In our efforts to raise awareness around the themes of sustainable development, we devote this special issue to Food Security, one of the seven critical issues of Rio+20. inside this issue - Food Security - Zero Draft [page 1] - Major Groups Corner - Spotlight on UN System - Important Events [page 2]

1. Newsletter of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
16 January 2012, Volume 3, Issue 1
Rio+20: Rethinking Food
In our efforts to raise awareness
Food security exists when all people,
around the themes of sustainable
at all times, are able to have physical
development, we devote this
and economic access to sufficient, safe
special issue to Food Security,
and nutritious food that meets their
one of the seven critical issues
dietary needs and food preferences
of Rio+20.
for an active and healthy life. Food
security covers availability, access,
utilization and stability issues, and —
through its focus on individuals — also
inside this issue embraces their energy, protein and
- Food Security nutrient needs for activity, pregnancy,
- Zero Draft growth and long-term capabilities.
[page 1] It is becoming increasingly clear that the food and sustainable agriculture sectors will be critical
to greening the global economy. Agriculture and food production constitutes the single largest
- Major Groups Corner economic sector in the world, using around 60 per cent of the world’s ecosystems and providing
- Spotlight on UN System livelihoods for 40 per cent of the global population. In addition, agriculture is the largest source of
- Important Events income and jobs for poor rural households and often represents their surest path out of poverty.
[page 2]
Food security is an issue that impacts all three pillars of sustainability. Given that the United
Nations recognizes adequate access to food as a basic human right, sustainable agriculture and
poverty eradication are not only economic and environmental issues, but human rights issues as
well.
Food security and sustainable agriculture will remain at the forefront of the global conversation at
Rio+20 in June as a means to mainstreaming sustainable development. In addition, progress on
the existing framework of Millennium Development Goals will be highlighted at Rio+20, as well
as plans for future progress on Sustainable Development Goals to be elaborated in the official
Conference outcome.
In preparation for Rio+20, the UNCSD Secretariat was pleased to release a Food Security and
Sustainable Agriculture Issues Brief last month. The Brief provides an overview of existing
www.uncsd2012.org/food commitments, current initiatives and future goals relating to global food security. For more
information or to view the Issues Briefs, visit the official Rio+20 website.
Follow Rio+20 On 10 January, the
Visit us on Facebook and Twitter Co-Chairs of the UNCSD
Bureau made public the
zero draft of the Rio+20
outcome document,
Contact us representing a milestone
uncsd2012@un.org in the preparatory process
led by Member States with
engagement from Major
Quote Groups, UN system partners
and other stakeholders. At
“ Don’t own so much clutter that
you will be relieved to see your
the second meeting of the
Preparatory Committee
for UNCSD, the Bureau announced its intention to share a zero draft with Member States in
”
house catch fire. January 2012. Prepared by the Co-Chairs of the UNCSD Bureau, the text offers a basis for further
negotiations by delegations during the forthcoming series of informal meetings taking place at
- Wendell Berry UN Headquarters. The text contains five sections framing the theme and objectives of Rio+20 as
Farming: A Hand Book outlined in General Assembly resolution A/RES/64/236, and proposes further elaboration on the
seven emerging challenges.
1

2. Major Groups Corner: Participatory Extension Services, Please A First Look at the Zero Draft
In its appeal to the Rio+20 preparatory process, the Major Group for Farmers highlighted the From 25 to 27 January, Member States
urgent need for a more knowledge-based approach to agriculture, particularly through the will hold initial discussions on the zero
creation of modern extension services for women and the rural poor. draft of the Rio+20 outcome document
“Women account for 60 to 80% of peasant growers and produce 90% of food in Africa and at UN Headquarters in New York.
about half of all food worldwide. Yet in sub-Saharan Africa, only 15% of landholders are This informal meeting will be held in
women and they receive less than 10% of credit and 7% of extension services” said the position the ECOSOC Chamber of the Temporary
paper submitted to the Rio+20 compilation document, which was invited by Member States to North Lawn Building, and Conference
serve as the basis for a zero draft of the official Conference outcome document. Room 3 will be reserved for overflow
Extension services for farmers would develop capacity for two-way information sharing and viewing.
provide platforms for greater interface between the scientific and research community and The Provisional Organization of Work is
smallholder food producers. Likewise, opportunities for youth to seek training and employ- now available online here.
ment in the agricultural sector could address the persistent challenge of retaining young
people to farming and the agricultural sciences. See more online here. Upcoming Events
The Other 7 Billion Int’l Scientific Symposium on Food
CodeSustainable would like to challenge you to make the and Nutrition Security Information
world a more sustainable place. A concept engineered by 17 - 19 January 2012
this small but socially-conscious game design firm, players will be invited to compete online Rome, Italy
by managing restricted resources across social, environmental and economic sectors while [more information]
considering their interdependencies. Visit them online here.
UN System Responds to the Food Crisis TEDxManhattan:
Changing the Way We Eat
Despite a 2 per cent decline in world food prices in December 2011, global food security 21 January 2012
remains highly unstable heading into 2012. Nevertheless, 2011 saw the highest yearly average New York, United States
for food prices since the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) introduced the Food Price [more information]
Index in 1990. The 2011 yearly average was nearly 15 per cent higher than the previous yearly
high recorded during the 2008 world food price crisis, largely due to a year of unpredictable Capacity Building Workshop for
and extreme weather patterns and disasters along with lingering uncertainty regarding the Major Groups and Other Stakeholders
state of the global economy. 24 January 2012
Within the objective of New York, United States
eradicating poverty, Rio+20 [more information]
will aim to place rising food
prices high on the agenda Global Civil Society Workshop
for world leaders in June. 24 January 2012
The Secretary-General New York, United States
appointed a High-Level [more information]
Task Force on the Global
Food Security Crisis to La Responsabilité sociétale
ensure that the UN system, et ISO 26000
international financial 6 - 7 February 2012
institutions and the WTO Geneva, Switzerland
are working in synergy to [more information]
address food security issues around the world and support Member States and regional bodies
with capacity to identify and take action on the root causes of food insecurity. The High-Level Concertation sur
Task Force will work closely with the Rio+20 Secretariat to outline key issues and goals relating to « la transition énergétique»
food security, land degradation and sustainable agriculture ahead of the Rio+20 Conference. 6 - 7 February 2012
In an effort to develop communities that are more resilient to climate change and natural Lyon, France
disasters with respect to food security, the World Food Program (WFP) has recently partnered [more information]
with Oxfam America through the R4 Rural Resilience Initiative. This initiative unites the global reach of WFP with the innovative risk
management framework of Oxfam to enable thousands of poor farmers and food-insecure households to strengthen their food and
income security in the face of a changing climate, through a number of different initiatives and programs.
In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, WFP provided emergency food assistance to some four million Haitians. WFP efforts in
Haiti created over 200,000 temporary jobs while stimulating the Haitian economy and improved food security for over one million people.
However, progress has since slowed and WFP still provides food assistance to nearly 1.5 million Haitians each month.
Ten years after the 2002 International Scientific Symposium on the Measurement of Food Deprivation and Undernutrition, a new FAO
symposium will once again convene world leaders in Rome from 17 to 19 January to examine emerging trends in food security and
strategies for addressing these food security issues, while reaffirming commitment to the Rome Declaration drafted during the World
Food Summit in 1996. The outcome of this symposium will likely have a impact on sustainable development commitments pledged in 2
Rio de Janeiro this June.