A multi-stakeholder Agri-food Task Force : What role can it play in addressing Latin America s challenges? Ms Adriana Zacarias, UNEP

Transcription

1 A multi-stakeholder Agri-food Task Force : What role can it play in addressing Latin America s challenges? Ms Adriana Zacarias, UNEP Working Group 2 Agri-food 1

2 Global Challenges The production and consumption of food and fish fulfil vital human needs. Current food systems though are damaging the world s ecosystems and are damaging our capacity to produce food in the future. 2

3 On land... On land and in the ocean... Farming is the leading cause of global deforestation. The agri-food sector contributes more GHG than any other sector. It is the largest consumer of fresh water. It causes land degradation and soil erosion. Causes species and biodiversity loss. In the ocean... Global stocks declined by 90%. 25% of natural fish habitats destroyed through modern fishing practices. 3

4 And by The FAO estimates that we must increase food availability by 70% to provide the nutritional needs of a population in 2050 of over 9.1billion people.. So where does the LAC region stand in all of this? 4

5 Basic agri-food facts in LAC Agriculture provides 21% of regional GDP 42% of LAC inhabitants live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods 17 of 22 LAC countries are still net importers of food BUT... Agriculture and fish production are success stories in many LAC countries For example, soy from Argentina, beef from Brazil, farmed fish from Chile But is this a sustainable model of production? 5

6 SCP patterns in Agri-food in LAC region Can existing resource-intensive models of large-scale food production become more sustainable? What is the consequence of a long-term model of production based on mineral fertiliser inputs and persistent exploitation of natural resources: water & soil? What role can the market play in changing production & consumption practices and wild fishery management? How can international cooperation and collaboration through the supply chain engender the uptake of more sustainable practices? 6

7 Agri Food Systems Task Force

8 8 The Agri-food Task Force on SCP UNEP convened actors (13 governments as well as key civil society, private sector and IGO representatives) in November 2010 for a scoping meeting on Agri-food SCP Task Force. Broad support was secured to develop an agri-food SCP programme for the 10YFP, and a draft of this was developed. Despite the outcome of CSD 19, the Task Force had previously decided at a meeting in April, 2011 in Paris to proceed with the implementation of the programme. Following CSD 19, FAO and UNEP have continued to strengthen their collaboration and in March 2012 there will be the first technical meeting of the Task force focusing specifically on extension service provision.

9 Consultations of the FAO/UNEP Sustainable Food Systems Programme 9 Barbados, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America European Commission, Consumers International, European Food SCP Roundtable, ICTSD, ISEAL Alliance, IUCN, Sustainable Agriculture Initiative, South Centre, WBCSD, WWF, FAO, UNCTAD, UNDESA, UNEP, OECD, UNIDO, International Fertilizer Association, Action Contre la Faim

10 FAO/UNEP Sustainable Food Systems Programme 1 0 Goals and objectives: Identify and scale-up techniques, practices, policies and actions that increase sustainability/resource efficiency at every stage of food chains and enabling conditions and tools to promote them; Develop knowledge-based tools to assess and monitor sustainability of food systems, including life-cycle methodologies and data needs; Consider ways and tools to recognise, give value to and promote sustainable production and products, including market-based mechanisms; Develop and implement ways (for example partnerships, joint activities and information transfer) and tools to communicate information on sustainable consumption and production to actors along the supply chain including consumers and other interested stakeholders, with a view to establishing guidelines in order to increase transparency.

11 Programme Activities 1 1 Four activity clusters in the Programme Activity Cluster 1: To re-focus and re-orient more effectively existing information platforms on sustainable agriculture and agri-food products including fishery products to be shared more widely, with producers, consumers and other interested stakeholders (extension and life-cycle date) Activity Cluster 2: To deliver meaningful and reliable communication about agri-food products to create markets and incentives to foster sustainable consumption and production patterns (broad set of principles to guide sustainability claims) Activity Cluster 3: To create enabling conditions in developing countries for the uptake of SCP in food systems (CB and Public-Private Partnerships) Activity Cluster 4: To promote resource efficient production methods through market-based approaches (sustainable supply chains, PES and sustainability standards)

12 Delivery and Implementers 1 2 Delivery Mechanisms of the Programme The programme will be delivered using existing capacities and institutions involved in sustainable production for effective implementation and roll out. It will build upon experiences and lessons learned from initiatives of the private, public and academic sectors. Leading Actors The Programme would bring together leading actors from relevant UN agencies and other intergovernmental organizations, national governments, and civil society organizations including representatives of farmers, agroindustry and consumers. FAO as the specialized UN agency for food and agriculture would assume the international lead coordinating role, in close partnership with UNEP, and take responsibility to implement the programme in close cooperation with other lead actors.

13 Next Steps 1 3 A 24-month series of activity scoping and corresponding meetings of the Task Force to operationalize the four activity clusters of the FAO/UNEP Sustainable Food Systems Programme. First technical meeting in March 2012 will be held in Rome at the FAO focusing specifically on innovative extension service provision at which a programme of joint activities will be launched partnering government, the private sector and civil society. A database of activities in the agri-food sector will then be developed to inform future activities. Over the next 24 months, all 4 activity clusters of the programme will be implemented.