At its 39th Session held in Rome from 15-20 October, the CFS reiterated its role in promoting greater policy convergence and coordination with regards to food security, and recognized that the adverse effects of climate change can pose serious threats to food security especially to small scale producers’ lives and livelihoods, and to the progressive realization of the right to food in the context of national food security, and urged action from all stakeholders, including a continued collaboration with the UNFCCC as far as food security issues are concerned. The link to the CFS report is http://www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-home/cfs39/en/.
The decision box, the contents of which was the subject of negotiations among the Bureau, the CFS member states and the civil society for the past six months, had a text that was agreed upon on the last day of the session. WOCAN lobbied to retain the specification of women farmers’ organizations to participate in decision making and the implementation of food security policies and programs to address climate change. A CFS member country was not in favor of going specific. Following are the highlights of the decision box of the policy roundtable on food security and climate change:
A. Emphasis on adaptation to climate change especially for small-scale food producers in the integration of climate change concerns and disaster risk management in food security policies and programs in order to increase resilience of vulnerable groups and food systems to climate change, through,
- Increasing public and private investment and international cooperation
- Making available and accessible weather and climate forecasting and risk management tools
- Conducting assessments of risks, vulnerability and capacities giving due consideration to gender and nutrition-sensitive perspectives
- Developing integrated land-use policies for food security and adaptation to climate change.
B. Facilitation of access to genetic resources for food and agriculture
C. Development of agricultural strategies through gender-sensitive and participatory approaches; adopting good practices, the provision of multi-stakeholder and country-led assessments and research, and promoting efficiencies in the food chain.
D. Enhancement of research through increased international cooperation and public and private investment for research and exchanges of information among research programs.
E. Facilitation of participation of all stakeholders by organizing fora at local, national and regional levels with the broad participation of local communities and most vulnerable groups including private sector in decision making processes; and supporting civil society organizations, interalia, women farmers’organizations, to participate in decision making and implementation of food security policies and programs to address climate change.