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DISCUSSION No. 145 • FSN Forum digest No. 1321
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Sustainable Farming Systems for Food and Nutrition Security
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until 10 November 2017
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Dear Members,
Today we would like to share with you the first comments received for the new online discussion on
Sustainable Farming Systems for Food and Nutrition Security, organized jointly with the
Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia Research Programme (LANSA).
With this discussion, we invite you to reflect on the linkages between agriculture, food security and nutrition and the
environment. What is the importance of this nexus for the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals?
Please read the summaries of the comments below. The full versions are available on the
website, where you will also
find the introduction and the guiding questions. As always, comments are welcome in either
English, French
or Spanish.
We look forward to keep receiving your comments.
Your FSN Forum team
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CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED
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Naveen
Paudyal, UNICEF, Nepal
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Naveen introduces the Multi Sector Nutrition Plan (MSNP), which is being developed in Nepal. UNICEF, as lead agency of
the plan, supports the establishment of links between agriculture interventions, the environment and nutritional outcomes.
Regarding challenges faced by smallholders, he mentions issues such as climate change, land tenure and urbanization and
suggests sustainable farming in the field of herbal medicine as a potential area for growth for smallholders.
Read
the contribution
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Anil
Kumar, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, India
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Anil states that the documentation of the impact of farming system on environmental and human health is often lacking
and proposes the application of a life-cycle approach to study the effect, in particular on biodiversity, water and climate. He then presents the work done by the MSSRF in India in understanding the impacts of food production on the environment, especially
on water, carbon and biodiversity.
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the contribution
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Pierrette
J. Cazeau, Haiti Cholera Research Funding Foundation Inc, USA
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Pierrette addresses the fourth discussion question on what is needed to increase agricultural resilience to environmental
stressors. She argues that due to, among others, adverse environmental conditions, some areas are dependent on food produced by other countries. The organization she works for aims to train the local population and raise the awareness of the value of agriculture
and the importance of growing food to meet the needs of other countries.
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the contribution
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Suresh
Babu, IFPRI, United States of America
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Suresh argues that one of the problems in linking research and policy in the context of sustainable agricultural systems,
is the fact that there is confusion on the terminology: some people talk about “farming system”, others talk about “agricultural system” or “food systems”. He suggests to select one of these concepts, and then to define “sustainable farming system”. In addition,
he stresses the fact that the question of how resilience can be increased is rather context-specific, as it depends on the nature of shocks and the aspect of food security it affects.
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the contribution
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Sabine
Gabrysch, Heidelberg University, Germany
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Sabine introduces us to the Food and Agricultural Approaches to Reducing Malnutrition program carried out by the University
of Heidelberg with funding by the German Ministry of Education and Research. The program works with small-scale farmers in Sylhet, Bangladesh, training them in vegetable gardening, poultry rearing and marketing, as well as nutrition, child care and hygiene.
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the contribution
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Deepak
Sharma, VAAGDHARA, India
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Deepak discusses the work of the organization he is working for, which is looking at existing farming practices from
an environmental point of view, while linking them with the SDGs. The findings stress that an increase in food and agricultural diversity is important for building the resilience of small and marginal farmers to environmental stressors.
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the contribution
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Swaran
V., Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India
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Swaran is working on the social and environmental dynamics of cereal cultivation in Maharashtra, India, where malnutrition
is widespread. The research focuses on the perception of millets (which are part of the daily diet in the area) by the local people, disparities between their production and consumption, its resource footprint, and pathways linking it with wellbeing (economic
and health status).
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the contribution
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Abdourhimou
Amadou Issoufou, WASCAL, Niger
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Abdourmihou stresses the positive environmental impacts of Zai, a farming technique which promotes carbon sequestration.
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the contribution
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