On 15 – 17 May, consultations with the CSOs and the Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) initial discussions on RAI in the context of food security and nutrition was held in FAO, Rome. WOCAN is a member of the Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on RAI and Maris Gavino, Liaison for Rome,attended the consultations. The Zero Draft on the Principles of Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) was vetoed by the stakeholders of the CFS.
The principles for responsible agricultural investment, under the mandate of the CFS, are expected to promote investments of agriculture that contribute to food security and nutrition, and that support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security. The zero draft would have been the first point of departure on the principles that should undergo a process and be presented to the 41st Session of CFS in 2014.
It was the consensus that the current zero draft lacked many key points, such as the appropriate emphasis on smallholder farmers, and worse still, there was the absence of gender matters that should contribute to an enabling environment. The CFS members asked the Secretariat to draft another zero draft that would be more faithful to the RAI Terms of Reference as set out by CFS. The revised zero draft will be discussed by CFS in a meeting scheduled end of July. The civil society organizations were very disappointed not only in the outcome but also in the two months that were lost in the process.
The regional consultations on RAI will proceed as planned, the next one being Southeast Asia. It will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia on 23-25 May 2013.
The desired inputs of the CSOs for the revised zero draft are as follows:
- Under human rights framework, the right to food, water and seeds are fundamental
- Emphasis have to be put on smallholder producers and remain by far the most important investor group in food production
- Therefore, there is need for support to traditional family based food production, a system in itself
- Prioritize family farming, agro-ecology and local food systems
- Internal, public investment should be the focus, not external investment
- Introduction of a specific principle on responsible investment that respects and promotes women rights and empowerment.