FOOD SYSTEM DIALOGUE

“Co-Creating Clean, Green, Fair & Sustainable Food System in India:

Mutual journey with diverse thought”

As India charts its course towards 2030 and beyond, the nation’s food system grapples with a complex web of challenges. These challenges encompass mounting pressures on precious natural resources such as soils, water, air, and forests, as well as the relentless impacts of climate change on them. Simultaneously, the landscape of land ownership is fragmenting, urbanization is on the rise, and the scourge of malnutrition among children still persists as a big problem. India’s food system presents a dichotomy, boasting substantial surpluses while simultaneously harbouring a high prevalence of malnutrition among both women and children. This duality reflects the inherent fragility of the system.

In response to this urgent need and to discuss the possible and innovative solutions, we are pleased to announce the organization of a Food System Dialogue on the theme titled “Co-creating a Clean, Green, Fair, and Sustainable Food System in India: A Mutual Journey with Diverse Perspectives”. The dialogue is proposed to be organised at the Russi Modi Centre for Excellence in Jamshedpur on the 15th of December, 2023.  

The Food Systems Dialogues is a structured discussion where different stakeholders including farmers, policymakers, food producers, consumers, and representatives of existing food industries address the issues of food production, distribution, consumption, and sustainability. Through this Food System dialogue, our aim is to reach a conclusion on how to advance this movement with an inclusive approach.

The key objectives of food system dialogue are: –

• To discuss about required transformation of the existing food systems to deliver healthy, sustainable and affordable diets/food as a pathway towards ending hunger and malnutrition in all its forms, contributing to achieving Sustainable Development; and
• Engage key stakeholders in a dialogue focused on integrating food systems with ecological farming, addressing challenges in processing, marketing, and consumption while prioritizing fair pricing.

The dialogue will help enable to: –

• Recognize the rationale for positioning the health and nutrition of people at the centre of policies and programmes to transform food systems leaving no one behind;
• Map action points to engage at policy level for framing conducive policies that support fair pricing and ecological farming practices, contributing to a more supportive regulatory environment.
• Learn innovative and sustainable solutions for the challenges behind processing, marketing, and consumption.
• Foster collaborations between different actors in the ecological farming supply chain, encouraging partnerships that enhance overall sustainability.

AGENDA

“Clean Green, and Fair food system in the present scenario (Challenges, fair & inclusive livelihood, policy gap and benefits of natural & indigenous product).”

Integrating regional food system dialogues promotes inclusivity, knowledge sharing, data exchange, capacity building, and policy alignment within the broader food system. It enhances the global food system dialogue by acknowledging and integrating regional diversity in experiences, challenges, and solutions. A policy framework is essential for nurturing a resilient, sustainable agro-ecological food system. Recognizing the importance of food system consumption is crucial for individuals, communities and society at large.

Desired Outcome

A document will be prepared on agro ecological value chain and policy recommendations to fthe gap in political lobbying for this cause.