Effectively addressing the determinants of rural poverty requires taking a multisectoral approach. The “Developing Capacity for Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Selected Countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia” project adopts a comprehensive approach to development by operationalizing the linkages between agriculture, food security, nutrition and social protection. Aiming to foster political commitment and strategic policies in this field, the project promotes policy dialogue and shares its own experiences at the global level.

By sharing lessons learned from its pilot activities, the project contributes in particular to further developing the global Joint SO1/SO3 Program on Strengthening Food Systems for Nutrition-Sensitive Social Protection. In this way, it supports countries in developing and implementing result-oriented policies that take into account the interlinkages between food systems, nutrition and social protection. Based on this experience, the project then provides policy-oriented guidelines and recommendations to the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN), the Codex Alimentarius, and other global political processes.

To foster knowledge sharing and to promote inclusiveness and transparency in global food security and nutrition governance, the project works together with the FAO Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (the FSN Forum). The FSN Forum provides a channel for stakeholders to contribute to existing initiatives and decision-making processes by participating in facilitated online consultations, surveys and webinars. The consultation topics are defined during the project’s implementation and according to its needs; the consultation outputs then feed into its activities related to the Joint SO1/SO3 Programme.

In supporting several other global events and activities, the project contributes to human resource development for improving food security and nutrition. For example, the project supported the organization of the 2016 Global Child Nutrition Forum in Armenia, with the following theme: “Building Powerful and Durable National School Meals Programs”. Its main support consisted of facilitating the participation of FAO experts in field visits to selected schools, as well as interactive activities on school gardening and children’s education on healthy lifestyles and nutrition. Next, the project will contribute to a global conference that will be organized in the context of ICN2. This event, participants from governmental, non-governmental and international organizations will reunite to share their experiences with policies  aimed at operationalizing the linkages between social protection, nutrition and agriculture across food systems. Finally, by means of South-South and triangular cooperation, the project promotes exchanges of experiences and lessons learned with other regions in which Zero Hunger initiatives have  adopted by means South-South and Triangular Cooperation Exchange. Specifically, it participated in the 2017 Eurasian Food Security Conference, and will facilitate exchanges between policy experts and parliamentarians by organizing learning events, including study tours.