Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Dear Colleagues,    

Welcome to the Online Consultation Food security issues in the Eurasian region: major challenges and G8/G20 initiatives in relation with the regional situation, which will be held 22 May to 21 June 2013, in both Russian and English.

This four-week online consultation is initiated by the Eurasian Center for Food Security (ECFS). The ECFS was established by the Government of the Russian Federation at Moscow State University as a follow up to the commitment made by G8 leaders, known as the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative, to implement measures to improve world food security.

The consultation is being held in the context of the Russian Federation presidency of the G20 and its continuing work towards priority directions related to the need for “a new cycle of economic growth in the world economy” ­– for which food security is a prerequisite. The ECFS aims to identify the expectations of decision-makers regarding the G8/G20 initiatives to address food security issues with a focus on increasing agricultural production and the solution of problems related to malnutrition affecting the population in the Eurasian region and other regions of the world.

By attracting inputs from a wide set of stakeholders, the online discussion aims at obtaining a clear picture of the main challenges to food security, of the impact of past and current polices, and to understand the priorities of different countries and stakeholder groups in the Eurasian region.

Additionally the discussion will contribute to the development of a dynamic food security community of practice made up of specialists and practitioners. Such a network, identified as one of the key objectives for the ECFS’s short- and medium-term agenda, would link food security experts and decision makers from Eurasia and beyond and encourage knowledge-sharing on the latest data, research findings and best practices.

This online consultation is open to everyone interested in the subject and we are calling on stakeholders such as governments, civil society organizations, research institutes, academia, universities and associations to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Center and explore the food security landscape of the Eurasian Region.

For a brief overview of the current G8/G20 initiatives and the food security situation in the Eurasian region, we invite you to read the two background papers:

• G8/G20 initiatives in relation with Food Security issues
• Food security overview in the Eurasian region

In order to stimulate and enrich this discussion, we propose the following guiding questions:

• What are the major challenges facing Eurasian countries in improving their food security situation?

• Are current policies conducive to ensure food security in your country?
• What do the decision makers from the Eurasian region expect from the G8/G20 initiatives in relation to food security issues?

The outcomes of the consultation will be discussed at an International Networking Conference to be organized by the ECFS tentatively in September 2013. The results will also feed into global, regional and national policy debates, and inform the ECFS’s plan of action regarding the creation of a successful community of practice.

We wish to thank you in advance for participating in this consultation and believe that your participation and comments will prove to be very valuable and that both you and your organization will benefit from the e-interaction with other experts in the region.

We look forward to an interesting and rich discussion.

Sergey Kiselev – the Director of the ECFS

Mark Smulders – Senior Economist (FAO)