World Food Day was marked on October 16th with prominent leaders meeting at the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome to discuss increased investment in agriculture, good governance by nations and the importance of unity in the global fight against hunger – which chronically affects over 1 billion people.
The Committee on World Food Security (CFS), which since the 2007-2008 rise in food prices and the economic crisis of 2009 has engaged in a plan of reform, also met during the week. Leading up to the meeting, the CFS presented a report projecting “hunger reduction in 2010 [as] the result of the reversal of high food prices and global economic crises.” The report asserts that this is welcome, but that structural hunger is still increasing and that over 1 billion living in chronic hunger is unacceptably high. The report also made the point that “food insecurity is of particular concern for low-income food-deficit countries.”
To address its goals, the CFS held three round-table policy discussions concerning 1) food insecurity in protracted crises, 2) land ownership and international investment in agriculture, and 3) how to manage vulnerability to promote better food security and nutrition.
Regarding the first issue, the committee agreed to launch a new “Agenda for Action for Food Security in Countries in Protracted Crises” or CPCs, outlining the special needs of people in protracted crises and how their needs should ideally be addressed. The populations of CPCs, like Afghanistan and Sudan, account for roughly 20% of the world’s undernourished people.
The CFS has also called for continued inclusive participation between civil society organizations as well as governments on the drafting of two documents, one entitled “Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land and Other Natural Resources” (VG), and the other “Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investments that Respect Rights, Livelihoods and Resources (RAI).” These documents set out standards and principles for the governance of land ownership, a subject which has been brought to the fore because of the controversial issue of nations purchasing foreign land in an effort to secure their food supply.
Concerning the vulnerability of malnourished populations, the Committee asked the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) on Food Security to undertake studies on the issues of food price volatility, social protection for vulnerable populations and climate change.
Other resolutions include “Mapping Food Security Actions at Country Level,” a document which profiles actions taken by countries concerning food security. This will work as a database of sorts which other countries can use to develop their own policies towards food security. In addition, the CSF set a goal to develop the first version of a Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition (GSF) by the next World Food Day in October 2012, as well as committing itself to continue implementing the organizational reforms initiated in 2009.
Posted by Rishi Sidhu.
