Lobbying for Food Security: FAO advocacy interventions

Overview

• FAO: Vision and Programme Focus • Global Food Security Trends • Key Advocacy Instruments at FAO ▫ Committee on Food Security ▫ 1 Billion Hungry Campaign • Strengthening Advocacy Partnerships

FAO’s vision

• “A world free of hunger and malnutrition where food and agriculture contributes to improving the living standards of all, especially the poorest, in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner.’’

FAO Global Goals

• reduction of the absolute number of people suffering from hunger, to ensure all people at all times have sufficient safe and nutritious food; • elimination of poverty focusing on increased food production, enhanced rural development and sustainable livelihoods; • sustainable management and utilisation of natural resources, including land, water, air, climate and genetic resources

FAO Regional Priorities for Africa

• Increase agricultural productivity and diversification • Promote sustainable natural resources management • Support market access and sanitary measures for better trade • Improve knowledge management, information and advocacy in Africa.

Global Hunger Trends

Proportion of population that is undernourished in developing regions, 1969-71-2010

Number of undernourished people in 2010, by region millions

FAO’s Advocacy Approach

• Facilitation of knowledge dissemination and utilization of communication networks • Promotion of partnership between UN, core development agencies and civil society organisations • Principle of FAO accountability to member states and country level engagement

Key Advocacy Instruments at FAO

•

Committee on World Food Security

•

1 Billion Hungry Campaign

• Established in 1974 • Foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform dealing with food security and nutrition • Addressing food production and physical and economic access to food.

• Contributing to development of Global Partnership for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition

Core Objectives of CFS

• Coordinate a global approach to food security • Promote policy convergence • Support and advise countries and regions • Coordinate at national and regional levels • Promote accountability and share best practices • Develop a global strategic framework for food security and nutrition

CFS Links to the Africa region

• Opportunity for knowledge exchange between African countries on implementation of national food security strategies • Participation of CFS Chair to biannual FAO Regional Conference attended by ministries of agriculture • Establishment of a regional CFS-type platform proposed to monitor food security for Near East and North Africa Region • Key recommendations from CFS 2011: 1. South to South cooperation initiative on establishment of regional institutions for food security governance, 2. pilot project in West Africa, for a targeted regional emergency humanitarian food reserve

CFS Challenges

• Weak integration and coordination among countries for effective food security governance • Coupling food security programmes with accountability mechanisms • Resource mobilization to finance implementation of research and advocacy and capacity building to enhance stakeholder engagement

1 Billion Hungry Campaign

• To raise awareness on growing problem of global hunger following food crisis • Generate political pressure on international leadership to meet 2009 L’Aquilla Summit commitments • Online petition called upon governments to prioritize the elimination of hunger

1 Billion Hungry Campaign: Key achievements

• Over 3 million people signed the FAO petition – 3 times the original target! • Publicity supported by international celebrities, renowned athletes and European football stars generating worldwide media attention • Partnership established with non-governmental organizations, farmer organizations, universities, and city councils • Over 100,000 people in Africa signed the online and paper petition • Events to launch 1billionhungry campaign organized in cities around the world, Yokohama, Paris, Accra

1 billion hungry – into the 2

nd

phase

• Launch of Ending Hunger website – Sept 2011  www.endinghunger.org

• Continued attention on hunger awareness, ‘pushing hunger to the top the national and international political agendas’ • Strengthen public education and engagement on causes and solutions of hunger • Partnership extended to private sector alongside nonprofit groups, and other UN agencies

Strengthening Advocacy Partnerships

• Common campaign mechanism and advocacy platforms on food security • Utilization of existing national, regional and international advocacy networks including links to civil society and private sector • Basket funding for joint initiatives where advocacy goals are shared • Mutual contribution to capacity building support for farmers organization

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