For the UNFSS Pre-Summit, we wish to invite you to an affiliated event jointly organised by the Norwegian government and Andrew Mushita, UNFSS Food Champion and Executive Director of the Community Technology Development Trust, Zimbabwe.
From Africa, Andrew Mushita, convened a series of bottom-up, local to global dialogues, starting with farmers in Zimbabwe urging global leaders to recognize and institutionalise farmers’ roles and their contribution to local seeds and food systems. The series culminated in a global dialogue on 29 June, where multiple stakeholders provided recommendations in support of farmer managed seeds systems at the technical and policy levels (Report on local to regional dialogues).
From Norway, in a collaborative effort by Norwegian government agencies, research institutions and civil society organisations, the team proposed a game-changing idea to put farmers’ and indigenous peoples´ access to crop diversity first, in seed policy and practice for seed security. The Norwegian partners invited interested stakeholders and nations to a digital meeting on June 25 to explore this idea and the development of a strong seed security coalition towards and beyond the Summit for more information on Seed security at the UN Food Systems Summit).
The organizing teams now join forces in this UNFSS affiliated session, to discuss how to take both dialogues further: what are the next steps, how can we support the transformation to equitable and sustainable seeds to food systems, with farmers and indigenous peoples playing a central role?