Outreach Issues
Public Food and the Challenge of Sustainable Development How School Lunches Can Help Sustain the Whole Planet By: By: Linda Elswick, International Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (IPSA)
Food has a crucial role to play in advancing the sustainable development agenda. Food production and consumption affect our individual and communal health, the integrity of our eco-systems, our quality of life. Hence, political intervention on the various stages of the food chain means addressing multiple forms of deprivation.
Development strategies that emphasize the inter-dependence of economy, society and nature, have the offer diverse benefits over a range of issues. It is hoped that
Kevin Morgan and Roberta Sonnino, University of Cardiff, focus on food as a crucial planning and development tool, to be discussed on the opening day of the CSD from 3-6 in CR 6.
Throughout the world, governments are beginning to discover the development potential of PUBLIC FOOD systems, especially in relation to school food, which is increasingly seen as a strategy that can contribute to food security, childhood education and market access for farmers. Both the Curry and Obesity Reports in the United Kingdom highlighted the potential role of public pro-procurement for re-localizing the agri-food sector and addressing health issues. Continued from page 7 Potential products of the summit could include two conventions -- one on access to information, participation and environmental justice (Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration), and one on corporate accountability. The last year has shown us that voluntary agreements among bankers do not work so, why should we believe that they work in the environmental arena. The time is surely here for a proper regulatory framework for companies in the area of environment. Between Prep Com 2 and 3 for Johannesburg, SF organised a private meeting of 6 multinational companies, key NGOs and the Trade Unions. As the meeting was under the Chatham House rules, I can’t say which companies but I can say they all supported international
the delegates this year recognize this, especially in relation to school food systems and offer concrete support to such programmes both in the developing and developed world.
A Note from the Editor Good morning everyone and welcome to the first day of CSD-17. As the daily editor of Outreach Issues this year, I thought I would introduce myself. So here goes, I am Stephen Mooney, and I work for the Stakeholder Forum, and this is my first year as daily editor and also at the Commission on Sustainable Development. regulation and were fed up with their competitors hiding behind voluntary agreements and not getting any recognition for the positive work they were doing. In the end we couldn’t move forward because it was felt that the political landscape wasn’t positive. That has changed and a corporate accountability convention would give the general public more confidence that the environment was being looked after both now and for future generations.
Everyone involved in producing Outreach Issues would like to have the contribution of all the major groups, and to give everyone the opportunity to submit articles on the daily proceedings. While I can’t promise to publish everything, I think with the input of all the major groups we can produce a good publication. While not every stakeholder will agree with what others have said it is important that everyone has the opportunity to express their views.
Finally a Rio+20, Johannesburg +10 should utilise web 2.0’ learning from the Barrack Obama presidential campaign in the U.S. – it could be used to engage the motivated individuals and in the delivery of its outcome. Millions of people becoming part of delivering a global solutions agenda! Doesn’t that sound like a good Summit!!
This year , then I would like to implement a “write to reply” column, where stakeholders could write a short response to issues that have been discussed. So please do submit your articles and comment (in a constructive and jovial manner) please do get in contact. Stephen Mooney
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