Indigenous peoples food systems

Indigenous Peoples food systems

Wednesday, 26th July, 14:30-16:00

The 2021 UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS21) provided an historic opportunity for humanity to transform the current unsustainable way we eat to a more sustainable one. At a result of the UNFSS21, 32 global Coalitions emerged and committed to the sustainable transformation of food systems, including the first-ever Coalition on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems. During the UNFSS21, several actors recognised the game-changing nature of Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems, including the Scientific Group of the UNFSS21 and the UN Deputy Director. The Coalition on Indigenous Peoples´ Food Systems was established to enable Indigenous Peoples to work with FAO Members, the United Nations, the private sector, bilateral and multilateral development institutions, and all other actors to build healthy, equitable and sustainable food systems. Our Coalition works to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are engaged as partners in the post UNFSS21 process and that the work of food systems transformation will be carried out in a way that recognises and respects their rights to self-determination and collective ownership of lands, territories, resources and knowledge.

Two years after the UNFSS21, the Secretary-General is convening a global Stocktaking Moment (STM) meeting in 24-26 July 2023 at FAO HQ, to review progress of actions undertaken so far by the Coalitions. It has been two years since the emergence of our coalition and year after the official launching at the Boaššu FoodLab, an Indigenous territory co-hosted by the Sámi people in Norway (Association of World Reindeer Herders) and FAO during the World Food Forum in October 2022. It is time to share what we have been doing and what can we offer to a world affected by multiple crises.

The session will focus on the following objectives:

Present the Coalition on Indigenous Peoples´ Food Systems and the progress it has made in line with the objectives of the United Nations Food Systems Summit.
Present key Indigenous Peoples’ game-changing practices and lessons that can be scaled up to transform our current unsustainable food systems in an era of climate change, biodiversity loss and conflict.
Explore a way forward with governments and key actors to build sustainable food systems and up-taking learned lesson from Indigenous Peoples´ food systems.

The Coalition on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems is a unique policy and implementation mechanism led by Indigenous Peoples and that brings together the UNPFII through its Chair, Indigenous leaders from the seven socio-cultural regions, seven FAO Members, and UN Agencies to advance on the respect, preservation and promotion of Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems worldwide. FAO has been a key ally and now it hosts our secretariat.

The Special Event is an opportunity to learn from our work and explore potential synergies to achieve the goals of our Coalition and the UNFSS21. We will present some of the key actions we have defined as part of our current and organic working plan in some thematic areas such as School Meals programmes, Indigenous Peoples’ biocentric restoration, Certification and labelling schemes for Indigenous Peoples’ foods, resilience and adaptation strategies, water security, healthy diets and a healthy planet, while ensuring collective rights and making space for collective work by co-creating knowledge and strategies with Indigenous Peoples’ supporters.