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| Economic and Social Development |
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According to FAO's latest global food insecurity survey, two-thirds of the 780 million undernourished people in the developing world live in this region. Lack of adequate nutrition saps the economic productivity of individuals and undermines the economic health of nations.
While there is no single formula to ensure food security, the production and distribution of food are key elements. The FAO regional office coordinates a wide range of activities related to improving food security at the household, regional and national levels. In particular FAO assists countries in identifying food-insecure and nutritionally vulnerable populations, collects information, and analyses regional and national social aspects of food and agricultural development.
Food security means that all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to adequate food that is safe and in keeping with social and cultural preferences to be able to lead an active and healthy life. FAO identifies four conditions of food security - adequate food supply; stability of food supply without excessive seasonal or yearly fluctuations; physical and economic access to food; and food quality and safety.
Efforts to improve household food security and nutrition as a means to end hunger and malnutrition are at the heart of FAO's commitments. The regional office is working to improve the efficiency of key national food agencies and their distribution systems as well as national early warning systems. It conducts technical network activities on food security training and builds national capacities to identify pricing and technical deficiencies. It also assists countries to incorporate a food security component into national development plans and to provide food at minimum cost to vulnerable groups.
Reliable agricultural statistics are vital for national planning and policy making on agriculture and food security. The FAO regional office monitors developments in the fields of food and agricultural statistics. It assists in conducting agricultural censuses and surveys (e.g. use of appropriate methodologies, training of national personnel and the analysis and dissemination of food and agricultural statistics) and works with other international and technical assistance agencies to facilitate cross-sectoral analyses.
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| No meetings planned for the near future. |
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