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27.01.2015 | permalink
Paper: Food security and sustainable agriculture in the post-2015 agenda
![A change of course in global agriculture is needed (Photo: CIAT/Flickr.com) Change](typo3temp/_processed_/sosnews_w220_hXmmPUabRQppbfNpymy4sKYXbn9tYHxQ7bVNyyKM.jpg)
World food security and the goal of changing course in global agriculture must become top priorities in the post 2015 development agenda. This is the key message of a new discussion paper published by Biovision - Foundation for Ecological Development, in cooperation with various other NGOs and institutions. The document outlines key concerns for the final stage of negotiations on the “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs). According to the paper, a world free from poverty, hunger and malnutrition, where the right to adequate food is realised for all people, cannot be achieved without a shift to resilient, diverse and productive agriculture and food systems, which are environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable, with a special emphasis on small-scale food producers and supporting their livelihoods. The organisations welcome the “Synthesis Report” published by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in December. However, they criticise that he failed to take up some important issues that are crucial to achieving food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture and food systems. These issues are: the need to double incomes of small-scale food producers; implement resilient agricultural practices; maintain genetic diversity of farmed animals, as well as seeds and cultivated plants; limit extreme food price volatility; cut food waste and food loss in half, and strive to achieve a land-degradation neutral world. The paper calls on stakeholders to ensure that these issues will be reflected in the post-2015 development agenda. In addition, the organisations warn against re-negotiating the outcome document of the Open Working Group (OWG) on SDGs because its proposed 17 goals and 169 targets were developed through an inclusive process. Finally, the discussion paper outlines effective tools and ways in which a change in agriculture can be achieved and how progress can be measured and monitored. (ab)