Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

The issue of food losses and waste has recently been given high visibility. According to FAO, almost one-third of food produced for human consumption—approximately 1.3 billion tonnes per year is either lost or wasted. Recognizing the seriousness of the issue, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) requested the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE), to undertake a study on ‘Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems’ to be presented to the Plenary in 2014.

As part of its report elaboration process, the HLPE is launching an e-consultation to seek views, public feedback and comments, on the pertinence and interconnections of some key questions that the report proposes to address.

Duly recognising the significant role played by fisheries and aquaculture in food security and nutrition, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in its thirty-ninth Session (October 2012) requested the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE), to undertake a study on the Role of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition to be presented to the Plenary in 2014.

As part of its report elaboration process, the HLPE is now launching an e-consultation to seek views, public feedback and comments, on the pertinence and relative importance of some key questions that the report proposes to address, in line with the request from the CFS, and that could form the building blocks of the report.

The concept of paying farmers and rural dwellers for the environmental services they provide has gained prominence as a tool for achieving ecosystem conservation and, at the same time, improving the livelihoods of farmers as environmental service providers. There are however many open questions with regard to the scope of PES, their cost-effectiveness in addressing the growing global challenges of climate change and food security, and its underlying economic assumptions. In this online discussion we hope to find answers on how best to address the challenges and opportunities based on prior practical experience and research.

Forests, trees on farms and agroforestry systems contribute to food security, nutrition and livelihoods in several ways, including as a direct source of food, fuel, employment and cash income. Such contributions are often under-estimated in policy decisions. What are the bottlenecks hindering a greater contribution of forests, trees on farms and agroforestry systems to food security? Are there examples of innovative approaches or good practices? How can forests and trees feature more prominently in food security policies?

The High Level Panel of Experts for Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) seeks input on the V0 draft of its report on Biofuels and Food Security. The report aims at providing a balanced science-based assessments of the opportunities and challenges that Biofuels may represent for food security so that they can be produced where it is socially, economically and environmentally feasible.

The High Level Panel of Experts for Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) seeks input on the V0 draft of its report on smallholder investment in agriculture. This study focuses on the policy options for addressing constraints to investments, taking into consideration the work done on this topic by IFAD, and by FAO in the context of COAG, and the work of other key partners. It includes a comparative assessment of strategies for linking smallholders to food value chains as well as an assessment of the impacts on smallholders of different forms of partnership models.

Economic growth can be a powerful driver for increased food security when translated into agricultural growth. However, to reduce poverty and hunger, growth needs to reach the poor and the increased income needs to generate demand for the assets controlled by them. As not all countries are being equally successful in generating this inclusive growth, how can good governance and social protection help to translate economic growth into improved food security and nutrition for all?

There is now considerable interest among international development organizations and practitioners in agriculture programming and policy to improve nutrition. This discussion is an opportunity to review the substantial international dialogue on improving nutrition through food and agriculture, to identify the research gaps and to distil and prioritize the actions needed at country-level.

While the relationship between food security and nutrition security might seem straightforward from a technical perspective a lively debate is taking place on how to best capture these concepts in a common definition that is both technically and politically acceptable. At present, food security, nutrition security, food security and nutrition and food and nutrition security are all being used. The paper "Coming to terms with terminology" proposes to move towards the more inclusive terminology food and nutrition security in order to better reflect the conceptual linkages between food security and nutrition security. What are your views on this and the new proposed definition of food and nutrition security?

Rural cooperatives and producer organizations play a crucial role in the eradication of hunger and poverty, in the promotion of social harmony and in the achievement of more equitable economic growth. What are the ideal conditions that will enable these member-based organizations to become more self-reliant and sustainable business enterprises?