Foro Global sobre Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (Foro FSN)

-Strategic priorities for new partnership: Human rights and democratic values, fragile contexts and displacement, climate and green solutions.

-Strategic action lines for alliances with civil society: Provide better access to information, integrate direct dialogue opportunities, ensure the optimization of public consultation processes and expand collaboration opportunities

-Promote the civil society engagement in public dialogue with authorities, policy makers and the media.

-Equate CSOs with NGOs to participate more effectively in policy and processes and to improve the effectiveness of development co-operation in delivering the sustainable programme.

-Select the country-level CSO which better represents a diverse, broad and popular engagement and plays a crucial role in providing knowledge, stablishing networks and promoting values globally. 

-Build trust and respect with civil society actors by being transparent, accountable and consistent in the communication and actions. Show appreciation and recognition for their work and achievements, and acknowledge their challenges and concerns.

Q2. What and how can CSOs contribute to such transformation to boost impact on the ground? 

In northern nigeria sub-sahara west africa where agriculture system is smalholder driven, farmers cooperatives need to comply to good agricultural practices (GAP), good agronomic practices, food safety standards and best practice cooperative good governance so as to enhance sustainable food systems transformation, improved food security and job creation for the youths...men and women. To achieve these elements, capacity building (knowledge and skill, good cooperative governance, organization procedures and equipment for administration and value addition to farm produce) is required to upgrade the farmers cooperatives to make them suitable agribusiness partners with external investors, academic, finance  and research institutes, commodity exchange markets and ppp venture with government atleast if only for collective tax revenue to the government other benefits aside. 

To set the ball rolling, starter catalyst funding is required to activate resident consultant to work with the farmers and set up best practice cooperative governance and commercialization processes that will eventually drive internal capitalization (InCap) from the members to fund subsequent needed capacity building in collaboration with appropriate agencies. 

All food, local raw material and export farm produce should have a regional or state pilot envisioned model cooperative for scaling up vertically and horizontally across local government areas. Concept note applicable to the areas under focus (over 100 million smallholder farmers) can be available to demand.

Thank you

1. It is CSOs that are closer to the farmers and field-functionaries and understand better the ground-level realities, problems and challenges faced. 

2. CSOs help translate the official jargon and the technical terms into an easily understandable form suitable for the relatively less educated masses. 

3. CSOs, in general, work more passionately and devotedly than all others including the governmental staff.

4. CSOs undertake tasks as their 'personal tasks' rather than a 'given task for a salary'.

5. CSOs can effectively contribute to gain necessary momentum for SDGs if given a chance. How? FAO has to shortlist genuine CSOs that have shown results in their own working - and then FAO must raise their faith on CSOs.

6. Best results can be expected by a working combination of the two; presently it is too skewed towards FAO.

At last - regarding challenges CSOs face to engage with FAO - 

> Working of CSOs is not as structured as FAO demands; FAO must compromise in small measures and be ready to 'experiment'. I believe - the risk will be far less than the significant gains and achievements made.  

> CSOs prefer to complete the tasks - rather than filling long details in applications or submitting series of forms and reports - need to find a way out. Test of completion of task should be 'deliverables'. 

> Develop a middle level cadre of experts [senior - probably superannuated personnel] - who would suggest on good/ dependable CSOs based on the track record - suitable for the specific tasks at hand.

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Having worked in both the systems - first in the Government system and, after superannuation, in the CSO - I personally know and hence confidently made the above points. Thanks.

Firstly there is no proper difference explained between NGO and CSO, in the way of operations mostly in the developing nations. I many countries UN Agencies engage more with the government and not CSO's in the country of operation. 

To achieve this goal, I would propose that FAO should start, by engaging every active CSO in every nation and not the government alone. Since 2020, I have been one of the youth leaders in the international CSO Major Group for Children and Youth. We tried to apply a national engagement with FAO and other UN Agencies in our country, it failed. We where more active at the headquarters unlike in our countries of operation. These Major Groups can be useful in the area of voluntary engagements, because everything we do is voluntary, unlike when the governments chooses volunteers for a specific project work, who just volunteer during that period and when the project is done, they are no where to be seen again. 

Its high time we empower these major group members, to be actively engaged in these works, that was a major reason it was established in 1992; to increase engagement  to the United Nations works. For instance Major Group for Children and Youth, its open to everyone under 35 years, with different working groups. In short we have redefined the way of engagements, empowering people who can empower others in capacity building, advocacy and action.

Please find three articles attached.

https://www.euroscientist.com/thinking-and-acting-in-a-disrupted-world-governance-environment-people-inequality-and-disease/

¿Cómo pueden colaborar la FAO y las OSC para recuperar el impulso perdido y trabajar de forma conjunta para “no dejar a nadie atrás”?

Es necesario e importante, la suscripción del Convenio de Cooperación con las organizaciones indígenas, para el desarrollo sostenible con identidad.

¿Cómo pueden contribuir las OSC a dicha transformación e intensificar los efectos sobre el terreno?  Por favor, sugiera acciones concretas.

Los pueblos indígenas hemos practicado el desarrollo de la agricultura ecológica, bajo el sistema de policultivo y, es necesario rescatarla.

¿Qué podrían hacer la FAO y las OSC para maximizar los efectos colectivos en pro de la adaptación y/o mitigación del cambio climático?

Desarrollar la agricultura en los territorios comunales de pueblos indígenas, en el aprovechamiento de las purmas, aplicando los abonos naturales.

Basándose en su experiencia en materia de asociación, ¿puede compartir un buen ejemplo de una colaboración útil con la FAO u otro organismo de las Naciones Unidas/asociado para el desarrollo? Por favor, destaque qué funcionó bien y por qué.

Actualmente, el Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo - PNUD, a través del Proyecto Paisajes Productivos Sostenibles en la Amazonía Peruana - PPS, viene trabajando con la Federación Nativa de Comunidades Kakataibo - FENACOKA, mediante un Convenio de Cooperación.

En la actualidad, ¿cuáles son los retos más importantes a los que se enfrentan las OSC en su colaboración con la FAO?  ¿Qué podría hacer la FAO para abordar algunos de estos desafíos? Por favor, proporcione ejemplos concretos.

La FAO tiene poca presencia en las Comunidades de Pueblos Indígenas del Perú, por lo que es necesario la suscripción de Convenios de Cooperación para el desarrollo de la producción agropecuaria que garantice la seguridad alimentaria y genere un ingreso económico de manera sostenible, teniendo en cuenta la identidad cultural y su sistema ancestral de producción. Las Comunidades Shipibas del rio Ucayali, Regiones de Ucayali y Loreto, existen extensas áreas de suelos arenosos (www.cepodra.blogspot.com), que se abonan automáticamente, cada año, y no se necesita depredar el bosque.

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION

1. To date, the efforts towards SDGs have not succeeded in reducing socio-economic inequality within and between countries. How can FAO and CSOs work together to regain the momentum lost and work jointly to "leave no one behind”?

Signing a cooperation agreement with indigenous organizations is necessary and important for identity-based sustainable development.

2. FAO seeks to accelerate transformation of agrifood systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable as a mean to achieve the 2030 agenda. What and how can CSOs contribute to such transformation to boost impact on the ground?  Please suggest concrete actions.

Indigenous peoples have implemented ecological agriculture, under the polyculture system. We need to restore this approach.

3. Climate change threatens our ability to ensure global food security, eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. What FAO and CSOs could maximize collective impact to adapt and/or mitigate climate change?

Develop agriculture in communal territories, make use of secondary forests in regeneration (purmas), use natural fertilizers.

4. Based on your partnering experience, can you share a good example of meaningful engagement with FAO or another UN agency/development partner? Please highlight what/why it worked well in your opinion.

Currently, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the “Sustainable Productive Landscapes in the Peruvian Amazon” project, is working with the Native Federation of Kakataibo Communities (known in Spanish as FENACOKA) under a cooperation agreement.

5. At present, what are the most significant challenges CSOs face in their engagement with FAO?  What could FAO do to address some of those challenges? Please provide concrete examples.

FAO has limited presence in Peruvian indigenous peoples' communities. Cooperation agreements are required to develop agricultural production in such a way that food security is guaranteed and economic income is generated in a sustainable manner, taking into account cultural identity and ancestral production systems. The Shipiba communities of the Ucayali River —in the regions of Ucayali and Loreto— have extensive areas of sandy soils (www.cepodra.blogspot.com), which are automatically fertilized every year, avoiding the need to depredate the forests.

Pour retrouver la dynamique perdue, la FAO et les OSC on peuvent d'accorder pour recenser les zones non développées, les modes de vie des populations de ces zones ( comment ils se nourrissent, quelles activités mènent t'ils pour survivre) et les raisons du sous développement des dites zones ( désenclavement, manques des infrastructures, mauvais état des routes, non scolarisation ou formations académiques ou professionnels inappropriées aux besoins des populations ect). apporter ce qui manque à ces zones  ( construction des centres de formation et installation des projets répondant aux besoins spécifiques et leur suivi par des personnes qualifiées). Mettre en place un système de contrôle régulier sous une longue période afin de vérifier la réussite des améliorations et apports effectués

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION

To regain lost momentum, FAO and CSOs can agree to identify undeveloped areas, the lifestyles of people living in these areas (how they eat, what activities they carry out to survive) and the reasons for the underdevelopment of these areas (opening up, lack of infrastructure, poor road conditions, lack of schooling or academic or vocational training inappropriate to the needs of the population, etc.), provide what these areas lack (construction of training centers and installation of projects meeting specific needs and their follow-up by qualified people). Set up a regular monitoring system over a long period to verify the success of the improvements and contributions made.