The Slow Food USA Blog

Report from the U.N.

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by Slow Food USA staffer Jerusha Klemperer

Greetings from inside the United Nations where I am observing sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development; this particular two-year cycle of the CSD is focusing on some important issues for Slow Food including Land, Agriculture, Rural Development, Biodiversity, Drought and Desertification.

I am here on behalf of Slow Food USA in order to understand how it is that global policy recommendations are determined for being responsible stewards of the land while also addressing the increasingly important issue of food (in)security. This year the conversation feels especially pressing and energized given everyone's concerns about the global food crisis.
The CSD was established as a way to ensure effective follow-up of the Earth Summit that was held in Rio in 1992. It meets every year in NYC, in 2-year cycles, with each cycle focusing on a different cluster of topics. The first year is for review and discussion; the second year is for creating the directives and language for moving forward. Civil Society (i.e. "regular people") is invited to participate by sharing case studies, lessons learned, and real-life problems from the field. This will help the commission to link good practice to supportive policies and identify areas for collaborative action.

I'll be here, on and off, for the next two weeks, and will be popping onto the blog to share updates with you all. Stay tuned…