Celebrating efforts to strengthen local food systems for displaced and host communities
Celebrating efforts to strengthen local food systems for displaced and host communities
On 15 October, FAO in partnership with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) held an event aimed at spotlighting how the inclusion of forcibly displaced people into local food systems can contribute to greater food security and socio-economic prosperity for them and their host communities. The event was sponsored by the Government of Switzerland and the United States of America and benefited from the participation of Ms Felicitee Aniboti, a refugee living in South Sudan, as well as Representatives from FAO, UNHCR and WFP from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique and Uganda.
“In contexts where the impacts of conflict and forced displacement are strongly felt, it’s incredibly important that efforts to strengthen local food systems are inclusive of the most vulnerable, including refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees,” said H.E. Felix Bauman, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.
“The United States remains committed to strengthening the capacity and resilience of all participants in food and agricultural systems and supply chains, particularly addressing vulnerable and underserved communities,” said Ben Moeling, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i, U.S. Mission to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva.
Speaking via video from a refugee camp in western South Sudan, Tubi Anibati Felicitee, a refugee from DRC highlighted how she is growing food crops for consumption and sale as part of a joint initiative that is implemented by WFP, FAO, UNHCR, a private sector company, NGOs and the Government of South Sudan. As part of these collaborative efforts, refugees such as Felicitee, receive support to increase production, reduce food waste, and access viable markets.
The FAO Representative in Uganda, Mr Antonio Querido, highlighted how the Comprehensive Refugee Response (CRRF) has provided UN partners like FAO, WFP and UNHCR with a mechanism to work together, linking delivery of emergency assistance to the promotion of self-reliance through the integration of refugees into local markets and promote the strengthening of food systems. He also stressed the pivotal role the Nexus plays in building more sustainable agri-food systems in refugee-hosting areas.
“Resilient, efficient and sustainable food systems are only truly possible in forced displacement settings, when populations, in particular women, girls and youth are actively engaged,” said FAO Director of the Office for Emergencies and Resilience, Rein Paulsen. “When we create inclusive food systems, together, we can open the door for durable solutions, where everybody wins. We need collective action now to scale up these efforts.”
To complement the virtual event FAO, UNHCR and WFP partnered with Cuisine Lab and Mater Fondazione to prepare and distribute lunch boxes cooked by refugees for refugees and vulnerable people in Geneva. This initiative showcased the rich socio-economic and cultural contribution forcibly displaced people make to food systems in Geneva, and how inclusion can facilitate socio-economic, food security and cultural benefits for both displaced and host populations.
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