Amidst a global financial framework that often neglects the rights of small-scale food producers, civil society and Indigenous Peoples' organizations are urging governments to prioritize policies and funding that bolster local food production. These groups emphasize the necessity of transparent accountability mechanisms and active participation from small-scale producers in shaping, monitoring, and evaluating such policies. During the UN Committee on World Food Security's Collaborative Governance Dialogue, these organizations highlighted the inseparable link between financial and food sovereignty, advocating for systemic changes that empower those who feed the world.

In recent years, billions of people have lived in countries where more resources were allocated to servicing foreign debt than to essential services like health or education. This imbalance has been exacerbated by a global financial system prioritizing profit over people, impacting small-scale food producers who face numerous challenges including poverty, discrimination, lack of credit access, and marginalization in policy-making spaces. Advocates stress the need for agrarian reforms, market regulation, agroecological transitions, and fair tax systems to redirect national investments towards sustainable agriculture.

Ibrahima Coulibaly, representing Pan-African Farmers’ Organization, criticized the reliance on public-private partnerships and blended financing models, arguing that while private sectors can contribute to processing and marketing, they should not replace the role of producers whose fair income must be ensured through robust public policies. He also warned against foreign aid creating new dependencies and suggested using public resources more effectively to finance guarantee funds instead of corruption-prone programs.

Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, emphasized the importance of comprehensive national food plans developed through participatory processes involving existing laws and institutions. Such an approach would enable governments to assert their priorities internationally while enhancing accountability domestically. Shiney Varghese from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy further noted that rethinking financing involves aligning it with the needs of food-producing communities rather than corporate interests.

The Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism (CSIPM) views the CFS as pivotal in advancing equitable and democratic food systems due to its inclusive mandate and focus on human rights. They call for international forums on financing development and climate change to integrate discussions about respecting the rights of small-scale food producers while transitioning to sustainable food systems. Through publications like their zine "Trade, Debt and Financialisation," CSIPM showcases real-life impacts of the global financial system and highlights community resistance efforts toward achieving food justice.

Moving forward, fostering financial sovereignty requires a shift from current paradigms that commodify food and life. By placing small-scale producers at the heart of policymaking and ensuring their active involvement, nations can build resilient food systems capable of addressing interconnected crises holistically. The dialogue initiated by the CFS serves as a critical platform for diverse stakeholders to collaborate, share insights, and drive transformative change in global food security and nutrition strategies.