Last week saw the launch of a new technical network on poverty analysis (THINK-PA).

The new initiative is part of the activities that ES, in coordination with SP3, is undertaking in order to strengthen the Organization’s capacities to mainstream poverty analysis in all its operations. With poverty primarily found in rural areas where livelihoods significantly rely on agriculture, FAO is poised to lead in reducing the problem. For FAO to take the lead in reducing poverty, we need to work together and link the Organization’s science, economic and socio-economic knowledge and skills, something that the THINK-PA initiative aims to support.

During the recent launch of the initiative, Marco Sánchez Cantillo (Deputy Director, ESA) and Benjamin Davis (Strategic Programme Leader, SPL3), emphasised the important role that the THINK-PA will play in supporting the activities related to work on poverty analysis across FAO. They underscored how poverty analysis is a critical step to generate the evidence that will support the provision of successful solutions to reduce rural poverty sustainably, while also contributing to eradicating hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.

The coordinators of the THINK-PA, Ana Paula de la O Campos (Programme Officer, SP3) and Leopoldo Tornarolli (Poverty Analyst, ESA), presented the poverty analysis tools that are being developed in house and discussed next steps for the network. The initiative received positive feedback from participants, who also provided suggestions for taking the THINK-PA forward.

What’s next? While ESA will be leading and coordinating the different activities in close collaboration with SP3, the THINK-PA will be an open technical network. All colleagues are invited to participate in the different activities, either because they have ongoing work related to poverty analysis, or because they are just curious and want to learn more about what it all means. Upcoming activities include the organization of a series of webinars and technical seminars on topics related to rural poverty, different capacity development activities, and bi-monthly meetings to discuss ongoing activities related to rural poverty reduction – so stay tuned!