FAO lauds the establishment of a Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition in Madagascar

Antananarivo/Accra/Rome - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) applauds the Senate of Madagascar on the establishment of the Malagasy Parliamentary Alliance for Food and Nutrition Security (APMSAN), one of the first national Parliamentary Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition of its kind in Africa.

“The objective of APMSAN is to create the enabling legislative and policy environment for advancing food security and optimal nutrition outcomes for the Malagasy population through concrete strategies on sustainable nutrition-sensitive production, marketing and consumption. It aims to achieve this through local production of sufficient, diversified and quality food, giving priority to the country’s most affected regions plagued by food insecurity and chronic malnutrition, and taking into account gender disparities.

Good policies, programmes and frameworks, anchored in legislations, lead to significant improvements in food and nutrition security. Parliamentarians, as legislators, are strategic partners and stakeholders in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.  

FAO Director-General encouraged the initiative

During an official visit to Madagascar last August 2016, FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, met with Honorable Honoré Rakotomanana, the President of the Senate, and senators to discuss the key role of Parliamentariansin the process of eradicating hunger and malnutrition as well as the creation of a parliamentary alliance to fight against hunger and malnutrition in Madagascar.

The meeting took place at a time when the situation in the south of the country was particularly alarming, and the FAO Director-General called on all stakeholders to mobilize more resources and coordinate their support in order to respond rapidly to this situation.

“The establishment of the Alliance in Madagascar today is an important step and comes shortly after the establishment of the Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition in October 2016. Madagascar is one of the first countries in Africa to establish such an Alliance at national level”, says Bukar Tijani, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa.

Close to one out of every two children in Madagascar is estimated to be stunted and overall deficiencies in micronutrients are staggering with an estimated 52 percent of preschool children deficient in vitamin A, and 32 per cent of women of reproductive age estimated to be anemic. In 2012, only 20 percent of available calories were from non-staples and in 2015, the estimate of prevalence of undernourishment stood at 32 percent. However, Madagascar has been rated relatively highly in recent times in bringing people into a shared space for action, ensuring coherent policy and legal frameworks as well as aligning actions around a common results framework on nutrition, with the third national multisectoral nutrition action plan in progress.

Legislature has a key role in the advancement of food security and nutrition

FAO recognizes that members of parliament are key opinion leaders working to positively transform their constituents and promoting grassroot development for the progressive realization of the right to adequate food.

As part of the APMSAN establishment process, an FAO mission was undertaken in December 2016 to assist the senators to familiarize themselves with the process and to be better informed about the potential and operational opportunities for the Alliance.

A consultation meeting will take place at the national level with key institutions engaged in food security and nutrition with the aim to finalizing APMSAN's short-to-medium term strategic priorities and plans, in terms of promoting legislative measures related to food security and nutrition, raising awareness at all levels, and allowing a dedicated space for dialogue and exchanges.

Useful links
FAOSTAT (2015)
Global Nutrition Report (2015)

Contact
Volantiana Muriel Raharinaivo, FAO Madagascar Communications Officer
[email protected]

Liliane Kambirigi, Communication, FAO Regional Office for Africa
[email protected]

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Special Coordinator for Parliamentary Alliances Partnerships, Advocacy and Capacity Development, FAO Rome
[email protected]
Tel: 39 06570 55918