Dear colleagues,
Many thanks for the opportunity to contribute in this e-consultation.
I think that there is a need to adopt a holistic, systemic approach (cf. ‘food system approach’) in the report in such a way to highlight linkages between elements (environment, people, infrastructures, institutions, etc.), activities (production, processing, distribution, preparation, consumption, food waste) and outputs/outcomes (socio-economic, environmental).
Given the transformational and forward-looking ambition of the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), I do believe that the report should not only provide a general picture but also analyze the ongoing processes and dynamics in the agro-food systems as well as their implications. For that, reference to ‘sustainability transitions’ literature is crucial.
It is also important to analyze linkages between the three components of SDG 2 “Zero Hunger” i.e. food security, improved nutrition, sustainable agriculture.
Building a global, coherent and comprehensive narrative around FSN and sustainable development implies showing how the recommendations of CFS and the publications of its HLPE can contribute to achieving the different targets of SDG 2 (both outcome targets – 2.1 to 2.5 - and process targets – 2.a to 2.c). In particular, it would be interesting to see how the political recommendations and guidance of CFS/HLPE can help achieving process targets (increasing investment to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries; correcting and preventing trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets; ensuring the proper functioning of food commodity markets).
Moreover, I think that the report should also analyze the multifaceted and multidimensional relations (both synergies/ co-benefits and trade-offs) between SDG 2 and other SDGs.
I attach our recent publication entitled “Food and nutrition security and sustainability transitions in food systems” in which we highlight linkages between sustainability transitions and food and nutrition security using the perspective of sustainable food systems (https://doi.org/10.1002/fes3.154).
Best regards,
Hamid El Bilali
Hamid El Bilali
Centre for Development Research
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)
Vienna, Austria
Hamid El Bilali