COP29: Phrang Roy advocates for community-led sustainable food systems

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 18, 2024

Phrang Roy, the founder of NESFAS and the Rome-based Coordinator of The Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty (TIP), addressed the COP29 event in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 15 via Zoom. Roy emphasized the critical role that local communities play in developing healthy, inclusive, and sustainable food systems, urging policymakers to recognize them as equal pillars alongside the State and Market.

He pointed out that traditional development often overlooks the contribution of communities, focusing instead on the State and Market as the primary drivers. He stated, “We only look to the State and the Market as key pillars of our development, with communities playing only a subservient role to these two entities.”

Roy highlighted the results of an agroecology assessment undertaken by TIP, NESFAS, and three other Indigenous Peoples partners, covering 500 households across 16 landscapes in Northern Thailand, North East India, Kenya, and Yucatec Mexico. The study revealed that Indigenous food systems demonstrate high levels of agroecological practices and sustainability, deeply rooted in local environments. These communities, according to Roy, view their relationship with their land and soil as sacred.

Through traditional practices such as maintaining fallow lands for natural regeneration, these communities enhance soil health and sustainability. Roy also pointed out that their social values of caring and sharing have led to inclusive governance systems, empowering women in managing natural resources such as soil and water.

However, Roy noted that when market forces promote monocropping for commercial purposes or when the State interferes with traditional governance mechanisms under the guise of modernization, these systems face significant challenges. The study showed that such interventions often undermine inclusive decision-making and equitable access to resources.

In light of these findings, Roy made a clarion call to policymakers: “Let COP29 and its many events therefore call upon policymakers to take note that a community in any landscape or geographical location is an important and indispensable pillar of development, as important as the State or the Market. Only then will we collectively march toward Healthy, Inclusive, and Sustainable Food Systems.”

Roy further stressed the importance of nature-based food systems in enhancing biodiversity, improving nutrition, and building climate resilience. He shared insights from NESFAS’ experience, advocating for community-initiated programs like Nature-Based School Meals. He explained that such initiatives utilize local wild edibles, often part of the region’s biodiversity, to improve the nutrition of children and strengthen local food security. These initiatives also help build human capital and offer livelihood opportunities while fostering local circular markets that mitigate climate risks associated with traditional value chains.

“The School Meals Initiative is just one of many potential pathways,” Roy said. “Let us leave this event with a determination of ‘Scaling Hope’—to co-create with communities healthy, inclusive, and sustainable innovations for the future we all want.”