The CSIPM members of the CFS Advisory Group (AG) are elected by and within the CSIPM Coordination Committee every two years during the Annual Coordination Committee meeting and endorsed in the annual CSIPM Forum prior to the CFS Plenary. The CSIPM Advisory Group members perform two main important tasks:
advise the CFS Bureau on its policy decision-making processes by consolidating, facilitating communication and sharing the common positions of civil society organisations on CFS policy issues. By doing so, they help the CFS Bureau advancing the Committee’s objective and policy processes during the CFS intersessional period that goes from one Plenary to another;
inform and report back to the CSIPM Coordination Committee and CSIPM Policy Working Groups about CFS policy debates, outcomes and decisions taken by the CFS Bureau.
Their two-year mandate can be renovated only once for two more years. When the Coordination Committee elects the AG, at least 75% of the members should be from social movements and priority should be given to constituencies representing small food producers. Although only four CSIPM AG members can participate in each CFS Bureau and Advisory Group meeting, the CSIPM Coordination Committee can decide to elect more than four members to share the responsibility and rotate participation in the meetings.
In addition to the roles and responsibilities described above, the CSIPM AG members play roles related to the internal functioning of the CSIPM, as described in the Terms of Reference of the group.
CSIPM Advisory Group members
Patti Naylor | National Family Farm Coalition | United States
Perla Álvarez Brítez | CONAMURI and CLOC | Paraguay
Saima Zia | La Vía Campesina | Pakistan
Tyler Short | La Vía Campesina | United States
Khalid Khawaldeh | WAMIP | Jordania
Musa Sowe | ROPPA | Gambia
Magdalena Ackermann | SID | Argentina/Italy
Hala Barakat | HIC | Egypt
Mariam Mohammad | Coalition of Lebanese Civil Society and Arab Network for Food Sovereignty | Lebanon
Andre Luzzi | HIC | Brazil
Abdellah El Blihi | Arab Network for Food Sovereignty and National Confederation for traditional Fishing in Morocco| Morocco
Deirdre “Dee” Woods | The Landworkers Alliance | United Kingdom
Paula Gioia | La Via Campesina | Germany
Miriency González | MAELA | Colombia
Migdalia “Tai Pelli” Pellicier | International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) | Puerto Rico
Anders Oskal | Association of World Reindeer Herders (WRH) | Norway
This meeting will be focused on assessing the first week of virtual policy negotiations of the CFS Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition, that took place from 7 to 11 of September. The meeting will also discuss about the current agenda proposal prepared for the CFS High-level virtual event that will take place from 12 to 16 October 2020. The CFS Bureau meeting will also need to nominate a new Rapporteur for the process on Agroecological and other innovative approaches.
This last CFS AG and Bureau meeting before the institutional break in August will address the following topics: a) methodology and format of policy negotiations for 2020 (virtual format, hybrid format and in-presence format); b) the organisation of the CFS virtual events in October; c) the revised workplan for the upcoming workstream on Gender equality and Women’s empowerment; d) the presentation of the CFS analysis on the monitoring experiences gathered on the FFA; e) CFS Budget; f) IFAD data base on CFS recommendations; g) Workstream updates.
CFS Open Virtual Event on “Resilient Food Supply Chains and Workers’ health during COVID-19”
Guided by a discussion paper on Food Security and Worker’s Health during COVID-19, the virtual event will: a) Look into the vulnerabilities of the food system to COVID-19 with a focus on the perishables sector (e.g. fruits, dairy, vegetables, and meats); b) Spotlight existing guidance, policy papers, and other resources that aim at aiding food supply chain stakeholders in the management of the pandemic to minimize its potential collateral damage; c) Discuss existing gaps that are impeding the implementation of protective measures resulting in continued spread of the virus, disruption of food supply chains, and continued exposure of food workers; and, d) Identify and discuss efforts and ways of retooling economic activities and food supply chains to ensure these activities can continue in a safe manner. The outcomes of the discussion will be captured in a CFS Chairperson’s Summary for wider distribution to interested stakeholders.
CFS Advisory Group and Bureau Informal Working Group
A second meeting of this informal Working Group chaired by Spain was convened on July 2nd to identify the scope, title, format and timeline of the next CFS virtual event on Covid focused on Food supply chains and agricultural and food workers. This meeting falls within the activities listed under Strategic Objective 1 included in the workplan for a CFS policy response to Covid-19 .
The agreed title of the event is Resilient Food Supply Chains and Worker Health During COVID-19and will be taking place on July 21st.
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23 June 2020
CFS Advisory Group and Bureau meeting
This meeting will continue to discuss on the current proposals related to: a) the CFS 47th Plenary Session contingency plan; b) the proposals on the upcoming policy negotiations for 2020; c) and the CFS policy response to the Covid crisis. While the first two background documents are a revised version of those submitted for discussion by the CFS Secretariat on June 2nd and updated in light of the Advisory Group and Bureau discussions at the beginning of June, the third background document that informs the agenda item on a possible CFS policy response to Covid is the outcome of the discussions had at the informal Advisory Group and Bureau working group meeting on June 15th.
CFS Advisory Group and Bureau Informal Working Group
During the last meeting of 13 May 2020, a proposal was made to create an informal Working Group to further explore “COVID-19 and the role of CFS.” Based on the previous AG and Bureau discussions, and a Secretariat-drafted discussion paper, this Group was asked to develop an “Options Paper” for consideration at the next meeting of the Bureau and Advisory Group, scheduled for 23/24 June.
Participation in this informal Working Group is encouraged from all regional groups and Advisory Group constituencies. Given the brief window available before the next Bureau meeting (and other, ongoing Governing Body meetings), written submissions are expected to be sent by Thursday 11 of June.These inputs will be compiled into a draft “Options Paper” for discussion in a virtual Zoom call. From this discussion, a paper will be circulated by 17 June, and the Bureau will debate and decide next steps at its meetings of 23/24 June. Rafael Osorio of Spain has graciously volunteered to Chair this informal Working Group.
2 June 2020. Virtual meeting of the CFS Advisory Group and Bureau
This meeting has several substantial items in its agenda: a) A proposal for a contingency plan for the CFS 47th Plenary Session in light of the current Covid-19 situation; b) Potential roles for CFS in response to Covid-19 as a follow-up debate from the last meeting of 13 May; c) An option paper for the CFS policy negotiations originally scheduled for 2020; d) CFS Workstreams update. Please find here the agenda of the meeting. The CFS Bureau meeting will take place on June 5th.
13 May 2020. Virtual meeting of the CFS Advisory Group and Bureau
This meeting was originally scheduled to take place on May 6, with no subsequent Bureau meeting foreseen afterwords. Due to an overlapping FAO activity the meeting was postponed to May 13. The agenda puts at the centre the discussion on Covid-19, Food Security and Nutrition and the responses by CFS Advisory Group members to avert the global food crisis. The meeting should also address the workplan proposal for the workstream on Gender equality and women’s empowerment, and conclude with a brief exchange on the outcomes of the CFS Advisory Group reporting exercise.
13 May 2020. Virtual CFS Secretariat’s meeting on Covid-19
“Covid-19: Food Security and Nutrition Responses by CFS Advisory Group members to avert a global food crisis”
This CFS Secretariat’s initiative intended to offer an exchange on the current Covid-19 crisis and its impacts on food security and nutrition. The CFS Secretariat asked some selected members of the Advisory Group to share their perspectives, analysis and responses to avert the global food crisis. HLPE, FAO, IFAD, WFP, IFPRI (CGIAR) and WHO were invited to deliver contributions, media were also invited to attend as part of CFS Communication strategy and a section dedicated to Q&A was also foreseen at the end of the meeting.
17 April 2020. Virtual meeting of the CFS Advisory Group and Bureau
On April 17th morning the CFS Advisory Group and Bureau will hold a regular meeting. The main part of the discussion will be devoted to the agenda item related to the CFS workplan adjustments in light of the crisis. CSM has been arguing to change the rhythm of the ongoing policy processes to ensure inclusiveness, transparency and meaningful participation of the constituencies most affected and most contributing to food security and nutrition to the ongoing policy processes. Other agenda items foreseen are: a) the theme for the CFS 47th Plenary Session; b) the proposal for a final drafting of the report for CFS 47; c) a budget update; d) and a CFS workstream and activities update. The meeting will also include a brief exchange moment on the use and application of the VGGT and RAI, and the work done by FAO and IFAD on fostering the use and application of this policy outcomes. This CFS Chair initiative was welcomed by the CSM and might become a periodic moment of exchange during CFS Advisory and Bureau meetings. CSM also noticed that in the Bureau meeting agenda that will take place on the 17th afternoon, Bureau members are called to take a decision on the composition of the Advisory Group. The CSM Youth Working Group therefore will request the CFS Chair to address this item under Any Other Business in the Advisory Group and Bureau meeting.
Background document for the CFS Bureau meeting only on the composition of the Advisory Group available here.
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31 March 2020. Extraordinary virtual meeting of the CFS Advisory Group and Bureau
The CFS Chair convened an extraordinary CFS Bureau and Advisory Group Meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for UN Food Systems Summit, Agnes Kalibata. The exchanged aimed at better understanding CFS involvement in the Summit and to allow the Special Envoy to know better CFS composition, work and processes. Part of the meeting was also used to gather ideas among Advisory Group and Bureau members on how to revise CFS workplan for 2020 in light of the current crisis.
As a result of the extraordinary meeting convened last March 19th, a statement from Mr. Thanawat Tiensin, CFS Chair, was released on March 24th on COVID-19 Pandemic and its potential impacts on food security and nutrition. Read the Statement here
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19 March 2020. CFS Advisory Group and Bureau Extraordinary Virtual Meeting
The extraordinary meeting was convened by the CFS Chair to propose to exchange views on the Coronavirus pandemic and its impacts on food security and nutrition. The conversation helped the Chair to prepare a statement on the topic with the aim of mitigating further negative impacts on global food security and nutrition.
This is the first meeting of the new CFS Bureau led by the new CFS Chair Mr. Thanawat Tiensin (Thailand). The new CFS Bureau is composed by: African Region: Mali and Ecuatorial Guinee (Alternates: Cabo Verde and Senegal); Asian Region: India and Indonesia (Alternates: Bangladesh and Republic of Korea); European Region: France and Russian Federation (Alternates: Spain and Switzerland); GRULAG: Brazil and Dominican Republic (Alternates: Argentina and Costa Rica); Near East Region: Afghanistan and Mauritania (Alternates: Iran and Oman); North America: United States (Alternate: Canada); South West Pacific: New Zealand (Alternate: Australia)
The Bureau was tasked to appoint the new CFS Advisory Group, in light also of the CFS Plenary decision that recognises the RBAs as ex-officio members.
Please find here CFS Bureau Outcomes. The Bureau has elected Mr. Don Syme, the Permanent Representative of New Zealand, as CFS Vice-Chair for the biennium 2019-2021.
CSM Contributions to the CFS Joint Meetings of the Advisory Group and Bureau 2018-2019
20 September 2019 – CFS Bureau Meeting
The CFS Chair decided to not convene the joint Advisory Group and Bureau meeting foreseen for 18 of September 2019. The Bureau meeting was nevertheless kept on 20 September. Please find below the background documents informing the meeting and the related Bureau decisions: