Legislative advisors of the Parliamentary Front against Hunger from more than 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, are participating in a FAO training session to contribute to the Global Goals of the Agenda 2030.

This is the course "How to improve the impact of State policies to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger" promoted by FAO for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Spanish Cooperation Agency and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), through the "Mesoamerica sin Hambre AMEXCID-FAO" (Mesoamerica without Hunger AMEXCID-FAO) programme.

 "Everything begins with food. We cannot pretend to move towards sustainable development and fight climate change in our countries without starting with the eradication of hunger," said Analie Ortiz, Guatemala's legislative advisor.

"The synergy of knowledge and techniques among advisors from different nations unites us, strengthens us and directs us towards concrete goals," she added.

Why Engage Legislative Advisors

For FAO, the role of parliamentarians is strategic.

 "They can position issues on the public agenda, make laws and bring together different actors in the process, monitor the impact of policies and ensure adequate budgets for their implementation," says Barbara Villar, expert in parliamentary alliances of the Spain-FAO programme.

In this respect, the General Coordinator of the Parliamentary Front against Hunger, Jairo Flores, assures that "the legislator is the political piece, who identifies the problems and mobilizes the necessary support for their solutions. Meanwhile, the advisors, often invisible, are the ones who help transform these demands into effective norms."

Training and Commitment on the Right to Food

The course, which included a virtual phase and a face-to-face phase at the Spanish Cooperation Training Centre in Antigua Guatemala, was implemented by the Public Policy Training Nucleus of the FAO Regional Office.

"The participants developed online activities, such as readings, working forums and written submissions, aimed at exchanging experiences and discussing legislative advances and challenges related to the effective realization of the Right to Food," said Karina Crespo, Coordinator of the Nucleus.

"This is the third edition of this course and there are more and more participants: in its first edition in 2017, the course had 53 participants; in 2018, 67; and this year there were 88, the majority being professional women," she said.

In addition, the advisors were trained to apply international instruments in their national and regional legislative work, such as the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CSA-IAR).

"In the second version of this course, in 2018, a road map with concrete actions and commitments in this area was achieved. On this occasion, the advisors shared the advances and challenges of this document," said FAO expert on Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems, Emma McGhie.

Parliamentary Front Against Hunger

The Parliamentary Front against Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean is a network formally recognized by the Legislative Powers of the region.

It is present in 21 national congresses and in regional parliaments such as the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO), the Andean Parliament (PARLANDINO), the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) and the Mercosur Parliament (PARLASUR).

"There is no fight against hunger without political decisions with impact. From the parliaments, we must take collaborative action so that this problem has lasting solutions", emphasized the Secretary General of the PARLATINO and member of the Front, Pablo González.

This parliamentary alliance, which has the support of FAO, Spanish Cooperation and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), has promoted more than 40 laws on food and nutritional security and sustainable development.

With regard to this regional experience, the European Parliament created the "European Parliamentary Alliance for the Fight against Hunger", while the Spanish Parliament promoted the "Spanish Parliamentary Alliance for the Right to Food".

In addition, the knowledge and experience accumulated in 10 years by the fronts has inspired similar processes in Africa and Asia.