CFS COMMITTEE ON WORLD FOOD SECURITY CFS Update November 2015 Edition FAO CFS website Check out the <http://www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-home/en/> new CFS website www.fao.org/cfs <http://www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-home> link CFS 42 Highlights With over 1,000 delegates from 129 countries, 96 civil society organizations, 68 private sector organizations and for the first time, also youth, the week marked the conclusion of the Committee’s work on a number of important topics. The CFS 42 Plenary Session also kicked off work that will take place over the next two years on subjects like Agenda 2030 and nutrition. During the week there were 36 side events organized by over 50 organizations on topics ranging from making our oceans more sustainable to building resilience among refugee communities. See the abstracts, summaries and photos of the CFS 42 Side Events <http://www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-home/plenary/cfs42/cfs42sideevents/en/> . It also marked the end of the two-year Chairing term for Ambassador Gerda Verburg, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to FAO, IFAD and WFP and the beginning of the role as Chair for Ambassador Amira Gornass, Ambassador of the Sudan to Italy and Permanent Representative to FAO, IFAD and WFP. Read the IISD Reporting Services Summary Report <http://www.iisd.ca/download/pdf/sd/enbplus184num8e.pdf> of CFS 42 or visit the CFS 42 web page <http://www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-home/plenary/cfs42/en/> to find out more. Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises The endorsement of the Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises (FFA) <http://www.fao.org/3/a-mo194e.pdf> marks the first global agreement on how to address food security and nutrition in protracted crises and lays out guidance for all stakeholders on the key actions required to not only address immediate humanitarian needs but also build longer term resilience to reduce vulnerability to future crises. With up to half a billion people affected by or at risk, the guidance could not come at a better time. IMG The three Rome based agencies – FAO, IFAD, and WFP – have already begun collaboration on implementation <http://www.fao.org/3/a-mo280e.pdf> through their broader work on resilience, and will be stepping up efforts over the coming months to support country-led actions. Water for Food Security and Nutrition Negotiations to agree on policy recommendations for strengthening the links between water, food security and nutrition were held over 2 days during the session with contentious debate about the relationship of the right to food and the right to water, and exactly where further efforts were required. The resulting recommendations cover eight areas including emphasizing a combined ecosystem and people centered approach and greater collaboration to achieve equal access to water for all. Read the recommendations <http://www.fao.org/3/a-mo960e.pdf> in the CFS 42 Final Report or read the background report from the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) here <http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/hlpe/hlpe_documents/HLPE_Reports/HLPE-Report-9_EN.pdf> . Youth for Food Security and Nutrition #Y4FSN CFS42 marked the first time that the role of youth in achieving food security and nutrition was explored, and was widely hailed as one of the most interesting and exciting parts of the week. There were a number of youth related events throughout the week including a Youth for Food Security and Nutrition Idea Incubator <http://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/3982/icode/> where ten youth from around the world were invited to pitch their ideas live to a panel of experts for feedback. The videos they submitted are on the CFS 42 web page <http://www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-home/plenary/cfs42/en/> . Ideas ranged from reducing food waste at restaurants to training youth on beekeeping. In turn, the panelists provided a range of feedback on how to scale the idea, how to illustrate economic feasibility, and how to get people interested by connecting to a story. The testimonials of some of the youth who participated can be seen here <http://www.ypard.net/2015-november-3/my-experience-committee-food-security-food-and-agriculture-organization-united-natio> and here <http://www.ypard.net/fr/2015-novembre-6/42%C3%A8me-session-du-comit%C3%A9-de-la-s%C3%A9curit%C3%A9-alimentaire%C2%A0-mondiale-le-burkina-faso-%C3%A0-l%E2%80%99hon> . There was also a panel discussion on Developing the knowledge, skills, and talent of youth <http://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/3992/icode/> which included key lessons learned in engaging youth and how those lessons can be replicated at a global scale. Challenges highlighted by participants and case studies included in the background document were making agriculture attractive and remunerative; adapting curricula to address current trends and issues; and lack of skills and access to training. The young facilitator, Sithembile Ndema Mwamakamba, challenged members and participants to think creatively and not just talk about the challenges, but to focus on real actionable solutions that everyone could leave the room and make progress on. Key priorities outlined for action as a result of the discussion were implementing policies that engage youth in the entire food system; giving youth a voice in decision-making; and rebranding agriculture to make it more attractive to youth. CFS produced two related youth videos – the first includes some of the initial ideas <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE6dQ7D-BvY> and the second has highlights of the pitches <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMnCiNRrniM> . New Chair of CFS, Ambassador Gornass of Sudan The new Chair of CFS, Ambassador Gornass, brings substantial experience in foreign affairs and diplomacy to her new role as Chair including particular experience in natural resource management. She has set a number of goals to achieve over the course of her tenure as Chair including more stable financing for the Committee and increasing outreach to foster implementation of CFS products at country level. Agenda 2030 Financing the Agenda 2030 is a big challenge which means action from each and every stakeholder will be key. During CFS42 the discussions highlighted the need for innovative financing, while also stressing the need for more participatory and interdisciplinary approaches to achieve the global goals. Mary Robinson, President, Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice, gave an inspiring key note speech on the importance of the sustainable development agenda - watch the webcast <http://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/3983/icode/> . The Committee was encouraged to bring together global, regional, and national initiatives in order to foster greater solidarity and improve coordination. Nutrition and the role of CFS During CFS42, the Committee discussed important themes at the global, regional and national level in order to identify areas where CFS could add value. Marc van Ameringen, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (watch the webcast here <http://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/3986/icode/> ) and Mary Mubi, Senior Principal Director in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Zimbabwe (watch the webcast here <http://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/3989/icode/> ) shared their experiences of nutrition at the regional and national levels. Some of the key messages coming out of these discussions included paying attention to the inter-sectoral nature of nutrition and ensuring that actions addressing education, health, water, agriculture, and many others are integrated and coordinated. Other key messages focused on the need for greater partnerships and the relevance of building on each other’s strengths if we are serious about ending malnutrition. Over the course of the next two years, the Committee recommended mainstreaming nutrition in all CFS work, coordinating with other nutrition related bodies in order to identify where CFS can specifically add value, and to continue to use its convening power to share lessons learned and identify good practices. As part of this work, the Committee has also established a working group to define the scope of a report on nutrition and food systems which would subsequently be requested for the HLPE to prepare. Smallholders’ Access to Markets Smallholders are at the heart of the agricultural sector and supply 70% of overall food production. They also constitute 75% of the rural poor. In this context, strengthening smallholders’ access to markets is essential for achieving food security and addressing rural poverty by improving conditions and opportunities in rural areas. Smallholders are mainly present in local informal markets where there is a recognized data gap on how they function. A better understanding of these markets is key. Following the High Level Forum on Smallholders Access to Markets that CFS held in June 2015, CFS will work to draw out lessons and best practices that can help overcome barriers and maximize opportunities in value chains. HLF Urbanization, rural transformation and implications for food security and nutrition By 2050, an estimated 70% of the world’s total population will be urban. At the same time, the definition of what constitutes a town or city is changing and largely varies by region from a threshold of over 2,000 habitants to a threshold of 5,000, 10,000, or even 20,000. The very way that urban centers are defined has significant implications for policymaking and food security and nutrition interventions. CFS will identify gaps in existing initiatives to develop targeted policy guidance by 2017 beginning with a forum in October 2016. Women’s empowerment Despite many initiatives over the last few years women still face gender-specific constraints that reduce their productivity and limit their contributions to agricultural production, economic growth and the well-being of their families, communities and countries. If women were given the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20% to 30% and raise agricultural outputs in developing countries by 2.5% to 4% which, in theory, could reduce the overall number of hungry people by 12% to 17%. CFS will identify policy gaps and good practices and look at why women and girls still represent the majority of the food insecure, what has worked well at addressing the challenges and what is missing or isn’t working at a forum planned for 2017. High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) The 12th HLPE Steering Committee elected Mr. Patrick Caron as its new Chairperson and Ms Carol Kalafatic as its Vice-Chairperson. Mr. Caron brings considerable expertise in livestock and territorial development, and has authored more than 200 publications over the course of his career. HLPE Ms. Kalafatic brings expertise in indigenous peoples and smallholder farmer engagement and has led many multi-stakeholder research initiatives. They will both be integral in leading the HLPE on the upcoming topic of Sustainable agricultural development for food security and nutrition, including the role of livestock in 2016. Find out more on the new HLPE Steering Committee and the upcoming reports here <http://www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-hlpe/en/> . Follow the progress on these topics via the website at www.fao.org/cfs or contact the CFS Secretariat on how you can be more involved at [log in to unmask] You are being sent this email because you have previously been in contact with CFS or have expressed an interest in CFS activities. To Unsubscribe: To be removed from the CFS Update mailing list, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. To Subscribe: To subscribe to future CFS Updates, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Please pass this message on to anyone who may be interested in following CFS activities. 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