Indigenous and non-indigenous researchers, experts and officials from across the globe gathered today at the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems, whose opening ceremony was held in a Nomadic tent of the Saami People from the Artic, transforming a space in the heart of Rome into an Indigenous Peoples' territory.
Hosted at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Global-Hub's in-person meeting, held during the week of the World Food Day and World Food Forum, emphasizes the crucial role of Indigenous Peoples' knowledge systems in shaping sustainable food systems transformation.
Since its endorsement at the Committee on Agriculture in 2020, the Global-Hub has been a think tank pioneering new ways in which knowledge is created. It gathers Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, bringing the same level of respect to academic and Indigenous Peoples' knowledge. The latter is often disregarded by the scientific community and by policy makers, but it enshrines the game-changing solutions the world needs to face modern challenges, from the climate crisis to the sustainable transformation of global agrifood systems.
During the opening ceremony, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu welcomed participants, including high-level authorities, encouraging their active participation and collaboration in the work of the Global-Hub. He also thanked the Government of Norway and the Saami People for their support in bringing the Nomadic tents to Rome, thus helping champion the initiative and underscoring the importance FAO gives to meaningfully including Indigenous Peoples in its work.
"The Nomad FoodLab [Indigenous Tent] is a testimony of the power of Indigenous Peoples' food and knowledge systems. It combines traditional knowledge with modern technology and innovation, looking to the future while honouring cultural heritage," noted the Director-General. "We should all learn from Indigenous Peoples, and their ability to balance respect for nature while ensuring adequate food," Qu added.
The week will bring forth discussions and roundtables, with a special focus on asserting knowledge systems into global policy spaces. In gathering 50 experts - 50 percent Indigenous Peoples, many of whom are women and youth - from 15 universities, 12 Indigenous Peoples' organizations and two Indigenous Peoples' global research networks, the Global-Hub serves to raise awareness on Indigenous Peoples' knowledge.
FAO's work with Indigenous Peoples
This year, FAO commemorates the 10th anniversary of the creation of its Indigenous Peoples Unit in the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division, a decade of work dedicated to working side by side with Indigenous Peoples, spearheading the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' food and knowledge systems and the promotion of Indigenous Peoples' rights.
FAO is the lead organization in the United Nations' effort to protect and recognize the contributions of Indigenous Peoples food and knowledge systems, and FAO holds the Secretariat position of the Global-Hub. In 2021, the Global-Hub produced the Wiphala Paper, recognized by scientific groups as a reference document for the UN Food Systems Summit, a key tool in understanding the uniqueness of Indigenous Peoples' food and knowledge systems in the seven sociocultural regions of the world.
This year's meeting also serves to continue the intersessional work prior to the Third Session of the of the UN Global Indigenous Youth Forum (UNGIYF) - a biennial event that will be hosted at FAO in 2025 with Indigenous Youth from the seven sociocultural regions - to advance on the recommendations of the Indigenous Youth Declaration on Safeguarding Seven Generations.
The Global-Hub meeting also takes place in the lead up to the inauguration of the FAO Food and Agriculture Museum and Network, which will happen in 2025 as part of FAO's 80th anniversary celebrations. The FAO Director-General notes that the Museum and Network "will be an interactive, digital and informative space open to the world, representing the importance of traditional knowledge together with advancements in science and agricultural production, innovation, as well as the role of women, youth and Indigenous Peoples in creating a sustainable future."
Topics, themes and traditions
The Indigenous Peoples' Nomadic tents will host technical sessions and activities aimed at advocating a wide range of topics, including the need to protect Indigenous Peoples from violence, the impacts of ultra-processed foods and the energy transition, and promoting the Indigenous Peoples' biocentric restoration approach. Indigenous Peoples should be properly involved in the implementation of international commitments on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), as they are gamechangers in biodiversity conservation, climate change action, food security and nutrition.
Indigenous musicians and chefs from around the world are set to participate in the Global-Hub, sharing their gastronomic traditions, artistry and spiritual expressions, rooted in their food and knowledge systems and cosmogony. Seated around a burning hearth, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people will gather for storytelling, rituals, and the passing down of oral traditions during a series of Fire Talks at the Global-Hub, as well as Tent Talks, which will showcase presentations from world-class experts delivering insights on themes related to Indigenous Peoples' views and considerations.
