Report Authored by

Simon Mattsson

2014 Australian Nuffield Scholar

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UNEA4 – Nairobi, Kenya, March 11 – 15, 2019 Monday 11/3 Opening plenary session This was my first taste of the UN in full flight. During this session, various UN member states read their statements of commitment to the process of putting together various resolutions on a wide range of issues. Below is a list of the seven resolutions proposed at the start of the forum: The seven draft resolutions related to the protection of the marine environment from land-based activities (UNEP/EA.4/L.12); sustainable management for global health of mangrove (UNEP/EA.4/L.13); sustainable coral reefs management (UNEP/EA.4/L.14); sustainable nitrogen management (UNEP/EA.4/L.16); conservation and sustainable management of peatlands (UNEP/EA.4/L.19); the fifth programme for the development and periodic review of environmental law (Montevideo V) (UNEP/EA.4/L.24); and implementation and follow up of United Nations Environment Assembly resolutions (UNEP/EA.4/L.26). The draft decision was on management of trust funds and earmarked contributions. Along with this there was supposed to be statements of intent from several major groups which was to have included the Major Farmers Group. However, the session ended before this statement could be read. Attached on the next two pages is the statement that would have been read had time allowed. The Major Farmers Group seemed to be only made up of about 12 members, and after some discussion Nuffield International was included. However, this group could hardly portray itself as representing agriculture across the globe. After reading the statement, my assessment is that it doesn’t represent much of agriculture in the first world. The focus seems to be more on indigenous/organic farming. This is perhaps not their fault, as it would seem that most of the major agricultural organisations I expected to see at UNEA4 were absent. There was a distinct lack of representation of agriculture and I am not surprised we find ourselves being mis- represented at this forum. By the end of the week it seemed to me that agriculture was being lumped into two groups. Group one that portrayed itself as possibly saving the planet through the adoption of organic/regenerative practices that sequester carbon in soil, and group two that was portrayed as destroying the planet through the use of mainly synthetic inputs causing soil degradation. Then on top of that, there were various environmental groups who use the bad news stories of land degradation to tar all of agriculture with the same poisoned pen. The work Robynne Anderson and her team from EmergingAg are doing is certainly helping to bring some of Agriculture together and get them in front of various leading entities for the benefit of agriculture. However, more needs to be done make a lasting difference. I see this as a space where Nuffield could have more of an impact to support the positive messages that agriculture needs to tell to counter the influence of the environmental movement. As mentioned earlier, the Major Farmers Group only seemed to be representing the organic segment of Agriculture. Nuffield has many scholars who now have positions on various boards representing a host of agricultural industries and perhaps some of these people need to be exposed to what's happening at the UN level. After all, the various changes to environmental/agriculture policy within many countries starts with that country signing resolutions at UN level.

FARMER MAJOR GROUP STATEMENT AT UNEA-4 (as presented at the UNEA-4 meeting) Thank you chair. Honourable excellencies, distinguished delegates and colleagues I am Wali Haider from Roots for Equity, Pakistan and I’m speaking on behalf of the Farmers Major Group.

The dominant paradigm of unsustainable consumption and production continue to devastate and worsen the situation of the environment and the people along with promotion of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights which force GMOs and commodification of seeds and water. This crisis is further compounded by unbated land grabs by the transnational corporations. This is manifest in the crises in food, climate, environmental degradation, reduced biodiversity, depleted natural resources, and increasing violation of people’s rights and exacerbating inequality. The industrial model of agricultural production and perverse subsidies in the agricultural sector are destroying the sources of livelihoods of small-scale food producers and their communities, resulting in hunger and forced migration. To tackle the challenges we are facing in nourishing a growing global population and ensuring food sovereignty require innovations. People-centred and community solutions are innovations and appropriate technologies that protect the environment, promote sustainability, community ownership, social solidarity and mutuality and based on development justice. Innovative solutions that make a difference in people’s lives are often not technological but social innovations, linked with traditional practices and based on indigenous and local knowledge systems. Dimensions of environment, economy and society, the three pillars of sustainable development, are all taken into account in people’s solutions and community innovations towards sustainable consumption and production. It is proven that in food production, agroecology as a practice based on constant innovation of farmers, a science and a social movement, is known to improve soils, protect health and the environment, improve livelihoods, and increase household income. Agroecology also harnesses traditional and indigenous knowledge systems supported by people’s science and builds community unity. Therefore, we call for the strengthening and promotion of agro-ecology through appropriate laws, policy and programs as well as the protection of local, indigenous and traditional knowledge in agriculture, and create markets for traditional and heirloom produce. Subsidies, incentives and development aid should be re-targeted away from industrial agriculture, towards agro-ecological solutions and small-scale, local production. We also call for action to be taken on the following:

Policies in national and regional level supporting local and community innovations can be strategic, as such in governance of natural resources and community-based resource development. Participatory and community action researches on the issues surrounding sustainable consumption and production will provide evidence-based solutions and should be supported.

Assert and protect public control over natural resources and prioritize cultivation of nutritious food for local consumption.

Provide an enabling policy environment for farmers including land to the landless, genuine agrarian reform, access to productive resources including seeds, participation in policy-making and policy coherence at the national and international levels.

Advance good governance with increased accountability and transparency, removing all anti-people policies to protect natural resources.

Member states should mainstream biodiversity protection and enhancement across sectors and engage indigenous people and ensure the protection of their rights to land, resources, establish accountability mechanism to ensure compliance to human rights, social and environmental safeguards.

Call on member states to actively participate in the intergovernmental working group on the elaboration of legally-binding treaty on TNCs and other businesses with respect to human rights.

Recognition and promotion of the role of women in providing innovative solutions to environmental problems and SCP.

Ensure participation of civil society, grassroots movements and other stakeholders in assessing new and

emerging technologies as akey component of environmental governance. Due importance should

be given to capturing the interpretation of evidences by different actors and enabling broad participation in societal deliberation on technologies.

Provide mechanisms for equitable, effective and inclusive participation of civil society based on recognition of existing inequalities and the need to level the playing field.

We also note with concern that the negotiations are tilted more in the favour of big business than ecology and farmers. However, we call on member states to protect the interest of the small and landless farmers. The farmers of the world stand ready to support you so we can work together on these. Thank you.

The primary authors for the above statement are listed below. Gabor Figeczky, head of Global Policy for Organics International. g.figeczky@ifoam.bio Wali Haider, Roots for Equity, director. walikhi@yahoo.com

Monday 11/3 Bilateral meeting with HE Alison Charters High Commissioner to Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Ambassador to Burundi and Somalia. This lady has to cover a big area of Africa and has a strong interest in the environment but is also very interested in seeing girls receive better education. Bilateral meeting with Izabella Teixeira, Co-Chair, International Resource Panel (note: former Minister Environment of Brazil). A lady with strong views on the need for agriculture to tell a positive story and be willing to accept certain trade off’s to be able to work together across all industries. Tuesday 12/3 SUSTAINABLE PASTORALISM THROUGH AN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF RANGELANDS AND PASTORALISTS H. E. Mr Tserenbat Namsrai, Minister, Ministry of Environment and Tourism. Mongolia - The call for an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Dr. Dana Kelly, President, International Rangelands Continuing Committee (IRCC) – The Importance of rangelands and pastoralists for environment and development. An interesting proposal to raise the profile of a significant portion of agriculture which is quite often forgotten. Mongolia has stepped forward as host and the proposal has broad support from various other countries. Dana Kelly spoke well; she is an Australian based in Toowoomba QLD.

Bilateral meeting with James Lomax, Program Officer with UNEP. Based in the UN compound in Nairobi. IFA Event: Innovative actions towards a pollution-free planet: implementing the UNEA3 resolution on soil pollution Ms. Violette Geissen, Wageningen University (tbc) A future without action: the threat of soil pollution for the sustainable agenda Ms. Natalia Rodríguez Eugenio, FAO Towards a better understanding of the global status of soil pollution Mr. Marco Martuzzi, WHO Is the circular economy a feasible solution to soil pollution? Ms. Lilian Wanjiru Mbuthia, ICL and International Potash Institute The new fertilizer generation Mr. Christoph Neumann, Croplife International Innovations in crop protection products Mr. Simon Mattsson, Australian farmer Enhancing soil health to ensure food security Mr. Budithi Brajsekhar, Zero budget natural farming Climate resilience farming experiences Mr. Deyi Hou, Tsinghua University

Nature-based alternatives to remediate polluted soils This was my first chance to give a presentation. In the end I thought I held my own in this very impressive line-up of speakers. They all had important messages, however the one which most struck me was Mr. Budithi Rajsekhar (IAS) Principal Secretary to Govt. Agriculture and Co-operation Dept. Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a set of farming methods and also a grassroots peasant movement which has spread to various states in India. It has attained wide success in southern India, especially the southern Indian state of Karnataka where it first evolved. The movement in Karnataka state was born out of collaboration between Mr Subhash Palekar, who put together the ZBNF practices, and the state farmers association Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), a member of La Via Campesina (LVC).

Global Business Alliance for the Environment High Level Dinner

“Innovative & Sustainable Business Solutions” For me, this was the highlight of the week. Very professionally organised by Robynne and the EmergingAg team. With 120 invited guests seated at round tables of 8 to 10 people, each table had a facilitator. I was privileged to have been asked to facilitate and amongst the guests on my table was High Commissioner Alison Charters and David Nabarro 4SD. The event started with some addresses from: Master of Ceremonies: Ms. Norine Kennedy, Vice President, United States Council of International Business Greetings: H.E Mr. Siim Kiisler, UNEA4 President and Minister of Environment, Estonia Greetings: UN Environment Acting Executive Director, Ms. Joyce Msuya Innovation at Work: Martin Kayser, Senior Vice President of Chemical Safety, BASF The following day I received the below invite to the “Food Systems Dialogue” for the Friday and also accepted an invitation to facilitate once again. “You are invited to the Food Forever Dialogues to take place in Nairobi on March 15. Dr. David Nabarro, 2018 World Food Prize laureate, and Curator of the Food Systems Dialogues, would be delighted for you to contribute your expertise and experience to the global conversation. The Food Forever Dialogues in Nairobi will be an opportunity to explore options for food systems transformation in the Kenyan and broader African context through the conservation and sustainable use of the astounding agricultural biodiversity of the country and the continent.” Thursday 14/3 Bilateral Meeting: Kevin Sage-EL, Agricultural Counselor USDA FAS I thought this was a good meeting even though Kevin seemed very constrained by the current state of politics in the US. He came across as interested and potentially helpful. Bilateral Meeting: Ross Smith, Head of Programmes and Lynette Luvai Partnerships Officer WFP Kenya. Friday 15/3 FOOD FOREVER DIALOGUES (PART OF THE FOOD SYSTEMS DIALOGUES) Since their launch in June 2018, FSDs have taken place in Stockholm, Oslo, NYC, New Delhi, Vienna, Katowice, Davos, Jakarta, Melbourne and Addis Ababa involving more than 700 practitioners from multiple organizations The objectives of the FSDs are: 1. Bring together actors with different interests in food systems, so that they can interact and appreciate each other’s perspectives.

2. Provide a forum to explore proposals and pathways for food systems transformation. 3. Encourage stakeholders to move beyond dialogue and engage in joint efforts which contribute to food systems transformation. 4. Maintain interaction among all involved through sequential dialogues. 5. Inspire FSDs participants to promote multi-stakeholder dialogue within their own spheres of interest. TABLE QUESTION: themes for each table to come up with solutions/actions for the next three years 1. All involved in Kenya’s food systems agree on the transformations required and are taking concrete actions to make them happen. 2. All people working in food production in Kenya have decent and resilient livelihoods. 3. National agriculture and food policies in Kenya and other African nations encourage agrobiodiversity. 4. All concerned stakeholders in Kenya are involved in dialogues about ways to encourage healthy diets from sustainably produced food for all people. 5. No Kenyan child suffers from undernutrition or micronutrient deficiencies as a result of food insecurity. I enjoyed this process very much and as a table facilitator I thought I was able to play an important role and introduce everyone at my table to the possibilities that Nuffield has to offer. Conclusions The sheer array of people present and meetings/forums all happening at once was certainly very confusing for the uninitiated like myself. The presence of Robynne Anderson and the team from EmergingAg was certainly essential, otherwise I fear we would have made little, if any impact at all. Even with their help I doubt that Nuffield would have been noticed at UN level, however I think it would be very worthwhile for Nuffield to attend future UNEA events but with a much larger more organised team. Nuffield International in conjunction with EmergingAg could and should play a much larger role in extending the good messages of agriculture and also working to bridge the gap between the two camps of agriculture I mentioned earlier. Agriculture is very poorly represented at this level and we are all paying the price of legislation that is written by government to meet UNEA resolutions signed off on years before hand. I did manage to pose a very important question to H.E Mr. Siim Kiisler, (UNEA4 President and Minister of Environment, Estonia): President, considering agriculture is performed on roughly 50% of the planet wouldn’t you think it appropriate that agriculture made up 50% of this forum? Further to that, what if we had an Agricultural Assembly in the week leading into UNEA and the president of UNAA was vice president of UNEA? His response was as expected, he referred to the current situation in the EU with Brexit and basically said he thought it would be all too hard. However, he didn’t rule it out as impossible and from where I sit that is a good start. I would like to thank Nuffield International for giving me the opportunity to represent them at UNEA4. It was an amazing experience and certainly expanded my understanding of global agriculture. Lastly, I would like to commend Robynne Anderson and all of the team at EmergingAg for doing an amazing job of organising all of our needs to attend UNEA4 and I trust that their support has allowed us to play at least some small part in UNEA4.

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HE Australian High Commissioner Alison Charters and myself at the Global Business Alliance for the Environment High Level Dinner.