Rangelands Initiative partners supporting and facilitating side events at the 46th Committee on Food Security (CFS), 2019
The Committee on Food Security (CFS) of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) meets on an annual basis at FAO headquarters in Rome. The CFS is the international and intergovernmental platform for working to ensure food security and nutrition for all. The Committee reports to the UN General Assembly through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and to FAO conference. The 46th session of the CFS was held between 14-18 October and a number of Rangelands Initiative partners supported and facilitated side events on rangelands and pastoralism.
On Tuesday 16th November a meeting of the World CSO Coordination Committee of the UN Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF) 2019-2028 was undertaken. ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), coordinator of the Rangelands Initiative of the International Land Coalition (ILC), attended the meeting on behalf of the International Support Group of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) who have observer status in the Committee.
Pastoralism is a sustainable food system benefiting billions of people around the world (Photo credit: Forum for Ecological Society, India)
The Committee provided an update on the development of national and regional actions plans of the UNDFF and progress on preparations for the decade. Several ILC members are involved in national committees for the UNDFF including in Kyrgyzstan and India, and the ILC Africa regional coordination unit is assisting in the establishment of committees in Africa, on which there will be a meeting in Douala, Cameroon on 4 and 5 December 2019.
International partners IFAD and FAO who launched the Decade in May are leading higher-level policy engagement and coordinating with member states on activities. The ILC Rangelands Initiative will be supporting the inclusion of pastoralists in the decade together with others including CELEP (Coalition of European Lobbies for Eastern African Pastoralism): see our Brief on Pastoralists as Family Farmers.
On Wednesday 17th November ILRI supported the Embassy of Mongolia in Rome to organize a meeting for delegates from the CFS to inform them about the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) and request their support. Attendees at the meeting included delegates from Iran – Mr Mohammed Emadi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to FAO and the Rome based agencies and chair of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) of FAO who it is anticipated will vote on the year next October – as well as from Spain, Namibia and Madagascar. The Ambassador of the Embassy of Mongolia in Rome provided a presentation on the year, and discussions took place on next steps including how to garner support for the year from other member states. Further updates on the IYRP can be found here.
ILRI also participated in a number of other events over the week, raising the profile of livestock and sustainable livestock production systems including a side event organized by the Global Alliance for Sustainable Livestock (GASL) and IFAD on enhancing food security through innovation in sustainable livestock systems – a presentation and discussion of innovative multi-stakeholder actions and examples of good practices.
On Friday the 19th October, the Pastoralist Knowledge Hub (PKH) of FAO and partner in the ILC Rangelands Initiative organized a side event focusing on “Pastoral mobility and working animal welfare in a changing landscape: Why policies should support adaptive initiatives to facilitate mobility, resource access and animal welfare. The session was opened by Mr Mohamed Hossein Emadi (as above) and included presentations from Mr Sibiri Jean Zoundi, Deputy Director of Sahel and West Africa Club of OECD, Mr Michael Odhiambo, Director of People, Land and Rural Development, Mr Engin Yilmaz, Director of Yolda Initiative, Verdiana Morandi of RETE Appia and WAMIP (World Alliance of Mobile Indigenous Peoples) and the World Horse Welfare. And included More information on the side event can be found here.
The ILC Rangelands Initiative global.is a global network of international and national ILC members and partners working to make rangelands more secure for local rangeland users. For more information contact: Fiona Flintan globalrangelandsinitiative.ilc@gmail.com