Start and End Dates: from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2013
Why the focus on good governance practices?
Good governance practices are essential for - food security interventions to be effective. To fight food insecurity and malnutrition, FAO advises governments to simultaneously improve agricultural productivity and enhance direct access to adequate, safe and nutritious food that is culturally acceptable. The latest spike in the number of hungry people worldwide shows that technical solutions alone are not enough to address food insecurity and malnutrition. Solutions to hunger worldwide are likely to be more effective when vulnerable groups directly participate in the development, implementation and monitoring of food security and nutrition activities. Meaningful participation requires transparent planning processes and real opportunities for people to hold government and its partners accountable for their actions and performance, and for the use of public resources. With the additional emphasis on the right to food and good governance practices, we aimed at making planning and implementation of technically sound food security and nutrition actions more efficient and effective than before.
Why the focus on district and sub-district levels?
The project “Mainstreaming the right to food into sub-national plans and strategies” responded to a global trend of decentralization and devolution of functions, decision making power and resources from national to district level. This trend supports the hypothesis that food security action based on community level priorities and needs can potentially accelerate the reduction of persistent high prevalence of hunger. The district with its close ties to grassroots groups, while obtaining guidance and general policy direction from the central level, may be the most -appropriate administrative level for development planning. Furthermore, the close interaction between district officials and civil society that occurs at district level can catalyze the positive effects of applying good governance practices in planning and implementation of food security and nutrition activities.