CFS Policy Convergence Products Database

Implementing an appropriate policy and regulatory framework to encourage the private sector and the consumers to take steps towards reducing FLW, for instance by designing and implementing appropriate instruments and by promoting diversity of food chains.

Promoting investment and innovations based on traditional and scientific knowledge to reduce FLW, considering various sustainable agriculture approaches recalling the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems and in particular principle 6.

Support these national processes in collaboration with partners by promoting methodological approaches adapted to country specificities and based on systematic and intersectoral approaches to take into account potential complementarity between food chains.

Supporting and promoting initiatives to minimize fish discard and post-harvest losses and waste at all steps of the fish value chain.

Take effective steps to reduce FLW

Promote and support the implementation of the 'Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication' (VGSSF), with respect to food security and nutrition.

Take into account the requirements of small-scale fisheries in the design and implementation of national and international policies and programmes related to fisheries, including investment plans, as appropriate.

Strive to develop, promote and facilitate fish trade in support of food security and nutrition, while avoiding creation of tariff and non-tariff barriers.

Promote the development and implementation of south-south as well as north-south cooperation, to encourage sharing and learning experiences in aquaculture.

Promote the inclusion of food security and nutrition in the objectives of policies and mechanisms related to fish trade.

Support local organizations to foster the integration of small-scale fisheries into the decision-making processes.

Recognize the specific contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security and nutrition.

Enhance fish market's and trade's contribution to food security and nutrition

Recognize the contribution of small-scale fisheries

Financial services. Improve regulatory conditions and financial infrastructure to strengthen smallholder access to a full range of financial services adapted to their needs, with attention to the particular challenges faced by women and youth in this regard. Relevant financial services include safe deposits, monetary transactions and remittances, mobile financial services, sustainable micro, short and long-term credit, public insurance schemes (including indexed insurance), commodity exchange and warehouse receipt systems. Reduce financial risks, lower transaction costs and facilitate long-term investments, ' such as for field operations equipment, food processing and other value-adding activities on smallholder farms. As appropriate, relax liquidity constraints on working capital expenditures (e.g. fertilizers, seeds) as well as on medium and long-term investments while avoid worsening smallholder farmers' debt burden. Support such measures by appropriately designed, well targeted fiscal measures. All the above mentioned measures of this paragraph should be implemented in accordance with international commitments.

Promote investment of and for smallholders. Improve policies, markets and institutions to foster economic opportunities for smallholders. Mitigate excessive price volatility and non-transferable smallholder risks using public policy instruments in accordance with international commitments. Develop and/or improve value chains and enable smallholders to be full participants in the value chains of their choice. Ensure legal and fair business practices amongst all parties and increase the negotiating capacity of smallholders. This calls for continued development of policy measures and technical guidelines and tools, including for contract farming and public'private partnerships, in consultation with smallholder organizations, the expertise of relevant UN organizations and other centres of expertise.

Access to markets. Support, in accordance with international commitments, the development of, and access to, markets, distribution and marketing systems and mechanisms that are remunerative for smallholders and rural economies. Recognize the importance of non-monetary exchanges of products and services, the importance of local food systems for smallholders including their potential for supplying school and institutional feeding programmes. Create appropriate linkages and engage smallholder farmers, men and women, along value-chains, especially in local, national and regional markets. Enable and stimulate cooperation between smallholders, for instance, via cooperatives or other approaches for market organization that benefit smallholders in accordance with international commitments.

Investing beyond the farm. Promote public investment and encourage private investment to develop a decentralised, rural, non-farm economy to support smallholders' access to alternative sources of income, thereby further consolidating the farming economy and contributing to improved food security and nutrition. This encompasses investment in capacity building and entrepreneurship development, where appropriate and particularly targeting young women and men, for employment in a modernized agriculture as well as in other related activities and labour markets. It also requires promoting investment for new business development.

Promote access to available technologies that help improve the quality of smallholders' production. Take into consideration the specific constraints of smallholders in relation to sanitary and phytosanitary regulations and enable their access to the programs and supplies needed for compliance.

Governments and other stakeholders are encouraged to implement policies and investments for the production of biofuels and food in accordance with national development strategies and multilateral agreements applicable to food security. Special attention should also be given to the situation of vulnerable groups and small scale food producers.