Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Extending social protection and risk management systems effectively to rural populations is often a challenge for government institutions in many developing countries. The High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition has recognized in its 2012 report the importance of involving non-state actors, including rural organizations, in the formulation and execution of social protection systems.

Rural organisations contribute to extending social protection to the rural poor in several ways by:

1. performing agreed tasks through participatory mechanisms within national social protection systems;
2. developing collective practices of risk management and mutual assistance for their members.

FAO has launched a global study on good practices in harnessing the role of rural organizations in social protection, to document cases and compile an “Inventory of practices” on the current and potential role of rural organisations in social protection.

To share findings on this issue, the FSN Forum has organized a webinar held on 25 November 2015.

Examples from two cases identified through the study were presented to the participants by Igor Vinci, Rural Institutions and Social Protection Consultant. The aim was to draw viable recommendations on the role of rural organizations in social protection, by collecting valuable conclusions of the case analysis.

The webinar attracted over 50 experts and development practitioners in the fields of social protection, rural development and rural services, who came together with members of rural and civil society sharing findings and discussing the preliminary results of the study.

The feedback provided by the participants during the webinar will feed into the analytical section of the inventory and thusto contribute to the official report.

The recording of the session is available following the link: http://fao.adobeconnect.com/p5l1yh7bh6i

Further background information on this activity is available here: www.fao.org/fsnforum/news/webinar-role-rural-organisations-social-protection

The underlying concept is further described in this article on Local Solutions to Social Protection: the role of rural organizations.

For any additional information on this activity contact:

May Hani, Policy Officer (Institutions and rural services), FAO: [email protected]

Igor Vinci, Rural Institutions and Social Protection Consultant: [email protected]

FSN Forum Team

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on reducing poverty have been met by many countries, yet many others lag behind and the post-2015 challenge will be the full eradication of poverty and hunger. Many developing countries increasingly recognize that social protection measures are needed to relieve the immediate deprivation of people living in poverty and to prevent others from falling into poverty when a crisis strikes.

This edition of The State of Food and Agriculture 2015 makes the case that social protection measures will help break the cycle of rural poverty and vulnerability, when combined with broader agricultural and rural development measures.

Click here to read more and to dowload the publication.