On May 22, 2019, during its General Assembly in Luxembourg, the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) hosted a session of the Food Systems Dialogues (FSDs), a global series of facilitated round-table discussions that encourage collective action for transforming food systems.
All the participants in the WFO General Assembly were involved in the “Luxembourg Food Systems Dialogues” session, curated by Dr David Nabarro, 2018 World Food Prize laureate. It was a great opportunity to explore options for food systems transformation for farmers and agriculture around the world, emphasizing the links with food systems more broadly.
Approximately 90 participants attended, reflecting a range of actors working in Food Systems globally, from national farmers’ associations and agricultural cooperatives to private sector companies to major intergovernmental organizations. Tables were asked to present one or more proposals to address a specific area of food systems, with a global focus. Ideally, the proposals were to be achievable within 3 years. Participants were invited to join discussion groups around the following topics:
Proposal 1: Major intergovernmental organizations should highlight the problem of food loss and waste
Proposal 2: Farmers should receive compensation for supporting land conservation
Proposal 3: Farmers should be more closely involved in political decision-making to create their own solutions
Proposal 4: There should be increased knowledge and training for farmers
Proposal 5: Create an inventory of policies that link agriculture and food security
Proposal 6: Financial support should be provided to enable farmers to access innovative technology
Proposal 7: Strengthen farmer associations to ensure greater collective power