Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
91,826 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(1,810) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
90,016 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
90,018 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(2) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(2.0%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
103,292 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
285,395 |
||
TCP delivery |
59,390 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
448,074 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
5.0 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
14,658 |
315. Major Programme 2.1 directly supports the World Food Summit (WFS) Plan of Action, focusing on improving agricultural production and post production systems. It combines both normative and operational components promoting technologies to sustainably intensify and diversify agricultural production, reducing the effects of environmental degradation and market failures, especially on vulnerable and food-insecure households, and evaluating and raising awareness of the biosecurity risks of exchanges in agricultural inputs and products.
316. To complement its discipline-specific programmes, this major programme provides significant support to several Priority Areas for Interdisciplinary Action (PAIAs), in particular those related to biotechnology, biosecurity, biodiversity, food for the cities, sustainable rural livelihoods and integrated production systems. Beginning in the 2002-03 biennium, several new intra-departmental programme entities were established under Programme 2.1.0 to support the most significant of these activities.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
4,535 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
100 |
||
Final Programme of Work |
4,635 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
4,652 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(17) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
2.2% |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
458 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
9,428 |
||
TCP delivery |
1,052 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
10,937 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
2.4 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
360 |
317. This new programme addresses cross-cutting issues and brings more prominence and coherence to hitherto dispersed intra-departmental activities. The programme also provides for central support for PAIAs. Some of the more significant achievements include:
Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Following the adoption of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (IT/PGRFA) in 2001, the process of ratification proceeded rapidly during the 2002-03 biennium, resulting in the entry into force of the Treaty in June 2004. This provides an international framework on conservation and sustainable utilization of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and sharing associated benefits, which is crucial for food security now and in the future. The rapid ratification of the International Treaty demonstrated the high priority members give to this activity. The Treaty provides the agricultural sector with a new forum in which to initiate and promote policy, and achieve synergy with the environmental and trade sectors.
318. Sustainable Intensification of Integrated Production Systems. The Integrated Production System (PROD) PAIA is constituted by a multi-disciplinary group comprising many units in FAO. Pilot sites in south-western Burkina Faso and western Kenya gave promising beginnings with high levels of involvement of FAO staff from Regional Offices and Headquarters.
319. The work on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) involved the development of a concept paper, the hosting of electronic conferences, activities, field activities in Burkina Faso, a national workshop with EMBRAPA Brazil and an Expert Consultation at Headquarters. Collaborative work with the private sector led to international guidelines on GAP for milk and meat. The gathering of a meta-database of case studies and success stories related to GAPs was started. A number of case studies, analyses and reports were commissioned relating to Africa (Burkina Faso and Kenya), Asia (Indonesia and Nepal) and Latin America (Brazil and Chile).
320. Promotion of Conservation Agriculture. The concept of conservation agriculture (CA) was successfully introduced in a number of countries and promoted at international level through international and regional workshops. Supporting publications of general as well of detailed technical nature were produced and distributed in member countries. Encouraging uptake can be noted during the 2002-03 biennium: nine SSA countries and seven Asian countries have introduced support to conservation agriculture into their national policies. Significant increase in CA farming area (in the range of millions of ha) is noted in countries where conservation agriculture has already a strong focus in commercial farming (South Africa, Central Asian Countries).
321. Secretariat of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA). The CGRFA is recognized by both governments and civil society as a key inter-governmental institution which provides the agricultural sector with a forum in which to debate and adopt policies for all aspects of GRFA. The 9th Session of the Commission was held as planned. The process of ratification of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources was completed on 29 June 2004 (see Box above). The CGRFA has initiated work towards the First Report on the State of the World's AnGR, with target completion in 2007. It continues work towards a possible Code of Conduct on Biotechnology. During the biennium, FAO's programme on ethics in food and agriculture, coordinated through the relevant PAIA, has become more integrated in the Organization's work, reflected in the establishment of a new publications series, Readings in Ethics in Food and Agriculture. The Panel of Eminent Experts on Ethics in Food and Agriculture met in March 2002 and subsequently published its report.
322. Committee on Agriculture (COAG). The 17th session of COAG was held as planned. Preparations for a special 18th session to review the FAO/WHO Expert Consultation Report on "Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases" were completed.
323. Technical Support for Partnership Development and Information Enhancement. Contributions were prepared for the report of the Task Manager for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, for FAO’s participation in the World Summit on Sustainable Development including the Agriculture and Water sections of Water, Energy, Health, Agriculture and Biodiversity (WEHAB), and for World Agriculture Towards 2015/30. Current news items and thematic spotlight articles were prepared and posted on the Agriculture section of the FAO web site.
324. Central Support to PAIAs. Resources of the programme entity were put at the disposal of PAIA groups following approval of proposals by Senior Management. Activities of the PAIA groups supported with the resources of the programme entity included development of web sites, review of databases, preparation of guidelines and case studies and other outputs as reported in the section on Progress Towards Strategic Objectives.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
15,994 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(810) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
15,184 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
15,180 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
4 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(5.1%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
31,964 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
70,517 |
||
TCP delivery |
7,982 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
110,462 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
7.3 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
3,269 |
325. Programme 2.1.1 contributes to land and water development and management in assuring food security and poverty reduction. The activities under the programme:
326. Agricultural Water Use Efficiency and Conservation. Through a better understanding of crop water productivity in both irrigated and rainfed agriculture, cost effective irrigation techniques are progressively being adopted by farmers. Irrigation management modernization, including service-oriented management, are also increasingly considered by national authorities. Support to emerging water user agreements is also becoming an important aspect of agriculture and irrigation policies.
327. Land and Soil Productivity. Soil fertility/productivity decline is better understood and the concept of integrated plant nutrition management is becoming a part of national priorities. Similarly, concerned stakeholders are being sensitized to pay attention to assessment needs, better management of degraded soil, and concern for drought mitigation through soil moisture conservation techniques. Advice on optimal land use options, taking into account growing needs for agricultural diversification, and fertilizer use policies, especially in Africa was requested and addressed.
328. Integrated Land, Water and Plant Nutrient Management. This entity responds to the need for a more integrated approach to issues related to land and water management. It draws on sectoral expertise in land and water fields and is developed around critical land-water management issues. While further integration is needed in the implementation of this entity, the biennium 2002-03 has been the opportunity for significant progress.
329. Land and Water Information Systems, Databases and Statistics. Standards and norms in agro-ecological zones (AEZ), land resources and land use inventories are increasingly accepted as global standards. Developing countries and international institutions are more often complying with those standards. The Aquastat database and information system was extended and improved following a full review of the website. There was high demand for the data, shown in particular through steady increase in Web access to land and water information systems and use of data by the World Resource Institute, UNEP, UN-Water and other UN agencies.
330. Knowledge Management and Partnerships. A report on integrated planning and management of land resources was presented to CSD and WSSD Prepcoms, and a compendium of sustainable initiatives in agriculture and land management was prepared with case studies and was presented to WSSD in 2002 in the "Land and Agriculture" publication.
331. Direct Support to Member Nations and to the Field Programme. Significant inputs were provided to formulate the CAADP in consultation with NEPAD countries such as South Africa and Nigeria. Considerable resources were allocated to technical backstopping and assistance to project formulation in the areas of land, water and plant nutrient management including assistance in TCP, SPFS, emergency projects and to the Land Degradation Assessment (LADA). Also, direct advice on policy and institutional aspects on water and land management and fertilizer use was provided to member countries, in particular in Africa and Asia, through various mechanisms such as Farmer Field Schools.
332. International Programme for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage (IPTRID). Several research strategies, projects and programmes have been identified and formulated in Asia and North Africa and await funding.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
23,700 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(200) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
23,500 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
23,504 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(4) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(0.8%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
49,658 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
125,929 |
||
TCP delivery |
32,934 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
208,522 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
8.9 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
3,878 |
333. The programme deals with the enhancement and sustainability of crop production, prevention and reduction of losses due to pests, conservation and use of plant genetic resources and sustainable seed production. Some of the more significant achievements during the biennium include:
Disposal of Obsolete Pesticide Stocks
FAO continued the programme involving multi-donor involvement, with the aim of enabling countries to dispose of obsolete pesticide stocks and to prevent further accumulations of stocks. A multi-agency programme was being developed for clearing obsolete pesticides from Africa. A major commitment by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) (US$ 23,000,000) has been made to this programme. Inventories have been conducted in Africa, Near East, Asia, and Latin America. Monitoring of the disposal operations has been assured in Yemen and Ethiopia with a view to complying with international safety and environmental standards.
334. Alternative Crops and Cultivars for New Opportunities. FAO's work on alternative crops and cultivars has become an increasingly important component of the Plan of Action of the International Treaty on PGRFA, including normative information/decision support tools such as EcoCrop (now over 2000 crops characterized by environmental adaptation and use) and EcoPort to enable easier assessment of what options can be considered for diversification and income generation. The popularity of these tools (indicated by Web use and other means) shows that they are appreciated and relevant. To complement the normative tool development, promising crops and cultivars are being promoted to demonstrate opportunities, e.g. cold-tolerant oil palm, sweet sorghum, cactus pear etc.
335. Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Crop and Grassland Production Systems. A broad range of technical publications were produced on crop improvement and forage production and conservation. The Global Cassava Development Strategy was consolidated through development of a global action plan on cassava improvement and implementation of projects through NARCs with IFAD and CGIAR partnerships. Crop biotechnology information was developed and shared, especially in Latin America. There is evidence of increased adoption of organic agriculture and of horticulture in general for income generation.
336. EMPRES - Plant Pests Component. Communications systems were upgraded in three affected countries (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and India). Improved reporting procedures are now in place in the Africa Central Region, and are under development in the Western and South-west Asia Regions. The desert locust control capacity of the Central Region countries was reinforced through Training of Trainers workshops through which each country now has Master Trainers who can continue locust survey and control training in their own countries. A contingency planning seminar was held as a first step towards developing appropriate national plans. Improved methodologies on selected aspects of desert locust surveys are in place in the Central Region. The national officers of the Central Region, collaborating closely with the Central Region Commission (CRC), are now able to react to critical desert locust situations, and to perform improved surveys, through the exchange of information with the desert locust Information Service (DLIS) in Rome. Methodologies and guidelines for desert locust surveys and control were developed and disseminated in the Central Region. Technical advice and organizational support were provided by HQ staff to the Western, Central and South-west Asia regions.
337. "Mainstreaming IPM" by Enhancing Essential Ecological Processes. All the major pesticide consuming cropping systems, such as those based on rice in Asia, and on cotton, vegetables, and fruits in all regions, show declines in insecticide use and increases in production per unit insecticide, which is a strong indicator of production efficiency. There has also been a shift away from the most toxic pesticides towards less toxic pesticides in these systems, which has substantial impact on human health both of farm workers and of consumers. National IPM programmes have increased in numbers (especially in the Near East and Africa) and scope (especially in Asia, Africa, and Pacific). IPM approaches have been newly applied in weed management for plant protection specialists and farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Population dynamics and evolutionary science have been applied in relation to herbicide-resistant weeds and crops. The programme is increasingly integrating improved production and protection components.
338. Strengthening Sustainable Seed Production and Seed Security Systems in Member Countries. Seed production and seed security systems are very dynamic for two main reasons: seeds are the main vehicles for both conserving genetic diversity and for transferring advanced technology to farmers. There was growing participation of the private sector in all aspects of seed production of essential crops for food security including cereals, vegetables and fruits. The work within this programme entity concentrated on assisting countries in developing national seed policies and improving rules and regulations to ensure quality seed exchange at the regional and international level. Technical projects were undertaken to focus on strengthening local capacity for improving seed access, seed technology and seed production and harmonizing rules and regulations. Several activities were conducted to address seed systems rehabilitation during and after emergency responses The profile of the seed sector was raised at the national, subregional, regional and international levels as one of the essential inputs for food security.
339. Facilitating Plant Production and Protection Decision. This entity was broadened beyond the initial focused development of EcoPort, an open source agro-ecology knowledge management system originally based on crops and their pests. While the expanded EcoPort is now managed outside of FAO, EcoCrop (an alternative crop identification tool) was further improved as was pasture-crop, rice and horticulture information.
340. Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). The Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (ICPM) held its 4th and 5th sessions and adopted six International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures, three supplements to existing standards and two amendments to the Glossary. Several informal working groups were held to discuss issues of global concern (Standard Setting, Information Exchange and Technical Assistance) and several expert working groups were convened to develop draft standards. The International Phytosanitary Portal became an effective system for the provision of information by the Secretariat. A business plan was developed for the IPPC Secretariat and increased resources for the IPPC Secretariat's resources were approved by the FAO Conference. The ICPM has also adopted a voluntary Trust Fund mechanism which will allow increased participation by developing countries in standard setting, the implementation of standards and support to technical assistance and information exchange. Standards are used by governments as a basis for national phytosanitary regulations, partly because of the importance given to the standards in the WTO SPS Committee and in WTO dispute settlement. The large number of TCP requests to strengthen national phytosanitary systems reflects the priority countries give to the subject.
341. Pesticide Management. The revised Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides was adopted at the 123rd session of the FAO Council in November 2003. The 50th ratification of the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade was received in November 2003 resulting in the entry into force of the Convention in February 2004. The relevance of pesticide standards increased. Recommendations for maximum pesticide residues were developed by the WHO/FAO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). Since 2002, pesticide quality standards are being established jointly by FAO and WHO using the same criteria and process as the JMPR and thus providing a unique, universal reference for all countries. Work on the disposal of obsolete pesticide stocks continued with extra-budgetary support (see Box above for further details).
342. Migratory Pest Management. Special alerts and updates of the monthly bulletin were issued for desert locust outbreaks which occurred since October 2003 in Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Saudi Arabia as a result of good rainfall and breeding during the summer. Swarms moved into Morocco, Algeria and Egypt. Desert Locust guidelines and standard operating procedures have been produced in Arabic, English and French. Technical advice was provided on the Migratory Pest Emergencies in Afghanistan, Niger, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, and on the development of projects on Desert Locust Pest Management. A new Locust Commission was established in the Africa Western Region (West and North-west) bringing together the Maghreb and Sahelian countries affected by the desert locust. The Desert Locust Control Committee and three Regional Locust Commissions met according to schedule.
343. Support to the FAO Global System on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA). Progress has been made in the implementation of the Global Plan Action, in particular responding to the capacity building, information exchange and monitoring needs in developing countries. As requested by the CGRFA, its Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on PGRFA met to consider the various steps to be taken to implement the GPA and made recommendations for the CGRFA to consider at its 10th Regular Session in 2004.
344. Support to Strategy Formulation and Promotion of Specific Action for Rice Development in Member Countries of the International Rice Commission (IRC). Success in promoting interest in IRC activities was demonstrated by the number of participants at IRC's 20th session (91 participants) and in other meetings organized by the Commission as well as the four inter-regional networks. The hybrid rice programme of the Commission led to the planting of 800,000 ha of hybrid rice outside China in 2003. Several countries have already adopted the RiceCheck System - an Integrated Crop Management System to address yield gaps in rice promoted by the IRC. Governments in West Africa established in 2002 the African Rice Initiative - in which FAO is a partner - to support the development and dissemination of New Rice for Africa (NERICA). The United Nations General Assembly at its 57th session in December 2002 approved the Resolution submitted by the Philippines and supported by other 43 countries resulting in the UNGA declaration to establish 2004 as the International Year of Rice (IYR-2004) and requested FAO to facilitate its implementation.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
16,928 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(570) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
16,358 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
16,348 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
10 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(3.4%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
15,305 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
57,216 |
||
TCP delivery |
13,292 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
85,812 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
5.2 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
2,954 |
345. The programme provided analysis and helped enhance the contribution of the rapidly changing and expanding livestock sector to food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable use of natural resources, while also addressing food safety issues. In addition to wide-ranging normative activities, the programme provided technical assistance to Members and acquired significant extra-budgetary programme funds in support of its key objectives; e.g. for pro-poor livestock policy development and livestock-environment interactions analysis and policy advice. Substantially increased involvement of programme staff in emergency-type country support (animal diseases/natural disasters) combined with unexpected vacancies, led to the delay and cancellation of various biennial outputs. Substantial achievements include:
Improved Livestock Information on the Internet
AGA has restructured its website (http://www.fao.org/ag/aga.html) which has resulted in a strong impact on the use made of its various constituent information sources. Downloads from the divisional website have increased by 51% on a yearly basis, from 480,000 to 725,000, while daily visits to the website increased by 60%. The use of the dairy pages and the dynamic pages of GLiPHA (Global Livestock Production and Health Atlas) increased by 110% and 66% respectively.
346. Contribution of Livestock to Poverty Alleviation. The main focus during 2002-03 was on small stock (poultry and small ruminants). Several manuals and guidelines were published or revised. Internet-based information was updated and has been heavily used (see Box above). Support to the International Family Poultry Network was instrumental in its proposed merger and formal integration into the World Poultry Science Association.
347. Developing the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources. More than 150 countries are actively participating in the State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources reporting process and most of them established National Focal Points. To support them, FAO conducted 16 regional workshops during 2002-03; these were partly directed at finalising the training on country report preparation and partly at identifying regional and sub-regional priorities for action. Results are encouraging: over 75 reports were submitted to FAO during 2003 with another sixty or more expected during 2004.
348. Veterinary Public Health (VPH) Management and Food and Feed Safety. The most significant achievements during the period were the development of the VPH Networks and the data bases on Schools of Veterinary Medicine and on Veterinary Public Health Services at world level. The FAO-WHO-OIE Guidelines on Cysticercosis Surveillance, Prevention and Control were developed and will be published during 2004. An Expert Consultation on Community Based Veterinary Public Health Systems was organized in 2003. The results of this consultation are used as a basis for assisting developing countries in rationalizing their VPH systems according to demands for services. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) related country support was enhanced through extra-budgetary resources.
349. EMPRES – Livestock. The Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme (GREP) made important inroads in identifying regions free of the disease, evaluating country submissions for international recognition of status, and encouraging countries to cease vaccination. The sole known focus of infection by late 2003 was the Somali ecosystem (borders of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia) which requires and receives priority attention. Advances have been significant in South America on Food and Mouth Disease (FMD) control, under the lead of the Pan American Health Organization with direct technical support from EMPRES. In addition, the control of sheep pox in North Africa has made advances but will require further national investment and outside support. Disease surveillance has improved globally and EMPRES has used prediction models and trend monitoring to provide early warning messages to member countries. Emergency detection and early reaction depend, however, on investment by governments in contingency plans and their funding for the best use of such early warning. Disease reporting has also improved, although there are still difficulties with lack of transparency or timeliness of reporting, in some regions. The disease information system developed by EMPRES, TADinfo, has stimulated countries to develop systems at national level. TADinfo has been deployed to 40 countries and an additional six deployments are scheduled.
350. Technologies and Systems for Efficient Natural Resource Use in Livestock Production. The Entity supported the Livestock Environment and Development (LEAD) initiative, a multi-donor project and the LEAD Virtual Centre. It developed models and decision support tools that contribute to the technical and policy aspects of livestock-environment interactions. Expert meetings, workshops and publications contributed to the development of technical concepts and strategies for animal production, feeding and product processing. Major contributions were made on alternative animal feeds, animal food safety, integrated parasite control and on the understanding of parasite resistance to veterinary drugs. There were significant outputs relating to milk production and processing, including guides to milk producer groups and milk payment systems. A substantial body of information was produced, contributing to the intra-departmental focus on good agricultural practices and codes of practice for sustainable natural resource use.
351. Environmental Management of Insect Borne Diseases. On the basis of important findings in disease ecology and behaviour, risk mapping and assessment of potential spread, the control of insect borne diseases such as tsetse transmitted trypanosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa and Old World Screwworm in the Middle East has become more focused and based on strategic intervention schemes. In addition to its primary application to insect borne diseases, the concept of environmental animal health and disease ecology-based approaches is increasingly also applied for infectious livestock diseases.
352. Livestock Sector Analysis and Strategy Development. Focus has been on the identification and assessment of policy issues in the livestock sector. Particular attention is given to the rapid structural change in the context of burgeoning demand for animal products in many developing countries and to options available to public policy makers. In doing so, FAO has assumed an internationally recognized leadership role.
353. Global Livestock Information System and Knowledge Framework. The AGA website provided improved access to livestock information on the Internet (see Box). As envisaged, sub-national livestock sector related information has been compiled for 20 countries.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
14,929 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(330) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
14,599 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
14,602 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(3) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(2.2%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
5,367 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
22,305 |
||
TCP delivery |
4,130 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
31,801 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
2.2 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
3,560 |
354. This programme provides services and produces information and training materials to assist organizations working with small farmers and non-farm enterprises to respond to the trends in commercialization, liberalization and urbanization affecting agriculture. A core set of training materials and extension guides has been produced which are being used to improve marketing and farm management extension and improve financial management skills. Several guidelines were produced to support improvements in agricultural marketing and rural finance services, and are being widely disseminated through the Internet and used in field projects. Other notable areas of progress include:
Enhancing the Provision of Agricultural Services to Farmers in Africa
The impact of structural adjustment on small farmers and related provision of agricultural support services remains a major policy concern in Africa. In response, the Agricultural Support Systems Programme gave priority to developing guidelines and training materials for improving the provision of support services to farmers in Africa. Reports were generated on fertilizer supply systems, financing of term investments, improving market access, and adjustments in export production as a basis for guiding policy and field programme formulation. Through case studies and an expert consultation, policy and capacity building priorities for expanding the provision of support services, such as mechanization and post harvest processing by the private sector through contracts between farmers and agribusiness firms, received special attention. In order to strengthen the capacity of public extension services to provide relevant advice and training for market-oriented agriculture, a farm business management training course was developed to complement other materials already available on marketing and rural finance.
355. Enhancing Small Farmer Livelihoods. Information materials were produced for smallholder farmers on new export opportunities, diversification opportunities and strategies, marketing and farm management extension, sustainable and efficient mechanisation options, and rural business services. During the course of developing and field testing training materials, extension officers were trained in farm management methods for market-oriented agriculture. Market information materials for use on radio, jointly prepared with CIDA, have been widely distributed to member countries. A new series, “FAO Diversification Booklets,” was developed and launched, describing income earning opportunities for farmers. With support from the World Bank, the impact of globalisation on small holders in Africa is being assessed. The importance of farm power and mechanization for sustainable livelihoods has been made more visible.
356. Meeting Urban Food Needs. Three Regional Workshops on Feeding Cities were held for Latin American, Horn of Africa and North African countries to sensitize municipal and government authorities on issues related to feeding their rapidly expanding urban populations and to provide assistance on policies and programmes development. Intensive assistance was provided to municipal authorities for urban-peri-urban (UPA) horticulture/agriculture strategic planning, technology innovation and building technical support mechanisms for growers. Supporting guidelines were published on adapted farmer field school approach for Integrated Production and Pest Management (IPPM) in urban-peri-urban horticulture and the use of low-cost and simple crop diversification technologies in UPA in Southern Africa.
357. Sustainable Commercial Provision of Input Supplies, Mechanization, Investment Support and Marketing Services. Significant progress was made in finalizing studies in agricultural marketing and rural finance and various publications were made available on the Internet. Normative studies on mechanization strategies, and agricultural marketing and rural finance contributed to requests for field projects in these areas. FAO/GTZ MicroBanker was further developed and introduced into a number of countries. Field projects using guides, publications and computer programmes (MicroBanker and FAO Agrimarket) were implemented in over 20 countries.
Standards and Codes of Conduct for Agricultural Tools and Machinery
Pesticide residues are a major area of concern for food consumers and producers. To support FAO member countries in improving pesticide management and use through better application, a series of guidelines was developed on Standards and Codes of Conduct for Agricultural Tools and Machinery. These guidelines have been integrated into the revised FAO code of conduct on the distribution and use of pesticides. They also provide assistance to member countries in upgrading legislation and technical regulations to improve the safety and efficiency of spray equipment as well as defining good practices for the application of pesticides as a component of the Good Agricultural Practices concept. These guidelines have been translated into the five official FAO languages and distributed to member countries and relevant private sector businesses. They are accessible in full text on the FAO website. In addition, FAO is collaborating with the international standards organization to promote internationally harmonized standards for sprayer equipment.
358. Agribusiness Development. The integration of production and post-production operations was promoted by the development of management tools, the application and promotion of appropriate technologies, the launching and the promotion of agri-business linkages and the provision of advice and recommendations. These activities have stimulated the interest of the intended beneficiaries and, in some cases, generated new ideas for interventions. Above all, the interest from the beneficiaries has contributed to a greater level of awareness of the importance of the post-harvest sector as a source of income and employment generation, value added products, means to decrease the level of food insecurity, means to facilitate the role of women as major actors in the post-harvest system and increasing the sustainability of production systems by ensuring better use of the food produced.
359. Agricultural Services - Data and Information Systems. Notable progress has been achieved in several areas. A basic set of agricultural pesticide sprayer standards and related policy guidelines has been revised, updated, translated into all official languages and has become an integral part of the FAO Code of Conduct on distribution and use of pesticides (see Box). A post-harvest website is now recognised by practitioners as a core information source. The contents of the site have been duplicated on CD for potential users with computer access but no internet access. The development and application of the Agribank database is meeting the user expectations in support of rural finance development. The development of farm data and information systems is generally on-track and is much in demand.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
5,508 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
270 |
||
Final Programme of Work |
5,778 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
5,776 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
2 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
4.9% |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
540 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
0 |
||
TCP delivery |
0 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
540 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
0.1 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
408 |
360. The programme is implemented jointly with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and, together with other FAO programmes, supports applications of nuclear techniques and biotechnology for sustainable intensification of crop and livestock production systems and improving food quality and safety. The programme operates primarily through research networks, training courses and field projects in partnerships with NARCs, CGIAR Centres and national regulatory bodies and through assistance to international standard setting by IPPC, Codex and OIE. Significant achievements include:
361. While substantial progress was made at the political and international levels on strategies and technologies including SIT for addressing the constraints caused by tsetse flies, progress on the ground was slower than expected.
Responding to Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies Affecting the Food Chain
Nuclear and radiological emergencies can affect the quality and safety of foods as well as the production and export of agricultural commodities over long periods of time. Cooperative arrangements between FAO and IAEA for notification, information exchange and technical support were agreed in 2003. An FAO/IAEA workshop on a Practical Integrated Approach to Agricultural Countermeasures was held in Greece and attended by 42 participants from 20 countries, and a resource kit containing information about basic emergency response and practical agricultural countermeasures to assist member countries with limited nuclear infrastructure is in preparation together with a related website.
362. Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production Systems through Technologies and Capacity Building. Technologies and practices promulgated by this entity are being successfully applied by institutions involved in natural resource management, crop improvement and plant protection. There are clear indications of benefits in terms of policies, institutions and technologies and of upward movements in most of the performance indicators. Most encouraging was progress made by member countries in introducing and strengthening work on both traditional and modern biotechnology for crop improvement, including the use of mutations, and in the integration of SIT within area-wide IPM programmes for the control or eradication of medfly, oriental fruit fly and moth insect pests. Outcomes of these approaches included the release of improved varieties and creation of insect free zones, areas of low pest prevalence and new trade relationships. Progress was also achieved in natural resource management in, for example, introducing better fertiliser and water management practices and assessing effects of different cropping practices on soil erosion.
363. Sustainable Intensification of Livestock Production Systems through Technologies and Capacity Building for Mitigation of Constraints and Risks. Particularly significant progress has been made by countries in improving their Artificial Insemination (AI) services for smallholder dairy systems, in the elimination of rinderpest, in the use of diagnostic and surveillance tests developed earlier for the control of other TADs (e.g. FMD, CBPP and Newcastle Disease), and in obtaining OIE approval for specific tests and laboratory accreditation systems. Progress in implementing SIT against screwworms and tsetse flies was less satisfying but, working with the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) and through the Programme Against African Trypanosomiasis (PAAT), the positions of all major stakeholders on policies and criteria for interventions in the respective regions (Near East and Sub-Saharan Africa) have been harmonized. The entity also assisted in the formulation of project proposals for feasibility studies and concept documents for interventions, and provided training that addresses the identification of priority areas based on SARD and the collection of baseline data for assessment of change induced through specific interventions. While these developments are noteworthy, it will be recalled that in relation to tsetse, the 2003 Conference recommended that further efforts are required to stimulate more field-oriented actions.
364. Capacity Building and Risk Analysis Methodologies for Compliance with Food Safety Standards and Pesticide Control and Strengthened Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures through Irradiation of Food and Agricultural Commodities. Progress in developing and reinforcing the policy and regulatory framework has been substantial as evidenced by approvals of a Codex Standard for Irradiated Foods, a Codex Recommended International Code of Practice for Radiation Processing of Food and Revised Codex Guidelines on Good Laboratory Practice in Pesticide Residue Analysis by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) at its 26th session in 2003. Also the 5th ICPM approved Guidelines for the Use of Irradiation as a Phytosanitary Measure in 2003. Member states were assisted in meeting standards and guidelines particularly in relation to pesticide residues and residues of veterinary drugs. Several national laboratories obtained international accreditation or are now in the process of doing so, and many others demonstrated proficiency in particular analyses as evidenced by results of proficiency-testing programmes.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
86,471 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(440) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
86,031 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
86,029 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
2 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(0.5%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
39,156 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
6,424 |
||
TCP delivery |
10,885 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
56,465 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
0.7 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
5,737 |
365. This Major Programme is central to FAO’s mandate related to nutrition, food security, food and agricultural policy, and the compilation and dissemination of agricultural information. It addresses the insufficient progress in combating hunger and malnutrition, promotes greater participation of developing countries in the formulation of a rules-based food and agricultural trading system, contributes to improved quality and safety of food, and provides comprehensive statistics and information on food and agriculture. It is implemented by the Economic and Social Department (ES) and associated regional teams, except for the World Agricultural Information Centre (WAICENT), the virtual library and related activities which are implemented by the Library and Documentation Systems Division (GIL) also included in Programme 2.2.2.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
17,050 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
1,000 |
||
Final Programme of Work |
18,050 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
18,049 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
1 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
5.9% |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
6,047 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
1,153 |
||
TCP delivery |
4,778 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
11,978 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
0.7 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
1,892 |
366. The programme focuses on the sustained improvement of nutritional well-being, with particular attention given to nutritionally vulnerable households and population groups, and on food quality and safety for consumer protection and fair practices in food trade. Achievements include:
367. With food safety issues receiving increased interest, both in developing and developed countries, there has been an increase in the request for scientific advice, specifically in the development of safety assessments of food additives and of risk assessments of chemical and microbiological hazards. There has also been a marked increase in requests for technical assistance and capacity building activities with resulting demands for the development of training tools and for information and communication activities. The Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme (Codex Alimentarius Commission) completed all of its planned activities for the biennium, much of which resulted in final Codex standards and other texts adopted by the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, including the Principles for Food Safety Risk Analysis to be used in the Codex framework.
368. Human Nutrition Requirements. Expert consultations were held on Protein & Amino Acid Requirements, and on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. Reports were finalized for Expert Consultations on Human Vitamin and Mineral Nutrient Requirements, and for Human Energy Requirements. Software development was initiated for calculating national human energy requirements based on demographic profiles. Technical support was provided in Asia, Latin America and Africa for updating regional as well as some national food composition tables.
369. Nutrition Improvement for Sustainable Development. Important progress has been made in identifying best practices and developing and pilot testing an assessment tool (available in English, Spanish and French) for increasing the impact and the sustainability of community-based food and nutrition security programmes. Collaborative work was carried out with The World Vegetable Centre (AVRDC) resulting in plans of action for identifying, domesticating and consuming micronutrient-rich indigenous foods, as means of reducing the high prevalence of micronutrient malnutrition in southern Africa. Technical assistance was provided to six countries for updating their National Plans of Action for Food Security and Nutrition.
370. Community Action for Improved Household Food Security and Nutrition. Assistance was provided to countries for promoting multisectoral community-based action programmes aimed at increased year-round access to, and consumption of, nutritionally-adequate diets. This included strong support to the field programme in six countries. Publications covered the nutritional aspects of home gardening, HIV/AIDS and micronutrient deficiencies. These are available in a number of languages and are widely used in FAO projects and by national and international development institutions and NGOs. "Sowing seeds of hunger," a documentary on the impact of HIV/AIDS on food security and nutrition in southern Africa, was produced and broadcast in collaboration with the BBC and is available in several languages as an advocacy tool. Home gardening as a means to improve nutrition was actively promoted.
371. Food and Nutrition Education, Communication and Training. In response to the growing demand from member countries for practical nutrition information, a range of educational materials and technical guidelines were produced, widely distributed and promoted in field projects and training workshops to develop and strengthen the capacities of national and local institutions. Materials include a manual and training course on nutritional care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, the Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger (FMFH) global education initiative was expanded to include 13 languages. Direct assistance was given to six countries for the development and implementation of nutrition education and school gardening projects.
372. Nutrition and Household Food Security in Emergencies. Assessment and technical support missions have been fielded to several countries/areas dealing with complex emergencies and/or natural disasters including Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Collaboration with the international nutrition emergency community (UN, NGOs and bilaterals) has been actively pursued at local, national and global level, in particular through active participation in the Sphere process, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Working Group (IASC-WG) on HIV/AIDS in emergency settings, and the WFP Partner Consultation on Emergency Needs Assessment. "Protecting and Promoting Good Nutrition in Relief and Rehabilitation" was published for use by development workers involved in relief and rehabilitation to better incorporate nutrition objectives into emergency responses.
373. Food Composition (INFOODS). INFOODS held its regional data centre coordinators meeting in conjunction with the 5th International Food Data Conference, to review accomplishments and plan activities. Twelve issues of the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis were published, including two special theme issues related to presentations at the Nutrient Databank Conference (USA), and the International Food Data Conference (Slovakia). The reference textbook, Food Composition Data: Production, Management and Use, was published. A technical consultation on international standards for identification of food components for international interchange of food composition data was held and updated standards were agreed. Three food composition training courses were held in collaboration with the United Nations University.
374. Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme (Codex Alimentarius). The Codex Commission completed all of its planned activities for the 2002-03 Biennium. The 26thSession of the Commission adopted, inter alia, 59 new or revised Codex standards or related texts, including guidelines for the food safety assessment of foods derived from biotechnology; amendments to the Rules of Procedure concerning the membership of Regional Economic Integration Organizations, and on consensus; and Working Principles for Food Safety Risk Analysis to be used in the Codex framework. In addition, the FAO/WHO Evaluation of the Codex Alimentarius and Other FAO and WHO Food Standards Work made recommendations for the future relevance of standards or alternative approaches in meeting overall objectives in consumer protection, especially for health, and in fair practices for food trade. Most of the recommendations were endorsed by the 26th Session of the Codex Commission, with the concurrence of its parent organizations and some of the recommendations have already been implemented.
375. Food Quality Control and Consumer Protection. Thirteen countries have been assisted in the harmonization of their food standards and regulations with international requirements (Codex); another nine countries have received assistance in the establishment and operation of national Codex committees; and the food control systems in seven countries have been reviewed and upgraded using science-based approaches and risk analysis principles. Regional and sub-regional training workshops organized on food safety risk analysis and on modern approaches to food control systems have increased awareness among food control officials of basic principles in food safety management and control, including the food chain approach. The development of materials on national food control systems, food safety risk analysis, on enhanced participation in Codex process, and on the quality and safety of fresh fruits and vegetables, should lead to improvement in national food safety programmes.
Global Forum of Food Safety Regulations
The successful convening of the First FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators (Marrakech, Morocco, January 2002) which brought together food safety regulators from over 120 countries to discuss current food safety issues and exchange information and experiences on best practices to improve food safety and quality worldwide, marked the beginning of a new series of international and regional consultations on food safety that complement the official negotiation work under Codex and the capacity building activities undertaken by FAO and WHO in this field. The FAO/WHO Pan-European Conference on Food Safety and Quality organized in Budapest in February 2002, was the first regional event in this series, and resulted in a comprehensive plan for the improvement of food safety and quality across the region.
376. Food Safety Assessment and Rapid Alert System. Technical reports of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and results of the ad hoc expert consultations on risk assessment of microbiological hazards in food and safety of foods derived from biotechnology were released and results considered by FAO/WHO member countries in the review of their food regulations, standards and control measures. Reports were also provided to the Codex Alimentarius system and have been used in the review of standards on food additives, veterinary drug residues and contaminants in food; in the review of codes of hygienic practices for products such as fish and fish products, eggs and in the review of papers on risk management strategies for specific pathogens such as Listeria. Guidelines on hazard characterization for pathogens in food and water, and for incorporating microbiological risk assessment in the development of food safety standards have been used by FAO/WHO member countries and Codex in the preparation of risk assessment and management documents.
377. Public Information about Nutrition, Food Quality and Safety. Five issues of Food, Nutrition and Agriculture were produced, addressing human energy requirements; ensuring a safe food supply; meeting micronutrient needs; promoting healthy diets through schools; and HIV/AIDS and nutrition. The Food and Nutrition website was redesigned and enhanced.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
33,364 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(260) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
33,104 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
33,107 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(3) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(0.8%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
15,401 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
307 |
||
TCP delivery |
3,542 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
19,250 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
0.6 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
2,255 |
378. The Programme addresses FAO’s mandate to meet the needs of Members and the international community for comprehensive information through the collection of food and agricultural statistics relating to resources production, trade, food supply and consumption, as well as other socio-economic statistics related to agriculture. It also provides assistance at the national level in building capacity to electronically disseminate information and in strengthening statistical and technical information systems on agriculture to support policy formulation and decision making. Significant achievements include:
FAOSTAT2
The FAOSTAT2 project to modernize and upgrade the corporate database of FAO has been started. Work was initiated to improve FAOSTAT’s conceptual framework and working system. The project will also address data dissemination and connection to the national databases on agriculture through its new country component named CountryStat.
Access to Global Online Research on Agriculture
The Access to Global Online Research on Agriculture (AGORA) project was launched in 2003. Led by FAO, the programme leverages resources and fosters partnerships (e.g. Cornell University Mann Library, WHO, publishers, donors) for the benefit of the poorest countries. As a consequence, these countries have access to peer reviewed scientific information in agriculture, food and related fields free of charge. "I am a young research scientist with the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute of Ghana and we are working towards alleviating poverty in the most deprived area in my country," explains Adams Frimpong. "I can now access this valuable source of knowledge for the benefit of my people and the scientific community at large."
379. Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping System (FIVIMS). This biennium has been a critical watershed for FIVIMS Initiative, which underwent an External Assessment in preparation for a redefined strategic plan. Through the provision of quality and timely information on the various dimensions of food insecurity and vulnerability, country level impact is now becoming more evident, particularly in some of the pilot FIVIMS countries. The biennium has seen increased dialogue and greater understanding within FAO of the contributions that different services can contribute. Coordination has improved within FAO across services and Departments, facilitating more integrated support from FAO to member countries.
380. FAO/World Bank/USDA Initiative for Agricultural Statistics in Africa. Two interim regional trust fund projects were approved for the Africa Region with funding from the World Bank and the Government of France. Under these projects four additional countries will be involved as pilot countries. A high level international seminar with the participation of all stakeholders was organized.
381. FAO Country Profiles and Mapping Information System. A new version of the FAO Country Profiles and Mapping Information System (FCPMIS) was released in 2002. The new version featured improved user-friendliness and graphic design, new sources of information and improved navigation of the site. Customized versions of the system have been implemented for the Water and Food Security Country Profiles and the Biotechnology PAIA. FAO's "physical presence" was mapped out on the FCPMIS site, whereby users can access information on country profiles, projects and link to the Regional and Subregional pages. Electronic publishing templates and guidelines were developed for the FAO Representative offices.
382. Systematic Evaluation and Improvement of Statistical Data Quality. The Statistics Division has undertaken a proactive approach to data collection through regional workshops to familiarize countries with international concepts and definitions, followed up by regular contact with national statisticians identified at the workshops. Electronic transfer of data has also significantly improved the statistical data collection and assembly process. The Agricultural Bulletin Board on Data Collection, Dissemination and Quality of Statistics (ABCDQ) project helps the users of FAO data determine their quality, and indicators showing the quality of the statistics (based on national collection methods used) as well as the coverage of official statistics are up-dated regularly. Special efforts have been made to obtain more official data and tap new sources for statistics particularly in Africa.
383. World Agriculture Information Resource System (WAIR). Development of the WAIR proceeded as planned. The International Information System for the Agricultural Sciences and Technology (AGRIS) was significantly enhanced under a new vision of the AGRIS institutions as resource centres with a strong capacity building component. To enable information to be accessed and exchanged more effectively, a new WAICENT information standard was developed, the Agricultural Metadata Element Set (AGMES), which addresses semantic standards in the domain of agriculture. The web-publishing and dissemination tools of AGRIS were further developed, enhanced, and deployed in countries. The agricultural thesaurus AGROVOC was made available in five official languages on the Web and coverage regarding gender-specific concepts improved considerably. A large number of training and capacity building missions were carried out.
384. Agricultural Resources and Income Statistics. The data series on agricultural resources statistics (human resources, land, irrigation, farm machinery, fertilizers, and pesticides) has been regularly updated and revised. The efforts on re-establishing the producer price data compilation started giving promising outputs in terms of increasing response from countries which has allowed the dissemination of updated time series and their use for the preparation of derived indicators. The time series on Agriculture Investment and Official Development Assistance were regularly updated; their quality and timeliness was significantly enhanced. Regular updating and improvements of the "Summary of World Food and Agricultural Statistics" has provided FAO authorities with an easy and quick reference tool on the wide range of food and agricultural statistics at the world and regional levels.
385. Agricultural Production, Trade Statistics and Food Balance Sheets. As countries have moved from paper to electronic files it has been possible to collect raw trade data from countries and, with processing, improve coverage and data quality significantly. The development by FAO of the world's agricultural trade matrix (WATM) and the display module (WATF) produced, for the first time, statistical information which allows the tracing of food and agricultural products from their origin to their destination. The project proposal for FAOSTAT2 moved to full project implementation to be funded from arrears (see Box). FAOSTAT downloads of data reached more than 25 million a month. Additional data collections and charts/graphics were disseminated from the FAO Web site along with sorting tools for production and trade statistics , methodological papers and substantive reports. At the close of the biennium, work on the preparation of food balance sheets was completed earlier than in recent years, due to progress made in trade data processing.
386. Agricultural Statistics Development. Training activities were carried out in all regions. Requests for assistance and capacity building were met within the resources available. Extensive use was made of guidelines on census and survey taking as they relate to agricultural statistics. The agricultural census database was improved and updated.
387. Programme for the Improvement of Language Coverage. See Chapter on Organizational Performance.
388. WAICENT Corporate Information Management and Dissemination Systems. The new WAICENT Portal was constructed to improve subject-based access to the main entry points of the FAO Web site. The Search tool was improved, and extensive analytical work was done towards an enterprise search engine. New workflow tools were deployed to improve and streamline electronic publishing. A methodology was developed to obtain user-feedback from various FAO stakeholders in order to improve FAO's information dissemination services. Liaison with all technical departments has been significantly enhanced through the WAICENT Advisory Group (WAG) and the WAICENT Committee. The number of visitors to the FAO Web site grew by 60% during the biennium, from 1 million in January 2002 to 1.6 million in December 2003, reflecting more than 40 million hits per month. The FAO WAICENT portal received the Pirelli "INTERNETional Award" in 2002 for the best multimedia product for environmental information.
389. Document Repository and Electronic Publishing Systems, and Integrated Documentation Activities. The Corporate Document Repository (CDR) and the FAO online catalogue have been developed and improved considerably, including better search and export facilities; the CDR has grown by more than 10,000 items covering the official languages of the Organization. Access to the on-line FAO catalogue has been extended to the Regional Offices, which can also retrieve meeting documents and reports of the Regional Conferences. Various thematic CDs have been produced and disseminated with material from the CDR to provide access to FAO information to users lacking Internet connectivity.
390. Facilitation of WAICENT Outreach. The Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK) was designed and developed to support member nations in enhancing their capacity to manage and exchange agricultural information. The first IMARK CD-based e-learning module was published on managing electronic documents. Three other modules covering digital libraries, electronic communities and in support of managers of agricultural information systems are in development. Several integrated communication activities were implemented for events such as the WFS:fyl and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
391. Virtual Library Information Services. Substantive improvements were made in the scope and coverage of quality externally produced information resources accessible to the Organization. Participation in the United Nations System Electronic Information Acquisitions Consortium continued to expand the information tools available to FAO staff and members, achieving i) significant reduction in costs of access; ii) increased access to more journals at the same financial outlay; iii) global access for FAO Regional/country Offices to key information databases without additional costs; and iv) established access pathways to articles for several thousands of subscribed and non subscribed sources. Working with exchange partners, 2,832 books were provided for the Library collection.
392. Assistance to Countries in Capacity Building for Agriculture and Food Information through WAICENT. A proposal for a strategic programme on "Bridging the Rural Digital Divide" (BRDD) was prepared, relationships with potential partners for WAICENT Outreach were developed and extra-budgetary funding from partners was secured. Technical services were provided through 23 field projects. Advisory missions were undertaken and projects were formulated for national capacity building in information management. A total of 22 regional or national training workshops were cosponsored. Study tours to FAO headquarters were organized for delegations from eleven national institutions or regional organizations to strengthen collaboration with WAICENT Outreach. The Consultation on Agricultural Information Management (COAIM) convened its second meeting and brought together representatives from 75 Member Nations, 5 UN specialized agencies, 17 inter-governmental organizations, 6 non-governmental organizations and 2 national organizations to discuss ways to improve access to and use of agricultural information.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
13,228 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(580) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
12,648 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
12,643 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
5 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(4.4%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
5,359 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
1,823 |
||
TCP delivery |
787 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
7,968 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
0.6 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
323 |
393. This programme meets Members’ need for regular and timely flows of information on, and assessments of, current food supply and demand, the outlook for agricultural commodities, and for longer-term strategic analyses on food, agriculture and food security. Major achievements during the biennium include:
Global Perspective Studies
A 100-page Summary Report under the title "World agriculture: towards 2015/2030" was published in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. The full technical 440-page report was co-published with Earthscan Publications Ltd (London) in March 2003 under the title "World agriculture: towards 2015/2030 - An FAO Perspective" and announced with a news release. Based upon book reviews in professional journals, citations and receipt of invitations to conferences, both the summary report and the full study have been well received.
394. The State of Food and Agriculture. SOFA, of which two issues were published, is one of the oldest continuous series of global reports in the world on major developments in food and agriculture. With the 2003-04 edition, the format was changed to focus on the thematic section where a single major issue was explored in greater depth: biotechnology and its capacity to help the poor. Future issues will continue the thematic focus.
395. Market Assessments for Basic Food Commodities and Impact on Global Food Security. FAO has developed unique databases for all basic food commodities at the country level designed for analyzing global market developments and assessing their impact on developing countries. These tools were used to provide frequently updated market assessments for these products within the Global Information and Early Warning System, as well as to conduct policy and impact analyses of emerging developments (such as animal diseases, global weather events, significant policy changes etc.). The assessments and analyses done were comprehensive in both commodity and country coverage, so that invitations for presentation of results and collaborative activities continued to come from prominent international industry associations dealing with basic food commodities and international organizations.
396. Projections and Global Commodity Analyses. All activities were implemented as planned, notably projections to the year 2010, Commodity Market Review and preparation of the new publication on the State of World Agriculture Markets (SOCO).
397. Market Assessments and Food Security Reports for Tropical, Horticultural and Raw Material Commodities. The steady demand for information products has been met, and the range of information and studies extended to cover additional commodities. Particular highlights have been the successful completion of the fiber consumption survey, the study of non-traditional agricultural exports which provided unique analytical information on diversification possibilities, and responses to increasing demands for information concerning organic and fair trade products. The balance of activities has shifted to emphasize analytical studies and use of quantitative/modelling tools to provide for rigorous policy analysis and forecasting, including the development of consistent databases of value to a wide range of users within and outside FAO. Collaborative work with other interested agencies was pursued.
398. Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture. GIEWS continued to play a major role in the conduct and improvement of the joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessments (CFSAMs) of which 25-30 per year were completed. These high profile documents formed the basis for non-food and food assistance emergency activities by host countries and the international community. Recent examples included CFSAMs in Afghanistan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
14,138 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(500) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
13,638 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
13,641 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(3) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(3.5%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
12,349 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
3,141 |
||
TCP delivery |
1,778 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
17,269 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
1.3 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
1,205 |
399. This programme provided the overall vision on global food security achievements and challenges to reduce hunger. It aims at sustainable improvements in the standard of living and nutritional status of the whole population. Analyses undertaken under the programme contribute to better understanding of the dimensions and causes of poverty and hunger, as well as interventions needed
400. The twin-track approach was developed as the FAO framework for promoting hunger reduction through sustainable agricultural and rural development, combined with measures to ensure the direct and immediate access to food by the most needy. Its discussion in major international fora, including the Monterrey Conference on Financing for Development, the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and the World Food Summit: five years later, brought world attention to the need for more articulated efforts and actions. Follow-up was made by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). Analysis on poverty, food security and sustainable development gave a sound basis for developing a framework for National Food Security Strategies that were applied later at the country level.
The World Food Summit: five years later, reaffirmed pledges to end hunger and called for an international alliance against hunger. The WFS:fyl held in conjunction with the Twenty-eighth Session of CFS to expedite action on implementing the WFS Plan of Action, attracted 180 delegations (179 countries and the European Union). Thirty four were represented at the level of Head of State, 9 at the level of Deputy Head of State, 17 at the level of Head of Government, 12 at the level of Deputy Head of Government, 1 at the level of Crown Prince, 96 at the level of Minister and 11 at the level of Ambassador or other. In addition, 191 other high-level representatives (including 109 Ministers and 82 Vice-Ministers and Under-secretaries) participated in the Summit as members of the delegations of the participating countries.
401. World Food Summit Monitoring and Follow-up. A first review cycle was completed with the report, every other year, of two sets of clusters of WFS commitments - people centred (conducted in 2000) and development centred (2002). Fifty-four countries, 6 UN agencies, 2 international organizations and a regional body responded with reports to CFS in 2002. Work on methods of assessing progress was initiated in support of the Mid-term Review in 2006 of Progress Towards the WFS Target.
402. Servicing the Committee on World Food Security. Two sessions of the CFS were serviced during the biennium.
403. Commodity and Trade Policy Support to Developing Countries for Trade Negotiations. The developing countries were supported in their trade negotiations through a number of activities, notably Geneva Round Tables, country missions, regional seminars under the Umbrella framework, a symposium at Cancun, a Ministerial Roundtable in Rome, and publications on the implications of negotiating proposals. These activities contributed significantly to strengthening the negotiating capability of the developing countries.
404. Agricultural Adjustment and Policy Reforms. Implementation of the Current and Emerging Issues for Economic Analysis and Policy Research (CUREMIS) project proceeded slower than expected due to both staff attrition, lack of adequate resources and difficulty in co-coordinating the work of the five Regional Offices. Nevertheless the regional seminars were attended by a wide array of stakeholders including government officials, NGOs and others. The work on policy analysis using the General Equilibrium Models was completed. Analysis on issues of resource mobilization continued. The FAO-led joint publication (with IFAD and WFP) on resource mobilization presented in Monterrey during the International Conference on Financing for Development had a large impact.
405. Contribution of Agriculture to Poverty Alleviation, Rural Development and Food Security. The twin-track approach was further developed and was used as the FAO framework for promoting hunger reduction and increased resources for agriculture and rural development. Outputs related to the cost of hunger and the role of agriculture and off-farm income constituted the cornerstones of the analysis. The Anti-Hunger Programme, the document for the Monterrey Conference and the development of the conceptual framework for the Initiative to Update the National Strategies for Agricultural Development and Food Security were prepared. At the same time, 11 case studies were produced under the "Roles of Agriculture" project linking agriculture to food security and poverty reduction.
406. Economics of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability. Methodologies for assessing the agricultural biodiversity and human welfare impacts of different types of seed systems are being developed and will be used as a basis for a series of new studies to be conducted by CGIAR centres in collaboration with government counterparts. The conceptual framework developed for assessing potential synergies between poverty alleviation and climate change mitigation is being incorporated into an information document for the next Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
407. International Action on Commodity and Trade Issues. Major studies were completed on world markets for organic and fair trade products. Demand for information and publications on organic markets from Members was extremely high. The 64th Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP) and all Intergovernmental Groups on Commodities (IGGs) were organized successfully. IGGs for raw materials, tropical and horticultural products held in producing countries were welcomed by members and provided a vital international forum for discussion and planning of international action in relation to the specific commodities concerned. Major studies were conducted on developments of food import bills for vulnerable countries, value added production in the oil crops sector, and measuring trade impacts of SPS/TBT measures (sanitary and phytosanitary measures/technical barriers to trade) on basic foodstuffs. The IGGs conducted in conjunction with conferences and symposia have been well received by delegates to these meetings.
408. Measures to Enhance Commodity and Trade Development. Technical assistance was provided to several regional economic groupings in developing regional food security strategies, notably to the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU). Effective responses were made to Members' requests for assistance in national commodity policy formulation and implementation.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
39,605 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(1,090) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
38,515 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
38,514 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
1 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(2.8%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
25,875 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
1,569 |
||
TCP delivery |
5,647 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
33,092 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
0.9 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
4,230 |
409. During the biennium efforts were intensified by the Fisheries Department to develop fisheries and aquaculture on a long-term sustainable basis within the framework of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) and other related international, regional and national fishery instruments.
410. Assistance was provided to Members in ensuring sustainable contributions of marine and inland water fisheries and aquaculture to food supplies, food security and general economic growth. Increased international awareness was created on the need to promote an Eco-system Approach to Fisheries (EAF). Important contributions were developed to fill the information gap resulting from emerging management frameworks such as the ecosystem and precautionary approaches to fisheries. The FAO Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries (Strategy-STF) was adopted by the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) and the Council, and endorsed by a resolution of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
411. Assistance was provided to improve fish production, utilization, and trade including safe and high-quality fish products. Furthermore, activities were undertaken to reduce the environmental impact of fisheries and discards. Work continued to promote sustainable development of small-scale fisheries and on safety at sea.
412. Increased efforts were made to assist Members in the implementation of the Code of Conduct and its International Plans of Action (IPOA), in particular to prevent Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. The publication and dissemination of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2002 (SOFIA) helped improve the understanding of constraints to the implementation of international fishery instruments.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
6,451 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(260) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
6,191 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
6,207 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(16) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(4.0%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
2,136 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
0 |
||
TCP delivery |
431 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
2,568 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
0.4 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
398 |
413. This programme provides comprehensive information and statistics on fisheries and aquaculture to Members in support of analysis, policy-making and planning. The most significant achievement was the facilitation of development and adoption of the FAO Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries (Strategy-STF) by COFI and Council (see Box). Work on the improvement of the quality of statistics and information in line with the Strategy-STF was initiated not only through the fishery statistics outputs, but also statistical development utilizing the Fisheries Global Information System/Approaches, Rules and Techniques for Fisheries statistical monitoring (FIGIS/ARTFISH); FIGIS and FAOSTAT2 (Corporate Database for Substantive Statistical Data) developments; the Fisheries Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS) and the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) Partnerships; the Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP); and library networks. Work on the development of inventories of fisheries and fishery resources as required by the Strategy-STF was undertaken through preparation of data structures and work processes.
Strategy-STF
The adoption of the FAO Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries (Strategy-STF) in 2003 provided a comprehensive framework and plan for the improvement of fishery status and trends, as a fundamental basis for fisheries policy and management for implementing the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The Strategy-STF has a major focus on capacity-building and also specifies the many actions required to be taken at national, regional and global levels, including special data needs for small-scale fisheries, ecosystem considerations for fishery management, global inventories of fish stocks and fisheries, ensuring information quality, information exchange arrangements and sustaining data collection. It recognizes the key role of FIGIS as a tool to facilitate implementation of the Strategy-STF through the exchange and dissemination of information and the more systematic assembly of information from the national to the regional and global levels (e.g. through FIRMS).
414. Development of the Fisheries Global Information System (FIGIS). The development of the basic FIGIS system has been completed successfully. Basic functionality for the entry, storage, extraction and dissemination of data has been implemented utilizing generic tools. Protocols, procedures and policies for data exchange and management have been developed in collaboration with partner agencies. Emphasis is now switching to developing the information and data content in collaboration with other FI services and partner agencies. Usage of FIGIS is increasing steadily as determined by hits in the web site, which now amount to over 1 million per month.
415. One issue is the long-term sustainability of FIGIS. Currently Regular Programme resources devoted to supporting FIGIS are quite limited, and there has been considerable dependence on extra-budgetary funding for its development.
416. FIGIS is a key tool to support implementation of the Strategy-STF. In order to allow developing countries to contribute to and benefit from FIGIS, there is a strong need for development assistance to build capacity. COFI requested that extra-budgetary funds be sought for this purpose under the FishCode Programme, with partial funding secured during the biennium.
417. Provision of Fisheries Information and Statistics. During the biennium, the ongoing effort to maintain and improve the quality of FAO fishery statistics continued through dialogue with countries concerning problematic data submitted by them, as well as through utilization of data from alternative sources, where available. A major revision to the species classification was completed and aquaculture production statistics time series extended backwards from 1970 to 1950 in response to user demand.
418. The development of norms, standards and classifications for global fishery statistics in collaboration with regional fishery bodies was continued by CWP. The CWP Handbook on Fishery Statistical Standards was extensively revised and published. The ASFA Partnership continued to expand with the recruitment of five new partners. The ASFA Secretariat finalized the new web-based input/retrieval software, organized training courses and continued increasing provision of access to ASFA information products for Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries. The International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centres (IAMSLIC), which includes approximately 300 members in 70 countries, officially recognized the ASFA bibliographic database as the premier database used in aquatic and marine science libraries. The Fisheries Branch Library increased dissemination services through CD ROMS for developing countries with limited Internet access and developed collaborative fisheries library networks in Africa and Asia to strengthen institution libraries and build capacity.
419. Advice and Technical Support to Member Nations and Regional Fisheries Bodies. Significant progress was made in the consolidation of methodological and operational tools required for cost-effective fisheries statistical monitoring. Two new technical papers on sampling methodology were issued. The computer approach ARTFISH was improved and made available on CD ROM, together with all relevant documentation.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
10,429 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(230) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
10,199 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
10,233 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(34) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(2.2%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
13,133 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
499 |
||
TCP delivery |
2,073 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
15,705 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
1.5 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
1,423 |
420. The programme assists Members in ensuring the sustainable contributions of marine and inland water fisheries and aquaculture to food supplies, food security and general economic growth. During the 2002-03 biennium, the programme was implemented largely as planned. The international conference on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem in Reykjavik (2002), was a particular milestone. Regarding marine capture fisheries, the programme has contributed to:
421. In Inland Fisheries, within the constraint of available resources, contributions were made to global monitoring including the further development of GIS applications and improved resources management (e.g. in the presence of dams). In aquaculture, the programme has contributed to:
422. In all these areas, the programme has dedicated 30-50% of its staff resources to support the Field Programme and the functioning of regional fishery organizations and has made particular efforts to develop and improve information systems.
Filling the Information Gap
The new emerging management frameworks such as the ecosystem and precautionary approaches to fisheries require growing quantities of more detailed information on fishery resources, their ecosystems and related exploitation systems. The development of collaborative integrated information systems has thus become a primary necessity in meeting these demands. The following systems are being or have been developed by the programme: (i) FishBase, the largest and most accessed web-based database for information on marine and inland fish; (ii) The UN Atlas of the Oceans, jointly developed by the UN agencies (led by FAO) and other partners including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a very successful integrated system of information on sustainable use of the oceans; (iii) the Information System for the Promotion of Aquaculture in the Mediterranean (SIPAM), connecting countries of the area in an active exchange of information on the sector; (iv) the Aquatic Animal Pathogens and Quarantine Information System (AAPQUIS), developed in collaboration with the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA), a unique and precious support in the battle against fish diseases; (v) The World Fisheries and Aquaculture CD-ROM, coordinated by FIR, integrating information on all aspects of the Department work - an essential component of SOFIA; (vi) the Database on Introduction of Aquatic Species (DIAS), a record of more than 50 years of introduction of alien species and their consequences; and (vii) GISFISH, the new-born Geographical Information System for Fisheries, a foundation for a global clearinghouse of spatially structured information on fisheries and aquaculture. In addition, FIRMS, the Fisheries Resources Monitoring System, developed with the Fishery Information, Data and Statistics Unit as a FIGIS component, has been officially launched linking centres of excellence in a worldwide observatory on resources and fisheries.
423. Promotion of Responsible Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture. Eleven publications including technical guidelines and methodologies/studies were produced and 10 technical workshops and expert consultations were organized during the reporting period to facilitate the implementation of the CCRF with reference to sustainable aquaculture practices and inland fisheries management and aquaculture. Contributions were made through the IMO/FAO/UNESCO-IOC/WMO/WHO/IAEA/UN/UNEP Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)/UN General Assembly (UNGA) process towards the Global Marine Assessment (GMA). Conclusions and recommendations from the FAO/Mekong River Commission (MRC) International Symposium on Large Rivers were presented to the 3rd World Water Forum. Technical guidelines on aquafeed have been adopted and used by governmental agencies and private producers/manufacturers in Asia and Latin America. Technical publications produced were cited extensively by international journals and media. Training manuals and CD-ROMs on simple methods of aquaculture and GIS use in aquaculture and inland fisheries were widely distributed and daily requests were met.
424. Increased Contribution of Aquaculture and Inland Fisheries to Food Security. Technical reviews and guidelines have been prepared, to increase aquaculture production and efficiency for food security and poverty alleviation, on subjects such as: aquaculture production intensification; integrating aquaculture with irrigation, rice and livestock; river and lake fisheries; rural aquaculture and aquatic resources management for improved livelihood. During the reporting period, nine publications were produced and eight technical meetings were convened. Special studies were conducted on aquaculture's contribution to improvement of world food security and strengthening of regional cooperation to promote aquaculture development.
425. Outcomes were achieved through endorsement and adaptation of the technical guidelines by national governments and international organizations on sustainable intensification of aquaculture land fisheries production. Regional strategies and guidelines for Africa and central Asia were adopted by member countries to increase the contribution of aquaculture and inland fisheries to rural livelihoods. Technical papers on maintaining and/or increasing production from aquaculture and inland fisheries by mitigation of environmental damage to aquatic resources were delivered and widely cited by various literature and media to address issues on resource use and its contribution to food security. The issue of aquatic animal pathogens and quarantine procedures has been examined in Africa and a network of 15 national experts from six African countries has laid a foundation for further development of capacity-building and south-south cooperation on these issues in the future.
426. Marine Fisheries Resources Identification and Biodata. The FAO databases allowing improved identification of commercially exploited fish species has been extended, and its use expanded. Progress has been made in providing proper species identification tools, catalogues and guides particularly for scientists and fish inspectors in member countries to properly identify and report on the species composition of their catches.
427. Monitoring and Reporting on Global Marine Resources and Relevant Environmental and Ecological Changes. There is an increased international awareness of the state of exploitation of world marine fishery resources as demonstrated by the results and recommendations of the WSSD regarding the state of living marine resources and the need to rebuild depleted and overexploited fish stocks with specific targets for 2015. This has increased the international demand for advice and information on the assessment and monitoring of the status of world marine fishery resources and related ecosystems. This work is to be continued and to the extent possible strengthened in 2004-05. Also, there is increased international awareness regarding the need to promote an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) in general, and this includes a higher demand for advice and monitoring of the status of the marine ecosystems (from the fisheries point of view).
428. Assessment and Management of Fisheries Resources. Work has been focused on promoting the international discussion and providing technical guidelines, reference points and indicators for the implementation of the FAO CCRF and for the EAF, with particular reference to the assessment, conservation and management of marine capture fisheries and related living marine resources and ecosystems. Several emerging issues and recommendations emanating from COFI and other relevant bodies have been addressed, including Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) listing criteria for commercially aquatic species, conservation of sea turtles and fisheries and tuna fishing capacity.
429. Global Monitoring and Strategic Analysis of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture. The main activities and achievements centred on regular monitoring and reporting on global and regional status and trends of aquaculture and inland fisheries. Improvements were made in on-line dissemination and data content in support of more informed decision-making and policies. The first two sessions of the COFI Aquaculture Sub-Committee were convened. Nine other meetings were held and 11 publications produced. Work on Aquatic Animal Pathogen and Quarantine Information System has expanded to develop versions for Africa, Americas and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) region. The state of world inland fisheries resources (FAO Fisheries Circular No. 942 Rev. 1) and the state of world aquaculture (FAO Fisheries Circular No. 886 Rev. 2) have been reviewed. A review of bluefin tuna farming and other fish fattening practices was conducted assessing potential, progress and possible problems. Progress was made on development of the FAO Aquaculture Glossary, Aquaculture Species Fact sheet and National Aquaculture Sector Overview (NASO). A preliminary study on national aquaculture legislation was initiated. Efforts were made to have major FIRI (Inland Water Resources and Aquaculture Service) publications and web-based information in all FAO official languages.
430. Advice on Marine Resources and Environmental Issues and Aquaculture Development. Aquaculture and/or inland fisheries have been incorporated as elements of SPFS projects in all regions to provide additional diversification, reduce risk and increase incomes of smallholder farming systems and inland fishing communities. In addition, the programme has implemented and/or assisted in the preparation and implementation of approximately 100 field projects including 12 regional, interregional and global TF projects related to the normative programme's priority areas. These projects increased national capacities, assisted in the preparation of development strategies, guidelines/regulations and policy frameworks, and demonstrated sustainable technologies in aquaculture and inland fisheries or provided technical assistance to member countries in marine fishery resources issues and resource management.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
8,239 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(340) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
7,899 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
7,842 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
57 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(4.1%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
1,427 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
1,070 |
||
TCP delivery |
1,953 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
4,450 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
0.6 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
959 |
431. This programme supports improved fish production, utilisation and trade within the framework of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Emphasis is on reducing environmental impact of fishing gears, promotion of by-catch reduction technologies, and increasing utilization of under-exploited resources. The programme aims at reducing wastage in fisheries and supporting effective and sustainable utilization of fishery resources. The most significant achievements include:
432. Reduction of Discards and Environmental Impact from Fisheries. A study to estimate discards in marine fisheries on a global level was conducted. The outcome of the study will have an impact on the management of marine resources. Based on scientific investigations a study on the physical impact of mobile gears on the seabed was carried out. Several countries were supported in the implementation of the International Plan of Action (IPOA) on seabirds.
433. Sustainable Development of Small-scale Fisheries. Work has focused on diversification of fishing efforts; safety at sea and disaster preparedness; increased efficiency in post-harvest handling of fish and improvement of market opportunities; research and training on demographic characteristics; and credit for artisanal fishing communities. Attention has been given to gender issues and participatory methodologies. Cooperation with IMO and ILO has led to the revision of the Fishing Vessel Safety Code, which is in the form of Guidelines with a particular emphasis on small fishing vessels which are now extending their operations further offshore.
434. Increased Production from Under-utilized Aquatic Resources and Low-value Catches. Several countries, especially in South East Asia and Latin America have improved the production of under-utilized aquatic resources and low-value catches and increased their utilization for human consumption. The work will continue to transfer these successful experiences to other developing countries in Latin America and Africa, especially food deficit countries where low value fish and under utilized resources can be used for human consumption.
435. Consumption, Safety and Quality of Fish Products. Guidance and training on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and risk assessment was provided to many developing countries, which presently meet most of the safety and quality requirements of the international markets and their obligations under the sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS)/technical barriers to trade (TBT) agreements of WTO. Development of the FishPort database and contribution to the FAO/WHO normative work on risk assessment and fish Codex standards improved international harmonization and consumer protection from fishborne illnesses, as well as fraudulent trading practices and TBT.
436. Promotion of International Fish Trade. Timely marketing and trade information, capacity building and guidance on the main fish trade issues, in collaboration with the Fish InfoNetwork, were provided to developing countries, who have experienced an increase in their contribution to international fish trade. The 9th Session of the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade provided a forum for discussing sensitive issues (safety and quality, traceability, market access, eco-labelling, CITES, TBT), which affect international fish trade, and developing a transparent approach to deal with them. The impact of fish trade and food security was studied to provide advice on responsible trade promotion policies.
437. Support and Advice in Fishing Technology, Fish Utilization and Trade. Several projects (funded mainly through TCPs and some EB resources) were developed and implemented to assist in the improvement of fish utilization for human consumption, increased fish safety and quality and the promotion of international fish trade, particularly from developing countries. Particular attention was given to domestic food security within the framework of the CCRF. As expected, countries with substantial fisheries were quick to recognise the potential of the use of VMS to tackle IUU Fishing. Hence, FAO’s efforts were directed to groups of countries where VMS implementation was just being considered or where VMS could be introduced in a regional context.
Challenges in Fisheries Management
Fisheries management regimes are increasingly dealing with:
bycatch and discards problems, although re-evaluation of global discards from capture fisheries shows that these are far less than earlier estimates had indicated or less than 10 million tonnes per year instead of 27 million tonnes; safety of fishermen issues; VMS in effectively combating IUU fisheries; and dealing with international fish safety and quality developments - developing countries are ever more confidently coming to grips with the complicated hygiene requirements of fish importers in developed countries, and their contribution to international fish trade has become highly significant.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
9,448 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(200) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
9,248 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
9,281 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(33) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(2.1%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
9,179 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
0 |
||
TCP delivery |
1,190 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
10,369 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
1.1 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
1,371 |
438. This programme focuses on the social and economic aspects of capture fisheries and aquaculture, the analysis of policies and management strategies for the sector and the strengthening of governance in fisheries. The global collection of the relevant socio-economic information and its analysis, as reflected in The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2002 as well as in the reports submitted to FAO’s Governing Bodies, Regional Fishery Bodies (RFBs), the UN General Assembly and other publications, helped stakeholders reach a better comprehension and identification of existing constraints to the implementation of international fishery instruments. These constraints and related issues were addressed by the WSSD and within FAO Governing Bodies and RFBs, as well in the framework of consultations and workshops, leading to the identification of specific measures and actions.
439. An increased effort was made to assist Members, particularly developing countries, with the implementation of the Code of Conduct and its international plans of action, but also with a view to fostering and strengthening their capacity for sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture development. This assistance involved stakeholder groups and was provided to countries directly through field projects in response to a growing number of requests, through RFBs or through ad hoc partnerships.
Combating Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Fishing
The grave concern of the international community regarding IUU fishing was reflected by the attention given to this issue by COFI at its 25th Session (February 2003), the Council at its 124th Session (June 2003), and also by the Conference, which adopted Resolution 6/2003 at its 32nd Session (November-December 2003). In order to promote and facilitate the implementation of the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU), a number of activities were carried out during the biennium, aimed at implementing the IPOA-IUU (e.g. consultations on open registries and port State measures; programmes in monitoring, control and surveillance) as well as workshops designed to enhance the capacity of Members and RFBs to take the necessary action.
440. Coordination and Monitoring of the Implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. FAO prepares regular reports to COFI concerning the implementation of the Code, based inter alia on collation and analysis of results of self-assessment questionnaires provided by FAO to Members, RFBs and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). For the report presented to the 25th Session of COFI (February 2003), 105 FAO Members (57% of the Membership) responded to the questionnaire - an increase in response over the previous reporting period and a marked increase in reporting by Members who had not responded previously. Members in all regions indicated that steps are being taken to facilitate implementation of the Code by:
441. The report of COFI's 25th Session on the Code on Conduct implementation further indicated that there was a significant increase in the number of national fisheries management plans from 2001. In 2001 a total of 52 Members reported having developed fishery management plans for marine fisheries and 38 Members reported management plans for inland fisheries. In 2003, Members reported they have developed a total of 472 marine fishery management plans (74% currently implemented) and 228 inland fishery management plans (72% currently implemented). Despite encouraging efforts to implement the Code and to promote greater responsibility in fisheries, many developing countries are encountering constraints of a technical and financial nature that hamper the pace and direction of implementation.
442. Promotion of Coastal Fisheries Management. A better understanding has been gained of how to involve fishers and their communities in the design and implementation of actions aiming to better livelihoods and sustainable fisheries. This understanding stems in part from in-depth, empirical research on the management of small scale fisheries in inland waters of Southern Africa carried out by a multidisciplinary team of African and European researchers during the last decade. In addition, a start has been made on developing practical approaches towards introducing controls of fishing capacity in small and large-scale commercial fisheries. However, the impact will be slow and difficult to link to the activities undertaken under the programme entity. The basic reason is that many millions of fishers are affected and it will take time to achieve agreement amongst them and with public sector administrators on new systems of governance for the sector.
443. Promotion of Appropriate National/Regional Policies for Sustainable Aquaculture Development. Information collected and analysed about the role, scope and nature of policies shows that there are many similarities amongst countries in respect of recent policies, particularly amongst market-based economies. Information and policy experiences that are developed under this sub-programme entity are being transmitted to Members inter alia through a number of TCP projects (Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia). However, impacts directly linked to programme entity activities are difficult to isolate. National aquaculture policies change over time and exactly what causes changes may not even be quite clear to those who decide on changes. It is evident however, that particularly in developing countries there is an increasing attention to the costs and benefits - in a wide sense - of the various options in developing strategies and plans for sustainable aquaculture. Such considerations are positive.
444. Global Analysis of Economic and Social Trends in Fisheries and Aquaculture. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2002 and the World Fisheries and Aquaculture Atlas were published at the end of 2002. In the course of the biennium, about 70 Fishery Country Profiles were prepared and/or revised, as were statements on fishery management by country. Four studies projecting future fish consumption were also prepared, and are being reviewed for publishing. There are very few global studies, or studies of global fishery issues, that do not refer to the various editions of SOFIA, or the Atlas. The Fishery Country Profiles are also used, but this is noticed mainly when users complain that they cannot find one of the few countries for which no fishery country profile has been prepared.
445. Economic and Social Analysis of Fishery and Aquaculture Policy and Management. Several issues in fisheries of global concern have been studied and reported upon. These include: management of straddling stocks; fisheries subsidies; management of fishing capacity; and the use of buy-backs to manage fishing capacity. Work has also been undertaken to develop guidelines for measurement of fishing capacity; measurement of fisheries subsidies; and schemes for eco-labelling of fish and fish products.
446. Promotion and Strengthening of Regional Fisheries Bodies and Arrangements and Field Programme Support. The 25th Session of COFI, two meetings of the Advisory Committee on Fisheries Research (ACFR), the third meeting of Regional Fishery Bodies, and several meetings of seven FAO RFBs were organized/supported. These meetings permitted Members to develop coordinated approaches to fishery policy issues and fisheries management and utilization matters. The promotion of the Code of Conduct was carried out in two regional meetings organized specifically for this purpose as well as through the preparation and distribution of technical guidelines and simple language versions of documents designed to facilitate the implementation of the Code of Conduct. Technical support was give to 60 projects, almost two thirds of which were funded by the Technical Cooperation Programme. Slightly more than 30% of staff time in the Fishery Policy and Planning Division was used for this programme entity. A common thread in this effort is the promotion of policies aiming at equitable and sustainable use of aquatic resources. The overall impact of the activities and outputs undertaken in this programme entity is intended to be an improved and more efficient governance of aquatic resource use.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
30,627 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(100) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
30,527 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
30,524 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
3 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(0.3%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
46,287 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
10,595 |
||
TCP delivery |
5,271 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
62,154 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
2.0 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
3,811 |
447. During the biennium, the Major Programme continued to play an important role in the conservation and sustainable management of forests worldwide. A number of initiatives such as “In search for excellence” which aims to document exemplary forest management successes were implemented in Central Africa and Asia. The programme also successfully supported the mountain conservation partnership which culminated in the celebration of International Year of Mountains for which FAO was entrusted the UN lead agency role.
448. The contribution of forests and trees to sustainable land use, food security and the welfare of human populations living in the vicinity of forests remained a programme emphasis. Studies in some 50 countries on wood energy, helped to analyse the supply/demand of this important energy resource in the developing member countries.
449. Worldwide access to forestry information and the support to the international forestry dialogue was a key output for the biennium. The FAO Forestry web-site was significantly expanded with 800,000 pages accessed per year. Support to the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) was provided through the secondment of a Senior Forestry Officer to the secretariat in New York. Through the programme, FAO provided leadership to the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and the number of partners rose from 8 to 14 organizations.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
7,889 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
170 |
||
Final Programme of Work |
8,059 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
8,065 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(6) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
2.2% |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
18,647 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
10,595 |
||
TCP delivery |
3,364 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
32,606 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
4.0 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
1,579 |
450. The programme has made significant progress in championing, demonstrating and monitoring the sustainable management of forests through:
FAO Championing Sustainable Forest Management in Action
This programme has developed initiatives which help translate the many principles, approaches, criteria and indicators for effective forest resources management discussed through international forestry dialogue, into action in all its dimensions: social, economic, environmental as well as cross-sectoral. Many components of this programme, including forest resources assessment (demonstration and training projects), management of forests (model forests and in search of excellence), development of projects on the promotion of trees outside forests and urban forests are geared to heightening practical approaches to the conservation, management and sustainable development of forest resources to respond to human needs, in particular to combat poverty.
451. Sustainable Management of Natural Forests and Woodlands. Guidelines and information products were developed and disseminated and workshops, seminars and training courses were conducted to enhance capacity to protect and sustainably manage natural forests and woodlands producing a variety of goods and services. An initiative aimed at identifying, analyzing and disseminating best practices and success stories in forest management was successfully launched in the Asia Pacific region and in Central Africa. The concept of sustainable forest management was elaborated, in particular in relation to (a) criteria and indicators processes, where progress was made to establish common thematic areas, and (b) the ecosystem approach of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) where progress was made in bringing these concepts closer, opening the possibility of future synergies between international forest-related processes.
452. Environmental Conservation in Forests and Fragile Ecosystems. Good progress was made regarding: i) the effective coordination and implementation of the International Year of the Mountains, in close collaboration with the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Mountains as well as many partners worldwide; ii) the increased awareness of issues related to conventions and agreements through workshops; iii) the implementation of TCPs on: agroforestry, urban and peri urban forestry, sustainable mountain development, watershed management, conservation in situ of plants of economic importance, etc.
453. Forest Plantations and Trees Outside Forests. Technical publications were prepared on topical issues highlighted by member countries at COFO, Regional Commissions and Technical Statutory Bodies. New Web sites on planted forests, biosecurity and forest genetic resources were developed and existing Web sites upgraded and updated (REFORGEN). Databases on planted forests, regeneration and management and on invasive insects and diseases were created. The programme entity also provided technical backstopping of a wide range of field projects and to international agencies (World Bank) as well as support to Networks (Neem, EUFORGEN, SAFORGEN, APFOGEN, Urban and peri-urban forestry). Contributions were made to the global publications - Encyclopedia of Forestry Sciences and the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
454. Assessment and Monitoring of Forests and Woodland Resources. The Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA 2000) was published in four languages and the findings reviewed. With support from expert consultations, the new FRA advisory group and a network of national correspondents, the scope, approach, contents and methodology of FRA 2005 were developed and endorsed by COFO 2003. National correspondents from about 160 countries now form the backbone of global FRA work. Efforts have been made to improve the relevance of FRA 2005 to intergovernmental dialogue, by adopting seven common thematic areas of sustainable forest management and by harmonizing definitions and reporting variables with other intergovernmental reporting processes to reduce the overall reporting burden. Results from Global FRA have been extensively used by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, the UNEP Global Environmental Outlook and the UN Millennium Development Goals; but more importantly relied upon in national processes such as national forest programmes. A methodology and project approach to National Forest Assessments has been developed and implemented by FAO in collaboration with four countries. The purpose is to have an affordable off-the-shelf approach to national inventory and assessments that cover the full range of benefits and beneficiaries for forest resources, in support of national policy processes. The approach has been successful and a number of countries have requested similar support. Projects are now developed for about ten additional countries.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
6,031 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(250) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
5,781 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
5,777 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
4 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(4.1%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
6,478 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
0 |
||
TCP delivery |
265 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
6,743 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
1.2 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
632 |
455. The programme made available up-to-date information and data on wood energy, wood and non-wood forest products, harvesting and wood removals, and climate change. The recommendations made at the various meetings of the Advisory Committee on Paper and Wood Products continued to play an important role. With the development of the Regional Forest Harvesting Code for West and Central Africa an important step was taken towards a more sustainable forest harvesting in those regions. The development of the Wood-fuels Integrated Supply/Demand Overview Mapping (WISDOM) will assist in energy planning at national and sub-national levels. In collaboration with the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) and others the information base on rattan production and trade was strengthened. At two international meetings, findings of the major study on trade and sustainable forest management were discussed. In collaboration with UNEP and IUCN, FAO successfully supported capacity building of foresters and climate change negotiators in Latin America, Africa and Asia on issues related to forestry and climate change. The process of harmonizing forest-related definitions received international attention (see Box).
456. Environmental Aspects of Forests. FAO's active and positive role in the area of forests and climate change has been recognized:
Process of harmonizing forest-related definitions
In close collaboration with the IPCC as well as the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) members (the Centre for International Forestry Research [CIFOR], the International Union of Forest Research Organizations [IUFRO] and the United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP]), FAO started a process of harmonizing forest-related definitions for use by various stakeholders. Unlike standardization, harmonization can include adjustments for improved compatibility and consistency, establishing comparability, linkages and hierarchies between terms, but also documenting differences. The objective of the process was to contribute towards better understanding among partners in the international forest dialogue, and to help reduce the reporting burden on countries by applying a harmonized terminology. The process so far dealt with some core forest-related definitions and will continue.
457. Forest Products Information. Under this entity the FRA 2000 was provided with data on "Removals", focusing on timber harvested in 43 different tropical forest countries. A final report "Harvesting Intensity and Forest Residues" gives an analytical summary of the work. Two issues of Non-Wood News and 24 issues of on-line Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFP) Digest were published, which contributed to increased knowledge and improved communication among those dealing with NWFPs, especially in developing countries. Statistical data collection on rattan production and trade was strengthened in collaboration with INBAR through an expert consultation on Improved Bamboo and Rattan Statistics. Follow-up work includes compilation of a Rattan Glossary and another working paper. Case studies in Cameroon, Madagascar and Suriname provided insight into the quality of statistical data on NWFP, which led to the preparatory work on the strategy for its improvement.
458. Appropriate Utilization of Forest Products. The Regional Forestry Harvesting Code for West and Central African countries supported the implementation of environmentally friendly forest harvesting practices in the countries of the region, including field studies and a training workshop. A cable logging workshop produced a state-of-the-art description of cable logging and harvesting in mountainous terrain, assisting countries in implementing better practices. Awareness on Reduced Impact Harvesting Practices (RIL) was raised by collecting and interpreting more than 300 different reports. Approximately 50 country studies on wood energy assessed the quality and quantity of wood energy information systems. Initiation of i-WEIS (Interactive Wood Energy Information System) and WISDOM (Wood-fuels Integrated Supply/Demand Overview Mapping) will contribute to improved data collection and local planning. Promotion and sound use of NWFP were demonstrated by TCPs in Niger, Papua New Guinea and Cameroon. In order to analyze the contribution of edible NWFP to food security, case studies were carried out in Central and Southern Africa. The Impact of Cultivation and Gathering of Medicinal Plants on Biodiversity was analysed in the context of an FAO meeting on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Approach. A side event to the World Forestry Congress 2003 on Strengthening Partnerships to Advance Sustainable Development of NWFP was jointly organized with IUFRO and CIFOR.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
7,516 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(140) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
7,376 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
7,370 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
6 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(1.9%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
19,574 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
0 |
||
TCP delivery |
1,585 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
21,160 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
2.9 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
1,180 |
459. Major accomplishments under the programme include the publication of the State of the World's Forests 2003 (SOFO), the Forestry Sector Outlook Study for Africa (FOSA) and the establishment of the National Forest Programme (NFP) Facility. Technical support to TCPs focused on participatory forestry and forest sector reform through legislative updates, institutional modernization and administrative overhaul. SOFO and FOSA provided a strategic framework in which countries are able to see emerging policy issues facing the forestry sector and against which countries can assess the performance of their current forest legislation, policies and administrative procedures. This self-assessment yielded calls for support from FAO for assistance in modernizing and reforming legislation, national forest programmes and engagement of civil society in forest-related decision-making. Follow-up to these requests for assistance were provided through resources sourced in the TCP and through the NFP Facility. The NFP Facility, a multi-partner, multi-donor extrabudgetary mechanism hosted by FAO responds directly to country requests to engage civil society in the implementation of their national forest programmes (see Box). The establishment of the NFP Facility is a direct product of the programme and reflects a successful transition from normative inputs leading to external support for country-led implementation of national forest programmes.
Mobilizing extra-budgetary resources to further the impacts of the normative programme
For a decade, FAO and its members have promoted the formulation and adoption of national forest programmes geared to achieving sustainable forest management. Emphasis was given to nationally-led processes that engage a range of forest stakeholders (civil society, industry and farmers). Moving from dialogue to action and from planning to implementation has been the weak link. To overcome this shortcoming, the programme focused considerable normative effort on making the case for a funding mechanism to assist developing countries advance their plans and mobilize civil society in their implementation. FAO brought together representatives of key funding institutions, national agencies and civil society to devise a mechanism to support the implementation of national forest programmes. This effort gave birth to the establishment of National Forest Programme Facility, a multi-partner financed initiative that supports country-led efforts to involve and engage civil society in the implementation of national forest programmes.
460. Forestry Sector Outlook Studies. The major accomplishment has been the preparation of the State of the World's Forests 2003 and the Forestry Outlook Study for Africa. Most of the work on the Latin America Forestry Sector Outlook study and the European Forestry Sector Outlook studies has also been completed and the final reports are now under preparation. These have made a significant contribution to national planning, in particular the development of national forest programmes. Findings from these studies had a number of spin-off effects, facilitating follow up action and studies at the national and regional levels.
461. Strengthening of Institutional Capacities at Country Level. National forest programmes at the country level have been reinforced with financial support from the NFP Facility. Work undertaken by FAO to support national efforts with forest law compliance has also contributed to strengthening the role and impact of FAO in supporting policy implementation. Regional forestry research and education networks were consolidated as instruments for improving forestry research and education programmes and capacities in Africa and Asia-Pacific, and as regional fora to promote collaboration in these fields. New generations of partnership arrangements were formulated to promote equitable benefit sharing in the development of forest plantations and their contribution to smallholders' income generation and poverty reduction.
462. Formulation of National Forest Programmes. A major achievement under this programme entity was the establishment and syndication of funding for the NFP Facility (see Box) hosted by FAO. By leveraging this extra-budgetary support and commitment to the work of this entity, the PE concluded in the 2002-03 biennium. Future normative policy support to national forest programmes will focus on institutional strengthening, issues of forest law compliance and integrating forestry into national programmes for food security. During the biennium, support through TCP resources was provided to about 20 countries in establishing national forest programmes. As a direct result of FAO support, countries have formulated new national forest legislation, plans and programmes, reformed their forestry institutions, and have increasingly involved an expanding array of stakeholders in forest decision-making based on the adoption of participatory methodologies developed and promoted by FAO.
463. Analysis of Economic Factors in Forestry. Through studies on fiscal policies and approaches to evaluation of non-market benefits, including sharing of experience among the countries, a strong information base evidencing the economic viability of sustainable forest management has been developed. Country studies, for example in Fiji, have provided advice on streamlining the revenue system. The review of forest policies in South and South East Asia has also helped to analyze the major changes and facilitated sharing of experience between the countries.
464. Participatory Forestry. Until December 2002 FAO's Forestry Trees and People Programme (with strong extrabudgetary support) was the main global vehicle for supporting participatory forestry. The complementary support of extra-budgetary funds coupled with RP normative efforts has been exemplary. Through the programme entity, FAO produced, by mobilizing a vast array of partners, publications on participatory methodologies and tools (more than 80 publications on community forestry remain in high demand). An informative, field oriented and widely read journal on community forestry was also produced and hundreds of networks and partnerships were established. A survey conducted in 2002 of 29 African countries indicated that almost all are involving communities in forest management as result of FAO's and others' work.
465. Interaction with Field Programmes and Advisory Services. The field programme continues to be an important activity providing feedback to normative activities and increasing technical capacity to furnish support to FAO member countries. The main impact of this work is the reinforced capacity of countries to improve forest management and development through more appropriate policies, plans and institutional instruments.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
4,265 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
170 |
||
Final Programme of Work |
4,435 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
4,434 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
1 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
4.0% |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
1,588 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
0 |
||
TCP delivery |
57 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
1,645 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
0.4 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
368 |
466. This cross-cutting programme supports all aspects of FAO's work in forestry reflecting the call by member countries for FAO to provide support to the international dialogue on forests (IPF/IFF/UNFF processes). During this biennium, FAO seconded a Senior Forestry Officer to the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) secretariat. Under FAO leadership the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) was strengthened and expanded (see Box). Flagship forestry publications such as the State of the World's Forests (SOFO, published biennially in five FAO languages), and Unasylva (published quarterly in three FAO languages) were issued. The FAO Forestry website was redesigned and uses the unique "FORIS" (Forestry Information System) approach developed by FAO, a comprehensive electronic source of forestry information. This programme also coordinated and supported the intergovernmental processes of the six Regional Forestry Commissions and the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO), which bring together the leaders of the national forestry organizations of all member countries to address policy and technical issues.
Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)
The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) matured into a dynamic, innovative association of international organizations under FAO leadership. Starting with 8 organizations in 2001, during the 2002-03 biennium the CPF expanded to 14 organizations including two major international NGOs. FAO provided leadership for the establishment of a CPF network, a CPF sourcebook of funding opportunities to support sustainable forest management, and the establishment of a CPF task force on streamlining and harmonizing forest reporting. Member countries expressed satisfaction with FAO leadership of the CPF, which was held up as a model of inter-agency collaboration within the UN system for potential emulation in other sectors.
467. Follow-up to UNCED and International Forestry Processes. FAO strengthened its support for the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF). A Senior Officer was funded and seconded by FAO to the UNFF Secretariat throughout the biennium. FAO drafted many of the Secretary General's papers that were the basis of the inter-governmental discussions during the second and third meetings of UNFF (UNFF2 and UNFF3) which took place during the biennium. FAO provided leadership for the Collaborative Partnership on Forests which was chaired by the ADG, Forestry Department during this biennium (see Box for further details).
468. Forestry Information. This biennium saw the consolidation of investments made by FAO in forestry information through the development of an expanded website. The State of the World's Forests 2003 was published and is one of the most widely quoted sources of forestry information in journals and in forest policy papers. Eight issues of the journal Unasylva were published, as were numerous technical and policy papers.
469. Support to Statutory Bodies and Liaison with the Regional Offices. All planned meetings of Forestry statutory bodies were held during the biennium. Significant progress was made toward the goal of strengthening the Regional Forestry Commissions. Several of the Commissions (Africa, Near East, Latin America, and Asia) had record number of countries participate in the sessions. Improvements were made in the reporting of the Regional Commissions to COFO, including an innovative panel of the Regional Commission chairmen. An novel approach was used in COFO to expand the participation of external partners through side and satellite meetings, receiving positive feedback from most member countries. Steps were taken to improve coordination of work planning with FAO Regional Offices.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
48,767 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
1,050 |
||
Final Programme of Work |
49,817 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
49,816 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
1 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
2.2% |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
50,844 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
4,992 |
||
TCP delivery |
17,828 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
73,665 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
1.5 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
6,739 |
470. During the period under review, the Major Programme continued to give strong emphasis to promoting, coordinating and providing leadership in the formulation of concepts, policies, strategies and methodologies to assist member countries and FAO technical departments in integrating sustainability issues into their programmes, including those arising from the conventions on biodiversity, desertification and climate change. Significant progress was made in facilitating FAO-wide coordinated activities in important cross-sectoral areas, including poverty reduction and sustainable livelihoods in rural areas, the advancement of rural women and gender equality in agriculture and rural development, and more participatory, inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches to policy/decision-making and programme development and implementation. The Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) evolved as a people-driven and comprehensive programme which expanded its coverage to 75 countries and 28 South-South Cooperation (SSC) agreements.
471. To address these issues and to foster the environmental, social and economic well-being of rural people, the Major Programme has forged effective alliances and partnerships centred on people, promoting the strengthening of rural institutions, while safeguarding the environment. Priority was given to:
472. Resource shifts have however restricted somewhat the delivery performance in term of biennial outputs, particularly for Programmes 2.5.1.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
17,765 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(870) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
16,895 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
16,936 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(41) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(4.9%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
15,262 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
4,992 |
||
TCP delivery |
4,141 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
24,395 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
1.4 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
2,843 |
473. The programme's main achievements in several areas of work were as follows:
World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
FAO's preparation for WSSD emphasized the important role that agriculture plays for sustainable development and poverty alleviation. The consistent messages sent to WSSD were:
agriculture and the environment are intimately linked and depend on each other for sustainable development; sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries are key to poverty alleviation; a renewed political will is needed to redirect the flows of investments towards agriculture and rural areas; and the World Food Summit Plan of Action provides an appropriate framework for many WSSD initiatives. Their implementation needs to be accelerated by working in a wide range of alliances and partnerships.
Linkages between agriculture and the environment were taken into consideration in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation by, for example, highlighting the role of earth observations for both sectors. FAO followed up during its Co-chairmanship of the Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partnership (IGOS-P) by providing inputs into the 10-year implementation plan developed by the ad-hoc Group on Earth Observation (GEO).
Another interface also emerged from WSSD; that is, between education and sustainable development. This led to the launching of the “Education for Rural People” international flagship initiative led by FAO and UNESCO to improve access to quality education for rural people.
474. Integrated Use of Information for Sustainable Development. Significant progress was made in improving the availability of environmental databases, information systems and related tools to countries and intergovernmental bodies. This includes development of the GeoNetwork spatial data information system, upgrading of the Dynamic Atlas, development and dissemination of LocClim, upgrading of the Agromet shell software, and definition of the Rapid Disaster Assessment Routine. For some of the activities mentioned, significant emphasis was put on training. Particular efforts were made on the integration of ground data and satellite observations in the ambit of Global land cover network (Glcn) as well as AfriCover and AsiaCover. COAG 17 endorsed a paper on agri-environmental decision support tools. Updated Agenda 21 indicators and OECD agri-environmental indicators were made available to countries, and national exercises were initiated. Training materials in gender-disaggregated data were developed, translated into several languages and tested in national and regional workshops.
475. Youth in Agriculture, Food Security and Sustainable Livelihood. Work concentrated on providing young people with life skills and knowledge in agriculture and related areas that empower them to become active partners in food security through networking, advocacy, policy development and elements of strategic planning. This included national seminars on rural youth and food security and background studies to identify needs, interests and aspirations of young people living in rural areas. Communications were addressed through the newsletter YouthWorks and the FAO Rural Youth Web site. Other aspects covered included the design and testing of innovative non-formal education curriculum development, youth leadership development, and youth and rural radio methodologies.
476. Partnerships for Improving Application of Biotechnology in Agriculture. Research gaps, needs and opportunities of relevance to developing countries were identified and strategies defined to improve the application of biotechnology. Particular emphasis has been placed on national capacity building for development, harmonisation and implementation of regulations for biosafety of genetically modified organisms. The assistance included identification of needs, priorities and development of appropriate tools. Activities were devoted to a wider and more accessible knowledge base for decision-making on policies and applications of biotechnology products, including the FAO Biotech Web site, the BioDeC database, the electronic newsletter FAO BiotechNews, the Glossary of Biotechnology for Food and Agriculture and the Electronic Conferences hosted by the FAO Biotechnology E-Forum.
477. Integrated Development and Dissemination of Agricultural Knowledge and Technology for Food Security and Sustainable Development. Work contributed to meet countries' needs in four key technical areas: extension, education, communication for development and research and technology development. Four studies were completed on extension and training needs of physically disabled farmers as well as farmers working in HIV/AIDS affected areas, living in mountain zones or in small island states. Guidelines were published in four official languages on decentralization and privatization of extension support services. Fourteen studies were conducted worldwide on access to quality education by rural populations and shared during workshops organized for policy makers from Ministries of Agriculture and Ministries of Education in Asia and Latin America. A training programme for rural radio broadcasters was implemented in Africa to develop capacity to disseminate food security messages. Three guidelines were published on participatory rural community radios, indigenous knowledge and Natural Resources Management (NRM). A prototype database on technology for agriculture was developed and two studies were conducted on funding sources for agricultural research and the impact of foreign assistance on institutional development of NARS in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) was established in FAO's Regional Office for Africa and support was provided to AARINENA and APAARI. Case studies were conducted in twelve countries to assess institutional links and collaboration between research, education, extension and information systems - the Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems for Rural Development (AKIS/RD) - in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.
478. Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) Secretariat. The GFAR Secretariat contributed to on-going efforts to improve cooperation amongst, and mutual strengthening of NARS through their regional and sub-regional fora (RF/SRF). For example, Regional Agricultural Information Systems (RAIS) for information sharing are now functional in all RF; Executive Secretaries of RF now meet regularly and have identified future areas of collaboration including inter-regional networking on commodities such as cotton and olive as well as biosafety and other biotechnology issues; stronger functional linkages between research institutions and Civil Society Organizations (CSO) have emerged such as the formal representation of CSO in the executive and decision making body of the Conférence des responsables de la recherche agronomique africains (CORAF).
479. Support to Environmental Agreements and Promotion of Integrated Environmental Planning and Management. FAO has regularly contributed to the processes guided by the Secretariats of the Conventions on biodiversity, climate change and desertification through technical coordination, the preparation of technical documents, participation in meetings and exchange of data and staff. A global bioenergy initiative for sustainable agriculture was developed in collaboration with universities. Technical reports on renewable energy and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) were prepared. Community-based integrated natural resources management was supported in highland ecosystems through working papers, a workshop, and a Global Environment Facility (GEF) project proposal (Ethiopia). Work on Organic Agriculture included a country database, a publication on "Organic agriculture, environment and food security" and initiatives in the areas of standards and legislation. A review of FAO work in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), 1994-2004 was completed.
480. Environmental Geo-Information Infrastructure and Services. Equipment was acquired to improve the distribution of satellite imagery to early warning systems in developing countries. FAO, other UN Organizations, CG Centres and universities agreed to establish inter-operability using such tools as the GeoNetwork. The development of the corporate GIS databases continued along with support to the United Nations Geographical Information Working Group (UNGIWG), liaison with Open GIS Consortium, International Standards Organization (ISO), and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). Methodological and operational work on poverty mapping and the links between poverty and environment significantly advanced and results were made available to member countries through publications and maps. A workshop on environmental hotspots and applications to agriculture was carried out. Software for global water stress maps was completed for early warning analysis. Agromet provided operational support to GIEWS and a geospatial information management advisory group was initiated (SIMAG).
481. Information and Communication Technologies in Support of Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Systems. Case studies were completed in Uganda, Costa Rica and Mexico as an FAO contribution to the World Summit on Information Society (WISIS). ICT needs assessments were carried out in Uganda, Bhutan, Croatia, Macedonia, Georgia and Romania. As a result, projects were formulated for establishing the virtual extension and research communication network (VERCON) in Bhutan and Uganda. A strategy for promoting and guidelines for establishing VERCON were produced and disseminated through seminars and training workshops. The VERCON concept and a pilot project in Egypt were presented and discussed during a regional workshop on strengthening agricultural research and extension linkages held in Amman, Jordan. Technical assistance was provided in support of an information system for the documentation and dissemination in Spanish of proven agricultural technologies for the benefit of the SPFS clients in Honduras. The Regional Consultation on "Rural Women in Knowledge Society" resulted in a publication of the same title for WSIS. A regional assessment for the application of distance education modalities for improving learning about and learning among rural women focused on India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
482. Secretariat of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the CGIAR. The TAC/Interim Science Council (iSC) Secretariat provided technical and logistic support to the TAC/iSC through a number of channels. The Secretariat organized and planned the implementation of four External Reviews of CGIAR Centres (CIP, ISNAR, IPGRI, ICRISAT) and two system-wide programmes (SP-IPM, CAPRI) and participated in the ISNAR Restructuring exercise. It provided support in planning and implementing many thematic studies and in assessing the MTPs of 16 Centres in 2002 and 2003. Support related to iSC's impact work included completing a comprehensive assessment of crop germplasm improvement impact (published by CABI and Science), co-hosting a major international conference on impact assessment and publication of proceedings with conference papers in three issues of international journals.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
5,259 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
50 |
||
Final Programme of Work |
5,309 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
5,295 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
14 |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
1.0% |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
5,799 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
0 |
||
TCP delivery |
346 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
6,146 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
1.2 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
1,130 |
483. The programme provided policy support, capacity building and development of tools and methodologies for incorporation of gender perspectives in the agriculture sector in Member Nations as well as within FAO. It supported the implementation of the corporate-wide Gender and Development Plan of Action (2002-2007). The first progress report on implementing the Plan was well received by the 32nd session of the FAO Conference. An increasing number of FAO Member Nations adopted special action plans for rural women and/or strategies for gender mainstreaming in the agriculture sector, as well as more gender-sensitive land legislation and agricultural censuses. Perhaps as a consequence the number of gender-related TCP requests increased in all regions. At the WFS:fyl in 2002, a well-attended side-event on "Rural Women - crucial partners in the fight against hunger and poverty" was organized. The programme continued to be an active partner in several UN system-wide task forces.
484. The Programme contributed towards raising awareness within FAO and its constituency of the multisectoral nature of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its critical linkages to agriculture, rural development and food security. Research on the nexus of HIV/AIDS, gender, agricultural production and household food security contributed to the development of mitigating strategies through Ministries of Agriculture. During the biennium, extra-budgetary staff and non-staff resources in support of gender- and HIV/AIDS-related activities supported by the programme were provided by Belgium, Finland, Italy, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom and UNAIDS.
Gender, Biodiversity and Local Knowledge Systems for Food Security
The Norway-funded Gender, Biological Diversity and Local Knowledge Systems for Food Security in Southern Africa project (LinKS) continued to operate in Mozambique, Swaziland and Tanzania. It aims to improve rural people's food security and provide sustainable management of agrobiodiversity by strengthening the capacity of institutions to use participatory approaches that recognize the knowledge of men and women farmers in their programmes and policies. During the biennium, 29 training workshops for researchers, extension workers and decision-makers were organized. The project supported the development of a training manual that explains the concepts of gender, biodiversity and local knowledge and their interrelations, and provided support for curriculum development for universities. LinKS research resulted in several reports, including: "Local Knowledge Systems in relation to management of agro-biodiversity for food security: case studies on local seed management practices in Southern Highlands and Central Zone, Tanzania" and "The utilization of indigenous knowledge in range management and forage plants for improving livestock productivity and food security in the Maasai and Barbaig communities of Kibaha," also in Tanzania; "Impacts of HIV/AIDS on gendered information and knowledge flows around seeds amongst rural producers" in Mozambique; and "Indigenous crops, their preparation, methods and acceptability: a case study of the Manzini Region" in Swaziland. Finally, the project supported communication and advocacy to enhance sharing and exchange of information through an electronic newsletter, a website, leaflets, case studies, and 14 sensitization workshops and seminars.
485. Inter-relations between Gender, Population and Food Security. The entity concentrated on the linkages among gender issues, population factors - including morbidity and mortality caused by HIV/AIDS and rural population ageing - and agriculture, food security, and rural development. The main focus was on coping strategies and livelihood options for the rural poor and corresponding enabling measures needed at policy, legislative and institutional levels to support sustainable livelihoods and reduce HIV/AIDS risk. Policy advice, technical assistance, capacity-building and training services were provided to various stakeholders to assist them in mainstreaming gender and population considerations in agricultural and rural development policies and programmes. Several national studies were undertaken on HIV/AIDS and rural ageing, which generated new insights about the effects of population factors on agriculture and rural communities. The entity also facilitated FAO follow-up to the Cairo Programme of Action on Population and Development, the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. Activities of the entity contributed to the strengthening of national population programmes; provided member states with information and tools to more effectively address population-agriculture linkages; and contributed to building partnerships and networks with stakeholders, including WFP, UNDP, WHO, UNAIDS and others.
486. Gender and Natural Resources Management. Natural Resource Management (NRM) studies continued to be produced under the LinKS Project, and concept papers, posters, information sheets and multimedia presentations (including videos) were produced to document research on land and water (see Box). A research paper and a fact sheet on Gender and Drylands were made available for COP7 (Desertification Convention), and fact sheets and NRM research on rural women were finalised in several Latin American countries. Efforts to integrate gender socio-economic data into natural resource (NR) spatial data bases were undertaken through the Integrated Support to Sustainable Development and Food Security Programme (IP) in Africa and AsiaCover in Asia. Training activities in NRM in Africa created interest and have led to new research proposals and collaboration with new partners such as the World Bank and ICRISAT and also to requests for university curricula. Several TCPs were completed with the goal of inserting gender into national agricultural strategies (i.e Algeria, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, Morocco) and supporting SPFS (in Latin America and the Caribbean). Research on the CEDAW Convention and particularly Article 14 dealing with land was completed (with IFAD/Land Coalition).
487. Promotion of Gender and Population in Policies, Legislation and Civil Institutions. Attention focused on the Socio-Economic and Gender Analysis (SEAGA) training programme as the main instrument for capacity-building and gender mainstreaming. SEAGA training of trainers and technical workshops were held in 24 international locations. SEAGA presentations were also given at conferences and meetings in a variety of places. A Guide on Rural Households and Resources, integrating HIV/AIDS issues, was developed. Various SEAGA training handbooks and guides were translated into English, French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese and/or Russian.
488. The programme continued to develop gender-sensitive indicators to improve the monitoring and evaluation of FAO gender mainstreaming activities and to assist in measuring the outputs of the Gender Plan of Action. SEAGA-based training workshops on the production and use of gender-disaggregated data and indicators (GDD) were held in a number of African and Eastern European countries. An Expert Consultation on Gender and Participatory Research Methods was organized for eastern and southern African countries. Support through SEAGA training was also given in Cambodia to the Ministries of Women, Agriculture and Rural Development, and in Thailand to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives on the Gender Plan of Action. Support from RAP was also given to ICRISAT on "Social and Gender Analytical Methodologies in Natural Resource Management Technology Transfer".
489. Collaborative partnerships with other UN agencies included participation in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), and the provision of reports and technical inputs on gender activities to the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) and the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). FAO, as a member of the UN Inter-agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE), made contributions to other UN-wide initiatives.
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
8,283 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
(210) |
||
Final Programme of Work |
8,073 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
8,075 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(2) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
(2.5%) |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
13,038 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
0 |
||
TCP delivery |
3,647 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
16,685 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
2.1 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
2,161 |
490. Strong emphasis was given to:
491. Access 21: Land Tenure Institution Building for Food Security and Sustainable Rural Development. The Programme Entity contributed to improving secure access to land and to the growing recognition of the importance of land tenure and land policy for food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Guidelines on improved access to land, with particular reference to women, through more effective land tenure policies were published in Arabic, English, French and Spanish and widely disseminated. Eight countries adopted FAO's approach for land consolidation projects. Five editions of the journal "Land reform, land settlement and cooperatives" were widely disseminated. Guidelines on rural property taxes to support decentralization of rural services in Central and Eastern Europe prompted requests for similar guidance for other regions. Training material on participatory diagnostics of common property resource management was presented to African Lusophone countries. Guidance was provided on participatory territorial planning, land conflict resolution, capacity building and land tenure regularization, based in part on regional workshops.
492. Improved Rural Institutions and Services to Promote Sustainable Rural Livelihoods. Technical assistance and policy advice were provided for the restructuring and decentralization of rural public institutions in 12 countries and for the strengthening of farmers' organizations and cooperatives in some 14 countries with a view to enhancing their livelihoods. Resource and training materials were developed on methods for and experiences in decentralization, agricultural cooperatives, group savings, and new approaches to capital formation and computerization in cooperatives. Substantive work was undertaken with other services on participatory territorial planning, drawing on experiences in field projects. FAO collaborated with the ILO and IUF on generic and country-level activities related to rural workers and SARD. This entity contributed significantly to the preparation of WSSD with regard to SARD (chapter 14 of Agenda 21) (see Box).
493. Participatory Approaches and Methods to Support Sustainable Livelihoods and Food Security. This entity has contributed to developing, testing and promoting the use of participatory methods and tools in field projects. The inter-departmental Livelihood Support Programme (supported by extra-budgetary funds) undertook a variety of activities including institutional learning from experience, cultural dimensions of livelihoods, access to resources (especially land), participation in decision-making processes, income diversification, conflict management, and mainstreaming of livelihood approaches, analysis and methods in investment projects. Another achievement was the preparation of a concept paper and nine country case studies on the role of local institutions in disaster prevention or in rehabilitation which will form the basis of further work. Profiles of the livelihood systems and causes of vulnerability were undertaken in the FAO-Netherlands Partnership Programme (FNPP).
Initiatives to Support SARD
The SARD Initiative was launched as a civil society-led, government-supported and FAO-facilitated type II non-negotiated outcome of WSSD. Moreover, support was provided by the Swiss Government for the organization of the International Conference on SARD in Mountain Regions (Adelboden, June 2002), and the subsequent preparation of a project document on SARD in Mountain Regions for multi-donor funding. Another Trust Fund project on SARD-Farming Systems Evolution supported the development of methods and indicators based on case studies undertaken in different agro-ecological regions.
494. Management and Support to the UN System Network on Rural Development and Food Security. The UN System Network on Rural Development and Food Security continued to provide support to the activities of the national Thematic Groups. A bi-monthly update of the UN System Network Website has been established to disseminate information on Thematic Group's activities, joint initiatives among UN agencies, NGOs and CSOs as well as interesting international events or publications on rural development and food security issues. This Network provided direct assistance to the International Alliance Against Hunger, especially for the 2003 World Food Day, and to other international events such as the FAO Conference and ECOSOC High Level Segment on "integrated rural development".
Regular Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Programme of Work |
10,475 |
||
Adjustments to Programme of Work arising out of Budgetary Transfers |
2,090 |
||
Final Programme of Work |
12,565 |
||
Expenditure against Final Programme of Work |
12,569 |
||
Variance of Expenditure (Over)/Under Final Programme of Work |
(4) |
||
Budgetary Transfers as percent of Programme of Work |
20.0% |
||
Field Programme |
|
US$000 |
|
Extrabudgetary TF and UNDP delivery |
16,745 |
||
Extrabudgetary emergency project delivery |
0 |
||
TCP and SPFS delivery |
9,694 |
||
Total Field Programme delivery |
26,439 |
||
Ratio of Field to Regular Programme delivery |
2.1 |
||
Technical Support Services, professional staff cost |
542 |
495. The Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) was the subject of an Independent External Evaluation in 2001-02 (PC 87/4(a)) which endorsed the programme’s approach and noted its particular strengths as being:
496. In response to the evaluation, the Programme has evolved progressively over the biennium both in terms of concept and coverage.
497. The conceptual framework for the SPFS has been broadened, following discussion by the SPFS Oversight Panel (October 2002) of the implications of the Independent External Evaluation Report. A short paper entitled "The Special Programme for Food Security – Responding to New Challenges" was published in March 2003. The paper, which has been discussed by the SPFS Technical Support Group (TSG), Oversight Panel and the Project and Programme Review Committee (PPRC), outlines how the Organization can respond to the broadening range of demands on its services made by member countries which embark on national-scale food security programmes.
498. An in-house Technical Support Group (TSG) has been established to deepen the engagement of the Organization’s technical staff in the design and implementation of SPFS programmes and projects. To further strengthen technical oversight, Technical Support Teams (TST) consisting of FAO subject matter specialists from the Regional/Subregional Offices and headquarters were set up in support of major country-specific SPFS operations.
499. Steps were taken to improve monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the SPFS. An M&E Handbook has been prepared and is currently under field-testing. The Handbook includes modules covering Programme and Project Action Planning; Monitoring and Ongoing Evaluation; Impact Evaluation; and Reporting.
500. The SPFS Management and Coordination Service was strengthened with additional staff, and thus enabling the more systematic oversight of national programmes and allowing for a progressive shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to project supervision.
501. The gap between the intended emphasis on the use of participative approaches to improving food security and what is happening on the ground is being narrowed, particularly by developing greater synergy in the field between the SPFS and other FAO programmes which emphasize participative methodologies (especially the work of the Agriculture Department on Integrated Pest Management and Water Management). School gardens and urban-peri-urban agriculture were new elements promoted within the SPFS.
502. The programme has expanded beyond the biennial expectation due to rising demand, requiring a 20% increase in resources. At the end of the biennium, the SPFS was under implementation in 75 countries compared with the target of 70 countries, while South-South Cooperation (SSC) tripartite agreements were signed for 28 countries compared with the target of 26 countries. Furthermore, the upscaling of SPFS activities to the national level was initiated in 30 countries as compared with the target of eight (see Table 2.5-1).
503. As evidence of the catalytic effect of initial phases, several developing countries, including Algeria, Dominican Republic, Jordan, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa and Venezuela, sought FAO assistance in designing and implementing medium- to large-scale food security projects, financed mainly from their own resources. These projects, based on the SPFS model, usually involve piloting of improved small-farmer production systems at a large number of sites, sometimes providing support also for input supplies, marketing and improved rural infrastructure if required by participating communities. Two countries, Brazil and Sierra Leone, have set themselves the goal of eradicating hunger within four and five years, respectively, and requested FAO assistance within the SPFS framework.
504. Much valuable experience was also gained in the management of an innovative South-South Cooperation (SSC) programme, which assigns persons with strong practical skills in recipient countries at a fraction of the cost of conventional technical cooperation.
505. The indicative extra-budgetary resources mobilized since SPFS inception increased to US$ 382 million at the end of 2003 compared with US$ 240 million at the end of 2001, representing an increase of 59% for the biennium.The resources come from a range of bilateral and multilateral donors, International Financing Institutions and the national budgets of the developing countries mostly under Unilateral Trust Fund arrangements.
TABLE 2.5-1. STATUS OF SPFS AND SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION IMPLEMENTATION, DECEMBER 2003
|
Operational |
Formulated |
Under Formulation |
|
Africa |
| |||
SPFS |
42 |
1 |
2 |
|
SSC |
23 |
2 |
0 |
|
Asia |
| |||
SPFS |
17 |
3 |
4 |
|
SSC |
2 |
7 |
0 |
|
Europe |
| |||
SPFS |
2 |
0 |
1 |
|
SSC |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Latin America |
| |||
SPFS |
11 |
15 |
1 |
|
SSC |
2 |
4 |
0 |
|
Oceania |
| |||
SPFS |
3 |
11 |
0 |
|
SSC |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
TOTAL |
| |||
SPFS |
75 |
30 |
8 |
|
SSC |
28 |
15 |
0 |
|
* Including four Regional SSC Programmes (two in the Caribbean and two in the Pacific) | ||||
