Two-day food rights conference begins in Dhaka
Staff Reporter :
A two-day long right to food conference started in Dhaka on Wednesday with the aim of ensuring the right to adequate food for all.
The conference titled the ‘Asia-Pacific Conference on Food Rights and Agri-Food Systems-2023’ has also included the view of making agri-food systems more equitable, sustainable, climate resilient.
Speaker Dr. Shireen Sharmin Chowdhury inaugurated the conference at Nawab Nabab Ali Senate Building of Dhaka University on Wednesday morning.
Economist Dr. Kazi Khalikuzzaman Ahmed, Chairman of Food Rights Bangladesh, presided over the opening ceremony of the conference organized by Food Rights Bangladesh, a network of national and international organizations working on safe food issues. Planning Minister MA Mannan was the special guest on the occasion.
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mo Aktaruzzaman, Nepal Government Ministry of Agriculture Joint Secretary Sanjeev Karn, Care Bangladesh Country Director Ramesh Singh and Network General Secretary Mohsin Ali spoke in the event. Kaniz Fatima, Coordinator of Rights to Food and Deputy Director of Wave Foundation moderated the programme.
In his welcome speech, Mohsin Ali said that the ‘Asia-Pacific Region Food Rights and Agri-Food Systems Conference’ is being held with some specific objectives. These include building multiple partnerships with stakeholders including civil society organizations and networks, farmers’ organizations, youth, women, experts, researchers and policy makers to strengthen the ‘right to food’ issue; Recognizing, protecting and advancing the role, contribution and participation of indigenous peoples, smallholder farmers and local communities in agri-food system transformation in the Asia Pacific Region Review and implement social protection programs to ensure food security and nutrition for the most marginalized sections of society, strategic sustainable and equitable approaches Analyzing the agri-food system and its policy framework to adopt a ‘single health system and environmental strategy’ as essential elements, strengthening the voice of small-scale farmers (both men and women) in sustainable and equitable and climate-resilient agriculture.
In this two-day conference, more than half a hundred food and agri-food system related experts and activists from 15 countries are participating.
The conference will feature presentations and discussions by experts on various issues related to food rights and agri-food systems in 2 plenary sessions and 10 technical sessions.
The conference focused on legal and policy frameworks for food rights and nutrition in Asia and the Pacific; Legal and policy frameworks in light of food rights perspective; social protection programs and food security; Agri-food systems and their transformation to realize the right to food; Environmental crises in agro-food systems, role of family farming in climate-resilient agro-food systems; Impact of rural landlessness and land tenure insecurity on agri-food systems; Role of Family Farming in Climate Resilient Agricultural Food Systems; Various issues including access of women and youth to finance and market system as small farmers will be discussed.
