FAO) has published a compilation of four working papers on food availability, access, stability, and utilization in the context of Greening the Economy with Agriculture (GEA).
The GEA Initiative seeks to contribute to the definition and implementation of the green economy with an emphasis on food security.
14 June 2012: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has published a compilation of four working papers on food availability, access, stability, and utilization in the context of Greening the Economy with Agriculture (GEA). The GEA publication, supported by the Federal Office for Agriculture of Switzerland, highlights the need for green jobs for smallholders, sustainability through nutritious diets, accounting for environmental and social impacts through full-cost pricing of food, and inclusive implementation through cross-sectoral cooperation.
The chapter on food availability and rural resource use in a green economy context describes planetary boundaries and natural resource limits, followed by a series of food production scenarios toward 2050. It presents a series of options for greening food and agriculture systems, and describes the implications of trade issues for food availability. It highlights opportunities posed by science and technological solutions for sustainable agriculture and options within international institutions and financial incentives.
The paper on rural livelihoods and rights in a green economy examines access to food through a human rights-based approach, access through knowledge and communication, access through decent green work and livelihoods, and access through entitlements, including safety nets. It calls for a scenario that moves away from reductionist commodification toward one that is holistic, builds on human rights, embraces and reflects human dignity and guarantees decent employment.
The paper on stability of food security addresses threats to food stability, measures to strengthen resilience, and policies institutions and finance.
The paper on improving food systems for sustainable diets stresses the need to preserve the diversity of traditional food systems, to take a food-based approach to nutrition security, and to improve sustainable efficiency of food chains. It also underlines the need to address sustainable consumption.
The GEA Initiative seeks to contribute to the definition and implementation of the green economy with an emphasis on food security. Its efforts have included a series of consultations, workshops and stakeholder consultations since early 2011. The GEA promotes dialogue among the agriculture, forestry and fisheries stakeholders on sustainable development strategies, and participation in the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) process. [Publication: Greening the Economy with Agriculture]