Indigenous Peoples Food Systems and Sustainable Breathenyles

Transcription

1 Second global meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Forum at IFAD

2 Indigenous peoples food systems and sustainable livelihoods Background The Indigenous Peoples Forum was established at IFAD in 2011 and was a milestone in the Fund s 35 years of engagement with indigenous peoples. The Forum provides a voice for the approximately 370 million indigenous people around the world, who are disproportionately represented among poor and marginalized populations. It is also a direct response to requests by indigenous peoples for a more systematic dialogue with United Nations agencies. Through its continuous engagement, IFAD has become an important partner for indigenous peoples. The Forum builds on the IFAD Policy on Engagement with Indigenous Peoples, approved by the IFAD Executive Board in 2009, which in turn was informed by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in The Forum also reflects IFAD s long experience in empowering poor rural communities and its participatory approach to grass-roots rural development. The first global meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Forum took place in February The Forum called upon IFAD to acknowledge and value indigenous peoples traditional knowledge, technologies and environmental services in conservation and sustainable use of their ecosystems; document and share good practices with regard to indigenous peoples self-determined sustainable development; and support effective dialogue on the inclusion of indigenous peoples needs and priorities in country strategies and IFAD-supported projects. The Forum held its second global meeting on February 2015 at IFAD headquarters in Rome. It was attended by about 40 representatives from indigenous peoples organizations and institutions from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. The meeting was inspired by recent and ongoing developments, in particular the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP), and the efforts to define a new set of Sustainable Development Goals, to be adopted in At the WCIP, states made a commitment to develop policies, programmes and resources to support indigenous peoples occupations, traditional subsistence activities, economies, livelihoods, food security and nutrition. Moreover, one of the proposed Sustainable Development Goals of the post-2015 development agenda is to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. This goal aims at doubling the agricultural productivity and the incomes of small-scale food producers, particularly women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers. Building on these results, the Steering Committee of the Indigenous Peoples Forum at IFAD decided that indigenous peoples food systems and sustainable livelihoods should be the overall theme for the second global meeting of the Forum. 2

3 Indigenous peoples traditional livelihoods include small-scale farming, pastoralism, shifting cultivation, fishing, hunting, gathering and other forms of wild harvesting. These livelihoods provide for sustainable management of resources, biodiversity and ecosystems, and are closely interlinked with indigenous peoples spirituality, culture and governance. In spite of these positive characteristics, indigenous peoples livelihood practices are often not well understood, and their rights to lands, territories and resources are often not adequately recognized. Further, indigenous foods are often undervalued and the crucial role of indigenous women in food production and preservation is often overlooked. Regional workshops Towards the end of 2014, regional workshops were held in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific in preparation for the second global meeting of the Forum. All the regions reported that severe pressures on traditional food systems have led to a loss of biodiversity, cultural values and traditional knowledge, and increased dependency on external technology and support, including chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Similarly, many indigenous peoples communities are experiencing disruption of the transmission of traditional knowledge to the younger generation, as well as rapid dietary changes with severe health implications. However, the relative persistence of indigenous cultures, the dedication of indigenous peoples communities to maintaining and transmiting their identity, culture and knowledge to their children, and the increased acknowledgement of indigenous peoples contribution to sustainable development also represent opportunities. Based on the discussions, the regional workshops provided suggestions and recommendations on indigenous peoples food systems and sustainable livelihoods, which they brought to the global meeting. Further, the participants reviewed the progress of implementation of the recommendations and the regional action plans of the first global meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Forum. IFAD/Giulio Napolitano 3

4 Highlights of the second global meeting of the Forum IFAD/Giulio Napolitano The meeting was opened by IFAD President Kanayo F. Nwanze, who stated that the Forum would be truly meaningful if it had an impact on IFAD s operations on the ground. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, affirmed that indigenous peoples look to IFAD to help them with constructive solutions in a global context where extractive industries and investment regimes, land grabbing and climate change effects lead to violations of the rights to food and water and of cultural rights. The participants undertook a review of progress since the first global Forum meeting and heard the reports from the regional workshops. In particular, IFAD s support to the WCIP and the Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF) was highlighted as positive, along with initiatives to systematically operationalize the requirement for free, prior and informed consent. The Independent Office of Evaluation presented the preliminary findings of a synthesis evaluation of IFAD s support to indigenous peoples. The findings indicate that considerable efforts and progress have been made in terms of policy engagement and partnership development at the global level. At the country and project levels, while notable contributions have been made in some projects and countries (access to land, empowerment, and influence on institutions and policies), there is scope to further strengthen IFAD s engagement with indigenous peoples and impact at the field level. The issues presented included the need to develop good diagnostic analysis at the country strategy preparation stage and project design; improve monitoring and evaluation at the project level with disaggregated data and indicators relevant to indigenous peoples; enhance the understanding among IFAD operational staff of indigenous peoples issues; and increase supervision and implementation support to projects. Regional action plans Representatives of indigenous peoples organizations and institutions from the different regions and staff of IFAD s regional divisions jointly discussed and agreed upon regional action plans for as outlined below. 4

5 Latin America and the Caribbean The working group underlined the importance of the rights to lands, territories and resources, as well as economic rights. The contributions of indigenous women and the importance of developing specific strategies and approaches to promote their participation were emphasized. The following action points were agreed: Increase the scope of consultations beyond municipalities in order to include indigenous women leaders in areas where IFAD formulates and supervises projects and programmes. Ensure that indigenous leaders are involved more systematically in the development of country strategic opportunities programmes (COSOPs). Ensure participation by indigenous leaders in the roundtables organized in the framework of country programme evaluations. Recognizing the need for cultural indicators and statistical data disaggregated by ethnic origin in IFAD s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, carry out documentation and analysis activities to: (i) identify existing disaggregated data at the country level, beginning with national statistics and census offices; (ii) disaggregate IFAD indicators by indigenous peoples; (iii) identify indicators of well-being to measure progress on poverty reduction based on the perspectives of different indigenous peoples, reviewing to this end the proposed indicators presented by indigenous peoples; and (iv) promote the use of such disaggregated information in M&E systems. Implement IFAD s environmental and social procedures with respect to free, prior and informed consent. Recognizing the importance of diversity, use IFAD s instruments (COSOP, policy dialogue, etc.) to promote the inclusion of indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant communities and other historically excluded people in government projects. Promote the inclusion of indigenous peoples in cofinanced operations. Offer learning pathways to indigenous peoples and organize a learning route on indigenous peoples food systems and livelihoods. Promote dialogue between the organizations taking part in the Forum and IFAD on the definition and implementation of the national action plans mandated by the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP). Strengthen indigenous peoples alliances and relations with NGOs and other development organizations, in order to consolidate their capacity for dialogue and participation. Promote the inclusion of indicators on indigenous peoples in the post-2015 development agenda and in the system-wide action plan (SWAP). Promote activities related to traditional economies and marketing in IFAD-funded Francescutti 5

6 Africa The Africa group identified the following actions: Recommendations Strengthen discussion and networking among African indigenous peoples, including through IFAD-supported projects and events Actions Invite indigenous representatives to participate actively in next regional forum of the East and Southern Africa Division (ESA) and West and Central Africa Division (WCA) For the next IFAD Indigenous Peoples Forum, two regional preparatory workshops should be held in Africa (WCA and ESA) Set up a virtual platform to share experiences Strengthen the country focus of the Indigenous Peoples Forum Take into account the nutritional value of traditional food systems Increase information sharing Ensure representation of indigenous peoples in decision-making bodies at the project level; provide capacity-building Recognize the value of indigenous peoples diverse food systems; make tenure of land and territories a priority issue; show commitment to disengaging from projects that negatively affect land tenure Organize within the next six months a meeting with country programme managers/ country programme offices (CPMs/CPOs) in each country For nutrition-sensitive agricultural projects supported by IFAD, the baseline survey should include documentation on indigenous food systems Ensure that lessons from good IPAF projects are utilized Ensure indigenous peoples are represented in country programme management teams (CPMTs) and steering committees of projects operating in indigenous territories and participate in design and supervision missions Share information and map initiatives related to the implementation of the voluntary guidelines where IFAD, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Land Coalition (ILC) are involved Kivulini Trust 6

7 Asia and the Pacific The Asia and Pacific working group prepared an updated action plan on the basis of recommendations made at the regional workshops: Recommendations Contribute to the full and effective implementation of the outcomes of the WCIP and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and continue advocacy with state governments Take a holistic approach to supporting and strengthening indigenous peoples food systems, including the recognition of traditional tenure, conservation of biodiversity, and respect for and revitalization of cultural and spiritual values; ensure that projects are designed with indigenous peoples Strengthen the participation of indigenous peoples throughout the programme and project cycles, e.g. by including indigenous representatives in CPMTs, project steering committees, technical coordinating units as well as in monitoring and evaluation activities Facilitate dialogue between indigenous peoples and governments on the importance of traditional agricultural systems in policies, strategies and frameworks for food security, climate change resilience, nutrition and local culture Action Consultation with indigenous peoples and communities during COSOP and project designs Implement corporate policies on free, prior and informed consent, including by implementing the guidance of the how-to-do note Consultation with indigenous peoples and communities during COSOP and project designs Participation of indigenous peoples representatives in CPMT meetings, where applicable Include focus on indigenous food systems in future grant programmes, or as a component in investment projects if the government wishes IFAD/Louis Dematteis 7

8 Recommendations Include indicators specific to the situation of indigenous peoples in IFAD s Performancebased Allocation System, Results and Impact Management System (RIMS), and IFAD-assisted projects, as well as other monitoring systems and tools for IFAD projects at the country level Increase capacity of IFAD staff in engaging with indigenous peoples at the country level Support research and documentation of indigenous peoples knowledge and food systems, as well as scaling up of successful practices, including through exchange of experiences among indigenous peoples and promotion of indigenous foods among consumers Focus on initiatives to support indigenous young people, including education, training and skills development for traditional occupations, intergenerational dialogue, participation in decision-making and increased access to adequate technology Action Asia and the Pacific Region (APR) to liaise with the Policy and Technical Advisory Division and Strategy and Knowledge Department to ensure that indicators discussed during the regional workshops are taken into account in the future revision of corporate RIMS guidelines and IFAD s contribution to the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goal indicators agenda through IFAD s post-2015 task force APR to support in mainstreaming across the country knowledge sharing of best practices, encourage IFAD staff participation, and mobilize the experience from learning route activities Include knowledge management element related to indigenous peoples in future grants and investment projects, aiming at knowledge generation and documentation APR to propose a grant to support research and documentation of indigenous and traditional food systems in the Pacific region with the potential to scale up in the region, if approved CPMs to identify opportunities to support indigenous young people and women in future investment projects Recognize, appreciate and strengthen the role of indigenous women with regards to traditional food systems and ensure their full and effective participation in all projects, through a range of targeted initiatives IFAD/Leonardo Cini 8

9 Synthesis of deliberations The synthesis of deliberations was discussed and adopted by all the indigenous participants in the Forum. It draws on the input from the regional workshops, as well as the sharing of concerns, experiences, lessons and recommendations that took place at the global meeting. Further, it was inspired by the discussions between the indigenous Forum and IFAD staff that took place in the regional working groups. Hence, the synthesis of deliberations captures the main topics and issues across the regions and puts forward a series of recommendations for future work: Synthesis of deliberations on the second global meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Forum at IFAD, February 2015 We, indigenous peoples of Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific, have unique food systems that are anchored in sustainable livelihood practices and adapted to the specific ecosystems of our territories. These practices include small-scale farming, pastoralism, shifting cultivation, fishing, hunting and gathering. Over generations, these livelihoods have ensured the food sovereignty and well-being of our communities, and are therefore intimately linked to our identities, cultures, spirituality, education and governance systems. In spite of the high nutritional value of indigenous foods and the undeniable contribution of indigenous livelihoods to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, our livelihoods are still not well understood and appreciated. In particular, non-sedentary and non-commercial practices are disregarded and discriminated against. Moreover, many indigenous peoples communities lack legal recognition and protection of their lands, territories and resources. Forceful land grabbing and displacement for extractive industries, infrastructure projects, industrial agriculture, speculative land investments and conservation areas continue on an alarming scale. This is aggravated by the devastating effects of climate change, leading to rapid dietary changes, loss of traditional food systems, dependency on imported and industrial food, malnutrition and severe health problems. The responses need to be multifaceted, transdisciplinary and holistic. In this context, we reiterate our deep appreciation of the ongoing and mutually beneficial partnership with IFAD. IFAD s policy of targeting rural people living in extreme poverty and food insecurity inevitably leads IFAD to our communities. From our side, we complement this partnership with our traditional knowledge, food systems and sustainable livelihoods as the basis for building constructive solutions. The Indigenous Peoples Forum at IFAD has helped set the strategic direction for our partnership, which is progressively being translated into action on the ground. IFAD is increasing its capacity to work on indigenous issues: it has conducted a synthesis evaluation of its work with indigenous peoples and has included the requirement for free, prior and informed consent in its updated Social, Environmental and Climate Assessment Procedures. Likewise, our needs and priorities are increasingly reflected in country strategies, programmes and projects. The Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility supports a growing number of projects in direct response to the needs and priorities of our communities. At the global level, IFAD s support has contributed to the positive outcomes of the 2014 WCIP, where states made a commitment to acknowledge, advance and adjudicate the rights of indigenous peoples pertaining to lands, territories and resources, and to develop policies, programmes and resources to support indigenous peoples occupations, traditional subsistence activities, economies, livelihoods, food security and nutrition. We expect to see these commitments reaffirmed and reflected in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and in IFAD s new Strategic Framework. 9

10 These advances motivate us to further strengthen impact on the ground. We reaffirm our commitment to work with IFAD to address remaining implementation challenges, and we put forward the following recommendations and commitments: Joint recommendations to IFAD, governments and indigenous peoples Take a holistic approach to support and strengthen indigenous peoples food systems, sustainable livelihood practices, governance systems, and cultural and spiritual values. Raise awareness of the values of indigenous peoples food systems, including through consumer awareness campaigns, food fairs and educational curricula. Facilitate dialogue with the private sector to respect indigenous peoples food systems and sustainable livelihoods. Recommendations to IFAD Support initiatives to recognize and protect indigenous peoples rights to lands, territories and resources, and disengage from projects that negatively affect these rights. Provide capacity-building and facilitate dialogue between indigenous peoples and governments on sustainable livelihoods, including pastoralism and other mobile practices. Strengthen indigenous peoples participation throughout the programme and project cycles, including in country programme management teams, project design and supervision. Ensure that free, prior and informed consent is systematically and properly obtained in the context of IFAD-funded projects targeting or affecting indigenous peoples, including through procedural guidelines and capacity-building of staff and implementing partners. Support research, documentation, training, exchange of experiences and scaling-up of successful practices related to indigenous food systems and livelihoods, including across regions. Design targeted initiatives for indigenous women and youth, including skills development, intergenerational dialogue, leadership training, participation in decisionmaking and increased access to appropriate technology. Disaggregate data and include indicators specifically relevant to the situation of indigenous peoples in IFAD s Results and Impact Management System and COSOPS, as well as in other monitoring systems and tools. Actively contribute to the realization of the outcomes of the WCIP, in particular the System-Wide Action Plan, with a particular focus on definition, application and monitoring of indigenous-specific indicators, including in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. Strengthen coordination and collaboration with the other Rome-based United Nations agencies (FAO and WFP) and other institutions, such as the International Land Coalition, on the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Lands, Fisheries and Forests; nutrition and other topics. Build capacity of IFAD staff, including at the country level, to fully implement IFAD s Policy on Engagement with Indigenous Peoples. Submit the present synthesis of deliberations to IFAD s Executive Board for discussion. Recommendations to governments Recognize and protect indigenous peoples inalienable rights to lands, territories and resources. Recognize the value of indigenous peoples diverse food systems as a key element of national policies and frameworks for sustainable development, food security and climate change resilience. 10

11 Prepare national action plans, strategies and other measures, in partnership with indigenous peoples, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and to implement the commitments made in the outcome document of the WCIP. Support and facilitate participation of indigenous peoples representatives in project steering committees, technical coordination units, and in monitoring and evaluation. As indigenous peoples, we commit to: Working with IFAD to document and scale up sustainable livelihood practices. Build alliances with partners that are working on issues related to sustainable livelihoods and food systems, including producer and consumer associations, the fair trade community, the Slow Food movement and others. Continuing to work together, across countries and regions, to share good practices for strengthening our resilience and ensure intergenerational continuity of our food systems and sustainable practices. Next steps IFAD s response to the synthesis of deliberations highlighted that IFAD wishes to ensure that dialogue on indigenous peoples rights occurs at both the global and the local level. IFAD supported the broad participation of indigenous peoples at the WCIP, and is committed to moving from the outcome document to action on the ground. Key elements will help realize the action plan that emerged from the WCIP, which in turn will enrich the Sustainable Development Goals and IFAD s new Strategic Framework At the operational level, IFAD will appraise and implement projects proposed by Member States, in particular those that may affect the land and resources of indigenous peoples, to establish whether the borrowers or grant recipients consulted with indigenous peoples to obtain their free, prior and informed consent as a criterion for project approval. The identification of relevant indicators is an area of special interest and discussion. This is reflected in the WCIP Outcome Document and will open new opportunities for IFAD to explore ways of contributing in this area, in collaboration with partner governments and indigenous peoples. IFAD will also develop better indicators at the country programme and project levels. At the country level, IFAD will support dialogue between governments and indigenous peoples about the importance of traditional food systems, including pastoralism, as an honest broker to move dialogue forward. Stronger participation by indigenous peoples organizations in IFAD-financed projects will be supported, so that indigenous peoples complement these efforts by engaging in dialogue and negotiations at the country level. At IFAD, we are proud to be the facilitator of the Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility, IFAD Vice-President, Michel Mordasini, said, but we also need your support as ambassadors of the Facility to help leverage resources and scale up this initiative. Finally, collaboration will continue with other Rome-based United Nations agencies, including working closely with FAO and the International Land Coalition in the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Lands, Fisheries and Forests. 11

12 International Fund for Agricultural Development Via Paolo di Dono, Rome, Italy Tel: Fax: ifad@ifad.org ifad-un.blogspot.com instagram.com/ifadnews CONTACT Antonella Cordone Senior Technical Specialist Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Issues Policy and Technical Advisory Division Programme Management Department IFAD Via Paolo di Dono, , Rome, Italy a.cordone@ifad.org Cover photograph: /Slow Food/Alberto Peroli