In the current context of increase hunger and poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean, a paradigm shift is increasingly necessary to meet the challenges we face as a region.
From Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations We are convinced that collective action represents an opportunity to create alternatives and advance more innovative, inclusive, sustainable and sustainable development models to take responsibility for the current scenario.
A good example of collective action are cooperatives that promote economic participation through various sectors, fight against environmental degradation and climate change, create good jobs, contribute food security, maintenance of financial capital within local communities. In addition, they have proven to be more resistant to crises.
In Latin America and the Caribbean there are more than 105 thousand cooperatives belonging to different sectors. 26% correspond to cooperatives in the agricultural and/or rural sector, representing more than 28,000 producer organizations.
In April this year, we at FAO enthusiastically supported the adoption by United Nations General Assembly the first resolutions aimed at promoting Social and solidarity economy (ESS) for sustainable development, which seeks to promote voluntary cooperation and mutual assistance, democratic and participatory governance, and autonomy and independence.
In its content, the resolution established a clear recognition of cooperatives as enterprises of the social and solidarity economy, and called for initiatives that recognize their contribution to the development of indigenous peoples and local communities, whose inclusion contributed to the eradication poverty and hunger. On the other hand, he recognized the role they played as catalysts of social transformation, strengthening people’s productive capabilities in the form of cooperatives and associations.
This milestone is consistent with the efforts made to achieve it Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enables a wider range of companies, from multinationals to micro-enterprises, to participate directly and actively in achieving these goals. A resolution that is also very timely in a situation overwhelmed by successive global crises such as the pandemic, climate change and recent geopolitical tensions and conflicts.
According to this resolution, the United Nations encourages its states members to promote strategies, policies and programs that strengthen the ESS under appropriate legal frameworks. On the other hand, it is recommended that the entities of the system consider these forms of organization in their planning and programming instruments, in order to support the states in formulating and applying coherent measures. Similarly, it encourages multilateral, international and regional financial institutions and development banks to design financial instruments and mechanisms appropriate to these strategies.
For FAO, this resolution is an impetus for various SSE companies and especially to agricultural and food cooperatives in the region. Well, it helps enhance their strengths and the role they currently play in agri-food systems production, logistics, distribution and consumption. In addition, it strengthens the program we have been developing in recent years to promote cooperative culture and institutions, in matters such as capacity building and support for women’s and youth cooperatives. Initiatives that contribute to innovation and digital transformation projects for cooperatives and associations.
Source: Panama America
I am David Miller, a highly experienced news reporter and author for 24 Instant News. I specialize in opinion pieces and have written extensively on current events, politics, social issues, and more. My writing has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and BBC News. I strive to be fair-minded while also producing thought-provoking content that encourages readers to engage with the topics I discuss.
