What are your experiences in the use and application of the CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) for improving food security and nutrition?
A global thematic event (GTE) will be organized during the October 2022 Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) to share experiences and good practices in the use and application of the CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) endorsed in 2014.
The CFS-RAI are a framework to guide the actions of all stakeholders engaged in agriculture and food systems by defining principles that can promote much needed responsible investment, enhance livelihoods, and mitigate risks to food security and nutrition. The objective of the Principles is to contribute to the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security. The Principles aim to be universally applicable, acknowledging the particular role and needs of smallholders and other stakeholders worldwide in addressing food security and nutrition, and considering all sectors and stages of agriculture and food systems.
The implementation of the CFS-RAI is primarily the responsibility of States who are encouraged, with the contribution of all stakeholders, to apply them in developing their strategies, policies, programmes and legislation for achieving food security and nutrition objectives. The CFS-RAI seek to mobilize high-level political commitment and promote coordinated multi-stakeholder processes, including the review of progress and sharing of lessons learned.
The global thematic event will enable an interactive multi-stakeholder dialogue that aims to share experiences and good practices, in the use and application of the CFS-RAI. In particular, the event seeks to:
- foster the adoption, adaptation and scaling up of good practices and learning from experiences in implementing the CFS-RAI;
- monitor progress (qualitatively and quantitatively) in implementing the CFS-RAI at national, regional and global levels;
- draw lessons to improve the relevance and effectiveness of the CFS-RAI;
- increase awareness and understanding of CFS and its products.
CFS has consistently encouraged stakeholders to voluntarily share their experiences and good practices in applying CFS policy products through reporting individual (direct) experiences by one group of stakeholders or through reporting the results of multi-stakeholder consultations or events (organized to discuss experiences) by several groups of stakeholders [1]. To inform the global thematic event on the CFS-RAI, CFS invites you to share your experiences by completing one or several of the two following submission forms:
- the form for reporting “individual” experiences in applying the CFS-RAI by one group of stakeholders (e.g. a member state, civil society, or the private sector);
- the form (for organizers of events) to share the results of multi-stakeholder events organized at national, regional and global levels to discuss experiences and good practices in applying the CFS-RAI.
You are invited to complete any of the two forms most appropriate to your experience, and/or to submit multiple forms, respectively, in case you have had multiple experiences. In identifying and documenting good practices, please consider the values promoted by CFS, as applicable:
- Inclusiveness and participation: all relevant actors were involved and participated in the decision-making process, including those affected by the decisions;
- Evidence-based analysis: the effectiveness of the practice in contributing to the objectives of the CFS-RAI was analyzed on the basis of independent evidence;
- Environmental, economic and social sustainability: the practice contributed to achieving its objectives, without compromising the ability of addressing future needs;
- Gender equality: the practice promoted equal rights and participation of women and men and addressed gender inequalities;
- Focus on the most vulnerable and marginalized people and groups: the practice benefitted the most vulnerable and marginalized people and groups;
- Multi-sectoral approach: all main relevant sectors were consulted and involved in the implementation of the CFS-RAI;
- Resilience of livelihoods: the practice contributed to building resilient livelihoods of households and communities to shocks and crises, including those related to climate change.
The input received will contribute to monitoring progress on the use and application of the CFS-RAI and will be compiled into a document made available for delegates at CFS 50 in October 2022. Following a panel discussion that will take place during CFS 50, a draft conclusion of the session will be submitted to CFS members for agreement.
The Committee on World Food Security
The vision of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is to be the foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform for a broad range of committed stakeholders to work together in a coordinated manner in support of country-led processes towards ensuring food security and nutrition for all. CFS strives for a world free from hunger where countries implement the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems to support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food.
[1] Terms of Reference to Share Experiences and Good Practices in Applying CFS Decisions and Recommendations through Organizing Events at National, Regional and Global Levels (CFS 2016/43/7).
- Read 60 contributions
Population growth will outstrip demand for an equable supply of food for all as the limit of arable land is reached. With people in hunger and death from malnutrition, the present food system does not reach all. The answer is not simply a better supply of the present system as it is questionable if the present system is fit for purpose. Mental ill-health and related brain disorder is now the leading burden of ill health. The paradigm governing food and agricultural policies has been dominated by the requirement for protein and calories for body growth. Although it was the evolution of the large brain which made us different from other animals no government has prioritized the nutritional needs of the brain which is largely made of specialized fats.
As an example of the misleading focus on protein, human milk has the least protein content of all large mammals. It is, however, rich in the essential fats needed to finalize brain development and growth.
The brain evolved in the sea 500 million years ago using marine nutrients, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) employed for its signaling systems and is still used and required today. There is robust evidence for the essentiality of DHA for brain growth and health. Naturally rich in the marine food web, there is little of it in the land-based, intensive food production system.
The falloff in fisheries and seafood intake is behind the escalation of mental ill-health and declining intelligence which if allowed to continue will be the greatest threat to the sustainability of humanity.
The marine food web is both rich in DHA and vital trace elements including iodine, the deficiency of which induces mental retardation. Currently, about 2 million are at risk to iodine deficiency disease.
Identified by the Declarations of Muscat, Oman in 2008 and Yoesu, Korea in 2012, there is a need to “save the oceans” by reversing the pollution of the rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans, restoring the man-made marine deserts, and developing mariculture starting around clean coastlines.
Mariculture not only provides brain-specific nutrients to stop the escalation of mental ill-health but also helps address ocean acidification and CO2-driven climate change by marine photosynthesis. We cannot grow any more rain forests but can do so with kelp forests which also provide food and fertilizer.
Precedence for this type of development is demonstrated by the Shiraishijima Island’s Marine Ranching Project in Okayama, Japan, which was started in 1991, has tripled fish production, added varieties of shellfish in an ecologically, sustainable manner. There are increasingly a number of other similar developments. The brain-specific nutrients need to be brought into food policy with the means of provision, developed on a global scale. This would arrest the fall in IQ, escalating mental ill-health and provide for brighter and healthier children.
Ms. Tuong Van Nguyen
Dear FAO,
Please find submission in the attachment below.
Thank you.
Based on my 32 years activity on development of small size farmers in rural areas, I severely believe the most important base of Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) for improving food security and nutrition is as follows:
1. Creation of brilliant and optimist mentality among governmental competent authorities. They must accept and mind improving food security and nutrition in their countries (particularly poor developing countries).
2. Very well organised improvement of rural extension systems with emphasis on the transfer of new knowledge and result of research to small size farmers in the rural areas (in different subjects).
Hamidreza Naderfard
Former national head expert of buffalo development in Iran
What are your experiences in the use and application of the CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) for improving food security and nutrition?
Nutrition is in between the path way from agriculture to nutrition to health. Better nutrition is possible through the better management of food security that comes from the proper channels of food system, and food system is belonged to the network of agriculture. Therefore, it should be realised that food security should be well managed for the improvement of nutrition situation of the community / country.
Food security requires an effective food system that may be possible from different sectors like crops, livestock, fisheries, and agro forestry under the agriculture farming. Whatever the production is made higher from these sectors supports for better food security and better food security results better nutrition.
In this regard, agriculture sector is fighting with various hindrances like climate change, price volatility, and government policy of the respective countries. On the other hand, it requires the supply of the inputs like seed, fertilizer, water management, and labour as a regular process for agriculture farming. Further, considering the provision of investment as one of the principles of CFS requires high rate of investment in agriculture farming corresponding to food system since high rate of investment gives high rate of return and vice versa. In this respect, investment actually contributes in two ways – first, it can address the hindrances or problems facing by the agriculture sector as mentioned above, secondly the inputs for the agriculture farming can be managed from it. But the process of investment has been discriminated from the very beginning. The rich countries are becoming richer because of high rate of investment with ultra developed mechanisation in agriculture sector. The poor countries are lacking of amount resulting to poorer due to low purchasing power due to price volatility of the basic foods in the market. Even the manual farming is difficult for them due to lacking of investment. It is not possible to get return without enough investment. Therefore, the poor countries are facing the problems of food insecurity resulting to poor nutrition situation in the form of under nutrition resulting to health hazard. On the other hand the rich countries are accumulating the foods growing from their own land or importing the highly nutritious foods from other countries. But they also are facing the problems of nutrition in the form of over nutrition resulting to overweight and obesity because of intake of high calorie foods.
Finally, investment must be done in agriculture with efficient food system for improving better food security resulting to better nutrition.
In my opinion the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) for improving food security and nutrition varies in different parts of the world. Investment in agriculture is easy for developed countries where all facilities (e.g. marketing, storages, farmers eduction, laws and rules of the governments etc.) are good. Unfortunately, in underdeveloped and poor countries there are a lot of problems. Here investment is difficult. Yes the intenational organizations of UN having funds can play their role. Also advanced/developed countries for their own benefits (hidden agenda) invest in poor countries, but most of the time this investment is not stable.
Investment in agriculture is the need of the hour, because the world is facing food security and also water security problems. It is because of the use poor agriculture practices, that there are serious threats to our natural resources (e.g. soil, water, and the environnment). The decline in our natural resources is the major reason that has a negative impact on productivity and food security.
Therefore, I encourage huge investment to safe and restore our natural resources, which is important for sustainability, better agriculture and nutrition, thanks.
Please find attached WBA's submission of experiences and good practices in the use and application of the CFS-RAI.
Dear FAO Forum Moderator
Please find the form attached.
Yusuf Lare
Le Complexe de Magasins de stockage d`oignon à Echangeur Géothermique
Please find the joint OECD and FAO submission on good practice in the use and application of CFS-RAI. Our submission responds to the OECD-FAO Practical Business Tool on Deforestation, Forest Degradation and Due Diligence in Agricultural Supply Chains, an initiative funded by GIZ/BMZ which is based on multi-stakeholder cooperation and consensus to create a business tool for companies to reduce deforestation impacts through sourcing. Our joint work is based on the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains and workstream on Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) in Agriculture which are part of the larger CFS-RAI Umbrella Programme at FAO.
Here is a selection of titles proposed by FAO Publications for Forum participants who would like to know more about the CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI Principles) and their application.
Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems
The main features of the CFS-RAI Principles explained in brief.
Linkages between the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS RAI) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This flyer highlights the linkages between enhancing responsible investment in agriculture through the application of the CFS-RAI principles and the achievement of the SDGs.
Guide on incentives for responsible investment in agriculture and food systems
This guide provides policymakers and government technical staff with guidance on how investment incentives can be used (and how they should not be used) to enhance responsible investment in agriculture and food systems.
Responsible investment and COVID-19: Addressing impacts, risks and responsible business conduct in agricultural value chains
This policy brief focuses on the role of responsible investment and responsible business conduct along agricultural value chains in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Handbook for parliamentarians and parliamentary advisors
This tool provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of the role that parliamentarians can play in the creation of reliable, coherent and transparent “enabling environments” in a range of areas related to investment in agriculture and food systems.
Infographic: Responsible investment in agriculture and food systems
This infographic shows the main differences between investing in agriculture responsibly and irresponsibly and highlights the results that such investments generate.
Enabling legal environment for responsible investment in agriculture and food systems – Legal brief for parliamentarians in Africa No. 5
This legal brief includes concrete actions that African parliamentarians can take to drive responsible investment in their countries and at the regional level based on regional and international frameworks and standards.
Enabling legal environment for responsible investment in agriculture and food systems – Legal brief for parliamentarians in Latin America and the Caribbean No. 5
This legal brief provides guidance related to how to create an enabling environment for responsible investment in agriculture specific to the Latin American context.
Catalysing young agri-entrepreneurs' investments and ensuring their sustainability – Strategic planning tool
This strategic planning tool can help propel investments by young agri-entrepreneurs at national or regional levels, and help ensure their sustainability. It analyses the current environment and overall conditions young investors face while offering practical solutions to overcome the main challenges identified.
Empowering young agri-entrepreneurs to invest in agriculture and food systems. Policy recommendations based on lessons learned from eleven African countries
This report summarizes the main findings and lessons learned from FAO’s work with eleven African countries, and identifies key challenges and policy recommendations to promote youth engagement in agriculture.
Linkages between the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication and the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems
The briefs highlights key commonalities among the CFS-RAI and the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication and provide some illustrative examples to inspire action by all stakeholders.
FAO elearning courses on responsible investment in agriculture and food systems for parliamentarians, policy makers and other stakeholders
- The Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems
- Creating an enabling environment for responsible investment in agriculture and food systems – Fundamentals
- Creating an enabling environment for responsible investment in agriculture and food systems – Analysis
- Creating an enabling environment for responsible investment in agriculture and food systems – Reform
- Responsible investment in agriculture and food systems – targeted to the private sector
More information
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