Comments to the HLPE-FSN online consultation from Benjamin Ateu, Uganda. Please find the attached file with comments to the Scope of the Report and the responses to the guiding questions below.
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Share your comments on the objectives and proposed content of this report as outlined above. Do you find the proposed scope comprehensive to analyze and discuss the key issues concerning the role of urban and peri-urban food systems in achieving food security and nutrition? Are there any major gaps or omissions? Response: the scope of the report is very good and how about if it also focuses on reporting an experience of the recent COVID-19, the Urban and Peri-urban food systems were over stretched to meet demand for nutritious food while at the same time they face own challenges in terms of inadequate capacity to produce caused by inadequate support. I would like the report to also focus on any successful food system that could have worked during the pandemic (this can be got from the western world and may be one from Sub-Saharan Africa) |
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Share good practices and successful experiences on strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems in the context of urbanization and rural transformation, including in the case of emergencies or conflicts. |
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Share recent literature, case studies and data that could help answer the following questions: 1. What are the main bottlenecks hampering the contribution of urban and peri-urban food systems to food security and nutrition? Response Inadequate support (inputs) to urban farmers by government, climate change, poor road and market infrastructure, inadequate access to market information, weak or inadequate law enforcement for our case is the management of cattle in urban areas, etc. 2. How can urban and peri-urban food systems be transformed and made more equitable and accessible both for food system actors and in terms of food security and nutrition outcomes? Response: The Urban and Peri-Urban systems should be commonly known to all stakeholders and be designed in a participatory manner where by the small holder farmers are linked to the services that they need such as technical /advisory services, capital for investment, technology service providers, government should involves its tax payers money on address issues of market infrastructure, irrigation, transport network, early warning and early response, 3. How can urban food supply chains, formal and informal, local and global, be made more resilient to ensure food security and nutrition within urban settings? Response: By Documenting all supply chains, ensuring they are well coordinated and that they work together (strengthen their linkages), Government should support in addressing their underlying challenges or indirect factors such as bureaucracy, poor governance, promote transparency and accountability, government should ensure quality assurance of products or inputs for the farmers. 4. What changes are needed in urban planning to better support all dimensions of food security – including support for human rights, agency and sustainability? Which are some of the measures that can strengthen the agency of local actors in urban and peri-urban food systems? Response: Urban areas normally develop land use plans that include special allocation of some land for purpose of food production. The land use plans are good in themselves until they are abused/not followed. For example other government policies such as the Mining Policy may end up affecting a land use plan of a urban area for example a central government can displace communities for the sake of Minerals. Issues of access to nutritious food for the urban population should be made a Human rights issue. Local actors in urban and peri-urban food systems should be represented in legislative function of local authorities so that their voices are considered in decision making. 5. How can national and municipal governments strengthen the potential for low-carbon, inclusive, relatively self-sufficient and resilient cities and towns to drive improved food security and nutrition in the wake of climate change and other crises? Response: Through environment protection and regeneration, diversify sources of energy for us here the high reliance on charcoal/wood for cooking is causing a lot of cutting of trees and forests. Investment in natural gas and in the use of solar generated electricity for household use can cause an impact. 6. What are the most appropriate policies (and gaps in existing policies) along the rural-urban continuum to address issues of land tenure, urban expansion into farmland and the growing competition for natural resources? 7. How can urban and peri-urban food systems ensure that food and nutrition needs of specific groups of people, such as migrants, the internally-displaced, children, adolescent, etc., are met? Response: By having contingency plans and budgets in place in case of emergencies such as climate change or conflict. Local authorities with social workers like us are tasked with a role of having a database of vulnerable persons or households. Strengthen linkages with non-state actors such as religious bodies, social networks, engage private profit companies to get their corporate social responsibility to be triggered in case of a disaster. Etc 8. What are the potential benefits and challenges of territorial markets for strengthening food security and nutrition for urban populations? Response:
Challenges:
9. In what ways can the incorporation of climate resilient agricultural and circular economy practices in urban and peri-urban agriculture provide climate co-benefits for all and enhance climate resilience? Response: This will increase access to nutritious food for all urban population means more land is left to regenerate out there hence more carbon is naturally absorbed. More jobs are created especially for young people hence more food secure households (about 75%) of the population of Africa is comprised of young people. 10. How can citizens be engaged and empowered to drive inclusive, transparent, participatory processes for urban transformations, ensuring synergies and complementarity with city councils? Response: Promote meaningful engagement of all citizens including those with special needs in the planning and decision making of government development plans and projects. This is possible is areas such as Uganda where government has a decentralization policy where there is bottom-up planning. Address gender inequality by promoting affirmative action especially for the women and girls because majority of women and girls are affected. Promote access to information using friendly strategies that are appropriate to differently placed members of the community. Governments must strengthen their institutions to address issues of governance, transparency and accountability. 11. Which experiences of urban communities to increase access to fresh food and healthy diets can inspire broader public policies? Response: My Urban communities engage in fruits and vegetable growing along seasonal rivers near the Urban centre and this is done by small groups of households coming together to share synergies. These groups access support from NGOs and Government in form of some inputs such as seeds and hand tools such as watering cans, etc. |
Г-н Benjamin Ateu