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Industry Representatives Meet FAO and other Rome-based UN Officials

Published on April 28, 2016
Private Sector Mechanism delegation in Rome. (USCIB’s Helen Media is second from right in the first row.)

Nearly 800 million people worldwide remain chronically undernourished, while at the same time incidences of obesity are rising in nearly all countries. This month, the United Nations agreed on a resolution proclaiming the Decade of Action on Nutrition, aiming to galvanize action from all stakeholders to end hunger and eradicate malnutrition worldwide. The resolution calls upon the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) to lead this effort’s implementation, and invites international partners, including the private sector, to support governments as they spearhead work on nutrition.

Earlier this week, USCIB and several of its member companies participated in the Private Sector Mechanism (PSM) delegation, which included over 30 industry representatives from the broad agri-food business value chain, to meet bilaterally with high-level FAO officials and to attend the “Partnerships Forum on Nutrition,” which was held at the International Fund for Agriculture Development.

Why it’s important to engage with the FAO

According to Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president for product policy and innovation, participating in the PSM, which is an officially recognized organization that formally works with FAO, allows for companies and business associations to:

  • learn about crucial policymaking trends that could impact their business;
  • network with industry colleagues and develop industry-wide advocacy messages;
  • build relationships with FAO representatives; and
  • emphasize how the private sector can provide leadership and partnerships on issues such as food security, nutrition, agricultural productivity, nutrition, smallholders and the empowerment of women.

The FAO and the UN Committee on World Food Security, which is housed at the FAO, have most recently become important forums where policy recommendations related to agriculture, food security and nutrition are developed.

“Many in the private sector have become aware that several of the decisions made in the Rome-based organizations can influence policymakers at the highest levels of government,” said Medina. “It is therefore no surprise that over 30 industry representatives traveled to Rome to meet with over 30 different country delegations over a two-day period.”

Over 30 industry representatives met with over 30 governments from North America, the European Union, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia

Industry participants learned that the recent UN announcement of the Decade of Action on Nutrition, which aims to galvanize actions to reduce hunger and improve nutrition around the world, will drive a lot of the work streams at the FAO. In fact, the UN resolution calls the FAO and World Health Organization (WHO) to lead these efforts and cooperate with other UN bodies such as the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN). With the renewed focus on nutrition issues, the UNSCN will be an important voice. Its mandate is to provide global strategic leadership for strengthening policy coherence on nutrition across the UN system through dialogue, research and policy briefs, as well as through rallying UN agencies around unified positions.

“The meeting with the U.S., Canada and Australia reminded industry participants of how important it is to continue to engage at the FAO,” Medina added. “While those countries are supportive of industry’s involvement in FAO meetings, they cautioned that many countries continue to be skeptical of private-sector participation. Their recommendation to industry was to continue to build relations and share information about successful industry-led activities which align with the FAO’s mission.”

During the meetings with other countries, company representatives showed examples of private-public partnerships in areas such as: investment and financing, food safety, supporting sustainable supply chains, protecting natural resources; stimulating initiatives that create jobs and stimulate trade; communicating information; empowering women; innovating and developing tools to help farmers and better nutrition, to name a few. The topic of partnerships was also the theme for the “Partnerships Forum on Nutrition” half-day event held at the International Fund for Agriculture Development.

USCIB Promotes Women’s Empowerment in the Food Supply Chain

Published on October 12, 2015

africa_fruit_vendors_lo-resThis week delegates from around the work will be reviewing world food security policies at the 42nd session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).  A record-setting 126 private sector representatives from 39 countries have registered to attend the 42nd plenary session taking place from October 12 to 15 in Rome. CFS is one of the most inclusive intergovernmental platforms that allows stakeholders to work together and ensure food security and nutrition for all.

In an effort to catalyze political will and focus around food security, USCIB supported an event on October 9 in Rome about “Women’s Empowerment: Solutions at the Nexus of Agriculture, Nutrition and Enterprise,” co-chaired by Cherie Blair, president and founder of Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, and Irene Khan, director general of the International Law Development Office. The event convened high-level representatives from business, government and NGOs for a dialogue about women’s access to productive resources (finance, tools, technology, land), women’s contributions to health and nutrition and the role of women in fostering food security.

Shaun Donnelly, USCIB’s vice president for investment and financial services, participated in the broad-based roundtable discussion, which included business leaders, 12 FAO ambassadors and representatives from leading NGOs. There was  broad agreement about the challenges faced by women and the importance of having multi-stakeholder partnerships to  empower women in agriculture and supply chains. Empowering women would improve food security and nutrition, as well as create a positive ripple effect in raising the standard of living for their families and strengthening their communities.

Many agreed that when women have more control over household assets and income, they invest more in their families’ food, health, education and children’s well-being. Thriving families are better positioned to contribute meaningfully to their communities, and a well-nourished population is better able to participate in the workforce. By empowering women in agriculture and supply chains, the world can make significant gains toward realizing the FAO’s Strategic Objectives and several of the broader United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as:

USCIB Calls on WHO to Frame Non-Discriminatory and Pro-Partnership Policy on Non-State Actors

Published on May 26, 2015
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell addressed the World Health Assembly in Geneva. WHO Director General Margaret Chan is at right.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell addressed the World Health Assembly in Geneva. WHO Director General Margaret Chan is at right.

Governments have decided to postpone action on a controversial proposal to broaden anti-business discrimination and limit participation by   non-state actors in the work of the World Health Organization. On the final day of the 68th World Health Assembly, WHO member states opted to continue discussions of the draft Framework for Engagement of Non-State Actors (FENSA) for another year.

“FENSA proved to be one of the most contentious topics on the WHO’s agenda for this nine-day session,” Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for international engagement, energy and environment, reported after attending the Geneva assembly. “Despite meetings that carried through the weekend and late into last night, many aspects of the issue are still not resolved as the assembly adjourns today.”

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell was among the ministers and other dignitaries who addressed the World Health Assembly. “This is an important gathering, because as the world witnessed with the Ebola virus this past year, our planet is too small for nations to operate in isolation when it comes to facing major health challenges,” said Secretary Burwell. “Health threats don’t recognize borders, and we must recognize our need for global solutions.”

Earlier this month, in a joint letter to U.S. cabinet officials, USCIB and other U.S. business groups voiced concerns “about proposals on the table that could unjustifiably restrict the WHO’s ability to engage with the private sector in support of its mission.” Kennedy said the impact on business would touch many industries, and create precedents for anti-business bias in other UN forums. USCIB members and staff, including Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president for product policy and innovation, were on hand during the World Health Assembly to continue dialogue with government representatives on practical ways to inform WHO deliberations with rigorous technical input and implementation from the private sector.

WHO members agreed to establish an intergovernmental working group on FENSA to continue discussions, with the objective of delivering a conclusion at next year’s World Health Assembly. A first meeting of the working group is tentatively scheduled for October.

Kennedy added that business is still concerned about specific provisions in the current draft FENSA text. These include prejudicial language citing the need to exercise “caution” with respect to certain unnamed industry sectors, overly bureaucratic and complex procedures for both non-state actors and WHO secretariat, and limits on public-private partnerships.

“At a time when the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals highlight private-sector engagement on global health challenges, we believe it is possible to address potential conflict of interest and other important concerns consistently and transparently, while also strengthening and encouraging private-sector involvement in the WHO’s important work,” said Kennedy.

Business Groups Recommend WHO Engagement with Private Sector

Published on May 16, 2015

WHO_hq_full_sizeThe World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations public health arm, is updating its procedures for working with non-governmental and business interests. USCIB has followed these deliberations for the past year and has offered recommendations that argue for consistent treatment of all constituencies, without discrimination against private sector entities, and that enable public-private partnerships.

The sheer scale of world health challenges requires all stakeholders to be actively involved in addressing public health challenges. However, USCIB and other associations have expressed concern that the some proposals relating to these WHO procedures could further limit the WHO’s ability to fully benefit from the private sector’s practical expertise, resources and research.

On May 14, USCIB and five other business associations signed a letter to U.S. cabinet officials at the Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services stating concern “about proposals on the table that could unjustifiably restrict the WHO’s ability to engage with the private sector in support of its mission.”

The signatories urged the United States to ensure that the WHO adopts a framework that applies equally to all stakeholders, and that allows the organization to benefit from resources wherever they reside.

“If the WHO adopts a framework that improperly excludes or unjustifiably restricts engagement with the private sector, it will not only endanger the WHO’s own credibility and functioning but also set a damaging precedent that could discourage ongoing public-private partnerships and private sector involvement in other international fora,” the letter stated.

Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for international engagement, energy and environment, added: “In an era where health crises have become increasingly international, such as the recent Ebola outbreak, the WHO should make full use of its leadership and resources by pursuing global health responses through multi-stakeholder initiatives in which the private sector has a vital role going forward.”

Private Sector Perspective on Food Security Challenges

Published on May 14, 2015

28 July 2006, Rome - A general view of FAO Headquarters.USCIB and its members participated in bilateral meetings that included close to 60 countries at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) this week to discuss business priorities on food security, agriculture trade and other nutrition issues. This year’s meeting of the Private Sector Mechanism marked the most diverse industry delegation yet, with participants spanning over 16 countries across five continents, representing the entire agriculture value chain.

The Private Sector Mechanism is a network that coordinates input from business into the UN Committee on World Food Security. This year’s group includes representatives from USCIB members including Monsanto, The Coca-Cola Company, Mead Johnson and the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

“These meetings are great because companies are able to have a real intimate conversations with governments about the programs and/or partnership they have in place to address issues affecting food security and nutrition,” said Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president for product policy and innovation. “Often government officials are not aware of how the private sector is already engaged. These talks not only inform the policy discussion but also spark ideas on how the private sector can further work with governments in mutually beneficial manner. These dialogues are a crucial to building relationships and trust so that we can work together to combat global hunger and nutrition challenges.”

Industry representatives also discussed possible side events at the UN Committee on Food Security (CFS) to be held in October related to empowering women in agriculture and supply chains and the important linkages between trade and food security.

During the CFS there is an opportunity for a broad cross-section of stakeholders to come together to address the barriers to women’s productive participation in food supply chains and entrepreneurship in an integrated way. The proposed event would convene relevant organizations – including members of the FAO’s Private Sector Mechanism, local country delegates, NGOs, academics, and intergovernmental organizations – in a roundtable discussion focused on “Women, Farmers, Entrepreneurs, Mothers: Solutions at Nexus of Agriculture, Nutrition and Gender.” The goal of this session will be to identify proven solutions, explore collaboration and establish leadership in this field.

In addition, USCIB and other industry groups hope to showcase the benefits of trade and to explain that trade is an important component of the agriculture and food system. Opening up global, regional and national trading opportunities for small- and medium-scale producers will be key to addressing the challenges related to food security and nutrition, particularly in developing countries.

USCIB Cautions Against WHO Motion to Ban Chemicals

Published on February 27, 2015

chemicals_globe_lo-resThe World Health Organization recently urged the United Nations Commission on Narcotic drugs to ban two chemical substances commonly found in electronics, telecommunications and other products following findings that these substances can be used for illicit purposes.

USCIB and its membership appreciate the WHO’s concern regarding the misuse of these two chemicals, 1,4-butanedio (BDO) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL). However, in a submission last week to the Federal Register Notice to help inform the U.S. government on the issue, USCIB urged the FDA to consider the potential adverse economic impact of banning the use or restricting the manufacturing of those substances.

“GBL and BDO are high-volume industrial chemicals with multiple uses that touch nearly every part of the economy,” USCIB wrote in a statement. “The chemical industry takes significant steps to educate its customers and coordinate with regulators and law enforcement authorities to help prevent diversion and misuse of its products.”

Furthermore, the industries that manufacture and use BDO and GBL have adopted product stewardship programs that supplement the requirements of existing laws.

Banning these substances entirely would hurt a wide range of U.S. industries. Given the critical importance of GBL and BDO to the U.S. economy, the product stewardship programs that are in place to help prevent the misuses of these substances and the potentially devastating impacts of listing under the Psychotropic Convention, USCIB urges the U.S. Government to oppose listing these chemicals under the Convention.

 

USCIB Urges WHO to Take Full Advantage of Private-Sector Engagement

Published on January 22, 2015
World Health Organization Headquarters, Geneva.
World Health Organization Headquarters, Geneva.

The sheer scale of global health challenges, such as the recent Ebola crises and the growing incidences of non-communicable diseases which are responsible for 60 percent of the world’s premature deaths, require everyone to be on board to address world health.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations public health arm, recently issued a framework document on its engagement with non-state actors, the “NSA Framework”. USCIB and other associations are concerned that the framework is too stringent, as it would limit the WHO’s ability to fully benefit from the private sector’s practical expertise, resources and research.

Joining six other business associations whose memberships span every sector in every region of the world, USCIB signed a letter to U.S. Department of State officials highlighting the importance of strengthening private sector engagement with the WHO. The NSA Framework suggests that close engagement with the private sector would lead to conflicts of interest. Such concern is misplaced, as USCIB’s letter states:

“[T]he NSA Framework suggests that WHO engagement of private sector actors raises a unique potential for conflicts of interest, a premise that disregards the wide set of motives, including financial incentives, that drive NGO activity. In truth, engagement of for-profit entities and their representatives carries with it an inherent degree of transparency of interests that is not necessarily available regarding the motivations and interests of NGOs. Just as importantly, an examination of the motives of non-state actors is simply not necessary to an evidence-based review of the facts those actors may raise to the WHO’s attention.”

BusinessEurope, an association representing businesses in the European Union, sent a letter to EU representatives expressing similar concerns about the WHO’s NSA Framework.

Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for international engagement, energy and environment, added: “In an era where health crises become increasingly international, such as the recent Ebola outbreak, the WHO can only make full use of its leadership and resources by making global health responses a multi-stakeholder initiative in which the private sector has a vital role going forward.”

FAO Engages Private Sector in Run-Up to International Nutrition Conference

Published on June 25, 2014

foodsMalnutrition affects over half the global population, undermining growth and perpetuating poverty. Fighting malnutrition continues to be a high priority on the international agenda, and the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) this November in Rome will set the stage for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s call for global action on nutrition.

In the lead-up to ICN2, a broad and diverse delegation of private sector representatives participated in a global debate on nutrition on June 20 with UN member countries in Rome, where the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is headquartered.

“We, as our civil society colleagues have indicated, want to underscore the importance of making non-state actors, such as the private sector and civil society, a full partner in the preparation for, and attendance at the ICN2,” wrote JB Cordaro, chairman of the International Agri-Food Network, who delivered a statement with input from several food and agriculture private-sector organizations at the meeting.

The FAO Director General, Graziano da Silva, welcomed the private sector’s input and noted that “the participation of non-state actors is critical for the success of any development process.” Business representatives will have an opportunity to make statements to governments at the ICN2 in November.

The June 20 meeting was a success, with governments supporting business’s role in the lead-up to the November conference, and it marks the first time the FAO actively engaged with the private sector apart from online consultations, according to Helen Medina, USCIB’s senior director for product policy and innovation.

Following on this meeting’s success, the private sector has been offered the opportunity to present at a similar event at the World Health Organization in Geneva on July 15.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Food and Agriculture Working Group

Private-Sector Approaches to Reducing Food Waste

Published on July 8, 2013

foodsRecognizing that approximately one third or more of food is lost or wasted every year globally, the private sector is proactively working to address this major challenge throughout the food chain. A recent Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD paper, entitled BIAC Perspectives on Private Sector Solutions to Food Waste and Loss, argues that tackling food waste is a win-win approach: the private sector benefits through increased productivity and economic returns, while at the same time food security, economic growth and development are all strengthened.

However, in order to scale-up and incentivize private sector-led solutions, the BIAC paper underlines that the right enabling policy conditions need to be put in place. It will be crucial to reach a workable definition of food waste and loss, while also improving consistency in data collection around the world.

BIAC’s paper was submitted to an OECD event on June 20-21 entitled Food Waste Along the Supply Chain, as a contribution to ongoing OECD work to collect and harmonize international data on food waste.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Food and Agriculture Committee

Greening the Agro-Food Chain: Better Policies Are Needed

Published on May 2, 2013

4497_image002Last week in Paris, business executives and government policy makers held their first OECD workshop on how to make the agro-food chain greener and more sustainable for all.

The topic of green growth in the food and agriculture sector was at the core of discussions – organized by the OECD secretariat and BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, part of USCIB’s global network – which were held under the banner of “Green Growth in the Agro-food Chain: What Role for the Private Sector?”

A number of USCIB members joined Helen Medina, USCIB’s senior director of product policy and innovation, at the workshop. Participants agreed that business is the leading driver of agricultural productivity and resource efficiency, but that sound policies are necessary pre-requisites in order to realize the full potential of greening the agro-food chain.

The growing challenges facing the sector were addressed, such as climate change, rising demand for food, shifting diets, soil degradation and competing demands for vital resources such as water. These challenges oblige the sector to do more with less – i.e., increase agricultural productivity to meet growing demand, but in a sustainable manner.

USCIB members highlighted several areas that OECD governments can work on to promote sustainability, including:

  • long-term, fact-based, risk-based, predictable and interpretable regulatory processes
  • good governance and well-functioning institutions (notably to protect intellectual property and land rights)
  • international and cross-discipline collaborations in the area of R&D and opportunities for international cooperation in basic research
  • closer cooperation between the public and private sector
  • fostering trade and investment liberalization to facilitate the development and diffusion of technology
  • increasing access to financial services in rural areas and for farmers in order to increase capital investment
  • an overall enabling policy framework that provides adequate incentives to create and adopt new technologies in all areas.

“We must collectively look at the problems to identify and answer the questions.” said Denise Knight, director of sustainable agriculture with The Coca-Cola Company, In remarks to the workshop. “Coke’s business strategy includes taking a holistic and integrated approach that recognizes the value of the services provided by intact ecosystems. We believe in working with partners across sectors, business, government, and civil society, to share our expertise and work on coordinated approaches to resolve problems. But, we also look to governments to reduce trade barriers and streamline the regulatory environments so that we can fully realize our strategy for sustainability.”

Other participating USCIB members included Croplife USA, McDonald’s and Monsanto.

Business representatives reminded governments of the importance of measuring performance in order to track progress. The OECD can play an essential role in greening the agro-food chain by generating data, sharing best practices and encouraging international and economy-wide policy cooperation and dialogue with the private sector.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

More on USCIB’s Food and Agricultural Working Group