Forum global sur la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition (Forum FSN)

The Food and Nutrition Security Training programme of the Centre for Development Innovation - Wageningen UR is pleased to announce the organisation of the

‘International Course on Rights-based approach to food and nutrition security, to be held in Wageningen, the Netherlands from 19 –30 January 2015’.

A fresh approach in addressing the problem of food and nutrition insecurity is the human rights-based framework. The right to food has been formally recognized since the adoption of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

This definition of the Right to Food has been further developed by FAO and is as follows: When every man, woman and child, alone or in community with others, has physical access and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement.

As a participant in this course you will gain insights about concepts and principles within the human rights-based approach, Right to Food, Food and Nutrition security and their interrelationships. The course will address different concepts used in the right to food approach. Participants will be provided tools on how to set-up lobbying and advocacy campaigns and how to develop an intervention using a rights-based approach to address food and nutrition insecurity.

If you are interested in learning about rights-based approaches please consult our website of the Centre for Development Innovation for more information about the application procedure and costs.

Fellowships available: Deadline for fellowship application is May 6, 2014.

For more information on nutrition, agriculture and experiences of previous participants of our courses, please visit the nutrition security portal

The Food and Nutrition Security Training programme of the Centre for Development Innovation - Wageningen UR is pleased to announce the organisation of 3 international courses:

1. Linking emergency aid to food and nutrition security, to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from November 3 - November 14, 2014.

2. Agriculture Nutrition Linkages, to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from November 24 – December 5 2014.

3. Rights-based approach to food and nutrition security, to be held in Wageningen, the Netherlands from 19 –30 January 2015.

Despite the world-wide increase of food availability, there are still around one billion people undernourished. This is far above of the target of MDG 1. There is now substantial evidence that malnutrition has life-long negative impacts on productivity and income-generating potential of the population.

Fellowships available: Deadline for fellowship application is May 6, 2014.

For more information on nutrition, agriculture and experiences of previous participants of our courses, please visit the nutrition security portal: www.wageningenportals.nl/nutritionsecurity

Dear Right to Food Supporters,

We are happy to announce the launching of the Right to Food Forum.

Hosted by FAO through the Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum), the Right to Food Forum is a new online platform aiming at facilitating open discussions on key issues related to the right to food.

The theme of the first discussion is "Spaces for dialogue on food security at the municipal level". Your contribution to the debate is most welcome.

To take part, register here and post your comments online. If you would like to send us your comments via email or suggest a topic for discussion, you can also contact us by email.

The Right to Food Forum is part of the activities conducted by the FAO Right to Food Team on the occasion of the 10 years review of progress made in implementing the Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security (Right to Food Guidelines) adopted unanimously by the FAO Council in 2004.

The 41st session of the CFS in October will represent a privileged platform to discuss the different dimensions of the implementation of the Guidelines (global, regional and national), look back at the progress made over the last ten years and plan the way forward. To mark this important milestone, FAO is leading a series of activities including 7 Thematic Studies on important issues guided by the content of the Right to Food Guidelines; a Synthesis Report capturing the main findings of the Studies for the CFS; and a Technical Dialogue on 3rd of July aiming at determining how to better focus the background provided by FAO for the multi-stakeholder retrospective review, in order to give a comprehensive but concise overview of the 10 years achievements, the challenges and the key lessons learned.

Please check the Right to Food website frequently for updates!

21 November 2013, Accra – Seven years after the launch of the Economic Community Of West African States Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP), food insecurity and hunger are still prevalent in West Africa. Acute food crises occurred in 2005, 2010 and 2012 in the region, hitting especially the Sahel. In 2012, 18.7 million people were affected by food insecurity.

Sharing knowledge and expertise on food security and nutrition is a key factor in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. Inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogues contribute significantly to the improvement of techniques and approaches for food and nutrition security of the most vulnerable populations.

Focus on West Africa Food Security and Nutrition Forum

Experts and practitioners in Food Security and Nutrition met on 20-21 November 2013, in the FAO Regional Office for Africa in Accra, Ghana, to discuss pressing Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) issues affecting the the Economic Community Of West African States. 

Approximately 16 participants from West Africa attended a workshop dedicated to the FAO’s Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition in West Africa (FSN Forum), a worldwide network of experts and practitioners that take part in facilitated online discussions and knowledge sharing on food security and nutrition.

West African representatives from civil society, academy and research and government will identify key issues in order to support the further development of the West Africa FSN Forum and ensure its full ownership by regional actors.

“What is new is the focus on West Africa. The FSN Forum in West Africa will concentrate mostly on specific issues and concerns of the region”, said FAO Representative to Ghana and Sub-regional Office for West Africa, Mr Lamourdia Thiombiano, during the opening session. “It is particularly interesting that we are not reinventing the wheel here, but building on an initiative that has already proven to be successful at the global level and can be effective for the West African community, too”. 

Thiombiano also observed that inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogues contribute significantly to the improvement of techniques and approaches for food and nutrition security of the most vulnerable populations. “These exchanges help in raising awareness and strengthen stakeholders’ support of policy processes”.

Building on existing initiatives

The Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition has been instrumental in building networks of stakeholders who can play a role in pushing forward the Right to Food agenda and in supporting the inclusion of diverse stakeholder groups into global food security and nutrition processes. The Committee on World Food Security (CFS), the High Level Panel of Experts of the CFS and the Post 2015 Development Agenda process feature among the FSN Forum collaborations.

"The FSN forum is ready to support the strategic objectives of FAO in the Region to reduce hunger and malnutrition", said Mauricio Rosales, Coordinator of the Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition, "the main challenge for the FSN is to achieve a greater impact at grassroots level".

The inputs obtained from this workshop will help establish a better forum for the West Africa region.

The FSN Forum nurtures a community of 7 000 members with one third of them from Africa. The new West Africa FSN Forum will aim at supporting policy formulation and processes by providing a channel for local, national and sub-regional West African stakeholders to actively contribute to existing initiatives, such as the new FAO/Germany supported "Zero Hunger” project of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), that seeks to unite the efforts of all regional stakeholders, including governments, parliaments, civil society and organizations of producers around eradicating hunger in West Africa.

Links:

• FSN Fourm
• Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition
• Committee on Food Security
• Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2)

1. Background – what was the drive behind the new development
2. Description of how the new development works and how it is changing real lives
3. Hurdles and challenges that were overcome
4. Comments and experiences of ‘developers’ and users
5. Limitations/constraints/future challenges
6. Responses from relevant/significant bodies (e.g. partner organizations)
7. What next in terms of development? What lessons have been learnt/can be transferred elsewhere?

General introduction

Unique opportunity to participate in a course at one of the world's leading universities in its field. Wageningen UR is recognized as a world-leader in research and education in the domains of healthy living environments, safe and secure food, and sustainable value chains. We offer a wide range of courses which will help you to develop the capacities, leadership qualities needed to be creative, adaptive and responsive to the dynamics of a rapidly changing world. In our courses we connect WUR’s technical and scientific expertise with cutting-edge processes of innovation and learning.

Course introduction:

To go beyond just an increase in outputs to feed 9 billion people in 2050, an integral redirection of current farming practices is required. Nowadays there is a compelling need for creative thinkers that lead the way to innovative and more sustainable agricultural production. This two week’s intensive course will give you new tools and perspectives to become one of them. For information about this course please visit the following website:

http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/Expertise-Services/Research-institutes/Centre-for-development-innovation/short-courses/short-courses-2014/cdicourse_agriculture_in_transition_2014.htm

Funding

For this course there are NFP Fellowships. A limited number of fellowships is available from Nuffic - the Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP) for nationals of certain countries. In order to apply for such a NFP fellowship, you have to register at the following website: http://www.studyinholland.nl/scholarships/scholarships-administered-by-nuffic/netherlands-fellowship-programmes/scholarships-online-sol.

You will be informed by Nuffic whether your application has been accepted. For more information visit: http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/Expertise-Services/Research-Institutes/centre-for-development-innovation/short-courses/how-to-apply.htm

The application deadline for the NFP fellowships is 1 October 2013.

Registration deadline: 24th of March 2014

How to apply:

For more information about registration for his course visit:

http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/Expertise-Services/Research-institutes/Centre-for-development-innovation/short-courses/short-courses-2014/cdicourse_agriculture_in_transition_2014.htm

Or contact: [email protected]

Location: The Netherlands

1. Background – what was the drive behind the new development
2. Description of how the new development works and how it is changing real lives
3. Hurdles and challenges that were overcome
4. Comments and experiences of ‘developers’ and users
5. Limitations/constraints/future challenges
6. Responses from relevant/significant bodies (e.g. partner organizations)
7. What next in terms of development? What lessons have been learnt/can be transferred elsewhere?