Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

The ability to access and consume nutritious food is to some extent an outcome of their membership and relationships with other members of society. This is especially true in times of crises. To identify and discuss success stories, challenges and way forward to achieving food and nutritional security, this discussion focuses on social relations and networks for food security and nutrition.

As part of the preparations leading up to the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), this online discussion invites you to share evidence and exchange views on how the private sector and civil society can contribute to improving diets and raising levels of nutrition, particularly of the poorest and most nutritionally vulnerable.

The Online consultation aimed at identifying ways to implement sustainable management of soils in the region and to contribute to the development of a joint platform of the Eurasian Soil Partnership (EASP) for food security under the framework of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP). The discussion engaged experts on soil resources in a constructive dialogue for on the soil partnership for food security, but also identified priorities for soil resources for portraying potential actions towards the sustainable management of soils in the Eurasian region that could be implemented by researchers, decision-makers, private sector, NGOs and other stakeholders.

Nutrition-enhancing agriculture and food systems are those that effectively and explicitly incorporate nutrition objectives, concerns and considerations, improve diets and raise levels of food and nutrition security. This online discussion is part of the preparations leading up to the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) and invites you to share evidence and exchange views on how to improve policies, programmes and interventions for making agriculture and food systems more responsive to nutrition.

By attracting inputs from a wide set of stakeholders during the online consultation, the ECFS aimed at obtaining a clear picture of the main challenges to food security, of the impact of past and current policies, as well as understanding the priorities of different countries and stakeholder groups regarding the G8/G20 initiatives to address food security issues with a focus on increasing agricultural production and the solution of problems related to malnutrition affecting the population in the Eurasian region and other regions of the world.

To feed into and inform the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), a series of on-line discussions are scheduled to be held on selected thematic areas. This online discussion aims to explore how the most disadvantaged and nutritionally vulnerable groups of society  can be protected by an inclusive development process through the design and implementation of nutrition-enhancing social policies and social protection interventions.

Communities use knowledge that is passed from generation to generation to prepare their food. Each technique and has its very peculiar implications on the socio-economic dynamics of a typical rural household. Can we consider indigenous methods of food preparation as a viable means for achieving food security and nutrition in rural poor communities?

The issue of food losses and waste has recently been given high visibility. According to FAO, almost one-third of food produced for human consumption—approximately 1.3 billion tonnes per year is either lost or wasted. Recognizing the seriousness of the issue, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) requested the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE), to undertake a study on ‘Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems’ to be presented to the Plenary in 2014.

As part of its report elaboration process, the HLPE is launching an e-consultation to seek views, public feedback and comments, on the pertinence and interconnections of some key questions that the report proposes to address.

Duly recognising the significant role played by fisheries and aquaculture in food security and nutrition, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in its thirty-ninth Session (October 2012) requested the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE), to undertake a study on the Role of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition to be presented to the Plenary in 2014.

As part of its report elaboration process, the HLPE is now launching an e-consultation to seek views, public feedback and comments, on the pertinence and relative importance of some key questions that the report proposes to address, in line with the request from the CFS, and that could form the building blocks of the report.

The concept of paying farmers and rural dwellers for the environmental services they provide has gained prominence as a tool for achieving ecosystem conservation and, at the same time, improving the livelihoods of farmers as environmental service providers. There are however many open questions with regard to the scope of PES, their cost-effectiveness in addressing the growing global challenges of climate change and food security, and its underlying economic assumptions. In this online discussion we hope to find answers on how best to address the challenges and opportunities based on prior practical experience and research.