Emergency solution or silver bullet? National pathways for food system transformation
Welthungerhilfe
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
WWF
Time: Friday, 20. January 2023, 09:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Room: A1
Language: English, German, French
Summary:
The use of “national pathways” as an instrument for transforming food systems is a central outcome of the United Nations Food Systems Summit. However, the delegation of responsibility to the national level is also an expression of the controversy surrounding a global governance system. Against this background, the expert panel will address the following questions: What can be achieved at the national level and how can the necessary transformation processes be designed to reach measurable and comparable results? Who has a voice at the negotiating table and how is the participation of vulnerable groups ensured? How must governance processes for transforming food systems be implemented and how can international cooperation actors such as the European Union or Germany provide targeted support for these processes? The aim of the expert panel is to approach these questions from the perspective of selected partner countries of European and German development cooperation (probably Ethiopia, Kenya, Cambodia).
Contributions from government representatives, farmers organisations and civil society actors of rural areas will be complemented by short inputs from the German government, the EU and research. As a concrete approach, recommendations from a study, commissioned by the EU, on the governance of food systems transformation will be mirrored with practical experiences from partner countries.
Scientific concepts and policy recommendations are numerous. The central problem in the transformation of food systems remains implementation and social acceptance. The expert panel would like to contribute concrete recommendations for action based on diverse practical experiences.
Panel Guests
He is an expert in agricultural policy development and development economics with specialities in rural development. He has an intimate understanding of the agricultural sector in Kenya and Eastern Africa and is well versed in the role of agriculture in the socio-economic transformation of African countries.
Dr. Mwendah M’Mailutha holds a PhD in International Development Policy and a Master’s in Public Policy from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, United States. Before that, he graduated from Kenya’s Egerton University with a BSc in Agriculture and Human Ecology. He also holds certificates in International Law, Business Administration, Leadership & Management, and Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) for development.
He has a wealth of professional experience, having worked as a field research assistant for Catholic Relief Services in former Sudan (now South Sudan), as a regional coordinator for KENAFF, and as a lecturer at the Kenya School of Government and Egerton University in Kenya. He has also held teaching positions as a graduate student in the USA (2006–2013). Additionally, he co-founded two prosperous enterprises in Kenya and South Sudan that catered to farmers.
Dr. Mwendah M’ Mailutha has a passion for dairy farming and apiculture and practices both in Nakuru County.
Dr. Sok Silo played an important role in the coordination and policies and strategies formulation related to food systems, food security and nutrition in Cambodia. He has actively led the dialogues and consultations in the development of the 2nd National Strategy for Food Security and Nutrition 2019-2023, the Cambodia’s Roadmap for Food Systems for Sustainable Development 2030 and the Country Operational Roadmap for the Global Action Plan on Child Wasting and many others.
Sara’s role involves providing strategic intelligence and steering, facilitation, coordination, representation and advocacy competencies to Alliance2015 members in Ethiopia. In terms of advocacy and representation, Sara represents the Alliance in several different key national-level dialogues and for a; for example, the Ethiopia food systems transformation pathway mechanism; and acting as co-chair for the National Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture forum/platform. She is also playing a role to empower the CSO partners who are working with the Alliance2015 members to be more effectively included and access improved pathways to influence, resources and skills and competency building.
Prior to this senior role, Sara has worked in both national and international non-governmental organizations including People In Need covering initiatives in sectors including job creation, women and child empowerment. Sara holds a Master’s degree in Geography and Environmental studies from Addis Ababa university.
Moderation