HOW CAN FAO AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION ENGAGE BETTER?
Dear all,
First of all, let me acknowledge the hardwork so far and resilient act of UN FAO and CSOs on food sustainable system across the globe. However, there is more to be done and improvement on every effort and strategies of UN FAO and CSOs programmed collaboration and partnership on the global system. The global system has been in two different spheres of development within and among states. Mostly referred to (developed and developing nations, advanced and advancing nations, global north and global south etc). This arises because of the level of development of each state that culminates into classification or formation of the axes. The middle class was formally called second world countries but as today is either you are developed or developing state classification. The consequence is that the widening gap had led to this belief. This can also be said in this format what exists between men is rich and poor, perhaps, this is where the world stands today! The rich and poor countries, notwithstanding! But it's time the narrative change to bridge the gap and hunger and poverty free generations. The gap should be minimize and an opportunity should be given to encourage nations' engagement in UN FAO and CSOs collaboration.
Furthermore, the workability by the parties involved should be mutual understanding that builds synergy and high level of participation without organizational discrimination but results and impactful partnership. The UN FAO SDG agenda should be translated into action driven policy implementation. A concrete active advocacy should be publicly received. On this note, awareness has not be seriously addressed. The urban and rural dwellers can't identify SDGs nor the roles it plays in societal development. In other words, the primary call is advocacy and sensitization of the communities of UN FAO SDG programmes in the global system which call for collaboration with CSOs that can give more publicity and awareness. The campaign needs to be intensified, because even the learned in higher institutions as lecturers can tell the functionality and operational of the SDG. This is a wake up call for the stakeholders and partners.
Observation so far, from the global south and reiterating the year 2030 as an applicable deliverable year, I don't think it stands achievable by what is on ground whether the global north or south poverty and hunger free world. This is pertinent to the organization UN FAO to beat the set date. However, if advocacy is intensified a percentage could be meant about what the programmes holds for nations and communities. This is why leveraging on Civil Society Organizations, Private Sector or Non-governmental Organizations (Non-state actors) would be better appreciated as implementing partners. These are organs that would help drive every initiatives under UN FAO global food security sustainability.
These non state actors have the tools and mechanism to create the awareness and implementation strategies because they reside in the communities of every nation in the globe. They are more sensitive to the plight of the citizens and indigenous people. The policies should be joint researched and implemented, funded by joint force but state actors take large part of the cost. SDG 1 and 2 should be the primary focus of UN which is in synonymous to FAO policies on global agenda. If the tools of non state actors are really employed and deployed the programmes are more than half done because of closeness and proximity to issues in the communities. The State actors and UN FAO being the central system can't drive these programmes without the consultation of non state actors. It should be decentralized, the powers involved, the policies mechanism, and implementing techniques and partners. The reality on ground is that UN FAO should engage the non state actors more vigorously in the programmes for actualization and impactful results.
The uniqueness of this programme is that is not dealing with the enlightened alone but both enlightened and non enlightened. So, it calls for critical look for actualization in the society. The local farmers are involved, the commercial farmers are involved and non farmers are involved as well. Therefore, the modalities should be what will mitigate the differences and erase distrust among parties involved for unification and harmonization of ideas and policies that project effective implementation. This would foster agriculture products for sustainability. In other words, it calls for inclusivity of parties involved to maximize effort of stakeholders and multistakeholders mechanism. Meanwhile, the involvement of local farmers is a big plus to CSOs and UN FAO in improvement of productivity and profitability of their products and commodities.
Sustainability of Agricultural products is more of the local farmers who are closer to civil society organization than FAO. This can be enhance by financial support that would increase productivity, efficiency and sustainable development that will henceforth minimize hunger in the communities and at state level. With moral and financial support the moral for resilience is established and sustained. Understanding the fundamental requirements of this group, Agricultural products would be boosted in the communities. The Food Agriculture Organization of United Nations and Civil Society Organizations would have achieved a lot from their programmes. The best practices would have been initiated and carried out and done in this multifaceted dynamics of FAO programmes implementation. This as well calls for education and enlightenment of the local farmers the need for particular products or breed for high yield. These can be done when the understanding is established by the tripartite stakeholders, which includes inclusiveness of all. The willingness and enthusiasm to work as a team irrespective of status most be established without discrimination by the state actors especially. The role of CSOs can't be separated here because they are interlink with communities, local farmers and FAO. And most importantly every feedback most be acknowledge for now and future use in driving the mandate of FAO that are in consonant of resolution or policies of UN FAO.
However, we have seen the effect of climate change globally as disaster to human and its environment. But it can be said that what has led to this challenge, that has remedy is pride and insensitivity of the global system especially north and while that of global south poverty and hunger is lack of initiatives and insensitivity as well which is also solvable. If the world is willing to play by the rules and policies makers initiatives that favours both spheres in global system. That is, if compromise is made and harmonization of the differences is/are done irrespective, will mitigate and almeliorate the issues and strengthen every initiatives that would mitigate the challenges at the moment and in future. The global system needs both spheres to withstand and sustain the effect in a peaceful and resolvable manner for better environment to live in, in the world.
Team work can't be maximize without personal interest and dominance being taken away but the interest of the generality in a unanimous agreed and accepted form for the Civil Society Organizations to function properly in this light. If not critically view, perhaps both would suffer the advert effect in the long run. These are human projected effect that could be adverted by same human also. Team work can be actualize as business deal and benefits for humanity in the global system. The climate change is a disaster, poverty and hunger are disasters. Both have been seen and observed as human disasters if not carefully manage by the world system. The UN SDG should know more on this and advocate that poverty and hunger should no more be tolerated from global south irrespective of the excuses and drastic action should be taken to advert the ugly trend and situation, likewise the climate change.
The State actors and non state actors should be action driven in their policies implementation, and better attitude towards economic development and responsible government at all level for citizens welfare and sustainability. In addition, the non state actors can be of help in driving this programme implementation agenda if inclusiveness is paramount to UN FAO or SDG. What is noted here is that CSOs came from nations, therefore, can also be accountable for joint implementation that can mitigate and create enable environment for FAO in the global system. In furtherance to this, policies implementers should have guide mechanism for achievement of programmes and sanctions should be meted against erred organizations in international community.
For example, the Nigeria-State factors, which majorly centered on internal crisis that ravage the farmers especially in the middle belt area and referred to "farmers-herders conflicts" which have affected the productivity of farms' produces and researchers in the area have not really be attentive to by the UN FAO in order to see to the end despite it is an internal crisis. UN mediation would had reduced the menace. But the damaging cost is that it affects productivity, low income, causes inflation, that affect the generality of the people in the area and thereby mitigating export capacity to other nations has been hampered by this menace of herders conflicts and subjected many into poverty and hunger because of the fear arising from it. The Nigerian's agricultural income has been affected and the national GDP has equally reduced because of the crisis. These are some of the areas the civil society organizations could had come in as a research organization for a feedback to UN FAO and the national government to help resolved the issues that befall Agriculture products for global sustainability system in the area.
This really affected the economic trajectory which is not just in Nigeria alone but so many countries in the world. Why is it imperative, is that when there is food insecurity the entire human race suffers the consequences. In other words, poverty and hunger were outlined in SDG 1&2 because of peculiarity and deadliness to human race. Notwithstanding, we can't in no wise resist the actual truth of human needs for sustainability and continuity in the world. If Nigeria could be affected with divert resources and so much human capital capacity, think of what would happen to other countries that are poorer in economic development indexes. What is to be done here UN with FAO assistance in collaboration with CSOs research and support should be look into and given priority to restore and boost productivity of agrofood security in the nation and global system.
Furthermore, CSOs can come up with initiatives that would help eliminate or reduce toxic carbon emission that affect agro products and environment in the world. A policies to strengthen the implementation of programme should be carried out by the state actors and non state actors with strict compliance. This should be immediate action measure. Which would lead to warning and sanction of the culprits. Consequently, without a driving mechanism, modalities, strategies, and drafted policies the implementation stands to be disrupted, distorted by all stakeholders. To resist defaulters in consonant with implementing partners, every stakeholder most agreed on term that will mitigate differences among them all. Neither the global north, or global south or non state actors would be able to bridge nor contradicts issue raised and resolved as a resolution or treaties among the stakeholders of the policies and strategies of all programmes embark as joint action of UN FAO and civil society organization and other implementing partners.
To be resilient it needs team work, to be sustainable it needs team work between the partners as state actors and non state actors. The resultant effect is what we are looking into here to sustain the world community, harmonize issues and drive a close effective one world without great margin of economic, political and technological gap among states. The perspective of of resolution mechanism should not be different from global north likewise global south, and same with UN FAO and CSOs to arrived at a distinct conclusion of implementation that would drive the world we all envisage as peaceful, hunger free, poverty free and climate mitigated, sustainable implementation programmes.
As an individual and organization, who is a part of non state actors, my contribution, is to initiate and ensure every initiative work well with every one of us irrespective of race, continent, country, colour but a better world we envisage to live in. What I meant by this is that, if allow, we could make a tremendous contribution that can change or help ameliorate the suffering of the communities and nation depending on the capacity in which we operate from. Right now, such opportunity is expected as implementing partner of the programmes in this manner that would warrants one on one with my fellow citizens or nation's government which I would always hope to see the effect and impact on humanity across the world. But currently, we are helping to drive policies programme of SDG as an advocate within the communities either by physical contact or through social media contact as you can see.
In other words, to understand the effect of the programmes' embarked is to have statistics or data that will evaluate the effect and impact of the programmes during the implementing period as an outcome and result, findings taken to archive for future references and use.
So far my best stake with UN or FAO is submission and suggestions that could lead to policies formulation and framework. And this has limitation on change or driving the new narrative of hunger and poverty free world where you are a co-initiator and implementer. The differences would be highly felt and respected as onsite partner in governing agenda of UN FAO and CSOs or other UN agenda programmes implementation. In this respect a critical look or attention should be paid to organization that could make a difference in their little ways to be brought onboard, especially in their communities for a possible change and differences in operation that could change the entire programme of the collaboration venture. In mine opinion there should be a practical change of business operation from the traditional concept to the modern way that elucidate a global objectives without self interest and dominance of state actors.
In conclusion, the best practices should be explore and ensure is action packed and driven without any excuses that would warrant delay nor keep in view strategy. These have mitigated a lot of objectives well scripted and articulated policies that would have eradicated poverty and hunger in the world today. The pass should be passed while the present should be present to help facilitate interactive narrative for accelerating breakthrough of world food security.
The major challenges today are funding, research, advocacy, states' or national interest first, lack of implementation might, lack of communities based strategy policies and total inclusiveness of farmers. Meanwhile, there are some other challenges that need to be identify which have not be identified and affecting the progress of collaboration and programme implementation of UN FAO. Objectively, holistic strategy by stakeholders would go a long way to mitigate the challenges and finds lasting solution to sustainable food security in the global system.
And ultimately, monitoring and evaluation should be taken seriously in accomplishing the framework and constant review of implemented programmes and outcome. This will help to examine the success and failure of any programme by UN FAO collaboration. The action of state actors should be more intensified. And the understanding of interdependence of states should be understood to navigate a successful expectations by the stakeholders. Every stakeholder perspective should be geared towards actualization of goals and objectives of UN FAO and CSOs collaboration programmes implementation in the world.
On this note, I say thank you on this calls and opportunity on the insight...
Regards.
Orhue, T. Esosa.
Mr. Esosa Orhue