Selected themes

5 highly-actionable themes have been selected and articulated on one angle: "from the farmer to the world market". These 5 themes have been selected among other Food-security-related themes through the analysis of several criteria. In particular themes were identified for their potential to drive forum impact, to add value to existing dialogue on Food Security and for "outside the box" thinking. Themes were also selected for their specific orientation towards small producers, farmers and the South in general.

For each of the themes listed below, you will find a sample of questions that will be debated during the Forum:

Soil & Crops

Increase productivity

• Crop/seed varieties (incl. GMOs)
• Inputs (e.g., fertilizers)
• Resources
  • Water
  • Energy
• Technology
  • Machines
  • NTIC

Farmer empowerment

Empower smallholders

• Financing mechanisms (microcredit, private investments, grants, subsidies)
• Training and know-how (farming, and other skills)
• Women and youth empowerment

Local community & market

Build link to market & enrich community

• Farmer aggregation
• Networks and infrastructure (storage, transportation)
• Rural flight
• Local employment
• Urbanization/slums
• Subsistence agriculture

National policies

Design appropriate trade policies

• Subsidies
• Bilateral and multilateral agreements
• Tariffs and duties
• Non-tariff barriers
• Quotas
• National support programs for agriculture

Global market

Regulate global markets fairly

• Food financial markets
• Financing and risk management instruments
• Global food stock management
• Long term supply/demand balance monitoring