Labelling and certification schemes for Indigenous Peoples' foods

Labelling and certification schemes for Indigenous Peoples' foods
Author: ?Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 64
Release: 2022-07-30
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9251362424

This review, for the first time to date, analyses the potential of labelling and certification schemes for Indigenous Peoples to market their food products. Specifically, it looks at those schemes that are designed by, with and for Indigenous Peoples, and that can provide economic, social and environmental benefits while protecting and promoting their unique values centered around the respect of life and Mother Earth. Eleven examples in this review cover innovative schemes implemented by Indigenous Peoples and practitioners in Africa, Asia, Central and South America and Oceania. They include territorial labels, geographical indications (GI), and participatory guarantee schemes (PGS), among others. In addition, the publication features one case study of a community-supported agriculture (CSA), as alternative example to engage with Indigenous Peoples and reaching out the market. Important factors that lead to the success of different schemes include (1) the leadership and ownership of Indigenous Peoples in the initiative (2) adequate support by external stakeholders including public and private sector, and universities (3) raising consumer awareness and education on Indigenous food products via fairs, festivals and other platforms, and (4) designing value chains and policies in a way that harmonize local, domestic and international trade. The review includes recommendations for various actors to support Indigenous Peoples in their self-determined economic development and towards the sustainable marketization of their products. The review also provides guidelines for Indigenous Peoples willing to engage in such initiatve. Those are applicable to different contexts on the ground, and include good practices, and measures to mitigate risks.

Social analysis for inclusive agrifood investments

Social analysis for inclusive agrifood investments
Author: Christensen, I.
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2023-12-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9251379424

More than a decade has passed since the publication of the series entitled Social Analysis of Agriculture and Rural Investment Projects, which comprises three complementary manuals – the Manager’s, Practitioner’s and Field guides. During this time, conflict, climate change and economic downturns have been driving up poverty, hunger, and socioeconomic inequalities, reducing the resilience of agrifood systems. In response, the FAO Investment Centre has updated the Social Analysis guides to address the evolving and volatile rural transformation context, providing programme managers, practitioners and field workers with a set of enhanced tools for the design, implementation and evaluation of inclusive investments in agrifood systems. Today’s investments must prioritize more demand-driven, people-centred, culturally sensitive and locally owned sustainable approaches, with increased attention to reducing gender and other inequalities. Operationalizing these principles contributes to FAO’s and financing agencies’ objectives of ending poverty, improving food security and nutrition, and reducing inequalities. The goal of the updated guides is to support investments that contribute to inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, aligned with the outcomes of the UN Food Systems Summit, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the core principle of leaving no one behind. This publication is part of the Investment Toolkits series under the FAO Investment Centre's Knowledge for Investment (K4I) series. The contents of this publication have been turned into three e-leaning courses, which are accessible for free through the FAO E-learning Academy.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2023-07-12
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9251372268

This report provides an update on global progress towards the targets of ending hunger (SDG Target 2.1) and all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2) and estimates on the number of people who are unable to afford a healthy diet. Since its 2017 edition, this report has repeatedly highlighted that the intensification and interaction of conflict, climate extremes and economic slowdowns and downturns, combined with highly unaffordable nutritious foods and growing inequality, are pushing us off track to meet the SDG 2 targets. However, other important megatrends must also be factored into the analysis to fully understand the challenges and opportunities for meeting the SDG 2 targets. One such megatrend, and the focus of this year’s report, is urbanization. New evidence shows that food purchases in some countries are no longer high only among urban households but also among rural households. Consumption of highly processed foods is also increasing in peri-urban and rural areas of some countries. These changes are affecting people’s food security and nutrition in ways that differ depending on where they live across the rural–urban continuum. This timely and relevant theme is aligned with the United Nations General Assembly-endorsed New Urban Agenda, and the report provides recommendations on the policies, investments and actions needed to address the challenges of agrifood systems transformation under urbanization and to enable opportunities for ensuring access to affordable healthy diets for everyone.

Forests for a better world

Forests for a better world
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 92
Release: 2022-12-13
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9251373892

To coincide with the 50th anniversary of FAO’s Committee on Forestry, this edition of Unasylva showcases ways in which forests are delivering the "four betters" and underscores how forests are crucial for resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in a changing climate. As FAO’s longest running periodical, Unasylva focuses on issues and themes relevant to forestry and forest industries and aims to bring globally significant developments in forestry to policy-makers, forest managers, technicians, researchers, students and teachers around the globe.

Indigenous Peoples’ food systems

Indigenous Peoples’ food systems
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 420
Release: 2021-06-25
Genre: Cooking
ISBN: 9251345619

This publication provides an overview of the common and unique sustainability elements of Indigenous Peoples' food systems, in terms of natural resource management, access to the market, diet diversity, indigenous peoples’ governance systems, and links to traditional knowledge and indigenous languages. While enhancing the learning on Indigenous Peoples food systems, it will raise awareness on the need to enhance the protection of Indigenous Peoples' food systems as a source of livelihood for the 476 million indigenous inhabitants in the world, while contributing to the Zero Hunger Goal. In addition, the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) and the UN Food Systems Summit call on the enhancement of sustainable food systems and on the importance of diversifying diets with nutritious foods, while broadening the existing food base and preserving biodiversity. This is a feature characteristic of Indigenous Peoples' food systems since hundreds of years, which can provide answers to the current debate on sustainable food systems and resilience.

Science and Innovations for Food Systems Transformation

Science and Innovations for Food Systems Transformation
Author: Joachim von Braun
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 931
Release: 2023-01-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3031157036

This Open Access book compiles the findings of the Scientific Group of the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021 and its research partners. The Scientific Group was an independent group of 28 food systems scientists from all over the world with a mandate from the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. The chapters provide science- and research-based, state-of-the-art, solution-oriented knowledge and evidence to inform the transformation of contemporary food systems in order to achieve more sustainable, equitable and resilient systems.

In Brief: Indigenous Peoples' food systems

In Brief: Indigenous Peoples' food systems
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 56
Release: 2023-06-22
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9251377391

This publication provides an overview of the common and unique sustainability elements of Indigenous Peoples' food systems, in terms of natural resource management, access to the market, diet diversity, Indigenous Peoples’ governance systems, and links to traditional knowledge and Indigenous Peoples' languages. While enhancing the learning on Indigenous Peoples' food systems, it will raise awareness on the need to enhance the protection of Indigenous Peoples' food systems as a source of livelihood for the 476 million Indigenous inhabitants in the world, while contributing to the Zero Hunger Goal. In addition, the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025) and the UN Food Systems Summit call on the enhancement of sustainable food systems and on the importance of diversifying diets with nutritious foods, while broadening the existing food base and preserving biodiversity. This has been a characteristic of Indigenous Peoples' food systems for hundreds of years, and it can provide answers to the current debate on sustainable food systems and resilience.

Proceedings of the FAO Global Conference on Sustainable Plant Production

Proceedings of the FAO Global Conference on Sustainable Plant Production
Author: Telemans, B.
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 168
Release: 2023-06-13
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9251379181

FAO organized its first ever Global Conference on Sustainable Plant Production (GPC) (Rome, 2 to 4 November 2022), with a focus on Innovation, Efficiency and Resilience. Its main objective was to provide a neutral forum for FAO Members, farmers, scientists, development agencies, policy makers, extensionists, civil society, opinion leaders and the private sector to engage in dialogues around sustainable plant production. To achieve impact towards implementing the 2030 Agenda, the GPC developed 20 actionable recommendations. The recommendations encompass all the thematic areas highlighted in the GPC, with a focus on adaptation to local contexts, needs of small-scale farmers, and include cross-cutting issues to guide active innovation for global sustainable plant production systems. The recommendations clearly establish (i) priorities for targeted mobilization and pooling of scientific, technical and financial resources; (ii) evidence and knowledge sharing through the creation and management of functional technical networks; and (iii) testing and scaling evidence-based sustainable plant production practices, partnerships and policies.

Public food procurement for sustainable food systems and healthy diets – Volume 1

Public food procurement for sustainable food systems and healthy diets – Volume 1
Author: International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 330
Release: 2021-12-23
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9251354758

Sustainable Public Food Procurement (PFP) represents a key game changer for food systems transformation. It can influence both food consumption and food production patterns. It can deliver multiple social, economic and environmental benefits towards sustainable food systems for healthy diets. This publication aims to contribute to the improved understanding, dissemination and use of PFP as a development tool in particular in the case of school meals programmes. In Volume 1, researchers, policymakers and development partners can find evidence on how PFP can be used as a development tool and deliver multiple benefits for multiple beneficiaries. It argues that PFP can provide a market for local and smallholder farmers, promote the conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity, and improve the nutrition and health of children and communities. Volume 2 of this publication, available at https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7969en, presents further analysis of the instruments, enablers and barriers for PFP implementation. It also provides case studies with local, regional and national experiences from Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America.

Sustainability Labels in the Shadow of the Law

Sustainability Labels in the Shadow of the Law
Author: Eva van der Zee
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2022-04-28
Genre: Law
ISBN: 3030958027

This book describes and examines three EU legal frameworks (EU competition law, EU consumer law, and EU fundamental rights law) that may affect the extent to which consumers purchase more sustainably. In doing so, this book goes beyond a rationalist understanding of the interpretation and application of EU law. Rational approaches have severely impacted the interpretation and application of EU law. Practice shows, however, that the implications of using a noncritical application of rationalist approaches in the interpretation and application of EU competition law, EU consumer law, and EU fundamental rights law to sustainability labels may have an inhibiting effect on sustainable consumption. The book offers remedies to overcome this inhibitive effect by critically applying insights from cognitive science and behavioral economics in the legal interpretation and application of EU law.