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CSM Opening Statements on Famines and food crisis

09 Oct 2017 News

CFS 44, 9 October 2017: – CSM Statement on Policy responses to Food Crises, Famines and their Root Causes, and the Role of CFS As the SOFI Report 2017 states the situation of chronic food crises in many countries and regions has severely worsened this year, with four countries on the brink of famine. This is unacceptable and calls for the collective responsibility of all governments, organizations and peoples. Famines do not happen instantaneously, they take years to develop and early political and humanitarian action is extremely critical for prevention and mitigation. We cannot tackle food crises, and eradicate hunger, without addressing the root causes. Food insecurity derives typically from structural factors and policies that marginalize local food systems and small-scale food producers, and foster increased concentration of corporate power. During conflict, food insecurity is exacerbated. According to the SOFI 2017, around 60 % the world’s hungry live in areas where there is conflict. The current food crises in conflict are largely due to multiple and often systemic human rights violations committed by state and non-state actors. They are rooted in aggression against civilians and food producers, resource dispossession and destruction, systemic disruption of agricultural activities, restriction of movement of peoples, traders and humanitarian assistance, as well as ethnic cleansing, occupation and sanctions. Starvation is used as a weapon of collective punishment and for most cases perpetuators enjoy impunity. Continued depletion of natural resources makes communities extremely vulnerable to natural disasters which are more severe than ever due to human-induced climate change. For those communities that are in dire need of food assistance, the late response to early warning systems, including humanitarian assistance and political and diplomatic pressure, results in worsening of food insecurity, spread of diseases, and human loss. The Humanitarian architecture has proven to be insufficient as assistance is very often politicized and nowhere near enough to meet the needs in the “four famine” countries and elsewhere. CFS was reformed in response to the food crises in 2007/8. It must be able to effectively respond to the food crises of today, and tackle their causes sustainably. CFS should fully take on its role as the most inclusive international body for policy coherence, cooperation and coordination on FSN. In particular: https://youtu.be/hxGWmB6ViFQ First–CFS should become the central global platform for convening periodic and ad-hoc reviews of famines and severe food crises, focusing on the assessment of policy responses and

CSM Side Events at CFS 44

09 Oct 2017 Events / News

CSM Side events proposals for CFS 44 were approved! See media gallery HERE Tuesday 10 of October 2017 18.00-19.30 Philippines Room Building C Flr 2 (Languages: EN/ES/FR) Reclaiming healthy and sustainable diets as a public good. Public policies and investments on nutrition as critical instruments to guarantee human rights and redress the livelihoods, environmental, health and fiscal implications of food systems (CSM Working Group on Nutrition). Download the flyer HERE Moderator: Stefano Prato, Society for International Development, Technical Facilitator of the Nutrition Working Group of the Civil Society Mechanism Speakers: Marité Alvarez, World Alliance for Mobile Indigenous Peoples (WAMIP), Member of the Coordination Committee of the Civil Society Mechanism Cecilia Rocha, Lead Author of the Health Report, IPES-Food Interactive Discussion Round Table. With the participation of: Lorena Rodríguez, Head of Food and Nutrition Department, Ministry of Health of Chile Pierfrancesco Sacco, Permanent Representative of Italy to FAO, IFAD and WFP Khaled El Taweel, Alternate Permanent Representative of Egypt to FAO, IFAD and WFP and Chair of the CFS OEWG on Nutrition Isabel Álvarez, Urgenci Global Network, Member of the Coordination Committee of the Civil Society Mechanism Wednesday 11 of October 2017 08.30-10.00 Iran Room Building B Flr 1 (Languages: EN/ES/FR) Women’s roles and rights in situations of food crises, famines and conflict. How can the international community, particularly the CFS, better respond to food crises and emergencies? How to strengthen women’s rights and struggles in the midst of crises and conflict? (CSM Working Group on Women and CSM Working Group on Protracted Crisis and CSM Working Group on Food Crisis) Download the flyer HERE Moderator: Fernanda Tansini, Alternate of the Permanent Representation of Brasil to FAO, WFP, IFAD Speakers: Hilal Elver – UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Turkey Azra Sayeed – International Women’s Alliance, Pakistan Mariam Aljaajaa – Arab Network for Food Sovereignty, Jordania/Líbano Maria Teresa Alvarez – WAMIP, Argentina Adwoa Sakyi – IUF, Ghana Thursday 12 of October 2017 18.00-19.30 Philippines Room Building C Flr 2 (Languages: EN/ES/FR) Global Hearing of the Landless. How to effectively secure and institutionalize the Land Rights of the Landless Poor? (CSM Landless Constituency) Download flyer HERE Moderator: Mohamed Alsalimiya, Land Research Centre, Palestine Speakers: Ambassador Amira Gornass, Chair of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Jamal Al-Talab, Land Research Centre, Palestine (Coordinator of CSM Landless Constituency) Rhoda Gueta, Asian Peasant Coalition, Philippines (Coordinator of CSM Landless Constituency) Salete Carolo, Movimiento de los Trabajadores Rurales Sin Tierra, Brasil Justus

Public Closing Panel of the CSM Forum 2017, Save the Date!

06 Oct 2017 Events / News

Save the date: “The struggles for human rights and the right to food and nutrition – What role for the CFS?” Closing Panel of the CSM Forum 2017 8 October, 16:30-18:00h, Red Room, FAO HQ With: Ambassador Amira Gornass Chair of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) José Graziano da Silva Director-General of FAO Hilal Elver UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Food Naseegh M. Jaffer CSM Coordination Committe Member Moderation: Sofía Monsalve FIAN This event is open to all interested members and participants of the CFS and staff of RBAs. Download the Flyer HERE Interpretation is provided in English, Spanish and French

CSM Forum 2017

05 Oct 2017 Events / News

CSM Forum 7-8 October 2017 Each year the CSM holds its Annual Forum prior to the CFS Plenary Session and it is open to all interested civil society participants of the CSM. This two-days forum is a fundamental moment and space for the CSM. At the Forum, CSOs are able to debate, consolidate, articulate and finalise their positions that will be shared and brought to the CFS Plenary Session. Prior to the Annual Forum the CSM Coordination Committee (CC) holds its annual meeting. The Forum is as well a space for accountability, where CC members report to all participating CSOs about their work, performance and activities. Finally the CSM forum is the space to assess the past processes, to consolidate the common positions for the present and to identify the key challenges and steps forward for the future. If you want to receive the CSM Forum agenda and background documents via email, please write to: csmforum2017@gmail.com Draft Agenda CSM Forum 7-8 October 2017 Red Room, FAO HQs Saturday 7 October 2017 08:00 – 09:00 Registration 09:00 – 10:30 Opening Political analysis of CFS and overview of Key debates in 2017 Report from the Forestry Negotiations 10:30 – 11:00 Break 11:00 – 13:00 Discussion for political strategies of civil society at CFS and beyond. Short inputs and initial debate on: · criminalization of social movements and shrinking space for civil society: strategies to address the causes; · the struggle for women’s rights and gender equality; · comprehensive policy responses to situations of famine, food crises and their root causes; · the struggle for agroecology: the paths ahead · strategies to fight violations of the right to food and nutrition and to promote human rights based monitoring and accountability; 13:00 – 14:30 Lunch break 14:30 – 16:15 Parallel Working Groups (to finalize contributions to CFS 44, nominate spokespersons, discuss advocacy strategy for CFS 44 and strategies beyond): · Sustainable Forestry · SDG and global food security situation, famines and food crises · Monitoring · Urbanization and Rural Transformation 16:15 – 16:45 Break 16:45 – 18:30 Parallel Working Groups (to finalize contributions to CFS 44, nominate spokespersons, discuss advocacy strategy for CFS 44 and strategies beyond): · Nutrition · Critical and Emerging Issues/MYPoW · Women’s empowerment · Plan of Action to CFS evaluation/ GSF Sunday 8 October 2017 09:00 – 10:30 Presentation of results from Working Groups: main

CFS 44 Plenary Session 9 – 13 October 2017

03 Oct 2017 Events / News

CFS 44 Plenary Session 9 – 13 October 2017 09/10/2017 – 13/10/2017 The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is the foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform for all stakeholders to work together to ensure food security and nutrition for all. Using a multi-stakeholder, inclusive approach, CFS develops and endorses policy recommendations and guidance on a wide range of food security and nutrition topics. Provisional Agenda and Provisional Timetable List of Documents CFS 44 Side Events Timetable More detailed information on CFS 44 Important: Deadline for expression of interest 23.59 Rome time on 18 September 2017 For expressions of interest for CFS 44 submitted before 1 September 2017, approval emails will be sent out between 4-5 September 2017 For those submitted after 1 September 2017, approval emails will be sent out between 21-22 September 2017 If no response is received during the above indicated dates, the expression of interest was not successful. CFS does not fund participation. If you are a representative of a civil society organization, academic/research institution or a private sector entity interested in attending the 44th Session of the CFS please follow the following instructions. Go to this link to access the registration and follow the steps below: If you have an account Click sign in and enter your username and password to submit your individual expression of interest as usual. Please check the list of participants from your organization and select if this is the case. For the time being, you will still have to upload an ID picture and a passport copy again. If you don’t have an account 1. Please click on register to create an account. 2. Make sure you remember both username and password chosen. 3. When you input the information and click “Save”, you will be redirected to the log-in page. 4. Once you log-in, you will automatically go to the individual form in order to submit your registration. Valid ID picture and passport copies are requested (please read below the requirements). 5. If you have problems or cannot submit the individual expression of interest, you can always come back to this page, and sign in with your username and password to submit the individual expression of interest. 6. You will receive a final confirmation that you have successfully registered for the desired event within the indicated dates (please read above). Photo ID requirements • Plain white background. • Full face frontal view

Outcomes of the CFS Forum on Women’s Empowerment

30 Sep 2017 News

For more information on this process click here Chair’s Summary of the Forum: (Photo credits FAO) CFS Forum on Women’s Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition – Chair’s Summary with Draft Outcomes Gender equality, women’s rights and women’s empowerment are central to achieving the CFS vision of fostering the progressive realization of the right to adequate food, achieving food security for all, by raising levels of nutrition, improving agricultural productivity and natural resource management, and improving the lives of people in rural areas with full and equitable participation in decision-making. Without achieving gender equality, the full realisation of, women’s rights and women’s economic, social and political empowerment, especially for rural women, food security and nutrition will not be achieved. The focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment is explicit across all the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), both as a stand-alone goal – SDG 5 – and throughout the Agenda 2030. The objective of the CFS Forum on Women’s Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition (the ‘Forum’) was to discuss the challenges that remain in realizing women’s empowerment, and to promote a shared understanding of how they are evolving in the context of food security and nutrition. The morning session focused on identifying emerging challenges and persisting barriers to women’s empowerment and on legal and policy instruments intended to overcome them. The key messages that emerged from the discussions are synthesized in the following points: (a) The role of women as knowledge bearers and agents of transformation towards more sustainable production systems, including agroecology; (b) The importance of self-association and the role of social movements to promote women’s empowerment, gender equality and women’s rights through women’s leadership and equal participation in decision-making at all levels; (c) The importance of eradicating gender stereotypes and structural discrimination as a pre-condition to address power imbalances; (d) The need to expand the concept of gender disaggregated data beyond statistics and incorporate women’s real life experiences; (e) The importance of recognizing women’s unpaid care and productive work; (f) The importance of political will to foster a cultural change towards the full realization of women’s rights; (g) The need to implement, monitor and adequately resource through gender budgeting the existing normative frameworks as the major contribution to advancing women’s empowerment, women’s rights and gender equality and eliminating all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls; (h) The importance

ETC and CSM Webinar

15 Sep 2017 Events / News

THE FUTURE SHAPE OF THE FOOD CHAIN Update on Agribusiness Mega-Mergers and Food Security CSM and ETC Group Webinar for Delegates from Permanent Representations to the UN in Rome and Staff or RBAs. 60-minute webinar led by Pat Mooney, Neth Daño and Joana Chelo of ETC Group. Last Year at CFS 43, we alerted delegates to the three mega-mergers taking place in the agricultural input sector: Dow-Dupont, ChemChina-Syngenta and Bayer-Monsanto. The increased consolidation in the US$97 billion commercial seeds and agrochemical market is part of a larger trend of consolidation all along the Food Chain. This Webinar will provide updates and foresight on ongoing corporate mergers and acquisitions all along the Food Chain, from giant seed and agrochemical companies to a handful of even bigger fertilizer and farm machinery companies. It will answer the questions: Where will these mergers end up? Who will control the Food Chain? What does this mean for Food Security? JOIN US September 21 12:00-13:00 (CESTime) RSVP click here or send an email to cso4cfs@gmail.com Download Flyer here

CSM Informational Meeting 19 September 2017

14 Sep 2017 Events / News

The CSM Working Group on Forestry kindly invites you to a CSM Informational Meeting A win-win for the Right to Food, livelihoods and the environment CSM proposals for Forestry and FSN 19 September 2017 14.00-15.30 German Room The event is open to all members, participants and observers of the CFS, and staff members of the Rome-based Agencies. Download the Flyer!

Latest News on the Process for the CFS Plan of Action for the Evaluation!

09 Jun 2017 News

CFS Evaluation Background information The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) commissioned an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the CFS reforms that were initiated in 2009. In October 2013 at its Fortieth Session, the Committee endorsed the recommendation to conduct periodic assessments of CFS effectiveness in improving policy frameworks, especially at country level, and in promoting participation of and coherence among stakeholders on food security and nutrition. At the same session, the Committee decided that an evaluation of the progress of the reforms should be conducted including progress made towards the overall objective of the CFS and its three outcomes. The purpose of the evaluation as set out in the Concept Note endorsed by the Bureau of the CFS is to: Produce evidence regarding whether CFS, as a multi stakeholder forum, is achieving the vision outlined in the Reform Documents and its expected outcomes; Assess the extent to which CFS is performing its roles outlined in the Reform Document, efficiently and effectively, and if so, with what impact; Review the working arrangements, including the multi-year programme of work of CFS in order to assess how the decision-making processes and planning may be impacting effectiveness; Propose forward-looking recommendations to enable CFS to respond effectively to the emerging food security and nutrition challenges, to further strengthen it comparative advantages and to enhance its leadership role in improving global food security and nutrition; and Generate learning regarding multi-stakeholder collaboration, to which the CFS represents a possible model to be replicated. Process 2017 [content_timeline id=”36″] 26 and 28 July Global discussions on the CFS Evaluation Plan of Action (Recommendations 4,8 and 9) Agenda Draft Plan of Action 20 July CFS Advisory Group and Bureau meeting Revised draft Consultation Report Preliminary CSM Contributions 11 and 14 of July Global discussions on the CFS Evaluation Plan of Action Draft Agendas 11 and 14 of July Draft consultation report that presents the results of the consultation process conducted in June-September 2017 for the preparation of the evaluation plan of action leading up to CFS 44 with the responses to the evaluation recommendations that are planned for submission at CFS 44 The draft Roadmap for the preparation of the Plan of Action_30 June 2017 that presents the strategy to prepare the responses to the evaluation recommendations that are not planned to be presented at CFS 44 The categorization of the recommendations, according to whether they are:

CFS response to worsening food security situation in the world

24 May 2017 News

CFS response to worsening food security situation in the world 8 January 2019 CFS Chair letter on the situation in Yemen 9 October 2017 CSM opening statement on famines and food crisis at CFS 44th Plenary Session 17 May 2017 CFS Chair letter to all CFS Stakeholders regarding the impending famines in northeastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen CFS Video Message 3 May 2017 CFS Advisory Group and Bureau Meeting CSM Contribution to the Advisory Group and Bureau Meeting of 3 May on this topic Outcomes of the extraordinary meeting of 12 April 12 April 2017 CSM contribution to the extraordinary meeting of the Advisory Group and Bureau called by the CFS Chair “CFS response to worsening food security situation in the world” CSM shares deep concern about the worsening food-security and nutrition situation in several countries, particularly the food and nutrition emergencies in South Sudan, Yemen, Somalia and northern Nigeria. According to the UN, these might lead to a humanitarian catastrophe in the coming months, threatening more than 20 million people with famine, and with high risks to many more people in several other countries as well. All told, at the beginning of 2017, the number of people in acute hunger requiring live saving food assistance is 108 million, a 35% increase from 2015. We welcome the initiative of the CFS Chair for this extraordinary meeting of the CFS Bureau and Advisory Group, and believe that this could develop the common understanding needed to take joint action by the CFS. Certainly, the CFS cannot be silent in such situations. The CFS is not an operative body for humanitarian response and cannot contribute much on the operational level. However, the CFS is the foremost inclusive intergovernmental and international platform on food security and nutrition, and CFS can—and must—make its substantial contribution in line with its mandate. The humanitarian and development actors in the bureaus and the field need to see a CFS response to such global urgencies having such a tremendous impact on the human right to food of millions of people. Governments and specialized international organizations must adopt all needed measures to ensure food accessibility to those who are the most affected and vulnerable. Special attention must be given to women who are even more impacted during disasters, conflicts and wars. They must be particularly supported in their critical roles in these severe crises. This moment calls for CFS to

2nd HLPE Note on Critical and Emerging Issues

03 May 2017 News

2nd HLPE Note on Critical and Emerging Issues May 2016 As requested by the Committee on World Food Security of the United Nations (CFS) on the 2nd of August 2016, the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) has produced second note on “Critical and Emerging Issues for Food Security and Nutrition”. This note will be presented during the the 44th Plenary Session of the CFS, in October 2017. This note is the result of a dedicated, extensive process, launched by the HLPE in August 2016 that involved a wide range of knowledge institutions and comprised an open public enquiry, 3 conferences co-organized with specific institutions that allowed direct interaction between different knowledge holders and political decision-makers, as well as a scientific, external peer-review on a first draft of this note. The whole process is fully transparent and detailed in the documents available at this page: The 2nd Note on Critical and Emerging Issues for Food Security and Nutrition; A Synthesis of the contributions received, outlining the objectives of the study and the methodology adopted to analyze the inputs; The full proceedings of the Enquiry The outcomes of the 3 conferences Columbia University (5 May 2016) Hohenheim University (27 September 2016) Agropolis (1 December 2016) The HLPE Steering Committee hopes that this second note will help progress towards enhanced FSN in the overall framework of the 2030 Agenda. The HLPE Steering Committee wishes to thank all the experts and the organizations/institutions who contributed to this process. December 2016 Critical and Emerging Issues Open Inquiry – 2016 Edition The deadline is postponed to the 2nd of December!!!!! The High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE), is launching, at the request of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) a study on critical and emerging issues in the area of food security and nutrition, to inform the work of the CFS. This work is in line with one of the key functions of the HLPE, science-policy interface of the CFS, which is to “identify emerging issues, and help members prioritize future actions and attentions on key focal areas”. By definition, emerging issues are challenging to identify. This is why the HLPE seeks to involve very largely the scientific and knowledge community by requesting this community, in its wide diversity, to provide documented inputs on those issues which are considered critical and emerging for

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