Welcome to our discussion on Action Track 3
How can we move towards food production that is nature positive?
Producing food should not result in biodiversity loss, pollution, water use, greenhouse gas emissions and soil degradation. We need to safeguard and regenerate natural ecosystems, eliminate deforestation, and overfishing from food supply chains. Better food production should also include regenerative practices, sustainable livestock production; support and learn from traditional and indigenous knowledge in food production.
And to ensure food production that is nature positive, we need coordinated actions.
Look at some of the actionable solutions that the UNFSS Action Track process and youth have proposed.
- The right to a healthy and safe environment
- Adopt sustainable agricultural practices – a system of farming, fishing and grazing that seeks to rehabilitate and maintain terrestrial and aquatic agri-systems
- Stop deforestation and make livestock farming more sustainable
- Sustain and Expand Sustainable Resilient Blue Food Production Systems
- Urge governments to acknowledge that blue foods are a crucial part of our food systems
- Limit the use of single-use plastics in food and drink packaging, and regulate recycling measures to reduce harmful effects on the environment
Find additional information in the UNFSS Community Platform.
After reading these propositions, let us know what you think, what you can do, and what support is needed to bring the changes you aspire to obtain! You can answer one or all the following questions, using any means you prefer – write a comment, share a picture, compose a song or a poem, or send us a short video:
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First Week Summary - Action Track 3 (Nature Positive Production)
Earwin Belen rightly mentioned, “Ecosystem and food systems should go hand in hand”.
Over the past weeks, we heard interesting stories and recommendations from you all! Thank you very much for your contribution. I want to highlight some of the key issues and points raised as a part of the summary.
Young people feel that there is a lack of affordable access to diverse and nutritious diets, produced through nature-positive production practices. Most of the participants also focused on the importance of Nature Positive Production practices like agroecology, practices based on TEK (Traditional Ecological Knowledge), sustainable fishing practices and others. Addressing food culture in food systems is key, if we need realistic transition, as outlined by Earlene Cruz . And thank you Vanessa Garcia Polanco for sharing the New Blue Deal and Climate proposal that you are working on.
Participants also highlighted the need to focus on Just Transition, economic transition for farmers and fishermen when transitioning to more sustainable practices from the current business. As mentioned by Emily food sovereignty and land justice for nature positive production, isn’t mentioned in the above action area, which is quite essential.
Most of the youths in the discussion room recognized that young people can lead a role through increasing awareness, education and using innovative ideas. Mobilization of already available youth groups and creation of a common platform for youth (eg. incubator or accelerator programs to convert ideas into reality) to engage is very important in food systems and agriculture related issues.
Laurence on behalf of “Bites of Transfoodmation” and manifesto team highlighted the importance of quality knowledge flow through use of appropriate technology, alignment of subsidies towards environmental friendly practices, and use of practices like vertical farming, keeping in mind of both production and environment. Many young people were interested to join some or all of the coalitions proposed!
Need of policy coherence was also a key highlight during the discussion. Comments by Genna showed that self-organized youth groups and movements like YPARD are already working for advocacy and policy push, in order to achieve Nature Positive Production!
Ida explained to us very clearly what indigenous youth wants, in terms of ‘Nature Positive Production’ through "Indigenous Youth Global Declaration on Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems". One strong recommendation is, “Indigenous Youths should be recognized as experts on resilience and sustainable food systems, keepers of first-hand experiences with extreme climate change so, the value of their traditional knowledge also calls for equitable inclusion, and very importantly, fair compensation as established in the Nagoya Protocol on access to benefit-sharing to traditional knowledge.”
On the part where we discussed about need of young people, there was more focus on capacity building (eg. mentorship) and funding youth entities (eg. microfinancing), who are working on ‘Nature Positive Production’. Including youths in policy making decision tables meaningfully, related to this action track, was also key input. Addressing structural challenges concerning youths working for nature positive production and food systems transformation was recognized as a crucial point to address.
I couldn’t thank you all enough and so excited to engage with you over the few remaining days to dive into more. Also, let's welcome my fellow moderators Mai and Treasa, who would join me in moderation.
A BIG T.H.A.N.K Y.O.U !!!