FAO.org

Small-scale fisheries communities in coastal areas or close to freshwater bodies are often highly vulnerable to a range of hazards (climate change, etc.) beyond their control. Frequent social, economic and political marginalization makes small-scale fisheries communities particularly susceptible to being affected by protracted crises. Two international instruments provide guidance on how to better address these issues: the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable SmallScale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) and the The Committee on World Food Security Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises (CFS-FFA). The brief gives and overview of both instruments and and explains their synergies.

This brief is part of a series that brings attention to the mutually reinforcing nature of four global normative instruments developed through the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and the SSF Guidelines. Their synergistic implementation can make a difference in enabling small-scale fisheries actors to contribute to sustainable food systems by providing highly nutritious food for local communities, and it can make a difference for consumers in national, regional and international markets.

The four CFS instruments with direct links to the SSF Guidelines are the CFS Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security (Right to Food Guidelines), the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT), the CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI Principles) and the CFS Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crisis (CFS-FFA).