Food systems resilience dialogue and pathway development: Jonglei State and Greater Pibor Administrative Area - South Sudan

Food systems in Jonglei State and Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), South Sudan, are in dire crisis because of multiple shocks and stressors, persisting conflict and violence, climate change, and natural resource deterioration. However, building upon South Sudan’s national food systems dialogue, ample opportunities exist to build food systems resilience in Jonglei State and GPAA through strengthening the capacity of people to produce and access nutritious and culturally acceptable food over time and space in the face of natural and/or man-made shocks and stressors. Food systems approaches are increasingly seen as a way forward to develop sustainable food systems in protracted food crisis, as highlighted by the UN Food Systems Summit, the Global Network Against Food Crises, and the Fighting Food Crises along the Nexus Coalition. It is therefore most opportune to act now by investing in an urgently needed transformation towards equitable, inclusive, and sustainable food systems for improved outcomes, in particular food and nutrition security in protracted food crises contexts. For South Sudan this means, in line with the outcomes of its national food systems dialogue, addressing four strategic challenges to transform the country’s food systems: 1) strengthening the resilience of food systems in face of current and future shocks and stressors; 2) developing food systems that contribute to social cohesion and peace; 3) ensuring that food systems are based on sustainable use and management of natural resources and produce healthier diets, and; 4) promoting sustainable food supply systems through inclusive value chains and agribusinesses with an eye on youth employment. Governance of food systems takes place at multiple levels and scales but transformation of local food systems will only succeed if communities, civil society organizations, small producers, farmers, and indigenous groups – with their local knowledge, and lived-in experiences – can shape how food is governed. The Jonglei State and GPAA food systems resilience dialogue & pathway development (FoSReD-PaD) provides a contribution to understand local food system dynamics and to strengthen local governance of food systems for improved food systems resilience and outcomes. The Jonglei State and GPAA dialogue envisaged a total of four pathways, in line with South Sudan’s national food systems transformation pathways, which together form a roadmap to transform its food systems to become more resilient, better serve the needs of all stakeholders (in particular smallholder farmers/agro-pastoralists and herders), and improve food and nutrition outcomes for all.