Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Dear FAO Moderator,

I am writing to submit my application for the initiative combating desert locust infestations. Having a strong background in plant protection technologies, I am excited to bring forth cutting-edge solutions through the use of aerial robotics. Through the utilization of drones, my goal is to completely transform the way we conduct locust surveillance and control. Working together, we can minimize the effects of these pests on global food security. Thank you for taking the time to review my application.

Best regards,

J. Amin
Cukurova University, Faculty of Agriculture, Animal Science Department
Gültepe, Çukurova Ünv. No. 492, 01250 Sarçam/Adana, Turkey.

Here is my submission for the FAO OIN HLPE panel who are preparing the report on "From Foresight to Field: Exploring regional and multistakeholder perspectives to implement a foresight on emerging technologies and innovations in agrifood systems"

My response to "Anticipating approaches as well as contributions to a global discussion about the potential of technologies and innovations to transform agrifood systems of the future."

USAID has failed in their mission to show extremely poor people in underdeveloped countries how to have food security and make a living in their own country.  This is one reason for the border crisis in the US.  USAID is encouraging extremely poor people to plant the wrong crops.  Dr. Booker T Whatley informed the US public and the US Government what crops poor people should plant.  He made a huge improvement to the lives of small farmers in the US and especially black farmers.  USAID did not listen to his advice, but others did listen.  In particular, the former CEO and founder of Domino’s Pizza, Tom Monaghan, listened.  He created a statue for Dr Booker T Whatley to commemorate him and put it on the Booker T Whatley farm https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/small-farms-zmaz88jazgoe/

and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLTTHXPnIZ. 

A copy of Dr. Whatley's book shows Dr. Whatley's statue and provides more information on Dr. Whatley’s food security and small farm development efforts. 

The FAO may be able to help efforts to aiding extremely poor farmers in African countries in their quest to have food security and make a living in their own country by reviewing the seed policies that they have recommended to African countries.  The biodiversity of seed availability in many African countries is poor except in South Africa. Current policy has the appearance that Dutch South African garden hobbyists were instrumental in ensuring that a robust selection of seeds were available in South Africa and that Europeans do not care about the availability of Native African seeds that were grown locally in Africa or imported from Ethiopia and other African countries. For more information on the problems associated with the strict import requirements for seeds to African countries see  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14735903.2023.2210005 and https://www.thenation.com/article/world/new-colonialist-food-economy/

The FAO’s Office of Innovation (OIN) in collaboration with the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), needs to work with the Cameroon Government organizations MINEPAT, MINIRES, and MINADER to implement the ideas in the report “Harvesting change: Harnessing emerging technologies and innovations for agrifood system transformation”. In addition, the FAO and the French government working on the Emergency Food Crisis Response Project (Pulcca) and the Cameroon Rural Food Security Support Project (Secal) need to ensure that the proper seeds are available for implement my "Three Sisters Garden Food Security" project ideas as well as other food security food production resiliency, nutrition, biodiversity, and economic improvement concepts

The report explains the technologies that are emerging till though not disseminated to most of developing countries. I feel also that there might be missing how intermarrying is possible the local innovations with agrifood systems with these emerging technologies for better food production and food access.

Please find attached my submission for: From Foresight to Field: Exploring regional and multistakeholder perspectives to implement a foresight on emerging technologies and innovations in agrifood systems

PLEASE FIND ATTACHED MY SUBMISSION FOR THE CALL: "From Foresight to Field: Exploring regional and multistakeholder perspectives to implement a foresight on emerging technologies and innovations in agrifood systems"

Mycotoxins are the most notorious compounds contaminating food crops in the production chains, in which cereals
and nuts are primarily infected. The present study was aimed at determining multi-mycotoxins in maize grain samples
collected at post-harvest stages across the main maize producing districts of Ethiopia. Then, 80 maize samples were
collected from three districts (Bako, Ilu Gelan and Oda Bultum) and were analysed by LC-MS/MS. A total of 114
metabolites were with Penicillium and Aspergillus metabolites being positively identified in 26.3 and 18.4% of the
samples, respectively. Among the mycotoxins addressed by regulatory limits, deoxynivalenol was detected in 85%
of samples with the maximum level of 2,530 μg/kg, while zearalenone was detected in 81%, with levels as high as
3,750 μg/kg. A marked difference was observed across the study locations in the study areas, in which significant
difference (P<0.005) of mycotoxin contamination recorded. For instances, of the total sample, contamination was
detected on 78.1% in Oda Bultum followed by Ilu Gelan which was detected on 73.7% of the total samples with less
proportion of contaminated from Bako district (68.4%). Different mycotoxins of regulated, binding or masked and
emerging mycotoxin were also simultaneously detected in the samples. Intervention strategies which can reduce
mycotoxin contamination along the maize value chains are required to combat the mycotoxin problems. Further,
multi-season studies over multiple agro-ecologies are suggested for the county.
Keywords: multi-mycotoxins, secondary metabolites, maize grain samples, potential growing areas, post-harvest

La lutte contre l'insécurité alimentaire est primordiale. Pour parvenir à ce problème il sied de nourrir le biotope afin d'augmenter la production à l'hectare, Lutter contre les bioagresseurs pour éviter les faibles productions et mettre en place les méthodes les plus adaptées pour conserver les produits récoltés. Cela permettra de satisfaire les besoins croissantes des populations.

I could not think of any recommendation coming from FAO that is more antithetical to  food sovereignty where rural communities themselves decide the technologies most suited for their specific needs. Yes, an interface is needed with science, but ultimately it is the communities that know what level of complexity they can manage AND need for sustainability. Nothing wrong with learning from trial and error. Experts will most likely spoil the soup.

Bonjour,

Climate change is leading to a significant scarcity of natural resources, which could worsen in the near future,
creating as consequence more significant conflicts over the struggle for any of its multiple uses, including food
production for a growing population of the planet. In the specialized economic literature, Elinor Ostrom defines
common use goods as those resources that present a high subtractability of use and great difficulty in excluding
potential beneficiaries. In addition, since they are everyone’s goods, but in their conservation, they are nobody’s
goods and can even reach extreme situations of depletion. Ostrom and other authors argue that common goods,
including water, continue to be managed within a dichotomous position between the State and the market, which
is inefficient in their management. Therefore, it is essential to strengthen institutions, cooperation networks, and
polycentric governance (that is, involving other actors beyond the State), in the face of climate change and other
problems affecting society. In this scenario, this study aimed to analyze the importance of transformations in the
food system and its resilience to climate change and other adverse events, considering polycentric governance in the management of resources, especially those of common use. The research is of a documentary nature, based on reviewing and interpreting the specialized literature on the object of study. Among the conclusions, the authors
highlighted the current demand for sustainable and increasingly resilient food systems to ensure long-term access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, prevent and absorb the unforeseen impacts of several phenomena. It also
stresses the need to take into account criteria of equity, inclusion, and responsible production and consumption
practices, rethinking the role of the State and the inter-institutional articulation of actors.