Draft NGO Opening Statement ? February 23, 2009 UN CSD-17 IPM
The convergence of climate, energy, food and economic crises calls for reorienting
our food and agricultural systems toward sustainability, equity
and resilience.
The revolution that African agriculture needs is a radical emphasis on the
smallholder family farm?as the Chair suggests ? it must be homegrown.
Converging trends have increased large scale acquisitions and long-term leases
of land in Africa, as well as Asia and Latin America. This threatens to undermine
access to essential resources for those most vulnerable to food shocks and
Africa?s ability to feed itself.
Agriculture
Promote agro-ecological approaches to food production, coupled with
creation and expansion of local or regional infrastructures, markets and networks
that benefit smallholders. We strongly support the building, strengthening
and inclusion of local-level institutions?in order to create small scale
entrepreneurs from subsistence farmers.
As we emphasize the need to increase agricultural productivity?our
priority is understanding that productivity cannot be measured simply by
increased production per unit area, but also in terms of:
? how well diversification of systems can maintain and
? increase local productivity and
? reduce vulnerability in the face of increasing volatility of climate, energy
supply, and other factors that contribute to global shocks to food supplies.
Measure productivity on a holistic basis, including the gains that build from
the wise use and value placed upon:
? natural resources (soil fertility, adequate water, agro-biodiversity, etc.),
? the integration of livestock and cropping systems, and in managed
rangelands
? training that integrates well with traditional knowledge, and
? the depth and duration of investment in human resources ? focusing
on the central role of women in African (and other regions) agriculture.
? access to resources (including recognition of customary land use
practices, pastoralist grazing rights, and securing of tenure)
Rural Development
- must emphasize inclusive and integrated processes:
We will be highlighting this week the policies and practices that demonstrate
direct linking of rural and urban markets for food security, and regions feeding
cities. Home-grown school feeding is one example of the many forms of
infrastructure investments and new market creation needed.
As we seek to support small scale producers becoming entrepreneurs, and
to gain benefit higher up the value chain, we need to recognize and link
environmental services that sustainable agriculture provides:
Draft NGO Opening Statement ? February 23, 2009 UN CSD-17 IPM
Value chain integrity and coherence will require greater accountability and
transparency across the chain, and appropriate mechanisms to distribute
equitable returns for actors up and down.
Signals that convey environmental services for sustainably produced food
originate from the production base and need to be clearly translated and paid for
with a more even distribution and management of risks?
The rewards for these services are numerous, and especially extend to
adaptation and mitigation to climate change, which cuts across all of the thematic
discussion this week.
Key mechanisms for their success include:
- adequate certification systems (for local/organic/sustainable/fair
trade/etc.);
- capacity developed for knowledge management among all
stakeholders;
- integrated physical infrastructure (roads, telecom/IT, energy, water);
- value-addition opportunities at multiple levels of production and
processing;
- mechanisms for timely price discovery;
- crop/livestock insurance;
- security of contracts for small producers;
We, along with many of the Major Groups recognize women farmers as the
driving force for rural development in most parts of the world, and that
their economic empowerment to produce more and to participate in policy
formulation is critical to addressing poverty and food insecurity.
? Also essential is Indigenous peoples? direct engagement in decisionmaking
processes and resource management, the capacity to organize
collectively, and to enjoy full access to justice and redress.
Support meaningful participation of civil society ( including women, youth
and indigenous peoples) in the development process. National-level and
intergovernmental support is essential to civil society efforts in:
o project implementation,
o education and information,
o policy advocacy and
o establishment of accountability mechanisms.
To address the multiple crises we are facing, we must establish a secure basis of
Global Food System Governance ? building this from the bottom up.
