October Week #1

Thomas Forster (tforster@igc.apc.org)
Thu, 27 Oct 1994 17:29:42 -0700


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1994 INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY WEEK
People's Participation in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development
October 23 - 29, 1994 Washington, DC
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OCTOBER WEEK EMAIL BULLETIN No. 1
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October 25, 1994

HEADLINES

>>Introduction
>>Important Reminder
>>Daily Briefing for Participants
>>Focus of the CSD Sessions
>>Initial Document List for CSD Working Sessions
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>>INTRODUCTION TO THIS BULLETIN

Welcome to the first edition of the E-mail Bulletin covering the 1994
INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY WEEK.
These bulletins will provide day-to-day coverage of events, as well as
coverage of International Center's Week (ICW) at the World Bank. Our
team of NGO Working Group volunteers are closely monitoring events to
provide you with coverage of panels, presentations, ICW meetings, and
working sessions related to the Commission on Sustainable
Development (see below).
_______________________________________________________________________
>>IMPORTANT REMINDER:

One major goals of International Sustainable Agriculture and Food
Security Week is to acknowledge and strengthen people's participation in
the preparation for detailed review of national and international
agriculture and land management policies and programs by the United
Nations Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) in April, 1995. If
you or your group have been working to prepare or comment upon reports
to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development related to
sustainable agriculture and rural development (SARD) or the role of
farmers (chapters 14 and 32 of Agenda 21), you are invited to send written
information about your process or draft documents by post, email or fax
to the address below. The best method of sending is by email. Any documents
received will be listed in later bulletins. Send any material to:

Linda Elswick, World Sustainable Agriculture Association, 2025 I Street,
Suite 512, Washington, DC 20006 USA, tel. +1 (202) 293-2155, fax. +1
(202) 293-2209, Email: wsaa@igc.apc.org
________________________________________________________________________
>>NOTES FROM DAILY BRIEFING FOR PARTICIPANTS

Monday and Tuesday, October 24 - 25

Inception and Goals of October Week:

The major objective of International Sustainable Agriculture and Food
Security Week or October Week is to acknowledge and strengthen people's
participation in policies and programs concerning sustainable
agriculture and rural development (SARD) in order to reflect priorities
and needs at the local level. Farmers, NGOs and other civil sector
groups have an opportunity to comment on governmental reports and to
prepare their own reports for the United Nations Commission for
Sustainable Development (CSD) meeting in April 1995. During coming
months there will be detailed review of national and international
agriculture and land management policy and programs by the United
Nations Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD).

October Week was designed to allow for maximum participation by NGOs and
other people's organizations. The facilitating organizations designed an
open framework to enable other groups to sponsor events and activities.
The dates for these events were planned to coincide with the annual
International Centers Week (ICW) at the World Bank. This is the annual
meeting of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR), the governing body for the international agricultural research
centers.
________________________________________________________________________
FOCUS OF THE CSD WORKING SESSIONS

Linda Elswick of the World Sustainable Agriculture Association (WSAA)
described ways in which NGOs and people's organizations can contribute
their own progress reports related to sustainable agriculture and rural
development (SARD) or the role of farmers (chapters 14 and 32 of Agenda
21). Some of the immediate avenues for comment are:

1) To comment upon and provide inputs to the FAO report to CSD by
November 15, 1994;
2) To prepare and encourage separate reports to the CSD by November
15, 1994 formulated by the major groups which include farmers,
NGOs, unions, women, the scientific community, local governments,
indigenous peoples and youth groups;
3) To give input to individual government reports on chapters 14 and
32 by the end of November, 1994.
4) To compile case studies and experiences for submission directly
at the final CSD working group meetings in February and in April,
1995.

The official deadline for reports from governments, major groups and
intergovernmental agencies has been October 14, 1994. However, the de
facto deadline is the end of November, 1994. The UN secretariat will
submit reports to CSD working groups based on these reports for
prepartory meetings in February, 1995.
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>>INITIAL DOCUMENT LIST FOR CSD WORKING SESSIONS--October 24/25

This list will be expanded during the week as new documents are added.
Some of the documents will be available via E-Mail and on diskette.

NON-GOVERNMENTAL:

1. Past submission to FAO for draft CSD report. By Kathy Lawrence, Patrick
Madden, Linda Elswick, Thomas Forster - September, 1994.

2. Past submissions to FAO from Pesticide Action Network (PAN),
International Organization of Consumers Unions (IOCU), and the
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).

3. Draft report on implemention of SARD in the United Kingdon,
coordinated by U.N. Environment and Development - UK (UNED-UK) and
presented by Farmers Link.

GOVERNMENTAL:

1. CSD guidelines for Major Groups - UN CSD Secretariat

2. FAO draft report to the CSD - October, 1994.

3. FAO/UNDP Joint Statement on Sustainable Food Security/SARD.

4. Agenda 21 Chapters under consideration during CSD 1995.

5. A Research Agenda for the Future, CGIAR document presented at ICW 1995.

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In coming October Week bulletins:

-Reports on major changes in the international agricultural research
center governance, finance, administration and control of plant genetic
resources.
-Highlights from upcoming sessions this week on women in agriculture,
FAO and CGIAR at the crossroads, etc.
-More news on CSD working sessions

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This bulletin was produced by: Nathan Boone, Community Farm Alliance,
Sonia Schmitz, Institute for Social Ecology, Thomas Forster, NGO Working
Group on Sustainable Agriculture, Rachna Sachasinh, Institute for Social
Ecology, Michelle Thom, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and
Sandra McDougall, New Agriculture and Ecology Network. For further
information or to receive the bulletins, contact Thomas Forster, Email:
tforster@igc.apc.org.