Food Security And Nutrition In Small Island Developing .

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FAO

The outcome document of Rio 20, “The Future We Want” (United NationsConference on Sustainable Development, June 2012) acknowledged that SIDSremains a special case for sustainable development. Building on the BarbadosProgramme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy, the document calls for theconvening in 2014 of the Third International Conference on Small Island DevelopingStates. This was later ratified by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution underthe theme “The sustainable development of Small Island Developing States throughGenuine and Durable Partnerships”. The objective is to seek renewed political andfinancial commitments for further implementation, establish new or strengthenexisting partnerships and agree on priorities for the sustainable development of SIDSto be considered in the preparation of the post-2015 development agenda.FAO has been actively involved in supporting SIDSin addressing the sustainable development issuesrelated to food security and agriculture and hascontributed to the preparatory process for the ThirdInternational Conference on Small Island DevelopingStates (SIDS). The outcome documents of thispreparatory process consistently acknowledged foodsecurity and nutrition as a priority area in order toachieve sustainable development. They also calledon FAO to facilitate a meeting on and develop anaction programme to address food and nutritionsecurity in SIDS. The preparatory process has alsohighlighted the environmental and natural resourcesissues that are essential for attaining sustainabledevelopment. Areas such as sustainable agriculture,marine and coastal ecosystems, small-scalefisheries and aquaculture, freshwaters, forests andmangroves, and land are core activities of FAO.This policy document focuses on the economic andsocial issues around food security and nutritionin order to advance sustainable development inSIDS. It highlights key topics such as governance,institutions, gender, partnerships and familyfarming and provides concrete examples of FAO’ssupport in each of these areas. It also providesan overview of the food security and nutritionsituation in the different SIDS regions, identifiessome priority actions, creates and advances theconsultation process that would eventually helprespond to the member countries’ request that FAOassists in addressing food and security challenges.Environmental, natural resources and climate changeissues are closely intertwined with food security andbetter nutrition. These are further illustrated andpresented in the policy paper “Natural ResourcesManagement and the Environment in SIDS” that ispart of FAO’s contribution to the SIDS Conferencealong with factsheets.1

FAO and Food Security and NutritionAccording to the World Food Summit (WFS) in 1996,universal food security will only exist when everyonehas permanent physical and economic access tosufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet theirdietary needs and food preferences for an active andhealthy life.FAO’s approach to food security is based on fourdimensions or pillars: a) availability, (the “supplyside” of food security - level of food production);b) access (to an adequate supply of food whichrequires a greater policy focus on income andemployment, markets and prices, and should alsoreflect intra-household distribution, as this can bean important factor); c) stability, (referring to accessto food at all times and the impacts of markets andprices); utilization, commonly understood as theway the body makes the most of various nutrientsin food. FAO’s programmes contribute to thesedimensions by focusing on poverty and hungerreduction through a twin-track approach. Trackone aims at improving agricultural productivity andincomes, as well as promoting better nutritionalpractices while track two aims at enhancing directand immediate access to food by those most inneed.FAO’s New StrategicFrameworkIn 2012 FAO launched the Strategic Thinking Processwhich resulted in the new Results Framework thatdefines FAO’s work in five trans-sectoral strategicobjectives and two cross-cutting themes (gender andgovernance). These represent the renewed ambitionand purpose of FAO to help member countries toachieve food security and nutrition while promotingthe sustainable use, conservation and managementof natural resources and ecosystem services.STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1“Contribute to the eradication of hunger, foodinsecurity and malnutrition” identifies the rootcauses of hunger, food insecurity and malnutritionas the lack of physical and economic access tothe resources needed to secure enough food andconsume a nutritionally adequate diet both in termsof quantity (energy) and quality.2FAO’s goal to eradicate foodinsecurity and malnutritionfocuses on: a) explicit politicalcommitments made and resourcesallocated; b) evidence based andinclusive governance mechanismsadopted and implemented; and c)policies, programmes, investmentsand legislation formulated,implemented, monitored andevaluated.STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2“Increase and improve provisionof goods and services fromagriculture, forestry and fisheriesin a sustainable manner”focuses on maximizing productionwithout bringing adverse impactson the natural resource base andecosystem services . It emphasizesthe integration of FAO’s workrelating to the three “pillars”of sustainable development(environmental, economic and social) and waysto generate the necessary wide-scale transition tomore sustainable practices. This strategic objectivewill assist member countries in identifying andimplementing policies, strategies and technologiesfor sustainable and enhanced provision of productsand services from agriculture (including fisheriesand forestry). This will also contribute to SO 1 byproducing more nutritious food and generatingincome and enhancing the resilience of ecosystems.STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3“Reduce Rural Poverty” focuses on supportingmember countries in improving governance, creatingand improving access to employment and marketsand promoting social protection of rural people. Therural poor, particularly women, need the knowledgeand skills that will enable them to innovate, identifyand exploit new economic opportunities andmanage risk.STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4“Enable more inclusive and efficient agriculturaland food systems at local, national andinternational levels” addresses inclusive food andagriculture systems that link smallholder farmers,Food Security and Nutrition in Small Island Developing States

FIELD PacificIssues of FoodInsecurity andMalnutrition in SIDSforesters and fisherfolk and their organizations withagribusiness enterprises and supply chains for theireffective and sustainable participation in rapidlychanging global, regional and national markets.FAO’s contribution to this focuses on supportingthe development of: a) policies and regulatoryframeworks that enhance inclusiveness andefficiency of food, agriculture and forestrysystems; b) enhanced public-private collaborationin addressing the challenges and risks faced bysmaller and disadvantaged participants in food andagricultural systems; and c) international agreementsand mechanisms that promote inclusive and efficientmarkets.STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5“Increase the resilience of livelihoods to threatsand crises” aims at increasing the resilience ofagriculture and natural resources based livelihoodswhich is important to food and nutrition securityand enhancing the resilience of ecosystem servicesand natural resources base, and is linked to StrategicObjective 2. In the Caribbean and Pacific SIDShurricanes, storms and severe weather shocksseriously affect food security, which is also closelylinked to Strategic Objectives 1 and 4.The progress of SIDS towards achieving theMillennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the areasof gender, health, education and the environmenthas been uneven. However, as of June 2013 eightout of the forty SIDS that are FAO members havemet internationally established targets for 2015 onhunger and food security. The Dominican Republic,Fiji and the Maldives achieved MDG 1 (to halve theproportion of hungry people) while Cuba, Guyana,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa and SãoTomé and Príncipe achieved MDG 1 and the WorldFood Summit (reduce by half the absolute numberof undernourished people between 1990-92 and2010-2012) goals. The Bahamas, Solomon Islandsand Vanuatu were identified as being on track tomeet the MDG 1 hunger target, while Barbados andDominica had a hunger rate below 5 percent datingback to at least 1990.Although the food security situation varies foreach island many issues are of common concern.This document will consider three dimensions foranalysis: a) policy and institutions (governance); b)economic and c) social. Each dimension highlightsthe main issues, proposes actions and highlights thework of FAO in this area in SIDS.Policy and Institutions(Governance issues)Governance refers to formal and informal rules,organizations, and processes through which allparticipants express their interests and makeand implement decisions. Creating the enablingenvironment will largely determine success inachieving food security and nutrition. The challengeis to implement effective and efficient problemsolving policies in ways that are regarded aslegitimate by the stakeholders who are involved,enabled, or otherwise directly affected by thedecisions and actions undertaken by any governancestructure or regime, as well as building andstrengthening the capacities of national institutionsaccording to priorities.Food Security and Nutrition in Small Island Developing States3