International
food security & nutrition
civil society mechanism

This Working Group was established to focus on two main CFS issues:

BACKGROUND

In October 2010 during the 36^th Session of the CFS, the CSO delegation successfully blocked endorsement of the “Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment that Respects Rights, Livelihoods and Resources” (RAI), which were developed by the World Bank, UNCTAD, FAO and IFAD in 2009.

The Civil Society declaration during the Land Tenure Roundtable specifically stated:

“We call on the CFS to not endorse the Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment that Respects Rights, Livelihoods and Resources (RAI): the RAI is not an adequate instrument to regulate private investment; moreover, RAI principles have been formulated through an exclusive process without the participation of communities and constituencies most affected by agricultural investments, especially private investments.  What is needed instead are nationally and internationally enforceable laws and public regulations on all investments pertaining to land, including provisions on extra-territorial obligations of states to regulate and make private companies accountable for their operations abroad.”

The Final document and decision box from the CFS Roundtable on Land Tenure, can be found here: http://www.csm4cfs.org/files/SottoPagine/29/cfs_36_land_tenure_rt_en.pdf

CSO messages developed during the 2010 Annual CSM Forum, just prior to the CFS session can be found here: http://www.csm4cfs.org/files/SottoPagine/29/cso_messages_on_land_tenure_en.pdf 

In October 2011 during the 37^th Session of the CFS, the Committee agreed to the following:

“v.iii. Supports launching an inclusive consultation process within the CFS for the development and the broader ownership of principles for responsible agricultural investment that enhance food security and nutrition to be overseen by the CFS Bureau with the assistance of the joint Secretariat and in close collaboration with the Advisory Group and the involvement of all interested stakeholders with a view to submitting these principles for the consideration of CFS.

ix. Acknowledges that the first step of this inclusive consultation process will be to find agreement on the scope, purpose, intended recipients and structure of these principles as well as on the format of the consultation process, taking into account existing frameworks - including the RAI principles developed by FAO, IFAD, UNCTAD and the World Bank - and respecting the need to maintain full coherence and avoid duplication with the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land and other Natural Resources, which are expected to be approved prior to the start of this consultation process”

The full document can be found here: http://www.csm4cfs.org/files/SottoPagine/30/cfs_37_ag._investment_background_paper_en.pdf

CSO messages developed during the 2011 Annual CSM Forum, just prior to the CFS session can be found here: http://www.csm4cfs.org/files/SottoPagine/30/cso_37_messages_on_ag.investment_en.pdf 

The consultative process on rai will involve two steps:

1.     The first step is aimed at developing the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the consultation (scope, purpose, intended recipients and structure of the principles as well as the format).

2.     The second step--once the TOR have been agreed—the consultation process will commence.

Provisional timeline: