2 May 2016: Held under the auspices of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), an informal consultation addressed the zero draft of a set of recommendations on connecting smallholders to markets, in preparation for the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) taking place from 8-9 June 2016, at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), in Rome, Italy.

The informal consultation was held on 28 April 2016, at FAO headquarters. Discussions focused on: local food systems and markets; nutrition and smallholders’ access to markets; institutional procurement; and smallholders in transition. Participants discussed areas of convergence on the zero draft, including calls to: examine the impact of global markets and take account of other markets in which smallholders operate; ensure that the proposed recommendations are evidence-based; address the lack of data on informal markets; and highlight public policies to support smallholders in meeting new challenges. Areas of divergence included references to international trade and access to water and sanitation and health services.

The amended zero draft will be forwarded to the OEWG session, to be held in June. The OEWG was established at the request of the CFS 42nd Plenary session held in October 2015, which called for a set of policy recommendations and good practices to be considered at CFS 43 in October 2016. [IISD RS Coverage of the Informal Consultation] [Meeting Documents] [CFS Website]