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Key messages of this conference Policies against Hunger VIII, 2010

Key messages of this conference

1. Joint responsibility requires coordinated action within the framework of the CFS as a global platform

Anna Lartey in conversation. Photo: Bernd Eidenmüller

The CFS was strengthened by this conference as the platform for the global coordination of food security and nutrition. The participative approach of the reformed CFS, which allows for the involvement of all relevant stakeholders – not only governments and the United Nations but also civil society, science and industry – in the shaping of global food policy, was assessed very positively. The CFS must now meet the high expectations and provide tangible results.  Participants called for final resolutions to be passed on the decision-making architecture (High Level Panel of Experts, Civil Society Organisation Mechanism), for a decision to be made on the process for developing the Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition, for the CFS to assume a leading role in the mapping of food security strategies and for significant progress to be made with difficult subjects such as the access of disadvantaged groups to productive resources such as land.

2. National, regional, local and global strategies for food security should be closely coordinated and aligned to the right to food

The necessity for national, regional and local strategies to be closely coordinated with the global level was underlined. In this context, the CFS has the mission to focus on the national and regional best practices that are already functioning and to build on them. The participants explicitly emphasised the significance of the right to food and the necessary accountability. They demanded that the right to food be declared a guiding principle of the Global Strategic Framework to be developed by the CFS and emphasised that the CFS should establish a monitoring mechanism that measures national policies under the indicators set by the Voluntary Guidelines on the Right to Food.  A number of participants also asked for food security strategies to be focussed more on gender and youth aspects.

The process for drawing up Voluntary Guidelines for Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land and other Natural Resources at the FAO was supported unanimously.

3. A framework for responsible private sector involvement should be created and access to land improved

Conference room. Photo: Bernd Eidenmüller

Within the scope of the discussion on responsible private sector involvement it was recognised that private investments can play an important role in improving food security, provided that they are aimed at improving income and employment levels in the local population, increasing food production and improving access to food.

To promote food security, the cooperation between the private sector, governments, the local population and civil society should be strengthened.

4. Nutrition aspects should be integrated into strategies against hunger

The proposal to better integrate the subject of nutrition – i.e. a healthy diet idea adapted to people's needs – into future food security strategies was unanimously supported. This requires, among other things, the development of uniform standards and indicators that are also linked to human rights and gender aspects and take account of the necessity to consider food security, care and health together. In addition to this, the CFS and the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition (SCN) should cooperate closely, and strengthening the SCN could also be of great benefit.

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