Farmer in an agricultural barn

Recently, in response to the deteriorating food security and nutrition situation in many countries, governments have increased their commitment to food security and nutrition for all. In Mozambique, where around 43% of the population suffers from chronic malnutrition with the highest number of children between 0 and 5 years old, FAO and European Union (EU) are partners implementing FIRST: an Impact, Resilience, Sustainability and Transformation platform for Food Security and Nutrition. It intends to help governments to reach Zero Hunger, through the commitment to develop policies, strategies and programs that effectively seek to support food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture.

Since the inception of this program, more than 45 governments including Mozambique have formally expressed their interest in the EU and FAO political assistance mechanism.

In Mozambique "FIRST" will provide technical assistance focused on organizational and institutional support to the Technical Secretariat for Food and Nutrition Security (SETSAN in portuguese) ensuring the rational integration of Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNS & SA) into national legal frameworks.

FIRST actions in Mozambique

In addition to this assistance, FIRST also advocates:
-Integration of Food Security and Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture (FSN & SA) into key national policies, including comprehensive M & E frameworks;
-Support the decentralized implementation of integrated national programmes;
- Strengthening of multi-sectoral coordination through the establishment of CONSAN (led by SETSAN);
-Capacitation of key policy and planning actors in the food and nutrition sectors.

FIRST and SDG's

FIRST is currently in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific region. This is an initiative that contributes directly to two of the main strategic objectives of FAO and also to the Sustainable Development Objectives (SDG):
-Elimination of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition;
- Zero Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture.