Sustainable Livelihoods for Food Security and Good Nutrition: the Role of Food and Agriculture

1. Sustainable Livelihoods for Food Security and Good Nutrition: the Role of Food and Agriculture Alexander Müller Assistant Director-General, Natural Resources Management and Environment Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN

2. FAO • Achieving food security for all is at the heart of FAO's work • FAO's mandate is to raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural productivity, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the growth of the world economy.

3. FAO in Action • Putting information within reach • Sharing policy expertise • Providing a meeting place for nations • Bringing knowledge to the field

4. “Hunger and malnutrition are unacceptable in a world that has both the knowledge and resources to end this human catastrophe” International Conference on Nutrition, 1992

5. Promises • Reduce the number of people hungry by half by 2015 - WFS • Reduce the proportion of people hungry by half by 2015 - MDG1

6. Progress

7. Number of Undernourished People in the Developing World

10. Child Hunger and Undernutrition • Every year six million children die from malnutrition before they reach five years of age • In developing countries one out of every three children has stunted growth and nearly the same percent have low weight for their age • The prevalence of stunting and underweight is highest in South Asia, where 44 percent of children are stunted and 46 percent are underweight (Unicef, State of the World’s children, 2005)

11. The Way Forward

12. Recognising that poor child growth and development are social and economic problems, not just medical and health problems The Essential First Step to Sustainable Progress?

13. Reducing Child Hunger and Undernutrition • This is the goal, but child-centred interventions alone will not reach it • The reality is that children do not exist in isolation • The key to reducing child hunger, therefore, is reducing family hunger

14. Child growth and development depend on adequate food health care

15. Challenges: global and local • Inequity – social and economic • Further population growth • Extensive rural poverty - accelerated urbanisation – increasing urban poverty • Aging of populations • Health – HIV/AIDS, other diseases • Bio-security risks • Changing patterns of consumption and supply • Threats to environment • Emergencies

16. Basic Goal: Create conditions in which households secure the nutritional well-being of all members • Food must be available • Live in healthy environments • Access to health and social services • Income • Knowledge • Time and opportunity for providing care • Motivation

17. Links to Agriculture

18. SOFI 2006 Strengthening efforts to eradicate hunger • Hunger reduction is necessary for accelerating development and reducing poverty • Agriculture growth and rural development are critical for reducing hunger • A twin-track approach of pro-poor development coupled with direct action against hunger and malnutrition is required

19. Agricultural growth and hunger“… the only group of countries to reduce hunger during the 1990s was the group in which the agriculture sector grew.”

20. Agricultural growth and hunger“Looking back at the figures for the last 30 years, it can be shown that those countries that have invested and continue to invest most in agriculture – both public and private – now experience the lowest levels of undernourishment.”

21. Foreign Aid for AgricultureOver the past 20 years, it has fallen dramatically – from over US$9 billion per year in the early 1980s to less than US$5 billion in the late 1990s.

22. Only investment in agriculture – together with supportfor education and health – will turn this situationaround.

23. Towards an effective policy agenda for reducing family and child hunger • Focus on the poor and on creating sustainable livelihoods • Enhance productivity of smallholder agriculture • Stimulate private-sector investment • Protect the environment • Make trade work for the poor • Invest in agriculture

24. Investing in Nutrition

25. Improve Livelihoods and Access to Food Production Incomes on-farm off-farm Essential needs

26. Improve food supplies in poor areas Quantity Quality Variety Availability

27. Improve Care and Feeding Practices Knowledge Time and Opportunity Attitude and Motivation

28. Improve Health Conditions

29. Improve the Status and Capabilities of Women

30. How can we work together to end malnutrition? • Develop and apply a common goal and vision • Support integrated approaches at local level • Create conditions in which poor can participate in and benefit from development • Design and monitor impact of pro-poor macro and sector policies • Utilize macro-micro linkages

31. Reviewing the food chain with a nutrition lens • Adequacy of supply in local markets • Income opportunities • Processing for better nutrition • Marketing/supply • Food safety

32. Promote Rights-based Approaches Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security

33. FAO and the SCN Eager to cooperate through Task Forces: • Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships • Assessment, monitoring and evaluation • Integrated approaches at country level

34. Contribution to Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships Task force • International Alliance Against Hunger • Communication for development • Knowledge management

35. Contribution to Assessment, Monitoring, Evaluation Task Force • Reliable and timely food security and nutrition information is essential for effectively addressing hunger and malnutrition • Strengthening food security and vulnerability analysis under FIVIMS

36. Contribution to Integrated Approaches at Country Level Task Force • Closer cooperation among UN Agencies is imperative – “Delivering as One” • Government ownership is essential • Respond to needs and demand, build on existing efforts • Move away from project and donor/supply-driven approaches • Primary FAO contribution: Support for National Programmes for Food Security (NPFS)

37. National Programmes for Food Security (NPFS) Primary vehicle for FAO support to Member Countries

38. Working together: the only solution • Common objectives • Common targets • Complementary Approaches and Actions

39. FAO’s Country-level Mission • Support to National Programmes for Food Security • Provide policy advice and technical support (training, technical assistance, knowledge management) to actors at country level • Foster FAO/IFAD/WFP collaboration through country theme groups • Seek opportunities to cooperate with other partners

40. Ending Child Hunger and Undernutrition Initiative (ECHUI) • A welcome, timely initiative • FAO commits itself to play an active role

41. “Hunger and malnutrition are unacceptable in a world that has both the knowledge and resources to end this human catastrophe” International Conference on Nutrition, 1992

42. Together, we can make a difference