Groundbreaking Global Effort to Revolutionize Food Systems

In the lead up to the World Summit on Food Systems in 2022, it was clear that new strategies were needed to transform our current food systems. The challenge is enormous. Conventional agriculture is responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions, approximately 80% of biodiversity loss, and 70% of fresh water use, among other indicators of unsustainability. Moreover, it is no longer profitable as the costs of rectifying the problems it creates far outweigh the profits it generates.

Traditional agriculture is also undergoing a complex transformation, incorporating elements from diverse cultures without adequate training. To address this, UIMQRoo, with financial support from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food (GAFF), hosted three groundbreaking global meetings.

During the first meeting, participants discussed the extent to which concepts commonly used in literature and discussions about food systems are present in Mayan thinking. Ten Mayan speakers, familiar with food systems, gathered on June 21 and 22. The group comprised a balanced mix of ages, genders, and occupations, from practitioners to academics. The discussions revealed that Mayan thought is highly sophisticated and often contemplates broader aspects than other forms of thought. Such exercises are crucial in building effective communication bridges for the development and implementation of projects aimed at transforming food systems.

The second meeting involved high-level Mexican academics with experience working in indigenous communities, especially from the Yucatan peninsula. They discussed the principles that explain the success of their intercultural research, which are not described in the materials and methods section of their publications. A balanced mix of age, gender, and scientific disciplines identified 14 principles that are still being processed to guide reliable methodologies of work in local/indigenous communities.

The third meeting involved researchers from organizations such as CGIAR, FAO, IFAD, CIRAD, TIP, ICRAF, IPON, and universities like Wisconsin, Rutgers, UCSC, McGuill, UPCh of Peru, Chapingo, and UIMQRoo. They came from South and North America, Europe, Asia, and Mexico, maintaining a balance in age, experience, gender, and fields of knowledge. They identified eight key values and principles to guide a reliable methodology, which are still being refined.

The fourth stage will involve consultation with the communities and indigenous leaderships of the Yucatán Mayans to get their impressions about the values and principles that researchers should follow when conducting work in their territories. This stage is currently in the planning phase.

UIMQRoo, through its administrative and academic staff, has provided a long-term, high-level conceptualization of the problems facing food systems. Today, the institution is internationally recognized and must continue to innovate and maintain its prestige. The next steps are crucial in this process.