CWIS Food Security & the Food and Agriculture Organization
Center for World Indigenous Studies
1 July 2011

Recommendations presented to the Food Security and Nutrition Panel
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization authorized the establishment of the Committee on World Food Security which in turn asked it High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) to undertake a year-long study on climate change and food security. The Panel will seek to identify effective food security strategies to reduce the adverse affects of climate change on the availability of food and nutrition among the most vulnerable regions and populations. The Center for World Indigenous Studies makes several recommendations for the focus of this High Level Panel of Experts study on food security pointing to the focus of study scale (Micro-climates), culture and people/land relationships, emphasize essential fatty acids availability,  localization of food production and infrastructure supports,  and progressive negotiations and agreements from the micro-climate level to the regional, continental and then global level.
Climate Change and Food Security must be considered in the light of the Convention on BioDiversity in addition to ongoing negotiations of the Climate Change treaty under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.  
Unaddressed points in the Climate Change and Food Security discussion to include for consideration by the Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FAO):

"The only way to protect and preserve wild plants and animals is to leave them in the care of indigenous communities that have cultures directly connected to the continuity of those things," (quoting Rudolph Ryser)  This approach ensures biodiversity while maximizing effective strategies for responding to the adverse effects of climate change. Implementing this approach at the micro-climate level will minimize the prospects of climate change refugees from indigenous peoples' communities and maximize the availability of water the the most vulnerable peoples.  1. Discussion and policy should emphasize the relationship between people and the land - namely experience with plants and animals over time.  2. Scale of focus must include "micro-climates" where changes due to the adverse affects of climate is immediately observable and the affects on populations are most directly apparent.  3. Adaptation strategies at the "micro-climate" level may ensure a greater chance of human survival and integrated into global, continental scales. Agreements must be at the micro-climate level first, and though this is more complicated the process will lead to a fully accountable agreement at the local, regional, continental and global levels.  4. Micro nutrient levels of foods must become a major focus with particular attention to essential fatty acid availability particularly mono glycerides and omega 3,6 and 9.  5. Re-localization of food production while advancing the infrastructure for local food distribution.