From October 14th to 18th, the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) and its representatives, led by the President, Theo de Jager, joined the 46th Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS46).
Under the overall theme “Accelerating progress on SDG2 to achieve all the SDGs” this year session hosted a wide range of side events and meetings. As every year WFO got involved in several panels and roundtables so ensuring that farmers’ voice was heard.
In a nutshell, it is what happened at CFS46!
17 October 2019 – Strengthening Agricultural Innovation Systems for Family Farming
The side event highlighted the importance of agricultural innovation for transforming food systems, lifting family farmers out of poverty and helping the world to achieve food security and sustainable agriculture and the Sustainable Development Goals. It underlined the need for multi-stakeholder processes to strengthen agricultural innovation systems and the central role that family farmers play within these processes.
The WFO President joined the panel, bringing into the debate the example of the Farmers’ Driven Climate Change Alliance. Delivering his speech, De Jager reminded that no farmer operates in a bubble and engaging in the multi-stakeholder process is the precondition for sustainably transforming food systems.
17 October 2019 – Antimicrobial resistance: everyone’s concern from farm to fork
Organised by FAO in collaboration with WFO and the Norwegian Farmers` Union, the side event hosted a multi-sectoral panel, involving those who play a crucial role in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The panellists explored how stakeholders, including international organisations, member states, farmers, civil society, private sector and research institutions, can reduce the risks of AMR as part of efforts to achieve global food security.
As representatives of the farming community, Gary Wertish, facilitator of the WFO Working Group on Livestock, presented the recently adopted WFO policy on AMR, while Bjørn Gimming presented the Norwegian farmers’ experience of an efficient production with fewer antibiotics.
By the end, it was clear that only working across the food chain is possible to overcome AMR.
18 October 2019 – Towards an International Digital Council for Food and Agriculture
The consultation, hosted and led by FAO within the framework of CFS46, is a follow-up of the mandate given to FAO (through the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) Communique) to draw up in consultation with stakeholders a concept note for the establishment of an International Digital Council for Food and Agriculture.
The meeting had a high-level panel comprising of Theo de Jager, President of the World Farmers Organisation (WFO); Kolloge Sabine, Head of Division 626 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, G7/G20, Policies against Hunger, The Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture (Germany); Cor Wattel, Researcher, Wageningen Economic Research and Mr Samuel Varas, FAO CIO Director. The high-level panel discussed the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation and the role the International Digital Council for Food and Agriculture could play.
As the representative of the farming community, the WFO President used the opportunity to reiterate that trust is the precondition to accelerate digital-driven agriculture, reminding that farmers want the ownership of their data.