. It was pointed out that claims made by traditional communities and their livelihoods should be protected though dispute resolution mechanisms that are suitable for the context of traditional communities. The importance of traditional practices and ensuring access to indigenous seeds was highlighted by the participant from Kenya who showed also the significance this has for food diversity, which is one of the conditions for food to be adequate. The contributions from Bolivia bring concrete evidence on how legislation is being adopted in the country in order to provide a framework for improving governance of natural resources as a basis for the realization of the right to food. We noted that the Bolivian Constitution protects the right to food and the right to water in article16, and we learned about the adoption of the Framework law on “Mother Earth and Integral Development for Well Being” among the creation of several programs such as the one addressing adaptation of food security and food sovereignty to climate change. Another interesting example from Latin America is the contribution from Costa Rica showing current efforts and proposals for adopting sustainable production policies in the country. Finally, the experiences from Africa show the importance of taking a participatory approach to the process of lawmaking as well as an ecosystem based approach applied particularly to the fisheries sector where the role of women is key. Another contribution noted the need for further institutional strengthening and capacity development for government and civil society. In terms of accountability we received a very interesting contribution referring to a recent case of the ECOWAS Court of justice illustrating how a regional body can intervene to hold both governments (that should ensure appropriate regulation) and private sector companies accountable for environmental damage and therefore for the violation of the right to an adequate standard of living including the right to food. The discussion is still running and we will be more than pleased to receive further contributions till the 15th of September. Thanks again and best regards, Luisa Cruz and Margret Vidar Facilitators Luisa Cruz and Margret Vidar FAO Development Law Branch (LEGN) - Right to Food Team (ESA) |