AFA participates in side event on women in agriculture

15 October 2012, Rome, Italy – Opening session of the 39th Session of the Committee on World Food Security CFS, FAO headquarters (Plenary Hall). ©FAO/Giulio Napolitano

The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) met for its 39th session last October 15-20, 2012 in Rome, Italy. During this meeting, the member governments endorsed the first version of the Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition (GSF) and approved the terms of reference (TOR) for an inclusive consultation process within CFS to develop and ensure broad ownership of principles for responsible agricultural investments or RAI.  The Civil Society Mechanism for CFS ( CSM) actively engaged in the discussions during the entire meeting. AFA  Secretary General Esther Penunia participated in some meetings and in a side event on the role of women in agriculture organized by the World Farmers Organization.

The member governments of CFS  noted that the GSF will “provide an over-aching framework and a single reference document with practical guidance on core recommendations for food security and nutrition strategies, policies and actions validated by the wide ownership, participation and consultation afforded by the CFS.”

9 October 2012, Rome, Italy. World Farmers Organization – The Role of Women in Agriculture. CFS 39 – Side Event. FAO headquarters (Malaysia Room). ©FAO/Marco Salustro

The CSM found positive aspects in the GSF document, especially its reference to the right to food, to  smallholder farmers, agriculture and food workers, artisanal fisherfolk, pastoralists, indigenous people and the landless, women and youth, and recognition of agro-ecology, among others. Since the GSF is not a legally binding document, the challenge is for national governments to promote and make use of the GSF when formulating strategies, policies and programmes on food security, nutrition, agriculture, fisheries and forests.

In the approved TOR for RAI, the  tentative schedule of the consultation process for the set of principles on RAI starts in November 2012, with the final version scheduled to be approved during the CFS Plenary meeting in 2014. Regional multi-stakeholder consultations, e- consultations and consultations within existing regional meetings/fora is tentatively scheduled in 2013. While small farmers and their organizations are categorized under private and public investors, separate from CSO, the TOR nevertheless states that  the consultation process should be open and include all stakeholders, and that adequate participation of CSOs and the private sector (of all sizes) should be ensured.

19 October 2012, Rome, Italy. World Farmers Organization – The Role of Women in Agriculture. Ms. Estrella Penunia. CFS 39 – Side Event. FAO headquarters (Malaysia Room). ©FAO/Marco Salustro

During the side event entitled “Role of Women in Agriculture,” Ms. Penunia delivered the following intervention: “A woman farmer produces food. She cooks and puts food on the family dining table. She also markets her family’s farm produce. She takes care of the health of the family. She is the first teacher of her children. She gives birth. For a woman farmer, these roles are interrelated, interconnected. Thus if we want to ensure food security and nutrition, and want to reduce hunger and poverty in the world, we have to respond to the needs of the woman farmer down at the household level so that she can perform effectively and efficiently her many roles as a woman farmer.”

Click here for the first version of the Global Strategic Framework (GSF)

Click here for the Final Report of CFS 39, which includes the TOR for RA

Click here for the link to the CFS 39 documents

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