Areas of intervention to be covered
by the FAO Trust Fund

The projects to be funded from the FAO Trust Fund will assist Member Governments in initiating, strengthening, accelerating and expanding activities in the following areas:

1. Food security

In most low-income food-deficit countries (LIFDCs) viable and sustainable means of increasing food availability exist but are not realized because of a range of constraints that prevent farmers from meeting their basic needs and from seizing opportunities that arise. By working with farmers and other stakeholders to identify and overcome such constraints - whether they are of a technical, economic, social, institutional or policy nature - FAO's Special Programme on Food Security (SPFS), approved by the 106th session of the FAO Council in 1994, aims at opening the way for improved productivity and broader access to food.

Projects to be funded under the SPFS include pilot activities in small-scale water control, crop productivity, diversification in small animal production, artisanal fisheries and aquaculture, analysis of socio-economic constraints and policy advice. The transfer of technology will be promoted, particularly through the South-South Cooperation scheme, which is a low-cost vehicle for technologically, ecologically and socioculturally appropriate development.

2. Emergency prevention of transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases

Transboundary animal diseases are epizootic diseases that are highly contagious or transmissible with the potential for very serious and rapid spread, irrespective of national borders. These diseases are of serious socio-economic or public health consequence and can be a major constraint to international trade of animals and animal products. This can have an adverse effect on the food security situation in the countries concerned and also on the food safety of consumers around the world. The same is true for locusts and other migratory pests that can fly over great distances and threaten crops hundreds or thousands of kilometres away from their places of origin.

Through its ongoing Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES), approved by the Council at its 106^th Session, FAO is adopting a new approach to an old problem by emphasizing early warning, early reaction and networking of research capacities to ensure the use of more effective and environment-friendly methods. The programme is focusing on strengthening existing surveillance and control in affected countries.

3. Assistance in project and programme studies to increase investment

The FAO Investment Centre participates with the international financing institutions (IFIs) in the formulation of feasibility studies of bankable projects for a value of US$2 billion annually. Such activities organized by IFIs should be expanded to include project studies requested by the LIFDCs, least developed countries (LDCs) and small island states (SIS). The preparation of feasibility studies is essential to increase investment in agriculture and rural development by the private sector and national and subregional financing institutions in addition to traditional development partners. Recent studies show that the additional annual investment needed to attain the World Food Summit goal of reducing by half the number of the undernourished by 2015 is approximately US$24 billion. Of the extra financing required, approximately US$5 billion would be for food assistance, around US$3 billion in non-concessional assistance. Of the remaining US$16 billion, developing countries would provide US$8 billion from their national budgets and US$8 billion would come from bilateral assistance and concessional loans from international financing institutions. This extra funding is not to be managed by FAO. It would be disbursed directly to the beneficiaries through the existing relevant bilateral and multilateral institutions.