CFS Policy Convergence Products Database

States should put in place adequate and functioning mechanisms of early warning to prevent or mitigate the effects of natural or human-made disasters. Early warning systems should be based on international standards and cooperation, on reliable, disaggregated data and should be constantly monitored. States should take appropriate emergency preparedness measures, such as keeping food stocks for the acquisition of food, and take steps to put in place adequate systems for distribution

States are invited to consider establishing mechanisms to assess nutritional impact and to gain understanding of the coping strategies of affected households in the event of natural or human-made disasters. This should inform the targeting, design, implementation and evaluation of relief, rehabilitation and resilience building programmes.

States should make every effort to ensure that refugees and internally displaced persons have access at all times to adequate food. In this respect, States and other relevant stakeholders should be encouraged to make use of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement when dealing with situations of internal displacement.

In the case of natural or human-made disasters, States should provide food assistance to those in need, may request international assistance if their own resources do not suffice, and should facilitate safe and unimpeded access for international assistance in accordance with international law and universally recognized humanitarian principles, bearing in mind local circumstances, dietary traditions and cultures

States may wish to establish mechanisms to monitor and evaluate the implementation of these guidelines towards the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security, in accordance with their capacity and by building on existing information systems and addressing information gaps

States reaffirm the obligations they have assumed regarding the protection, safety and security of humanitarian personnel

Food should never be used as a means of political and economic pressure.

Food supply chains play a crucial role in human health, and resilience and economic, social and environmental sustainability of food systems, including ecosystem restoration. Food supply chains - from production, storage and post-harvest handling, processing and packaging, distribution to the point of consumption, and marketing - operate at multiple and assorted scales, structures, and levels, from simple to highly complex, from local to global, involving many food system actors. The decisions made by the actors at any stage have implications on the availability, affordability, [...]

Food safety is foundational to all parts of the food system and is critical to prevent and control the introduction of potential food safety hazards, including biological, chemical, and physical hazard, which may result in illness and death, such as food-borne pathogens, naturally occurring toxins, contaminants, including heavy metals, pesticides residues, residues of veterinary drugs, residues of antimicrobials, recognizing and using the CODEX Alimentarius Commission standards, guidelines and recommendations about food safety, OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code and OIE Aquatic Animal [...]

Gender relations and cultural norms are among the most significant drivers of hunger, malnutrition and unhealthy diets, particularly for women and girls. In many countries, women and girls produce food, make decisions about the household’s diet and influence the nutritional status of household members. Women are important agents for sustainable development as food system actors, but also as actors in their households, communities and countries. At the same time, women and girls are unequally burdened with responsibilities for unpaid care and domestic work and often face significantly [...]

It is important to consider, establish, maintain and protect the range and diversity of food cultures, social norms, relations, and traditions that contribute to healthy diets through sustainable food systems without undermining progress in gender equality. This section outlines the policy entry points to promote healthy diets through supporting people to improve their knowledge, awareness, education, and the quality of information available, motivations, skills and sustainable practices empowering key actors. Context-specific programmes and promotion of the healthy aspects of [...]

Food environments comprise foods available and accessible to people in their surroundings and the nutritional quality, safety, price, convenience, labelling and promotion of these foods. These environments should ensure that people have equal and equitable access to sufficient, affordable, safe and nutritious foods that meet dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life, considering the various physical, social, economic, cultural, and political factors that influence that access. For many people, access to healthy diets can be problematic as they may not be [...]

. Linking food security and nutrition during humanitarian crises (human induced, conflicts, disasters including those induced by climate change, natural disasters, epidemics/pandemics) with long tem strategies in accordance with international humanitarian law, universally agreed human rights instruments, and national legislation, is essential to strengthen the resilience of food systems. Short or protracted crises displace millions, and increase their risk of food insecurity and malnutrition. The critical focus in these crises is identifying the balance between immediate food security [...]

Provide the institutional and financial requirements and policy support to integrate resilience enhancing dimensions of forests and trees into agricultural and food security and nutrition policies and programs

Increase investment in research to establish, promote and upscale good practices in agriculture, forestry and agroforestry systems within integrated landscape mosaics

Promote forest conservation, regeneration of native forests and restoration of degraded forests, where appropriate, as well as the development of agroforestry systems;

Respect, protect and fulfil the rights of women in the forestry and agricultural sectors and tackle gender disparities which negatively impact FSN

Provide incentives for the provision of forest-based ecosystem services that benefit sustainable agriculture and FSN.

In accordance with the UN General Assembly Political Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) (September/2016), the WHO Global Action Plan on AMR, FAO Resolution 4/2015, and OIE, CODEX Alimentarius and WHO guidelines and standards, in respect of the One Health approach and in the spirit of FAO, OIE, WHO collaboration, promote the prudent and responsible use of antimicrobials in agriculture and prevent their unnecessary use, including the phasing out of use of antibiotics for animal growth promotion in the absence of risk analysis

Improve animal health management including biosafety and biosecurity, particularly focusing on infectious diseases, zoonosis, and reducing exposure to environmental hazards, by following OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) standards, and the One Health approach

Improve animal welfare delivering on the five freedoms and related OIE standards and principles, including through capacity building programmes, and supporting voluntary actions in the livestock sector to improve animal welfare

Develop and foster innovation that addresses challenges in achieving sustainable agricultural development in livestock systems, including through collaborative and participatory research, transfer of knowledge and capacity building

Promote access to and the use of digital technologies, including for precision agriculture, and foster their appropriate application for sustainable agricultural development

Enable access to veterinary and extension services, vaccinations, medications, including antimicrobials, adapted to the specific livestock production systems

Support the protection and strengthening of traditional knowledge systems which promote sustainability and the use of experiential knowledge in research and development

Promote global collaboration for collection and dissemination of relevant and disaggregated data, especially by sex

Promote access to good quality feed, and facilitate training on sustainable feeding practices.

Review and implement water policies and strategies, as appropriate, so that they are comprehensive and incorporate FSN concerns across sectors, and promote transparency and accountability by all actors for their impact on water for FSN, thus contributing to the progressive realization of both the right to safe drinking water and sanitation and the right to adequate food in the context of national food security

Prevent and significantly reduce pollution, restore, depollute and protect water bodies from contamination and ensure water quality is preserved for domestic, agricultural and food-related uses, including through targeted incentives and disincentives

Encourage the collection of water related information in all sectors and, where appropriate, undertake evidence-based assessments of the current status and projections for water resources demand and supply, to plan and invest effectively to maximise long-term benefits for FSN

Promote an ecosystem approach and participatory mechanisms for the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of ecosystems, involving actors at the appropriate scales

Coordinate the policies of all major sectors related to water use including agriculture, land, energy and mining for enhanced FSN

Promote sustainable management and conservation of ecosystems for the continued availability, quality and reliability of water for FSN

Improve coherence between water and FSN related policies, strategies and plans

Consider water explicitly in developing and reviewing national FSN strategies

Enhance the coherence of relevant sectoral policies concerning water for FSN

Convene an inclusive process, as appropriate, that enables broad stakeholder participation, such as by private sector, civil society, local and subnational authorities, to enable stakeholders to identify causes of FLW, potential solutions, key actors, and priorities for individual and collective action. This requires identifying the stakeholders who would need to be engaged in the identification and implementation of solutions, including at subnational and local levels and throughout the food systems, costs implications and who will bear them, as well as potential benefits. It also requires identifying constraints and challenges and designing strategies to address them.

Assessing and improving, where relevant, public food procurement management and distribution policies and practices to minimize FLW while ensuring food safety and quality, safeguarding the environment, improving economic efficiency and pursuing social benefits, for instance facilitating access for small-scale food producers where appropriate.

Investing in infrastructure and other public goods and services to reduce FLW and promote sustainable food systems (e.g. storage and processing facilities, reliable energy supply, transport, appropriate technologies) and improved access by food producers and consumers to markets (e.g. improved market information and product knowledge).

Supporting small-scale food producers and processers and their organizations for better access to knowledge and innovation, markets, financial services, logistics (e.g. storage, processing, packaging, and transport) and other services which are important to reduce FLW.