Khartoum - The Food and Nutrition Security Resilience Programme: Building Food System Resilience in Protracted Crises(FNS-REPRO) convened its Global Programme Steering Committee 4^th virtual meeting  chaired by Luca Russo, on behalf of Director – Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER). The meeting was also attended by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) representatives from Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia and representatives from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Steering Committee for FNS – REPRO is a high-level provides project oversight function to ensure that project implementation remains on track vis-à-vis its objectives, approved work plans and to provide strategic guidance to maintain coherence with the wok of the Global Network Against Food crises (GPSC) and its three dimensions. The GPSC has an important quality assurance and strategic guidance function.

The meeting also discussed emerging threats to Food Security in the Eastern Africa region and reported that in addition to COVID-19 related impacts, food security in Eastern Africa is facing multiple threats. The Desert Locust outbreak, widespread flooding, insecurity, frequent droughts, and other extreme weather events are on a long list of threats that continue to pose serious food security and nutrition challenges in the sub region.

FAO representative in Sudan Dr Babagana Ahmadu enlightened the attendees about the current situation of the project in Sudan, “we have attained the planned targets for the period under review despite the challenges posed by deterioration of security in the project area” said Babagana. “The project is contributing to peace building through the establishment of livestock routes, restoring rangeland and strengthening regulations and cross-sectoral coordination for improved climate change adaptation at landscape level”, added Babagana.

The Food and Nutrition Security Resilience Programme (FNS-REPRO) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), funded by the Government of the Netherlands, is a four-year plan addressing the cause-effect relationship between conflict and food insecurity in Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. The main premise of the programme is that agricultural livelihoods are people’s best defense against hunger and malnutrition, people with resilient livelihoods are better prepared and can better cope with shocks and crises.

Adopting a unique approach to the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, the programme incorporates a robust learning agenda that will inform policy and practice, as well as evidence-based adaptive programming within REPRO, for improved food system resilience and target local communities and institutions as active participants in designing and implementing interventions. This learning and knowledge agenda will be implemented under the leadership of the Wageningen University & Research (WUR), a key partner in FAO’s global learning programmes, and will contribute to both policy dialogue and implementation through its links with the Global Network against Food Crises.

FAO technical advisor (FNS-REPRO) Abdelmonem Kardash highlighted the worrisome situation regarding the deterioration of security in the project, “any further deterioration of security situation will have serious implications on project performance indicators”, said Kardash.

FNS-REPRO’s overall outcome will be resilient livelihoods and food systems and contributing to sustainable localized peace. This will be achieved through:

- improved inclusive access to and management of natural resources.

- greater livelihood and income opportunities along selected value chains.

 - enhanced knowledge, skills and capacity of communities in nutrition-sensitive livelihood support.

- established and implemented learning mechanisms that reinforce field activities and facilitate improved policy and practice on food system resilience.

At regional level, FAO and its partner Wageningen University will strengthen evidence-based strategic programming and build awareness and capacity around food system resilience – through the implementation of a dedicated FNS-REPRO learning agenda. Opportunities through which FNS-REPRO can contribute to the implementation of the Global Network against Food Crises were presented for the Global Programme Steering Committee’s feedback and strategic guidance.