One of the aims of the ACC Network on Rural Development and Food Security is to exchange and disseminate information, experiences and best practices to stimulate networking amongst development partners at both the international and national level.
This Website is currently being expanded to create a more integrated information system, with a database containing information on ACC Network Thematic Groups, resource materials (publications, software, training materials) and short profiles of projects and activities in rural development and food security
If you would like to share any information related to rural development and food security on this site, please send your contribution to: rdfs-net@fao.org
As of March 2000, there are 65 ACC Network Thematic Groups firmly established - and a further 16 being set up - within the UN Resident Coordinator System in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East. Efforts are now underway to promote the establishment of such Thematic Groups in Central and Eastern Europe.
A brief news bulletin on the status, membership and activities of Thematic Groups follows.
In 1998, the Thematic Group in Kenya was established simultaneously with the development of two other important initiatives in the country: the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the Agricultural Sector Investment Programme (ASIP), and since then the Group has provided complementary support to both these initiatives.
One of the Group's current activities is the preparation of a 4-year collaborative programme (FAO /UNIFEM /UNDP/ UNSO) to enhance the ability of farmers, particularly women, to increase production, raise incomes and better manage natural resources. One of the elements of the project is to promote the use of farmers' field schools as a means of encouraging new production innovations and empowering farmers to have greater control over agricultural services provided to them. The project will work with around 720 groups over the first two years, most of which will be women's groups.
For further information on the Thematic Group in Kenya, contact the FAO Representative, Mr. D. Gustafson, at: FAO-KEN@field.fao.org
The UN system in Mozambique has asked the ACC Network Thematic Group on Food Security to initiate an impact study on HIV/AIDS. The Group has discussed possible aspects for consideration (e.g. vulnerability to HIV/AIDS of the most common farming systems in the areas worst affected by the pandemic; the effect of HIV/AIDS on household food security in rural areas; and the integration of HIV/AIDS issues into the provincial plan of actions on food security and nutrition being prepared) and, taking into consideration data from the Ministry of Health and UNICEF, identified four provinces - agricultural high potential areas in the central provinces - on which to focus attention.
A study, "The Effect of HIV/AIDS on the Food Security of Rural Households in Central Mozambique", is to be prepared by two national consultants within the framework of the Group.
For further information on the Thematic Group in Mozambique, contact the FAO Representative, Ms. S. Ring at: FAO-MOZ@field.fao.org
In Liberia, the newly-established Thematic Group on Rural Development and Food Security has a broad cross-section of members, including: UN and government agencies, bilateral donors, academic institutions, international and local NGOs and community-based groups. One of the proposed activities of the Group is to respond in a coordinated and focused manner to the relevant elements of the four priority areas of the United Nations System-wide Initiative on Africa (UNSIA) under FAO's responsibility, namely: soil quality improvement; land degradation and desertification control; water for food production; and food security with special emphasis on women.
For further information on the Thematic Group in Liberia, send a fax to the FAO Representative, Mr. Tsukasa Kimoto, at: 00231- 226104/226194.
The ACC Network Thematic Group in Bangladesh - known as the Local Consultative Group (LCG) Sub-Group on Food Security and Nutrition - has taken the lead in bringing all partners together to urge the Government to formulate a National Comprehensive Food Security Policy for Bangladesh. The Policy will cover availability and production, as well as accessibility/poverty alleviation and utilization/ nutritional issues.
The Group's action is a positive step in harmonizing common efforts in food security: there are currently different types of sector-oriented national policy documents in existence (e.g. on nutrition, forestry, water, food policy).
For further information on the Thematic Group in Bangladesh, contact Mr. G. K. Pillai at: FAO-BGD@field.fao.org
The Thematic Group in India, known as the Inter-Agency Working Group on Food Security and Rural Development, has identified the development of a national FIVIMS as a priority theme for action. A document entitled, "The Development of FIVIMS in India" has been prepared and contains an inventory of national information, data and mapping sources, preliminary identification of food security, health and nutrition indicators, institutional arrangements and a stepwise action plan for the establishment of a national FIVIMS. The Group recently presented the report on FIVIMS to Thematic Group members and other interested stakeholders and it will be shortly submitted to the Government of India for approval.
Read more about the experience of developing FIVIMS in India .
For further information on the Thematic Group in India, contact the FAO Representative, Mr. P. Rosenegger, at: FAO-IND@field.fao.org
The Thematic Group in Pakistan - comprised of representatives of FAO, ILO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, WFP and WHO - is promoting strong inter-agency cooperation and collaboration in response to emergency ituations.
In order to assess the country-level response to emergencies - in particular, flood, drought, earthquake and transboundary diseases - WFP recently prepared a background paper "Improving Preparedness and response to Emergencies, Early Warning and Emergency Mechanisms", within the framework of the Thematic Group. The paper was reviewed and debated by Group members who subsequently reported their findings and recommendations to relevant UN agency heads in the country.
The Group agreed that, while several UN agencies have well-established mechanisms to respond globally to various emergencies, there was a need to adopt corresponding mechanisms at the country level. A lengthy discussion was held on the existence and role of the UN Disaster Management Team: it was observed that each agency prepares separate emergency response actions. The Group recommended that a task force could investigate the possibility of establishing the means for incorporating different individual agency responses into a combined UN emergency response based on close inter-agency co-operation. The Group identified the task force set up in the wake of Cyclone 2A in May 1999 as an excellent example of the United Nations' ability to coordinate a joint response to a national emergency.
The topic of response to emergencies, early warning and emergency mechanisms is one of the six priority areas identified as a focus for action by the Thematic Group. With Group work on the topic largely concluded, the Group will be concentrating efforts on addressing the remaining 4 priority areas in their workplan, namely: improving information and statistical data on food insecure and vulnerable groups; providing assessment and advice on nutritional status (ICN follow-up); improving preparedness and response to emergencies, early warning mechanism; and ensuring the sustainability of resources and technologies, including 'Food for All'. The other priority to be concluded soon by the Group is a policy and strategy for sustainable household food security.
For further information on the Thematic Group in Pakistan, contact the FAO Representative, Mr. A. Aboul-Naga, at: FAO-PAK@field.fao.org
The ACC Thematic Group in Viet Nam, established in June 1999, is making steady progress in implementing activities around its priority themes: advocacy and knowledge sharing; supporting establishment of Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems (FIVIMS); and strengthening the National Food Security Committee.
The Group has formed two sub-working groups to lend focus to activities: the Indicator Group is working on the identification of suitable indicators to measure food insecurity in Viet Nam; while the Advocacy Group is assisting the national Food Security Committee with the development of a Food Security Policy Proposal towards 2010.
The Thematic Group is also engaged in the exchange of information on current food security issues, such as lessons learnt from food security projects and the training of food security personnel at provincial and lower levels. It is also looking for possibilities to link with regional food security initiatives and/or networks.
For further information on the Thematic Group in Viet Nam, visit the United Nations Viet Nam Website or contact the FAO Representative, Ms. F. Guerrieri, at: FAO-VNM@field.fao.org
A Thematic Group on Rural Development and Food Security has been established in Iran. The first activities of the Group are to identify national partners to participate in ths group both from within the UN as well as from key national groups and institutions. At the Group's first meeting, participants will discuss suitable Terms of Reference and share information on programme and projects, in efforts to enhance the effectiveness of individual agencies and of the UN family as a whole, as well as to coordinate the follow-up of the World Food Summit and Iran's Strategy for National Agricultural Development.
For further information on the Thematic Group in Iran, contact the FAO Representative, Mr. G. M. Ahmed, at: FAO-IRN@field.fao.org
In February 2000, the FAO Representation in Turkey organized a meeting of the ACC Network Thematic Group, which was attended by representatives from UN agencies; various national government, civil society, international organizations; and donors, such as the European Union.
A presentation was delivered on the ACC Network: its achievements at the global level, the priorities for Network activities in 2000, and some initiatives of the ACC Network Secretariat. As one of the priority themes previously identified for action by the Thematic Group is the development of a national Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems (FIVIMS), the meeting was given a status report on FIVIMS and it was confirmed that a follow-up workshop will shortly be held. The UN Resident Coordinator Support Officer, Ms. Halide Caylan, then reported on the Common Country Assessment (CCA) and United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) process in the country and in this connection underlined the importance of the ACC Thematic Group - the only one of its kind in Turkey - as a coordination mechanism for this exercise.
It was also explained to the participants that a UNDP/FAO Task Force on Food Security was established in 1998 in Turkey and a national consultant carried out an assessment study on the current status of institutional, legislative and operational concerns of food security in the country. Using this report as a basis, the Task Force was able to focus attention on the fact that although Turkey is one of the world's self-sufficient countries in terms of agriculture and food potential, it still has groups at risk of food insecurity, concentrated mostly in the the East, Southeast and Black Sea Region.
The meeting also undertook a review of the current membership of the Thematic Group to include a cross-section of both government and civil society organizations. In view of the importance of rural development and food security in Turkey, the representatives of various organizations at the meeting expressed their interest in and strong support for an operational Thematic Group, in particular one that would provide support to the national macro-economic and agriculture sector restructuring programme. As a result, the membership of the Thematic Group has been expanded to include a total of 40 representatives from various sectors, including: UN agencies in Ankara (FAO; ILO; UNDCP; UNDP; UNICEF; UNFPA; UNIDO; WORLD BANK); the numerous departments of the Prime Ministry and the ministries of Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Forestry, Environment, the Interior, Foreign Affairs, Health, Education, Industry, Forestry and Industry; and several civil society organizations such as the Chamber of Food Engineers, the Association of Agriculturists, the Union of Foresters, the Development Foundation of Turkey, the Mother and Child Education Association, the Union of Milk and Dairy Producers, and Hacettepe University.
For further information on the Thematic Group in Turkey, contact the FAO Representative, Mr. M. Muthoo, at: FAO-TUR@field.fao.org
Knowledge is a key element in the fight against hunger and poverty. Yet, knowledge can only be a force for change if shared amongst all development partners. The following section shows how ACC Network partners are capturing, managing, and disseminating their collective knowledge on issues related to rural development and food security issues through the Internet.
IFAD's accumulated experience in poverty alleviation is captured on line at the Evaluation Knowledge website (IFADEVAL). The site features the EKSYST computerized system which acts as a tool to generate, store and share evaluation-related information gained through IFAD- financed projects and programme evaluations in the developing world.
The core of the site is a repository of some 100 lessons learnt - mostly focusing on rural finance - which are organized around such categories as the project design process; monitoring and evaluation systems; the relationship with other donor interventions; NGO involvement; and women in development and gender issues. Complemented by background information such as project profiles and country fact sheets, the IFADEVAL site offers users a comprehensive knowledge and evaluation resource: an aid for the design of rural poverty alleviation programmes or the redirection of activities during project execution. The site also provides valuable inputs for specific research activities and thematic or sectoral studies, and can be used to conceptualize new lessons learned.
Importantly, IFADEVAL is also home to the newly launched ACC Network Knowledge Forum . For further information on the IFADEVAL site, contact Mark Keating at m.keating@ifad.org
UNDP - Innovative Experiences in Developing Countries
A collection of innovative and successful experiences in science and technology; social sectors; food and agriculture; and small island developing states' priority areas has been posted on the Web by UNDP's Special Unit for Technical Cooperation Among Developing Countries (SU/TCDC). The case studies, contributed by the Third World Network of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the Third World Network (TWN), and the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD), describe practices and experiences in developing countries that have successfully addressed environment, social and economic problems. It is hoped that the case studies will be used as a basis for facilitating an exchange of ideas, experiences, policies and practices among developing countries.
UNESCO - Poverty and Social Exclusion
UNESCO's Management of Social Transformation (MOST) Programme has established a Best Practices Database. This contains model projects or policies aimed at improving the quality of the life of individuals or groups suffering from poverty or social exclusion. The case studies are typically based on the cooperation between national or local authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local communities, the private sector, and academic communities.
UNICEF - Research and Evaluation
UNICEF'S Research and Evaluation site offers up-to-date news on policy analysis, evaluations and research as well as on the methodologies developed and used. The latest statistical data on women and children are provided, including national level statistics, global comparisons and explanations of key indicators. The on-line version of PREview - the agency's newsletter on evaluation, policy and planning (PREviews) - is also available.
UNAIDS - Best Practice Collection
UNAIDS is in the process of collecting best practice materials on approximately 50 specific topics relevant to HIV/AIDS. Each topic will contain the following elements: an advocacy document outlining the UNAIDS point of view; a technical update aimed primarily at managers of HIV/AIDS projects and programmes; case studies on action in a specific region, country, or region; presentation graphics that can be used for speeches; key written and audio-visual materials; and a summary booklet of best practices.
The FAO Gender and Food Security Website contains lessons learnt in gender and participation in agricultural development planning as well as good practices in the mainstreaming and implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) - the first to analyse and warn against the process of global climate change - is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Weather, water and climate are the primary concerns of WMO. Its network of national Meteorological and Hydrological Services play a pivotal role in promoting international and interdisciplinary cooperation to monitor and predict weather and climate, assess freshwater resources, mitigate natural disasters, and formulate long-term response strategies for sustainable development. The Agricultural Meteorology Programme, for example, provides information on climatic variation, the use of remote sensing in agriculture, and new technologies to sustain agricultural production. Importantly, the organization is exploring new technologies -in satellite data collection, computing and the Internet - to enhance further its core programme, the World Weather Watch (WWW).
To celebrate the 50th anniversary,WMO is planning a series of events at its Headquarters, while member countries are planning commemorative celebrations at National Meteorological and Hydrological Services throughout the world.
Visit the WMO Website for further details on anniversary events and information on WMO programmes.
ReliefWeb - the world's foremost humanitarian web site - has been relaunched to allow policy makers, relief and development workers and journalists the very latest information on emergencies and disasters around the world. The site, published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), offers a new advanced search function to access data by country, source and disaster. Importantly, the site is no longer restricted to those with Web access. A new feature, ReliefWeb via e-mail, can send text versions of documents posted on the site to e-mail addresses on demand, which allows even the most remote user with a simple modem and phone link the most up-to-date information available on an emergency situation.
ReliefWeb is managed by teams of the in New York and Geneva who monitor, select and post humanitarian information 18 hours a day, every half-hour, from over 300 sources, including the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic and research institutions, and the media. An office is shortly to be established in Asia to cover the world on a 24-hour basis.
Click here to access ReliefWeb
Gender Matters is the name of the new Gender Issues in Development website published by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The site contains information on the agency's gender strategy; its projects and activities that address gender issues by sector and country; and full-text versions of related documents, information sheets and publications. Other interactive features include links to other gender sites, a photo gallery and an online form to request gender publications.
Click here to access Gender Matters
The world has not done enough for children - this is the resounding message of UNICEF's 'The State of the World's Children 2000'. The report notes that ambitious commitments made to children by the world's governments at the start of the 1990s have not been fulfilled, due largely to a lack of leadership. This failure has magnified the impact of entirely preventable calamities, including HIV/AIDS, conflict and violence and poverty.
At the launch of the report, UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy announced a three-pronged new agenda to tackle the major challenges facing children in the 21st century, which combines early childhood care and development, basic education and a renewed focus on adolescents. "The world has the resources and experience to know what works for children. The time has come for us to put our words into action. If we do, we can make significant changes for children within a single generation," she said.
Click here for the electronic version of The State of the World's Children 2000
Rural energy is an essential tool for sustainable agricultural development, yet its importance is often overshadowed by more immediate problems of hunger and famine. FAO and the World Energy Council have launched a joint publication The Challenge of Rural Energy Poverty in Developing Countries, in efforts to raise awareness of the impact that energy poverty has on hunger, health and other aspects of rural development.
The report advocates a gradual transition to more modern energy systems, but acknowledges that the use of traditional fuels will remain a long-term reality in many rural areas. For this reason, ways must be developed to manage the use of traditional fuels in a sustainable way, while at the same time improving the lot of rural people. The report calls for an approach which is best summarised as decentralised, integrated and empowering.
For more information in the report, contact: Gustavo.Best@fao.org
The on-line "50 Years of Agricultural Statistics by FAO, 1950-1999" offers users an easy-to-access overview of agricultural production information in charts and graphs. The collection uses four main indicators to calculate the annual world production averages for various crops: area cultivated (in hectares), total production (in tonnes), yield per hectare and per caput production.
Although the global figures reveal substantial increases in farm productivity and a steady decline in the numbers of undernourished people in developing countries over the period, these advances have not benefited everyone. Hunger continues to be a major scourge in developing countries: meeting the challenges of feeding the hungry and reducing poverty calls for increasingly specialized and accurate information about nutrition, food production and trade.
Fortunately, new computer technologies have revolutionized information storage, retrieval and processing. FAO's series of computerized databases, called FAOSTAT (also available on CD-Rom) contain information ranging from yearly food balance sheets to food aid shipments to fish catch to producer prices, and also include databases on food quality standards established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
In addition, FAO Statistics Division continues to publish printed documents: food balance sheets are released every three years (with the most recent edition covering the 1994-1996 period), and the Division also produces FAO's annual production and trade yearbooks.
Print and electronic documents prepared by the FAO Statistics Division can be ordered through the Sales and Marketing Group, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy; by fax at +39 (06) 5705 3360; or by email at publications-sales@fao.org