CFS:2004//INF/8 |
|
CFS:2004//INF/8 |
COMMITTEE ON WORLD FOOD SECURITY |
Thirtieth Session |
Rome, 20-23 September 2004 |
REPORT ON FAO INITIATIVES AGAINST HUNGER |
A. INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE AGAINST HUNGER
B. ANTI-HUNGER PROGRAMME (AHP)
C. Food insecurity and vulnerability information and mapping system (fivims)
E. National Strategies for Food Security and Agricultural Development (NSFSAD)
1. The Conference, at its Thirty-second Session held in 2003, took note of the FAO initiatives summarised in the Conference document C 2003/16 - Strengthening Coherence in FAO Initiatives to Fight Hunger, namely:
2. The Conference also “requested that an annual report be submitted to the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) containing concrete and quantitative analysis of activities under the eight initiatives described in the document,..."1. Accordingly this Information note contains a brief update on the last four initiatives (e, f, g and h) referred to in the Conference document as items a, b, c and d are covered separately by other documents for this Session.
3. In 2003 the CFS decided that IAAH should be a standing item on the agenda. Accordingly a specific pre-session document (CFS: 2004/7 – International Alliance Against Hunger) has been prepared for the Thirtieth Session.
4. The AHP is a secretariat proposal that identifies priority areas for investments required to attain the World Food Summit target and provides estimates of the costs involved. A twin-track approach is advocated, combining the promotion of quick-response agricultural growth, led by small farmers, with targeted programmes to provide direct access to food by the most needy. Countries that have followed this approach are seeing the benefits.
5. Such policies emphasize broad participation in policy decision-making. To assure the success of investments under the twin-track approach, national governments of developing countries as well as the international community must create a policy environment that is conducive to broad-based economic growth. At the international level, this implies measures to promote peace, political and economic stability as well as a trading environment, especially for agricultural commodities, that protects and promotes the development and food security interests of developing countries. Nationally, it implies the adoption of macroeconomic policies that provide the stability required to encourage savings and investment. In most cases, this will call for increased budget allocations for agricultural and rural development.
6. The major anti-hunger projects and programmes are developed and detailed based on the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of the AHP. The twin-track strategy outlined in the AHP has been widely accepted, including by the UN’s Hunger Task Force. Consequently, there are no separate activities to report on under this programme concept.
7. Since 1998 the Secretariat has been submitting an annual update on the development of FIVIMS as an Information document to the CFS. The same practice will be maintained for the Thirtieth Session of the CFS. This document provides a succinct summary of the activities carried out under this initiative.
8. The Voluntary Guidelines to support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security will also be discussed as a full agenda item at this Session. This topic is not covered by this Information document as there is a separate document (CFS: 2004/6) related to this topic.
9. At the 1996 World Food Summit, participating countries committed to halve the number of undernourished people by 2015. In the follow-up to the Summit, 150 National Strategies for Food Security and Agricultural Development (NSFSAD) – Horizon 2010 were prepared with the support of FAO. After the WFS:fyl, and the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals, renewed efforts are being undertaken to review and update the NSFSAD, to reinforce the political will, and to promote investments towards food security and hunger reduction.
10. This on-going process aims to: (i) revisit the national long term vision extending existing strategies to the Horizon 2015 to reflect the changing national and international context and the new priority given to the rural sector; (ii) to provide the basis for resource planning and for measures to meet the food and nutrition needs of the seriously undernourished.
11. Launched at the beginning of 2003, the updating process consists of: (i) preparing and circulating a Conceptual Framework for NSFSAD; (ii) conducting a country survey (run in February 2003) and elaborating a country categorization with respect to the situation of country policy/strategy processes; iii) preparing Country Policy Profiles (CPP) on the State of Policies and Strategies related to Food Security and Agricultural Development; (iv) providing technical assistance in reviewing and updating Strategies -Horizon 2015,based on guidelines that reflect the diversity of country situations regarding the level of need for policy and strategy adjustment and the stage reached in internal processes related to this.
12. The process of policy and strategy updating has been initiated in all regions. Across the regions, 105 Country Policy Profiles (CPPs) have been prepared, providing a summary of the state of strategies and policies for food security and agricultural development, and identifying the policy support needed for reviewing and updating them.
13. The analysis of the CPPs has helped identify opportunities for strengthening policy and strategy formulation and implementation processes in member countries for support and assistance by FAO or other cooperating partners should there be a request and resources be available.
14. In the case of Africa the policy and strategy review was linked to the key developmental framework recently adopted by African countries - the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Given the calendar of events under NEPAD, the review and updating of National Strategies for Food Security and Agricultural Development – Horizon 2015was accelerated, so as to provide the strategic framework for setting priorities and formulating national medium-term investment programmes (NMTIP) and bankable investment project profiles (BIPP) in individual countries.
15. In support to the preparation of the NSFSAD, 47 Summary Strategies - Horizon 2015 have been prepared in Africa and they are in various stages of finalization with Governments.
16. In addition, around 80 FAO projects financed by FAO Technical Cooperation Programme, UNDP or Trust Funds are being implemented worldwide, containing at least a component aimed at supporting formulation, updating and implementation processes of policies and strategies for food security and agricultural development in member countries.
17. The interdependence of national economies with regional and global economies has increasingly led in the past decades to the formation of Regional Economic Organizations (REOs) among developed and developing countries alike. Their objectives include promoting economic integration, benefiting from economies of scale, as well as eradicating poverty and enhancing food security, agricultural development and socio-economic advancement.
18. The REOs are expected to initiate regional strategies, programmes and projects with a focus on issues that are better addressed at the regional level. National policies need reinforcement through the removal of constraints at regional level and through increased opportunities for regional and international trade.
19. In this context, twelve REOs2, in collaboration with FAO, prepared Regional Programmes for Food Security (RPFS) to improve food production and security and strengthen trade and agricultural policy on a sustainable basis through a multidisciplinary and participatory approach in their member countries. These RPFS were presented by the respective REOs to various stakeholders, particularly those from the donor community and financing institutions during the recent World Food Summit: five years later (WFS:fyl). These presentations proved to be very successful.Too self-congratulatory for this type of doc.
20. Several of the REOs expressed their desire to pursue the constructive dialogue initiated at the WFS:fyl with the financial institutions and donors that are actively involved in their respective regions. High-level regional meetings were jointly co-organized in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East by REOs, associated international institutions, FAO and regional development banks such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Islamic Development Bank. These meetings provided high-level forums for identifying priority regional issues, for formulating and implementing Regional Programmes to address these issues and concerns, and for forging partnership amongst stakeholders.
21. Implementation of the RPFS has started in several regions. The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) has allocated US$ 4 million from its own resources to start up the RPFS, complemented by FAO funds. The Government of Italy has committed about US$ 5 million each to the RPFS for the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) and Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). The Organization is also providing additional funding to the implementation of these RPFS through its Technical Cooperation Programme.
22. In addition to the support lent to the twelve REOs mentioned above, the Organization is currently assisting the League of Arab States (LAS), the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), and the Council of Arab Economic Unit (CAEU) in the formulation of draft regional programmes for food security, including the preparation of bankable projects for submission for donor funding.
23. Following a request from the NEPAD Secretariat, FAO has provided assistance to the Secretariat in the formulation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which was endorsed by African Ministers for Agriculture before submission to the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, also held in Maputo Summit in July 2003.
24. At the Maputo Summit, the African Union Heads of State and Government adopted the Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security which provided strong political support to the CAADP. Major commitments from the Declaration include, inter alia: i) to implement, as a matter of urgency, the CAADP and allocate at least ten percent of national budgetary resources towards the agricultural sector; ii) to ensure the preparation of investment projects under CAADP for the mobilization of resources; and iii) to ensure the establishment of regional food reserve systems, including food stocks, linked to Africa’s own production.
25. FAO in conjunction with the NEPAD Secretariat and the African Union hosted two sets of meetings as a follow up to the Maputo Declaration in September and December 2003to discuss the preparation of National Medium-term Programmes and the formulation of investment projects.
26. FAO has allocated US$ 7 million in 49 countries for this exercise (including US$ 6 million from its own resources under the Technical Cooperation Programme and almost US$ 1 million from an Italian Trust Fund). The process is well under way and is expected to be finalized before the end of 2004.
27. FAO has also undertaken consultations with various partners (NEPAD Secretariat, World Bank, IMF, OECD, African Development Bank) to examine the possibility of setting up a mechanism for tracking the allocation of budgetary resources in African countries. These issues were discussed in a meeting was held in February 2004.
28. During the 23rd Regional Conference for Africa held in Johannesburg in March 2004, FAO reported on a number of activities which were carried out during 2003 in the framework of the implementation of NEPAD. The status of these activities is as follows:
29. Three TCP projects were approved during 2003-2004 in support of NEPAD activities for a total amount of US$ 933 468.
30. FAO launched the SPFS in 1994, two years ahead of the 1996 World Food Summit, as the flagship programme through which it would assist its developing member countries in cutting the incidence of hunger and malnutrition. The design of the SPFS was premised on the assumption that small-scale farmers in developing countries could make significant production gains through taking up relatively simple, low-cost and sustainable changes in technology. In this way, they would not only improve their own livelihoods and stimulate growth in the local rural economy but also create surpluses which would contribute to national food security. The programme was initially targeted on Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) in which pilot-scale activities were started, with the ultimate aim that these should serve as a basis for the planning and implementation of comprehensive nation-wide food security programmes.
31. The growth of the SPFS has been rapid, with the number of participating countries rising from 15 in 1995 to 101 as of June 2004 (See Annex Table 2). Moreover ,as of the same date, the indicative funds mobilized increased from US$ 3.5 million to around US$ 650 million, more than 60% of which has been committed by developing countries from their own resources. The extra-budgetary resources mobilised, from bilateral and multilateral donors and International Financing Institutions in support to the SPFS accounted for 23% of the total funds mobilized. A salient feature of the SPFS is the growing participation of middle-income developing countries in financing the Programme's activities through substantial funding from their national budgets, mostly under unilateral trust fund arrangements with FAO, e.g. Nigeria, Mexico, South Africa, Venezuela etc.
32. A particular feature of the SPFS has been its limited reliance on conventional technical assistance models which have been largely replaced by South-South Cooperation (SSC). To date, some 28 SSC agreements have been signed, and around 700 cooperants are in the field, most of whom are living and working in farming communities, sharing their practical skills and experience.
33. The SPFS was the subject of an independent external evaluation in 2001/2 which endorsed the programme’s approach and noted its particular strengths as being promotion of national ownership; focus on agriculture, food and nutrition issues; uses of participatory processes for empowering households, and a multifaceted approach to cutting food insecurity. Responding to perceptions that it was heavily technology-driven and top-down, and relatively narrow in its range of interventions, the SPFS has become increasingly people-driven and more comprehensive. The SPFS now strongly supports the application of participative diagnostic and learning processes with the aim of empowering participants to articulate their demands on services and to become increasingly self-reliant in coping with food insecurity situations.
34. As many as thirty countries, implementing SPFS, are developing full-scale national food security programmes, drawing on the pilot SPFS experience as well as other initiatives contributing to improved food security. Reflecting the concepts of the Anti-Hunger Programme (see above), these national programmes address both food production and food access constraints, and combine investments with institutional and policy reform.
35. More recently, two countries, Brazil and Sierra Leone, have set the goal of eradicating hunger within four and five years respectively and have engaged FAO assistance within the SPFS framework. Both countries are approaching the task within a human rights framework, recognize the need for fundamental policy and institutional reform and have sought the full engagement of government, civil society and donors in the fight against hunger in line with the concepts of joint action being promoted by the International Alliance Against Hunger (IAAH, see above).
| Title of Activity / Project | Role | Country(ries) | Funding US$ | Estimated dates | Notes | |
1 |
TCP/INT/2905 (T), ACP Secretariat: "Strengthening the Capacity of ACP Secretariat Staff in Agricultural (including Fisheries) Trade Negotiations" |
ATS |
ACP Secretariat and officials from ACP countries |
338,752 |
24-27 May 2004 and September 2004 |
One trade-related workshop took place in Brussels from 24-27 May 2004. A second workshop is foreseen for September 2004. |
2 |
GCP/RAS/176/GER: "Asia Regional Workshop on Multilateral Trade Negotiations on Agriculture" |
LTU |
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, PDR Lao, Maldives, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam |
arrears German Trust fund and UP-1 |
Late 2004 |
Workshop on multilateral trade negotiations |
3 |
GCP/SYR/006/ITA: Capacity building for agricultural policies. Several studies on impact of WTO accession on Syrian agriculture. |
LTU |
Syria |
One million dollars per year |
2003 - 2004 |
|
4 |
Maghreb: Regional Integration, Trade Development and Food Security in the Maghreb Region |
LTU |
Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia |
about US$ 500,000 |
2004-2005 |
A high lever regional workshop will be attended by 50 persons |
5 |
TCP/AFG/2902, Promoting Institutional and Human Resources Capacity of Government Institutions in the Agricultural and Rural Sector |
LTU |
Afghanistan |
377,000 |
May 2004 |
One-week course on Agricultural trade policy and World Trade Organization (The course costed about 10,000 US$) |
6 |
TCP/BKF/2902, Renforcement des Capacités Strategiques des Organisations Paysannes |
ATS |
Burkina Faso |
338,000 |
March 2004 |
One week course on agriculture and trade policy |
7 |
MYA/01/008/, Myanmar Agriculture Sector Review - Analysis and Investment Strategy Formulation |
ATS |
Myanmar |
874,390 |
May 2004 |
One week course on agriculture and trade policy |
8 |
GCP/RAF/392/FRA,
Support to Capacity Building Initiatives Regarding Agricultural Policy Formulation in Southern Africa and RAFP/TCAS Regular Programme |
ATS |
Africa |
Approx 180,000 |
04-Nov |
Study on Agricultural Development and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: |
II) 2003 |
||||||
|
Title of Activity / Project |
Involve-ment |
County(ries) |
FundingUS$ |
Dates |
Notes |
1 |
TCP/RAS/2906(A): "A Study to Evaluate the Benefits and Costs of WTO Membership for the Food, Agriculture, Fishery, and Forestry Sectors of Small Island Countries in the Pacific" |
LTU |
Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu |
TCP (122,000) |
March - May, 2003 |
|
2 |
GCP/RLA/138/SPA, Distance learning course: Proyecto Regional de Cooperación Técnica para la Formación en Economía y Políticas Agrarias y de Desarrollo Rural en America Latina (FODEPAL) |
ATS |
Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá y República Dominicana |
Spain |
Yearly 2002-2004 |
Course through internet |
3 |
GCP/INT/736/EC: Workshop in Multilateral Trade Negotiations for Central America: FAO/Programa de Cooperación de la Comisión Europea en respaldo a la Seguridad Alimentaria |
LTU |
Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá y República Dominicana |
EU |
May - September 2003 |
Workshop 1-5 September 2003 |
4 |
GCP/RAF/362/SWE, Workshop: Strengthening capacities for decision making in the process of intensifying economic integration of English speaking LDC countries in Africa |
LTU |
For least Developed African Countries |
Sweden 118,460 |
May 2003 in South Africa, Pretoria |
Workshop in May 2003 |
5 |
GCP/INT/591/FRA, Workshop: Renforcement des capacités du secteur public et de la société civile en matière de politiques agricoles régionales dans le cadre d’un processus d’intégration |
LTU |
Burkina Faso Benin, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Togo |
France 120,000 |
May 2003 in Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou |
Workshop in May 2003 |
6 |
TCP/INT/2902, Support to Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) for the Preparation of a Regional Programme for Food Security |
ATS |
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyztan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
327,000 |
March 2003 - February 2004 |
|
7 |
TCP/MOR/2905, Renforcement des capacités nationales pour les négociations commerciales sur l’agriculture |
LTU |
Morocco |
260,000 |
March 2003 - February 2004 |
Negotiation for Free Trade Area with the USA |
REGION |
Operational |
Formulated |
Under Formulation |
To be Formulated |
|
101 |
4 |
9 |
5 |
|
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AFRICA |
42 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
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ALGERIA* |
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ANGOLA |
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BENIN |
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BURKINA FASO |
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BURUNDI |
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CAMEROON |
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CAPE VERDE |
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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC |
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CHAD |
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COMOROS |
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CONGO DEMOCRATIC REP. |
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CONGO REPUBLIC OF |
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CÔTE D'IVOIRE |
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DJIBOUTI |
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EGYPT |
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EQUATORIAL GUINEA |
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ERITREA |
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ETHIOPIA |
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GABON* |
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GAMBIA |
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GHANA |
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GUINEA |
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GUINEA-BISSAU |
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KENYA |
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LESOTHO |
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LIBERIA |
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MADAGASCAR |
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MALAWI |
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MALI |
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MAURITANIA |
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MOROCCO |
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MOZAMBIQUE |
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NIGER |
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NIGERIA |
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RWANDA |
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SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE |
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SENEGAL |
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SIERRA LEONE |
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SOMALIA |
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SOUTH AFRICA* |
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SUDAN |
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SWAZILAND |
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TANZANIA |
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TOGO |
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UGANDA |
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ZAMBIA |
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ZIMBABWE* |
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ASIA |
18 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
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AFGHANISTAN |
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ARMENIA |
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AZERBAIJAN |
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BANGLADESH |
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BHUTAN |
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CAMBODIA |
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CHINA |
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GEORGIA |
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INDIA |
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INDONESIA |
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JORDAN* |
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KOREA, DEM. PEOPLE'S REP. |
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KYRGYZSTAN |
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LAO PDR |
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LEBANON |
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MALDIVES |
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MONGOLIA |
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MYANMAR |
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NEPAL |
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PAKISTAN |
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PHILIPPINES |
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SRI LANKA |
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SYRIA ARAB REP. |
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TAJIKISTAN |
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TIMOR-LESTE |
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TURKMENISTAN |
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EUROPE |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
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ALBANIA |
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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA |
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MACEDONIA, FYR |
| |
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Latin-America |
25 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
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ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA* |
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ARGENTINA* |
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BAHAMAS* |
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BARBADOS* |
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BELIZE* |
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BOLIVIA* |
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BRAZIL* |
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COLOMBIA* |
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CUBA |
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DOMINICA* |
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC* |
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ECUADOR |
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EL SALVADOR* |
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GRENADA* |
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GUATEMALA* |
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GUYANA* |
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HAITI |
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HONDURAS |
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JAMAICA* |
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MEXICO* |
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NICARAGUA |
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PERU* |
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SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS* |
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SAINT LUCIA* |
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SAINT VINCENT AND GRENADINES* |
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SURINAME* |
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TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO* |
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VENEZUELA* |
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OCEANIA |
14 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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VANUATU |
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TUVALU |
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TONGA* |
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SOLOMON ISLANDS |
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SAMOA |
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PAPUA NEW GUINEA |
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PALAU* |
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NIUE* |
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NAURU* |
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MARSHALL ISLANDS* |
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KIRIBATI |
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FIJI* |
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COOK ISLANDS* |
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FED. STATES OF MICRONESIA* |
* NON LIFDC.
__________________________
1 C 2003/REP – Report of the Conference of FAO, Thirty-second Session, 29 November to 8 December 2003, para 80.
2 Nine in Africa: Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA); one in the Caribbean: Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM); one in the Pacific: Pacific Islands Forum (PIF); and one in Europe: Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).