CL 124/INF/19 |
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CL 124/INF/19 |
Hundred and Twenty-fourth Session |
Rome, Italy, 23 – 28 June 2003 |
ACTIVITIES OF FAO IN SUPPORT OF LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, LAND-LOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES |
RECENT COMMITMENTS IN SUPPORT OF LDCS, LLDCS AND SIDS
FAO’S APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMITMENTS TO LDCS, LLDCS AND SIDS
ANNEX 2
FAO Support to the Brussels Plan of Action for LDCs
1. The 123rd session of the FAO Council expressed its support for the Brussels Programme of Action (POA) adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (May 2001). Council adopted the decision to mainstream the relevant sections of the Brussels POA into the overall framework of the Organization’s work during this session (November 2002) and called upon FAO to continue to participate in the implementation of those sections of the POA relevant to its mandate. This information note discusses those aspects of FAO’s approach and activities that support the particular needs of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
2. A brief summary of the key food and agricultural characteristics of the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS forms an introduction to the discussion. Recent commitments to address the special challenges of these countries, are reviewed, as well as recent FAO activities undertaken that support the Brussels POA. Field programme delivery by technical sector, emergency assistance and special initiatives to improve food security for these country groups are also discussed.
3. The key common characteristics of the Least Developed Countries1 include persistently high levels of poverty, largely rural-based populations, heavy dependence on agriculture in terms of gross national income and export earnings (which are particularly dependent on primary commodity exports) and significant numbers of people who remain undernourished. For those LDCs that are also considered land-locked, the problems of extreme poverty and reliance on agriculture are even more severe. High levels of external debt in 32 of the 49 LDCs, mostly in Africa, also constrain development efforts, economic growth and improved food security. Selected key statistical indicators for the LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS are presented in Annex 1 of this information note.
4. Agriculture remains the foundation of most LDC economies and underpins food security and rural development2. Sluggish growth in agriculture and pronounced fluctuations in agricultural output and prices continue to be among the primary causes for the persistence of poverty and food insecurity in LDCs. Increasingly marginalised in world agricultural markets, LDCs accounted for only five percent of global agricultural exports in the early 1970s and barely one percent in the late 1990s.
5. The Least Developed Country Report3 for 2002 describes the major features of poverty in the LDCs (including those LLDCs and SIDS also categorized as LDCs) as: (i) all-pervasive - with the estimated total number of people living on less than US$1 day in these countries at 307 million during 1995-99; (ii) particularly severe for LDCS in Africa; (iii) increasing - particularly the incidence of extreme poverty for LDCs as a whole, while decreasing for non-LDC developing countries; (iv) divergent - particularly the trends in extreme poverty between Asia and Africa; and (v) associated with heavy dependence on exports of primary commodities (particularly those LDCs challenged by the most extreme poverty).
6. Nearly 75 percent of the total population of LDCs (650 million people) live in rural areas with 71 percent of the total economically active population involved in agriculture. The share of agricultural value-added in total GDP for these countries is thus significant and estimated at 31 percent for 2000. However, despite the pronounced reliance of these economies on agriculture and exports of agricultural products, the value of these exports accounted for only 14 percent of total merchandise exports in 2000 - due in large part to the dependence on primary export commodities. Overall, these countries experience the most persistent and extreme poverty, with estimates of Gross National Income (GNI)4 at US$259 per capita for 2000.
7. The proportion of undernourished in the total population of LDCs has not changed significantly since the early 1970s, estimated at 38 percent in 1969-71 and 1998-2000, while the absolute number of undernourished increased from 116 million to 246 million. In contrast, the proportion of undernourished in total population decreased from 37 to 18 percent for all developing countries over the same period.
8. Furthermore, many LDCs are becoming increasingly dependent on food imports – a significant change from being predominantly net food exporters in the 1960s to net food importers during the 1980s and 1990s. These economies are also challenged by an increasingly competitive external environment, due to greater integration of markets and trade liberalization. The relative inability of many of the LDCs to compete in world markets as well as in their own domestic markets is reflected in rising food import bills, with current projections for LDC dependence on food imports to increase at least until 2015.
9. Most LDCs do not have access to the cutting edge of available agricultural technology and private investment in agriculture is rather low. Foreign direct investment in primary agriculture and rural sectors is practically non-existent in most of the LDCs. This investment gap is not compensated by public investment of external assistance. In many of the countries in the highest category of undernourishment (which include most LDCs), public expenditure on agriculture does not reflect the key importance of the sector in overall income or its potential to contribute to the alleviation of hunger and poverty5. Furthermore, while commitments of annual overseas development (ODA) to LDCs increased from an average annual US$ 12.9 million in 1981-90 to US$ 15.6 million in 1991-99, the share of agriculture in the total declined by 20 percent6.
10. Landlocked developing countries are very poor, with gross national income levels of US$ 356 per capita in 2000. Seventy-three percent of the total population of these countries is based in rural areas, with 67 percent of the economically active population involved in agriculture. The most extreme poverty is evident for those sixteen LLDCs7 that are also considered LDCs, with the lowest GNI per capita of the various country groups (US$ 186) and the highest proportion of the economically active population dependent on agriculture (82 percent). These LLDCs continue to be amongst the poorest of all developing countries, with weak economic growth and heavy dependence on a very limited number of commodities for export earnings.
11. The unique characteristic shared by the LLDCs is their extreme isolation from world markets due to the lack of territorial access to the sea. Transport distances for most of these countries are excessive, with difficult terrain and inefficient road and railway conditions. Kazakhstan is the most remote of this country group (3,750 km from the nearest seacoast), followed by Afghanistan, Chad, Niger, Zambia and Zimbabwe – all with distances greater than 2,000 km from the nearest sea access. Landlocked developing countries in Africa face one of the highest freight-to-export ratios, spending an estimated 40 percent of export earnings on transportation costs and insurance services.
12. A marginal amount of total world imports and exports are attributable to LLDCs, yet agricultural trade remains a very significant component of these economies (trade between landlocked and transit developing countries tends to be insignificant). For 2000, the value of agricultural exports accounted for nearly 37 percent of the value of total merchandise exports for LLDCs that are also considered LDCs. Excessive transportation costs facing LLDCs can often function as more restrictive barriers to trade than most MFN tariffs, and appear to be one of the major causes of the relative and continued poverty for these countries.
13. The Small Island Developing States also have unique characteristics and face their own set of specific challenges, given the small size of the countries (in terms of both physical area and economy), limited infrastructure, distance from large international markets, high vulnerability to natural disasters and low level of human resource development. The SIDS, as a whole, are much wealthier than LDCs or LLDCs, with the highest GNI per capita (US$4 145 in 2000), the lowest proportion of undernourished in total population (25 percent) and the lowest share of agriculture value-added in total gross domestic product (5 percent).
14. However, SIDS also categorized as LDCs8, are much poorer, with GNI per capita at US$566 and the highest percentage of undernourished in total population (46 percent) of the groups compared in this information note. Only 42 percent of the total population of SIDS live in rural areas, yet this proportion is much higher for those SIDS that are also LDCs. Nearly 66 percent of the population in these countries live in rural areas and are heavily reliant on subsistence farming and fishing. Generally, SIDS are also becoming less food self-sufficient and more food import dependent.
15. SIDS that are also LDCs face a unique set of challenges, including: extremely narrow resource bases that preclude any benefit from economies of scale; heavy export dependence on a few external and remote markets, particularly for a number of tropical commodities; fragile natural environments; low and irregular volumes of international shipments; growing populations; unstable economic growth; limited private sector opportunities and heavy economic reliance on the public sector. Most LDC SIDS produce similar raw materials and commodities, thus their ability to expand intra-regional trade is limited. The potential for reduced trade preferences on traditional exports, primary tropical products, such as sugar or bananas, into the European Union and United States could result in substantial declines in foreign exchange. Economic diversification (such as tourism) continues to be of vital importance to both the agricultural and non-agricultural rural sectors.
16. The Brussels POA was one of the primary outcomes of the Third United Nations Conference on LDCs. The Programme outlines seven commitments and follow-up actions for development partners. Four Brussels POA commitments are directly relevant to FAO’s programme of work: building human and institutional capacities in health, nutrition and sanitation (Commitment 3); building productive capacities to make globalization work for LDCs, particularly in agriculture, agro-industries, rural development and food security (Commitment 4); enhancing the role of trade and development, notably for trade in commodities and regional trading arrangements (Commitment 5); and reducing vulnerability and protecting the environment, including vulnerability to natural shocks (Commitment 6).
17. The Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) was established to support the implementation of the various commitments and reaffirm the collective responsibility of the global community to address the specific constraints and needs of the world’s most vulnerable countries. The specific concerns of LDCs were also discussed in the Doha Ministerial Meeting and the Monterrey Conference on Financing of Development and were incorporated into the Global Environment Facility9.
18. The Global Framework for Transit-Transport Cooperation between the Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries was endorsed at the 50th Session of the UN General Assembly. This initiative was developed to promote more effective transit systems and enhance participation of the LLDCs in world markets. Planning for a Special Ministerial Conference on Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries, hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan (August 2003), is underway to review the current situation of transit systems in the LLDCs and formulate appropriate policy measures to develop more efficient, cost effective transport. Other initiatives include the United Nations Millennium Declaration calling, inter alia, for the development of a global partnership to address the special needs of landlocked developing countries.
19. The adoption of the Barbados Programme of Action in 1994 was a turning point in mobilizing international support and providing a clear mandate to the UN-system organizations to assist SIDS. Priority areas for action, elaborated in 1999, included climate change, sea level rise, natural disaster, fresh water resources, coastal and marine resources, energy and tourism. The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg (September 2002), also accorded high priority to the sustainable development of SIDS. A plan to undertake various initiatives to support SIDS was agreed to at the WSSD, such as implementation of a Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Landbased Activities, community-based sustainable tourism and development of environmentally-sound energy services.
20. FAO organized the Special Ministerial Conference on Agriculture in March 1999 to assist development and capacity-building in agriculture, forestry and fisheries of SIDs. Delegates from 85 member nations of FAO, including 29 SIDS, attended the Conference. A Ministerial Declaration on Agriculture in SIDS and a draft Plan of Action to support sustainable agricultural development in SIDS were the primary outcomes. This draft Plan of Action was endorsed by Council in June 1999 and subsequently submitted to the 22nd Special Session of the UN General Assembly. However, while the priority issues identified at the Ministerial Conference remain valid, FAO has faced resource constraints to implement the plan. FAO has developed a concept note in regard to the organization of a second Special Ministerial Conference on Agriculture in SIDS.
21. A number of FAO meetings, seminars and capacity building activities have also been held in the Pacific and the Caribbean on various SIDS-specific issues, such as food quality control, implementation of CODEX standards and the implications of the Uruguay Round Agreements. FAO also prepared draft regional strategies for agricultural development, food security and regional programmes for food security that were submitted to CARIFORUM (May 1999) and South Pacific Forum (June 1999). Other FAO programme activities in SIDS are discussed below.
22. FAO provides technical cooperation and emergency assistance, funded from its regular programme and extra-budgetary resources to LDCs and other developing countries, at their request and in partnership with bilateral donors, multilateral institutions, other organizations of the United Nations system, private sector and civil society. FAO’s approach to mainstreaming the commitments made to the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS is to address the specific problems of these countries on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the general characteristics described above, as well as the specific needs and challenges of each case.
23. The various challenges facing many LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS are incorporated into FAO’s approach to delivery of technical assistance and operational field activities10. Emergencies due to civil conflicts and natural disasters also affect the agricultural and rural sectors of some LDCs, including several landlocked developing countries. Many LDCs, despite their current constraints, have the potential to utilize their land and water reserves to increase productivity in the agricultural (crop), livestock, fishery and forestry sectors – the primary focus of much of FAO’s non-emergency technical assistance.
24. The Organization’s approach to technical assistance, whether or not a country is categorized LDC, LLDC or SIDS, is guided by three overall objectives11: (i) ensuring access of all people at all times to sufficient, nutritionally adequate and safe food and reducing the number of undernourished by 50 percent no later than 2015; (ii) contributing to the sustainability of agriculture and rural development (including fisheries and forestry) and socio-economic progress and well-being; (iii) conserving and improving the sustainable utilization of natural resources (including genetic resources) for food and agriculture.
25. FAO has undertaken a number of activities in the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action since the adoption of the plan in May 2001 and the decision of the FAO Council to mainstream, where feasible, those aspects of the POA, into its existing Programme of Work. A partial list of major FAO activities undertaken in 2002 to support the relevant Commitments are summarized in Annex 2. Many FAO activities in support of LDCs have also addressed the LLDCs and SIDS among them.
26. The value of FAO field projects12 in LDCs totalled some US$849 million, or 31 percent of the total field programme, between 1992 and 2000. These projects met a wide range of needs, from emergency relief and agricultural rehabilitation to practical assistance to government programmes for food security, sustainable agriculture and rural development. In the year 2000 alone, more than 700 field projects, with a total budget value of US$423 million, were active in 46 of the 49 LDCs. In 2002, more than 680 FAO field projects, with a total budget value of US$447 million, were either delivered or ongoing in the 49 LDC countries, covering a wide range of technical fields (agriculture, forestry and fisheries).
27. Average annual delivery of FAO field programme activities to the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS totalled nearly US$87.8 million during 2000 to 2002. Delivery to the LDCs totalled slightly more than US$76.5 million over the same period (including those countries also considered LLDCs and SIDS). Average delivery to LLDCs was nearly US$ 33 million, with US$ 7.7 delivered to SIDS (US$5.8 million delivered to those SIDS also categorized as LDCs). For the LDCs as a group, nearly 32 percent of average annual delivery of technical assistance was in the crops sector (improved yields, agronomy, production practice), followed by emergency response operations (16 percent), support to food production (14 percent), natural resources and forestry policy and planning (both of these areas at slightly more than 5 percent).
28. Focusing on the most vulnerable countries, LLDCs that are also LDCs, FAO delivered on average 591 projects each year from 2000 to 2002, valued at US$51.5 million (many of which focused on emergency operations) while delivery to other (non-LDC) LLDCs totalled US$9.9 million. Nearly 31 percent of average annual delivery to LLDCs over the three-year period went to the crops technical sector, followed by emergency response operations (19 percent), forest resources (10 percent), support to food production (10 percent) and livestock (5 percent). The areas of technical support provided by FAO are in line with many of the most serious constraints facing the food and agriculture sectors of these countries, with delivery to the LLDCs as a group in line with overall delivery by technical sector to the LDCs.
29. For SIDS also categorized as LDCs, an average of 118 projects were delivered annually over the 2000 to 2002 period. The rank and type of assistance by technical sector diverges from the other country groups, with less resources allocated to emergency response support and food production. Natural resources accounted for an average annual 18 percent of field programme delivery over the three years, followed by crops (16 percent), forestry policy and planning (10 percent), food and agricultural information (8 percent) and emergency response operations (6 percent). Less than 6 percent of field programme delivery was allocated to improvements to support food production in low-income, food-deficit SIDS, despite this group having the highest proportion of undernourished people of the various country groupings. A narrow resource base precludes further efforts to increase agricultural production for food use in these countries, as these countries benefit more from the Organization’s normative work, including policy assistance, than field level assistance on crops or agricultural systems.
30. FAO launched its Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) in 1994, a programme that is currently operational in 62 countries, including 39 LDCs. The SPFS represents one of FAO's primary efforts toward achieving the World Food Summit goals. The Programme assists developing countries, particularly the 78 low-income food-deficit countries, in the improvement of food security at both household and national levels. Rapid increases in productivity by small farmers in food production and other rural activities are promoted, primarily to reduce fluctuating annual output and increase access to food.
31. The Programme has had notable success in a number of areas such as the identification of constraints to increased agricultural productivity or the introduction of improved technologies on a pilot scale. For example, in the United Republic of Tanzania, the Government adopted the SPFS as a national programme following the successful completion of activities that promoted improved water control, participatory transfer of improved technologies for crop and small livestock production and income generation based on formation of participatory farmer groups. Technical advice on irrigation is being provided by Egypt through a South-South Cooperation agreement through the SPFS framework. In Cambodia, the Programme has helped to achieve a 30 percent increase in rice yields and increased farm incomes, using the Farmers' Field School extension approach. More than 3 000 farmers have been trained in crop husbandry and irrigation in Nepal, with a World Bank/FAO-assisted irrigation project (under the SPFS framework).
32. FAO also adheres to a policy of utilizing the technical expertise available in developing countries, through the South-South Cooperation (SSC) scheme and the programmes of Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries and Countries in Transition. The SSC initiative was launched in 1996 to provide an opportunity for more advanced developing countries to share their experience and expertise in agriculture and rural development with LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS.
33. In summary, FAO’s direct field programme support to LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS depends heavily upon extra-budgetary funding. The declining share of agriculture in the average annual level of ODA commitments should be of serious concern, particularly as the food security situation of LDCs, notably those most vulnerable countries that are also LLDCs or SIDS, must remain a high priority for the near to medium term. Thus, a major thrust of FAO's Medium Term Plan (2002-2007) is to create mechanisms that allow a substantial flow of extra-budgetary resources, primarily to meet requests for technical assistance.
34. FAO responds to requests for emergency assistance in the agricultural, livestock and fisheries sectors from LDCs affected by exceptional natural or human-induced calamities. Assistance is provided to establish disaster preparedness, post-emergency measures, formulation and implementation of relief and rehabilitation programmes – all of which are designed to speed the return to sustainable agricultural development. FAO delivery of emergency response operations has increased from US$4.6 to 26.6 million from 2000 to 2002, in large part attributable to project delivery in Afghanistan. Prior to the 2002 increase, FAO was operating 42 emergency projects in 16 LDCs in 2000, including provision of food storage facilities, livestock feed and animal health inputs in Afghanistan, assistance to farmers in drought-affected areas of Rwanda, and support to programmes for the war-affected population in Sierra Leone.
35. Furthermore, FAO does not differentiate between LDCs, LLDCs or SIDS in preparing a response to disasters, as the interventions of the Organization are ruled exclusively by the humanitarian imperative to provide assistance to the populations whose governments are unable to do so. Emergency activities include inter alia urgent delivery of seeds, tools, fertilizer and fishing gear and support to the livestock sector through vaccination campaigns or the provision of animal feed. The overriding goal of emergency response is to reduce the vulnerability of countries experiencing emergencies, phase-out dependence on food aid and assist farmers to protect or resume their agriculture-based livelihoods.
36. FAO’s approach to emergencies is to promote assistance in those areas that will help rehabilitate the agricultural sector, such as helping farmers with seed multiplication, seed vouchers, training in improved technology, rehabilitation of irrigation structures, promotion of appropriate irrigation technologies, restocking of farm animals, support to veterinary service, and vegetable production for local markets. Activities also include helping micro-enterprise development and livelihood diversification, such as training and equipment to women to preserve and process local foods or to blacksmiths to undertake domestic tool production.
37. In the case of protracted or extensive emergency situations needing interventions in various sectors (livestock, crops, water resources, etc.), FAO establishes an emergency agriculture coordination unit to assist local authorities to coordinate agriculture-related assistance. The unit serves as a focal point for all emergency agricultural assistance, provides technical advice to the government, to UN partners and to NGOs involved in agricultural relief programmes, and coordinates the assistance to avoid gaps and reduce duplication. Furthermore, these coordination units enhance the capacity of the governments concerned to manage these often vast, multiple-donor relief programmes and to quickly move beyond the emergency phase towards recovery and rehabilitation.
38. The 650 million people in LDCs face significant development challenges. These countries remain marginalized in many ways from the global marketplace, and their less competitive economies, mostly based on agriculture, have made them more vulnerable to food insecurity and dependent on food imports. These countries, particularly those LDCs that are also challenged by the unique constraints of the LLDCs or SIDS, must overcome their current marginalization from global markets, adapt to technological change and new institutions, all in an environment of declining external investment and ODA in agriculture.
39. FAO highlighted general strategies to support agricultural development in LDCs13 - with the support of the international community - that could help these countries better exploit their agricultural potential, strengthen supply-side capabilities and competitiveness, and thus take full advantage of trading opportunities. Raising and sustaining productivity and competitiveness, diversifying production and trade, plus improving access to foreign markets (as well as capacity in pre-, post-production and product quality) are all listed as priority areas.
40. A renewed focus on agricultural and rural development and increased external assistance for LDCs remains vitally important, particularly as new developments, for example, in biotechnology, may further threaten the competitiveness of agriculture in these countries. According to FAO estimates, if recent trends of actual annual investment in primary agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa were to continue until 2015, the level of investments necessary to reach the World Food Summit target of halving under-nourishment in this region of the world would fall short by 38 percent. Achieving that target, therefore, requires a huge increase in investment in agriculture.
41. The international community has identified the reduction of poverty and hunger as the first of the Millennium Development Goals. Reducing hunger and food insecurity is an essential part of the international development agenda, as stated in the Millennium Declaration, Rome Declaration of the World Food Summit in 1996 and re-affirmed by the 2002 World Food Summit: five years later (WFS:fyl). The WFS:fyl offered an opportunity to consider the creation of an International Alliance Against Hunger to mobilize political will, technical expertise and financial resources to reduce hunger by at least half by 2015. FAO’s proposal to embark on an Anti-Hunger Programme broadly outlines a twin-track approach14 identifying the necessary actions to reduce hunger through sustainable agricultural and rural development and provision of wider access to food. Countries are now in the process of formulating national agricultural, rural development and food security strategies to fulfil the commitments subscribed to in the context of the Millennium Declaration.
42. Many LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS have underutilized potential to meet their own developmental challenges, including more effective use of resources and higher agricultural productivity. FAO’s approach and activities will continue to support the commitments made to assist these countries to overcome their unique challenges. National and international policies should not only address these challenges through a renewed focus on agriculture and rural development, but also through long-term development strategies, such as those outlined in the Brussels Programme of Action and the Millennium Declaration. Most importantly, governments worldwide need to refocus agricultural and rural development strategies, including their policies on official development assistance as well as promotion of external investment in the LDCs, if the world community plans on reducing the number of undernourished people in half by 2015.
Selected Indicators |
LDCs |
LLDCs |
SIDS |
LDC and LLDCs |
LDC and SIDS |
Total population in millions |
651.4 |
316.4 |
50.5 |
215.5 |
11.6 |
Rural population as % of total population |
74.9 |
73.3 |
42.8 |
82.2 |
65.6 |
Economically active population (EAP) in agriculture as % of total EAP |
71 |
66.7 |
30.6 |
82.2 |
63 |
Proportion undernourished ( %) of total population |
38 |
33 |
25 |
38 |
46 |
Dietary Energy Supply (DES) in available calories per day per person |
2090 |
2160 |
2420 |
2050 |
2140 |
Share of total population (%) with HIV/AIDS |
1 |
1.5 |
4.7 |
1.6 |
2.2 |
Share of agriculture value-added (%) in total GDP in 2000 |
31.2 |
27.3 |
4.8 |
42.3 |
28.7 |
Gross National Income (GNI) in US$ per capita in 2000 |
259 |
356 |
4145 |
186 |
566 |
Growth in agricultural GDP (1990-2000) |
4.5 |
0.5 |
0.8 |
2.8 |
-1.1 |
Growth in GDP (1990-2000) |
4.3 |
0.5 |
4.8 |
4.2 |
1.2 |
Share of agricultural exports (%) in total export (value) in 2000 |
14 |
22.3 |
3.8 |
36.5 |
32.9 |
Share of agricultural area (%) in total area |
35.9 |
47.4 |
15.3 |
30.3 |
30 |
Sources: FAOSTAT, United Nations Statistics Division, SOFI 2002, FAO ESS Database, OECD For further information in regard to the key characteristics and statistical indicators of LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, please refer to the Compendium of Indicators, available at the following FAO web address http://www.fao.org/es/ess/menu2.asp |
Building capacities to support health, nutrition and sanitation (Commitment 3)
In 2002, FAO continued to actively participate in the definition and implementation of programmes to reduce micronutrient malnutrition, and promoted the production and consumption of micronutrient-rich foods (for example, through home gardens, as a sustainable solution to micronutrient deficiency problems). FAO prepared and disseminated more than 16 publications on food, nutrition-related issues for use in LDCs, and assisted capacity-building in effective nutrition education and communication to the public, highly vulnerable groups, decision makers and students.
FAO also continued to focus on vulnerable groups with special nutrition and health needs. For example, FAO established guiding principles, a framework for action for use by LDCs and other countries in the fight against HIV/AIDS and prepared a manual on the nutritional care and support for people with HIV/AIDS. Considerable efforts were also devoted to incorporating nutrition into emergency responses, particularly in the backstopping of assessment and planning missions. Technical support of emergency food and nutrition assessments and planning missions were carried out in several countries, including Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and the Great Lakes Countries of Africa.
Through its Socio-Economic and Gender Analysis Programme (SEAGA), FAO continued to provide support to member countries on activities relating to women in agricultural development. Support included policy advice, skills and competence building, and assistance to projects and programmes. FAO also increased its support to Member Nations to assist in the production and application of gender-disaggregated data and statistics. Between 2000-2002, the Gender and Development Service (SDWW) developed a training methodology and materials with partners in Namibia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe to help improve the skills of agricultural data producers (such as statisticians, planners, policy analysts).
Building productive capacities to support agriculture, agro-industries, rural development and food security (Commitment 4)
Building productive capacities to make globalization work for LDCs is Commitment 4 of the POA, with FAO’s focus on actions to support agriculture and agro-industries. In support of this Commitment, FAO launched a new programme to identify best practices in forest management in Central Africa, preparing fourteen case studies and a regional information sharing workshop in 2002. LDCs involved in this initiative include: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda and Sao Tome and Principe. FAO also continued to support the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 2002 and continued with case studies launch in Mali and Ethiopia in regard to the needs of Low Forest Cover Countries.
FAO continued to support agro-industries through a global project for the Enhancement of Coffee Quality through Prevention of Mould Formation (start December 2000, end December 2004). The project approach emphasises capacity-building in coffee-producing countries, many of which are LDCs. A project was also launched to train private small/medium size industries in HAACP/Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal in September, 2001. The main objective of both of these projects is to support the member states in their efforts to improve food quality to protect consumers and facilitate access to international markets.
Rural development and food security is another key action area of Commitment 4 of the POA. FAO’s Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) continued to assist LDCs to rapidly increase food production and productivity on a sustainable basis, reduce the year-to-year variability of production and improve access to food as a contribution to equity and poverty alleviation. The SPFS was operational in 39 LDCs by December 2002, and its major activities continue to focus on water control, crop intensification, diversification of small animal production, fisheries and constraints analysis.
FAO has established the Trust Fund for Food Security and for Emergency Prevention of Transboundary Pests and Diseases of Animals and Plants with an initial target of US$500 million. The projects to be funded from this Trust Fund will assist Member Governments, particularly LDCs, in initiating, strengthening, accelerating and expanding activities in the following two areas: Food Security and Emergency Prevention of Transboundary Pests and Diseases of Animals and Plants.
FAO, in collaboration with 12 regional economic organisations (REOs), prepared Regional Programmes for Food Security (RPFS), which constitute a concerted effort to raise food security in the member countries of these REOs, in particular in LDCs and low-income, food-deficit countries (LIFDCs), through, among others, trade facilitation and harmonisation of national agricultural policies.
Two pilot Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping System (FIVIMS) projects were initiated in Burkina Faso, Haiti and Madagascar. A key concern of these projects is to improve the effective use of better food security and vulnerability information in decision making, and policy and programme formulation and monitoring.
The UN System Network on Rural Development and Food Security, which exists in 32 of the LDCs, has been promoting partnerships for rural development and food security at the national level through encouraging the formation of inter-agency/multi-stakeholder Thematic Groups. FAO country representatives have largely taken responsibility for facilitating the formation of the groups and organizing/hosting meetings. The priority areas of work of these groups include food security, supply and aid; food insecurity and vulnerability information and mapping systems (FIVIMS); natural resource management and the environment; emergency situations and natural disasters; and national capacity-building.
FAO provided assistance through community-centred initiatives using participatory appraisal and planning approaches that encourage and empower poor people to take an active role in designing and implementing activities to improve their food security and nutritional well-being. Innovative multi-disciplinary, community-based nutrition projects are underway in Ethiopia, Mozambique and Zambia.
Enhancing the role of trade in development, particularly trade, commodities and regional trading arrangements (Commitment 5)
FAO has assisted LDCs to better face the challenges of the global economy, as well as harness adequate resources for their development, through the promotion of regional economic integration by collaborating with Regional Economic Organisations (REO) in the preparation of Regional Strategies and Programmes for Agricultural Development and Food Security.
FAO provided support to the NEPAD initiative of the African continent, in which 33 African LDCs will benefit, regarding institutional building for intra-regional trade. Support has been provided mainly for the formulation of possible common agricultural policy in the context of the African Union.
At the multilateral level, FAO provided technical analyses and support to the efforts to make operationally effective the Marrakesh Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on LDCs and net food-importing developing countries. In this context, FAO has participated actively in the Inter-agency Panel of experts established by the WTO Doha Ministerial Conference Doha to explore ways and means for improving access by LDCs and WTO net food-importing developing countries to multilateral programs and facilities to assist with short-term difficulties in financing normal levels of commercial imports of basic foodstuffs.
At the country level, FAO continued to provide assistance to governments and other stakeholders, particularly in LDCs, to identify national interests and clarify negotiating positions vis-à-vis issues in the multilateral negotiations on agriculture-related issues, incorporate trade policy concerns in the formulation of domestic agricultural policy, and assisting non-members of the WTO on accession issues. Particular attention has been paid to SPS and TBT agreements, and related issues, where FAO’s technical assistance is highlighted by the critical role played by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for which FAO, together with WHO, provide the Secretariat. In addition, FAO work is related to the International Plant protection Convention (IPPC) servicing SPS and TBT.
A Joint FAO/WHO/OIE/WTO/WB Standards and Trade Development Facility for Capacity Building in SPS-related Matters was launched by the 5 organisations following the joint Statement made by their respective Executive Heads in November 2001 in favour of increased capacity building efforts for developing countries (including LDCs) to enhance their ability to fully participate in the work and decision making process of international standards setting bodies. A draft framework has been prepared by FAO and is currently under active discussion by the concerned units within the organisations.
FAO has strengthened its liaison office in Geneva to support the Organization and member states in international agricultural trade issues. A special web site containing relevant and current trade information was developed, as well as a broad training programme to assist developing countries, particularly SIDS. A series of subregional workshops were held in support of the trade capacity-building, one for the Pacific Islands in November 1999 and one for the Caribbean in January 2000. FAO has also initiated a series of technical assistance projects and activities in the Caribbean, particularly Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.
Reducing vulnerability, protecting the environment and alleviating vulnerability to natural shocks (Commitment 6)
FAO has published several publications on forest energy were disseminated in order to provide members with information on a range of issues relating to fuels that can be derived from forest biomass.
A project providing support to the establishment of plantations for wood energy in Angola commenced operations in July 2002. FAO implemented GEF PDF-B project "Aménagement intégré du Massif du Fouta Djallon" started in 2002. It concerns Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
FAO maintains several global environmental data bases which, inter alia, contain information on forest resources and changes in forest cover over time and on the extent of forest protected areas. Efforts to support national capacities in collecting, analysing and disseminating national level statistics on forest resources and forest products are given high priority.
Assistance on understanding forest-related agreements was provided to countries in West and Central Africa including Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso and Burundi. Support was provided to develop and implement national forest programmes, policies and plans in Malawi.
FAO supported Ethiopia’s efforts to prevent and mitigate forest fires through the strengthening of forest fire management.
Through its work in the Inter-Agency Task Force on Disaster Reduction (ISDR), which has to date established 9 regional Wildland Fire Networks, FAO assisted member countries in fire disasters. FAO assistance included provision and dissemination of fire information, fire management guidelines, model agreements, training and capacity building and develops participatory fire management activities aimed at finding out and mitigating the reasons for fire.
In the area of disaster management, FAO helps governments and regional organisations plan for disasters, including measures to mitigate their effects and to mobilise rapid relief and rehabilitation assistance.
FAO contributes to reducing the vulnerability of agricultural communities to natural disaster. It assists member develop national food insecurity and vulnerability information and mapping systems (FIVIMS)15. Some prevention and mitigation measures include more efficient agricultural production for a better yield/inputs ratio; diversification of crop, livestock, forestry and fisheries systems and products; drought-mitigation and management strategies; improved control of pests and diseases, multi-stakeholder disaster management strategies and mechanisms; and community based risk alleviation strategies.
Programmes which aim to increase preparedness and resilience for natural hazards include: Special Programme for Food Security (assists low-income food deficit countries (LIFDCs) improve food security both at national and at household levels); Global Information and Early Warning System for Food and Agriculture (monitors food supply and provides up-to-date information on crop prospects and gives early warning on imminent food crises); Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases (keeps a global watch for signs of emerging threats from pests and epidemics);
FAO also helps governments formulate food and agricultural development strategies, which include the framing of programmes and projects aimed at strengthening the resilience of rural communities against future disasters as part of the development process.
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1 The following countries are considered LDCs: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Peoples' Democratic Republic of Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia.
2 For more detailed discussion of the issues described in this section of the information note, see FAO The Role of Agriculture in the Development of LDCs and their Integration into the World Economy, Rome 2002.
3 See Overview, Escaping the Poverty Trap, Least Developed Countries Report for 2002, UNCTAD, (pp.I-XVII).
4 GNI is the sum of value-added by all resident producers, product taxes (less subsidies) not inlcuded in the valuation of output, plus net receipts of primary income from abroad. Please note that this total does note include data for the Union of Myanmar. For further information in regard to the key characteristics of the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, please refer to the Compendium of Indicators prepared for this document by the FAO Statistics Analysis Service, Statistics Division.
5 See FAO, Mobilizing Political Will and Resources to Banish Hunger, Technical Background Documents, World Food Summit: five years later. Rome 2002 (pp. 70-83). See also FAO, The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2002. Rome 2002 (pp.28-29).
6 See FAO, The Role of Agriculture in the Development of LDCs and their Integration into the World Economy. Rome 2002 (pp. 107-108).
7 Sixteen LLDCs are also considered LDCs: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, People’s Democratic Republic of Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia.
8 Ten SIDS are also considered LDCs: Cape Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Maldices, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Soloman Islands, Vanuatu.
9 The Global Environment Facility (GEF), established in 1991, has an LDC Expert Group and finances actions to address six critical threats to the global environment: biodiversity loss, climate change, degradation of international waters, ozone depletion, land degradation and persistent organic pollutants. GEF has allocated $4 billion in grants and leveraged an additional US $12 billion in co-financing from other sources to support more than 1,000 projects in 140 developing countries and countries with economies in transition. In August 2002, 32 donor nations pledged almost US $3 billion to fund the work of the GEF for the next four years.
10 See FAO, Technical Assistance to Agriculture in the LDCs - Thematic Session on Enhancing Productive Capacities in the Agricultural Sector and Food Security, Brussels, 2001, Third UN Conference on LDC.
11 These objectives are based on The Strategic Framework for FAO (2000 – 2015) and the results of international conferences, particularly the 1996 World Food Summit and 2001 World Food Summit: fyl.
12 For a more detailed listing of FAO technical assistance delivery by technical sector and country in 2002 (and prior years), please refer to the Field Programme Management Information Service (FPMIS).
13 See FAO, The Role of Agriculture in the Development of LDCs and their Integration into the World Economy. Rome 2002 (pp. 62-71).
14 FAO, IFAD and WFP believe that a twin-track approach promises to be the most effective option for hunger reduction in many instances. The approach combines the promotion of broad-based, sustainable agricultural growth and rural development, with targeted programmes to ensure that hungry people who have neither the capacity to produce their own food nor the means to buy it can have access to adequate supplies.
15 For further information on FIVIMS, please refer to www.fao.org or contact [email protected]