Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

FAO has just released the Toolkit and E-learning modules on Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture and Food Systems. This integrated package of guidance materials, developed by drawing upon expertise from across the Organisation and of many partners, aims at enhancing capacities for the formulation, implementation and monitoring of nutrition-sensitive food system policies and programmes, in line with the Rome Declaration on Nutrition, the SDGs and UN Decade of Action for Nutrition.

The “Toolkit for Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture and Food Systems” is composed by four tools:

• Key recommendations for improving nutrition through agriculture and food systems
• Designing nutrition-sensitive agriculture investments. Checklist and guidance for programme formulation
• Nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems in practice. Options for intervention
• Compendium of indicators for nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

The E-learning modules on Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture and Food Systems use a scenario-based and experiential learning approach to assist policy makers and programme managers to effectively integrate nutrition in their work.

Two modules are already available on-line:

• Nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods: Basic concepts
• Improving Nutrition through Agriculture and Food Systems

These resources are freely available and downloadable at

http://www.fao.org/nutrition/policies-programmes/toolkit/en

http://www.fao.org/nutrition/policies-programmes/e-learning/en

TECA (Technologies and practices for small agricultural producers), FAO’s free web based online information and communication platform for smallholders, has launched an online discussion on "Agroecology and Nutrition". The objective of this discussion is to identify successful agroecological farming practices which contribute to nutritious food systems.

Many successful experiences have already been documented on various platforms of FAO, e.g. TECA (during the previous discussions on “Sustainable agriculture through Agroecology” and “Agroecology and Soil Health”) and on Agroecology Knowledge hub. Based on these and other experiences, a three-week discussion will be held, inviting you to share your knowledge and experiences on agroecology and successful agroecological farming practices and approaches.

The discussion page can be accessed through the following link: http://teca.fao.org/discussion/agroecology-and-nutrition

The discussion will be available from 20 March until 12 April 2017.

For any further information please contact: [email protected].

The report The future of food and agriculture: Trends and challenges has been released today.

This new FAO report sheds some light on the nature of the challenges that agriculture and food systems are facing now and throughout the 21st century, and provides some insights as to what is at stake and what needs to be done.

Please visit the following webpage to download the report and for further information:

http://www.fao.org/publications/fofa/en/

The State of Food and Agriculture 2016 report (SOFA 2016), FAO’s annual flagship publication, has been released yesterday.

SOFA assesses issues on agricultural and rural development in the context of global food security. This year’s SOFA report centres on the double challenge of food security and climate change, presenting alternatives to tackle the two as a whole.

The report and furher information are available in all UN six languages at: http://www.fao.org/publications/sofa/en/

Experiences of multi sectoral policy approaches to promote rural transformation, inclusive agricultural transition and economic growth, across sectors and developing regions will be discussed during an event taking place at FAO headquarters on 17 October from 13:00 to 14:30 CEST.

The structural transformation of economies is a clear pathway out of poverty and hunger when the

process is characterized by inclusive productivity growth in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors

and by strong linkages between sectors and urban and rural areas.

For further information on this event and on this area of work please contact: [email protected]

In an expert seminar on October 5th 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST, Dr. Douglas Cook, professor at UC Davis and Director of the USAID Innovation Lab for Climate-Resilient Chickpea, will share his decades of experience on legumes in a discussion covering agriculture, nutrition, delivery systems, and meeting the challenge of linking "upstream" science to develop resilient legumes with "downstream" delivery and adoption by farmers.

The seminar is organised by SecureNutrition and aims to engage the agriculture and nutrition community in celebrating the UN International Year of Pulses and to highlight the role pulses play in nutrition and agriculture sustainability.

The event can be joined online here   

To find out more about the event please visit the webpage

Food and Nutrition Security Impact, Resilience, Sustainability and Transformation (FIRST) is a FAO and the European Union partnership programme with the purpose of providing a policy assistance mechanism for improved food security and nutrition and sustainable agriculture.

FIRST has a vacancy in Pakistan for a Policy Officer, who will work under the overall technical guidance of FIRST Manager (FAO/Rome) and working in close collaboration with the EU Delegation and relevant government ministries/institutions, as well as other stakeholders and development partners. The officer will seek to develop and implement coherent, nitrated, and effective policy assistance and capacity development. The officer will work to provide technical and policy advice and supports the Government of Sindh in development and implementation of their strategies and policies including the Zero Hunger. The officer will facilitate and advocate for an inclusive policy dialogue and supports the establishment of multi-sectoral food and nutrition coordination mechanisms and institutional structures such as SUN, IPC TWG etc. at the federal, provincial and regional level as well as developing strategic partnerships around FNSSA.

The VA closing date is 15 July 2016.

The full VA, including a detailed list of key functions, may be found at: http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/VA/pdf/IRC3417.pdf

In Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic will host the Workshop on Climate Smart Agriculture (12.07 – 14.07.2016), the participants of which will be representatives of the Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The Workshop will address the interlinked challenges of food security, climate change, energy and disaster risk reduction (DRR) through an integrated climate smart agriculture (CSA) approach.

FAO and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) just released a publication dedicated to West Africa food potential which intends to support the decision process in the region. This comes at a time when many countries in the region have embarked on implementing their national agricultural strategies derived from the CAADP process. Indeed, after the food crisis of 2007-2008, West African countries took measures to create the enabling environment for greater investment in agricultural development.

Rebuilding West Africa’s Food Potential, presents a range of successful case studies and recommends priority areas for action. According to the study, boosting productivity, fostering competitiveness and ensuring that small-scale farmers have greater access to markets are key for West Africa to realize its full agricultural potential.

For more information, access the full publication: Rebuilding West Africa's Food Potential: Policies and market incentives for smallholder-inclusive food value chains

West Africa has unprecedented opportunities for agricultural growth, but making the most of them will require more effective regional integration, says a new report by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

To be competitive with large global actors, West African agriculture needs to capture some of the economies of scale that those countries enjoy in the markets for fertilizers and seeds as well as in agricultural research and technology development, adds the report.

While important progress towards regional integration has been made over the past two decades, effective implementation at national level has remained a challenge, as evidenced by roadblocks and trade bans hindering intraregional trade, along with continued use of disparate national standards for seeds and fertilizers despite regionally agreed-upon common protocols.

The report, "Agricultural Growth in West Africa: Market and Policy Drivers" (AGWA), comes at a time of great dynamism in the patterns of food demand in Africa.

For more information:

• see the FAO news article
• download the report here