Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament -  A thematic strategy for food security - Advancing the food security agenda to achieve the MDGs
Date: 2006-01-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, EU relations, cooperation policy, development aid, food aid, humanitarian aid, poverty

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 25.1.2006 
COM(2006) 21 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

A THEMATIC STRATEGY FOR FOOD SECURITY 

Advancing the food security agenda to achieve the MDGs 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

2.4. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

3.3. 

3.4. 

3.5. 

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 

Context ......................................................................................................................... 4 

Analysis of the theme................................................................................................... 4 

Established policy framework...................................................................................... 5 

Past experience/lessons learned ................................................................................... 5 

Rationale for a thematic approach................................................................................ 6 

Thematic programme ................................................................................................... 7 

Scope (including geographical coverage) .................................................................... 7 

Programming principles ............................................................................................... 7 

Objectives..................................................................................................................... 8 

Strategic priorities ........................................................................................................ 9 

Strategic Priorities to support the delivery of international public goods and the 
financing of global programmes .................................................................................. 9 

3.5.1. 

International Public Goods (IPGs) ............................................................................... 9 

3.5.2.  Global (and continental) programmes.......................................................................... 9 

3.5.3.  Advocacy and advancement of the global food security agenda. .............................. 10 

3.6. 

3.7. 

3.8. 

3.9. 

Address food insecurity in exceptional situations of transition and state fragility .... 10 

Promoting innovative policies and strategies............................................................. 11 

Beneficiaries............................................................................................................... 11 

The implementing partners of the Thematic Programme .......................................... 12 

ANNEXES................................................................................................................................... 13 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

A THEMATIC STRATEGY FOR FOOD SECURITY 

Advancing the food security agenda to achieve the MDGs 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

In  an  effort  to  rationalise  and  simplify  the  current  legislative  framework  governing  external 
actions  of  the  Community,  the  European  Commission  has  proposed  a  set  of  six  new 
instruments  under  the  Financial  Perspectives  2007  to  2013.  Three  of  the  instruments  (for 
humanitarian  aid,  for  stability  and  for  macro-financial  assistance)  are of  a  horizontal  nature 
and  will  respond  to  particular  needs  and  circumstances.  The  other  three  (for  pre-accession 
assistance,  for  supporting  the  European  neighbourhood  and  partnership  policy  and  for 
development  cooperation  and  economic  cooperation)  are  designed  to  implement  specific 
policies and have a defined geographical coverage. In future, these instruments will provide 
the  basic  legislative  acts  for  Community  expenditures  in  support  of  external  cooperation 
programmes,  including  appropriate  thematic  programmes  and  will  replace,  inter  alia,  the 
existing thematic regulations. 

One  of  the  seven  thematic  programmes  identified  by  the  Commission1  is  the  Thematic 
Programme  on  Food  Security.  Its  legal  bases  will  be  the  Development  cooperation  and 
Economic  cooperation  Instrument  and  the  European  Neighbourhood  and  Partnership 
Instrument.  According  to  the  Commission  Communication  on  the  Instruments  for  External 
Assistance under the Future Financial Perspective 2007-2013 [COM(2004) 626], all food aid 
of a humanitarian nature will be included under the Humanitarian Aid Instrument rather than 
being dealt with under separate thematic funding.  

According  to  theses  proposals,  thematic  programmes  provide  distinctive  value  added  and 
comprise activities complementing geographical programmes, which continue to be the prime 
framework for Community cooperation with third countries. 

The Commission has committed itself to engaging the European Parliament and the Council 
in a discussion of the scope, objectives and priorities of each thematic programme on the basis 
of  formal  communications  to  both  Institutions.  The  result  of  this  process  will  provide  the 
policy  guidelines  for  the  subsequent  stages  of  programming,  notably  the  thematic  strategy 
papers to be drawn up in accordance with the provisions of the above instruments.  

1 

See  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council  and  the  European  Parliament  on  “External 
Actions  through  Thematic  Programmes  under  the  Future  Financial  Perspectives  2007–2013”  - 
COM(2005) 324, 3.8.2005. 

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2. 

CONTEXT 

2.1. 

Analysis of the theme 

There  is  every  justification  for  addressing  food  insecurity2,  which  is  enshrined  in  the  first 
Millennium  Development  Goal  (to  halve,  between  1990  and  2015,  the  number  of  people 
suffering  from  hunger).  It  is  now  estimated  that  815  million  people  are  ‘chronically’  food- 
insecure in the developing world, with a further 5-10% of the population at risk from ‘acute’ 
food insecurity driven by natural and man-made crises. Despite progress in reducing hunger at 
global level, the MDG 1 target remains elusive in Sub-Saharan Africa, where persistent food 
insecurity is compounded by recurrent political instability.  

In  Africa  the  linkages  between  food  insecurity  and  conflict,  poor  governance  and  the 
HIV/AIDS  pandemic  raise  profound  challenges  for  national  governments,  donors  and  civil 
society alike. The adequacy of food intake is a major issue, as evidenced by the global scale 
of  ‘hidden  hunger’,  i.e.  a  deficiency  of  vitamin  and  minerals  in  dietary  requirements.  A 
number of issues affect the adequacy of food intake, including intra-household distribution of 
food, mother-child feeding practices, food preparation and food quality and safety, water and 
sanitation.  Food  insecurity  is  typically  exacerbated  by  environmental  degradation,  poor 
productive  systems,  badly  functioning  markets  and  limited  human  capacity  and  is 
compounded  by  inequalities,  with  social  entitlements  to  food  affected  by  gender,  age  and 
ethnicity.  There  is  evidence  that  the  overwhelming  incidence  of  hunger  is  in  rural  areas, 
where  insufficient  economic  and  physical  access  to  food  prevails.  However  with  growing 
urban poverty, food insecurity is also increasing in urban areas and cannot be overlooked.  

Food  insecurity,  which  is  both  a  cause  and  a  consequence  of  absolute  poverty,  is  not 
sufficiently recognised either as a development objective or as an indicator of economic and 
social progress. It is often narrowly associated to short-term measures such as the delivery of 
food  aid,  or  the  increase  of  food  supply,  overlooking  its  multi-dimensional  nature.  As  an 
objective  it  is  not  sufficiently  integrated/mainstreamed  in  long-term  national  development 
strategies. On the positive side, the second generation of Poverty Reduction Strategies takes 
greater account of food security as national governments increasingly realise the importance 
of establishing national strategies and programmes. 

In recent years, it has emerged that a key challenge in meeting food security objectives arises 
in situations of crisis, particularly those of a complex and protracted nature, and in the event 
of  political  instability  and  in  countries  in  transition.  The  picture  of  global  food  insecurity 
points  to  a  number  of  vulnerable  and  fragile  states  without  neither  the  capacity  nor  the 
institutional framework in place to implement long-term strategies when faced with unfolding 
crises.  In  2005,  43  countries  were  facing  serious  food  shortages,  23  of  them  in  Africa  and 
others in Asia and Latin America. The scale and recurrence of the problem demands a new 
long-term structural approach to tackling the root causes of food insecurity. 

2 

Food Security can be defined as a condition where all people, at all times have physical and economic 
access  to  sufficient,  safe  and  nutritious  food  to  meet  their  dietary  needs  and  food  preferences  for  an 
active  and  healthy  life”  Rom  Declaration  of  World  Food  Security  and  World  Food  Summit  Plan  of 
Action. FAO, 1996.  

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2.2. 

Established policy framework 

The EC Food Security policy established in 1996 under Council Regulation (EC) No 1292/96 
continues  to  direct  Commission  action  in  the  fight  against  hunger.  The  policy  has  evolved 
from the simple delivery of food aid to support for broad-based food security strategies at the 
national,  regional  and  global  level  where  food  aid  is  untied  and  is  an  instrument  limited  to 
emergencies.  

The  EC  is  a  leading  international  donor  in  Food  Security  (€4.9  billion  have  been  allocated 
from  the  FS-BL  since  1996,  i.e.  an  annual  average  of  €500 million)  its  aid  responding  to 
different  phases  of  transition  in:  i) crisis/post-crisis  countries;  ii) countries  suffering  from 
chronic food insecurity; and iii) economies in transition. The EC is also actively engaged in 
the  international  policy  debate,  for  example  on  trade  and  food  aid  (WTO,  Food  Aid 
Convention, FAO Consultative Sub-Committee on Surplus Disposal) and is a leading donor in 
agricultural  research  both  at  global  (Consultative  Group  for  International  Agricultural 
Research-CGIAR) and regional (in particular in Africa) and national levels. 

The EC policy stresses the central role of nationally owned and developed poverty reduction 
strategies  to  achieve  long-term  food  security  and  the  need  to  target  hunger  as  the  earliest 
priority in the fight against poverty. It also recognises that food security can be very fragile, 
and even a transitory crisis can trigger chronic food problems, as assets are quickly depleted 
and livelihoods undermined.  

In  2004  an  external  evaluation  confirmed  the  validity  of  the  EC’s  strategic  framework  for 
food  security,  which  therefore  also  applies  to  this  Thematic  Programme:  it  states  that  food 
security  can  only  be  achieved  by  simultaneously  addressing  the  availability  of  food,  the 
access to food, the quality of nutrition and the prevention of food crises. 

Within the broader development policy framework, following on from the 2000 Development 
Policy Statement Food Security continues to remain a priority in “The European Consensus 
for Development” [COM(2005) 311] adopted by the Commission in July 2005 and endorsed 
by the Council in November 2005. 

The EU Strategy for Africa [COM(2005) 489], recently approved by the Commission and the 
Council, restates the importance of addressing food security on that continent as part of pro-
poor  growth  and  agricultural  development  and  it  also  emphasises  the  importance  of 
agricultural research. 

In the transition from emergency (humanitarian phase) to development, EC aid is conceived 
within  a  broad  economic,  social  and  political  context  defined  in  the  EC  Communication  on 
“Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development”3 (LRRD) as: “Rehabilitation programmes 
which  gradually  take  over  the  relief/emergency  aid  to  stabilise  the  economic  and  social 
situation  and  to  facilitate  the  transition  towards  a  medium  and  long  term  development 
strategy”. 

2.3. 

Past experience/lessons learned  

Beyond  confirming  the  validity  of  the  EC  policy,  the  recent  external  evaluation  of  the  EC 
Food  Security  Policy  and  Budget  Line  (2004)  also  stressed  its  distinct  added  value  in 

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COM(2001) 153. 

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comparison  with  other  donors  for  its  focus  on  LRRD,  multi-actor  partnership  and  a 
combination  of  different  implementation  instruments.  The  evaluation  also  identified  the 
following areas for improvement which are addressed under the Thematic Programme: 

•  LRRD: a more systemic approach to LRRD could help to respond more effectively to the 

dynamic and multidimensional nature of food insecurity. 

•  Poverty  focus:  better  integration  of  food  security  as  a  priority  area  in  Poverty  Reduction 

Strategy Papers and EC Country Strategy Papers. 

•  Policy/strategy  development:  greater  dialogue  and  support  for  governments  in  order  to 

establish long-term policy dialogue on food security. 

•  Policy  coherence:  greater  coherence  at  national  level  by  integrating  food  security  in  EC 

Country (and Regional) Strategy Papers (CSPs). 

2.4. 

Rationale for a thematic approach 

The  EC  strategy  envisages  the  integration  of  food  security  objectives  within  long-term  and 
broad-based  poverty  reduction  policies  and  strategies.  Both  the  geographic  and  thematic 
programmes are instrumental to meeting those objectives.  

Geographical  programmes  will  be  the  standard  instrument  for  implementing  the  EC’s  Food 
Security policy world-wide, wherever a working cooperation framework with the government 
is in place and operational. Future country allocations of geographical instruments’ resources 
will  take  due  account  of  the  level  of  national  food  security.  In  food-insecure  countries  the 
Thematic Programme may support policy development to ensure that a strategic approach to 
food security is enshrined in national poverty reduction strategies. 

In countries in crisis where humanitarian assistance is required to save/protect lives, aid will 
be  provided  by  way  of  the  Humanitarian  Aid  Instrument.  In  coordination  with  the 
Commission departments concerned, the Thematic Programme will be used where required in 
such  situations  at  the  end  of  the  emergency  aid  to  facilitate  recovery  and  rehabilitation  and 
reduce vulnerability through a specific focus on food security.  

In  the  context  of  transition,  a  number  of  different  scenarios  justify  thematic,  rather  than 
geographical, aid. These can be grouped into three broad categories:  

•  Situations  and  countries  in  which  it  might  be  difficult  to  agree  on  Food  Security  actions 
with partner governments owing to alternative priorities. For example, food insecurity may 
be  concentrated  in  particular  areas  (out  of  state  control)  or  among  particular  groups 
(Internally Displaced People). 

•  Countries in which cooperation has been suspended or no cooperation framework (CSP) is 
in place. The absence of a functioning state means an increased role for civil society and 
multilateral organisations to intervene effectively (e.g. Somalia). 

•  “Forgotten  crises”  in  which  cooperation  with  national  governments  may  be  difficult  to 

establish through geographical instruments. 

On the basis of the above, the rationale of the new Thematic Programme will be to ensure:  

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(i)  policy  coherence  and  continuity  of  operations  across 
the  LRRD  process,  (ii) 
complementarity between different geographical levels of intervention by addressing global/ 
continental issues and promoting innovative approaches, and iv) coordination, harmonisation 
and alignment with development partners on the food security agenda. 

3. 

THEMATIC PROGRAMME 

3.1. 

Scope (including geographical coverage) 

As  per  the  “External  Actions  through  Thematic  Programmes  under  the  Future  Financial 
Perspectives  2007-2013”  [COM(2005)  324], 
thematic 
programme  that  could  “i) support  the  delivery  of  international  public  goods  contributing 
directly to food security and the financing of global programmes, ii) address food insecurity in 
countries or regions where either governments are not in place, or not in control of parts of a 
country, or no country strategic framework is operational and iii) promote innovative policies 
and strategies in the field of food security”.  

the  Commission  envisages  a 

The coverage of the Programme varies according to the component:  

•  The first is a global component, and as such it focuses primarily on the continental, inter-
regional  and  regional  levels  with  a  particular  focus  on  Africa  and  anywhere  else  where 
there may be deteriorated food security situations. 

•  The  second  component  of  the  Programme  will  be  implemented  primarily  at  national  and 

local level, to complement the geographical instrument where necessary.  

•  The third component supports innovative policies, strategies and approaches irrespective of 

geographical level, which could be global, regional, national or local.  

3.2. 

Programming principles  

The Thematic Programme will be programmed: 

•  Respecting the principle of subsidiarity: excluding long-term structural aid which is to be 
funded  through  the  geographical  programmes  (programmed  through  CSPs/RSPs)  and 
supporting  transitional  interventions  in  line  with  the  rationale  set  out  in  section  2.4.  The 
Programme  may  support  innovative  regional,  national  and  local  level  projects  of  a  pilot 
nature aimed at testing new approaches and instruments. 

•  With sufficient flexibility to respond to a rapidly changing environment, as in the case of 
post-crises addressed under component 2. This may require adapting the timeframe of aid, 
the financing procedures, the type of tools and the implementing partners. 

•  Supporting ownership and the role and priorities of regional and continental organisations 
where relevant to food security, in complementarity with other partners and instruments.  

•  Fostering  a  participatory  approach,  by  reinforcing  partnership  with  civil  society 
organisations  particularly  from  developing  countries  through  organised  networks  and 
professional associations, by means of a strategic dialogue.  

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•  Promoting coherence at internal and external level by: (i) synchronising the programming 
with the CSPs/RSPs programming cycle; (ii) co-operating closely with other Commission 
departments  to  develop  and  implement  LRRD  country  strategies  and  the  phasing-
in/phasing  out  of  the  Thematic  Programme;  (iii) ensuring  policy  and  operational 
consistency between food aid actions undertaken in the context of humanitarian assistance 
in the food security agenda (iv) involving at the earliest possible stage EU MS, to promote 
the  advancement  of  the  EU  agenda  on  food  security;  v) fostering  external  coherence  and 
complementarity  in  line  with  the  OECD  Paris  Declaration  on  Aid  Effectiveness.  In  this 
respect the TP will take advantage of UN agencies’ and other international organisations’ 
expertise to advance the international food security agenda and deliver international public 
goods. 

•  Targeting the most vulnerable and food-insecure areas and groups, based on food security 

assessments and coordination with other stakeholders. 

•  Ensuring  the  sustainability  of  the  actions  supported,  including  their  impact  on  local  and 

regional society, economy and environment 

•  Four-year  (2007-2010)  and,  subsequently,  three-year  (2011-2013)  Thematic  Strategy 
Papers  (programming  documents)  will  be  decided  by  the  Commission  following  the 
Comitology procedures.  

•  On  the  basis  of  this  multi-annual  programming,  the  Commission  shall  produce  annual 
action  programmes,  which  establish  priority  actions  to  be  supported,  specific  objectives, 
anticipated results as well as indicative amounts. 

•  The  programme  shall  be  implemented  in  accordance  with  the  2000  Reform  of  the 
Management  of  External  Assistance,  which  foresees,  inter  alia,  deconcentration  of 
management responsibilities to the delegations where appropriate. 

•  As for the mid-term review, an external evaluation of the operations during the first three-
year  period  (2007-2009)  will  be  carried  out  to  provide  input  to  the  preparations  for  the 
second  Thematic  Strategy  Paper  (2011-2013).  The  reports  will  be  transmitted  to  and 
discussed with Member States and the European Parliament. 

3.3. 

Objectives  

In line with the new EU Development Policy Statement, the overall objective of the Thematic 
Programme is to advance the food security agenda and contribute to achieving the first MDG 
on hunger. 

The Programme’s specific objective is to improve the impact of the EC Food Security policy, 
particularly  on  the  most  vulnerable,  through  a  consistent  set  of  priorities  and  actions  which 
complement national programmes and improve their coherence. 

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3.4. 

Strategic priorities4  

A range of strategic priorities have been identified following extensive internal and external 
consultation. The final identification of priority aid will be based on detailed assessments of 
needs, carried out in cooperation with departments concerned in both at headquarters and in 
the delegations. 

3.5. 

Strategic Priorities to support the delivery of international public goods and the 
financing of global programmes 

3.5.1. 

International Public Goods (IPGs)5  

•  Pro-poor  and  demand  driven  research  and  technological  innovation,  primarily  in 
agriculture  (including  livestock,  forestry  and  fisheries/aquaculture)  with  an  explicit  focus 
on  food  security.  The  support  package  would  include  downstream  dissemination  and 
strengthening of capacities of regional/national research institutions 

•  Support for the use and dissemination of satellite imagery and data 

•  Capacity development and training 

•  Scientific and technological North-South and South-South networking, twinning. 

3.5.2.  Global (and continental) programmes  

Global programmes are a means of developing common approaches across regions in specific 
areas relevant to food security. Priorities include: 

•  Food  security  information  and  early  warning  systems,  livelihood  monitoring.  Global 
programmes  will  develop,  test,  standardize  and  disseminate  methodology  and  tools,  and 
support capacity and institutional development at regional and national level. 

•  Food Security Strategies. Support through a global programme for governments willing 
to  develop  food  security  strategies  and  plans,  particularly  where  food  security  is  not 
selected as a priority area for assistance. The Thematic Programme will not fund national 
food  security  programmes  which  will  have  to  be  supported  through  the  geographical 
instruments. 

•  Support for continental and regional FS programmes, in fields of specific relevance to 
food security, such as agriculture, agricultural trade and sustainable management of natural 
resources  including  forestry  and  fisheries.  Global/continental  and  regional  programmes 
will  focus  on  the  areas  of  priority,  comparative  advantage  and  value  added  of  the 
regional/continental  organisation  and  will  complement  where  relevant  support  from 
geographical instruments.  

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5 

Details on the strategic priorities are provided in Annex 1. 
As defined by the International Task Force on Global Public Goods: International public goods address 
issues  that:  i)  are  important  to  the  international  community,  ii)  cannot,  or  will  not,  be  adequately 
addressed  by  individual  countries  acting  alone,  and  therefore  iii)  are  addressed  collectively  on  a 
multilateral basis, by both developed and developing countries. 

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•  Networking  of  senior  policy  experts,  providing  a  forum  and  a  training  opportunity  for 
society 
policy/strategy 
organisations,  farmers’  associations  and  trade  unions,  (both  South-South  and  North-
South), to foster the global food security agenda. 

implementation.  Networking  of  civil 

formulation  and 

3.5.3.  Advocacy and advancement of the global food security agenda. 

The Commission will continue to address key food security issues in the international debate 
and  foster  harmonisation  and  alignment  with  developing  partners  and  donors.  Particularly 
important will be a stronger alliance with civil society organisations.  

3.6. 

Address food insecurity in exceptional situations of transition and state fragility 

The  new  “EU  Consensus  on  Development”  clearly  states  that,  where  food  security  is 
concerned,  “particular  attention  will  be  paid  to  transition  situations”.  There  is  a  strong 
commitment to “paying greater attention to poorer countries, difficult partnerships and fragile 
and  failed  states”6,  recognising  that  30%  of  the  poorest,  and  food-insecure,  people  live  in 
fragile states. 

In  target  countries,  the  programme  will  provide an  instrument  to  ensure,  during  a  transition 
period,  the  follow-up  of  activities  financed  under  the  humanitarian  instrument  before  the 
phasing-in of long-term food security activities under geographical development programmes. 
In this transition period, the Programme will ensure that food security is properly and timely 
addressed. The Programme will: 

•  establish  LRRD  country  strategies  with  a  specific  focus  on  food  security.  Work  at  the 
Commission level will be steered by a standing LRRD inter-service working group within 
the  Commission  that  will  review  the  rolling  programme  and  oversee  implementation. 
LRRD requires flexibility and fast resource allocation;  

•  improve  phasing-in  and  phasing-out  by:  (i) supporting  Food  Security  information  (see 
component  1);  (ii) developing  innovative  approaches  (see  component  3);  (iii) improving 
criteria for phasing-in and phasing-out and introducing them as of the planning of the relief 
phase,  on  a  case  by  case  basis  (iv) promoting  strong  coordination;  and  (v) raising 
awareness of and developing methodologies for the LRRD approach. 

Furthermore,  in  the  event  of  a  food  crisis involving  several  countries  in  a  region  a  regional 
response is required to complement national actions (e.g. on early warning systems, regional 
food markets, etc.). In such an event resources may not be available in the Regional Indicative 
Programme and the FS TP could, if required, bridge the gap between the emergency and the 
development response.  

In devising concrete actions for this component, the Programme will prioritise, inter alia, the 
following: 

•  On targeting (who): vulnerability assessment will focus on the most affected communities 

and vulnerable groups (see details on beneficiaries in section 3.8). 

6 

This concept covers difficult partnerships and crisis/post-crisis situations.  

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•  On interventions (what): the Programme will focus on: (i) crucial investments to protect, 
maintain and recover productive and social assets vital for food security to allow economic 
integration  and  long-term  rehabilitation,  and  (ii) addressing  vulnerability  to  shocks  and 
strengthening people’s resilience through support for crisis prevention and management;  

•  On  tools  and  approaches  (how):  in  line  with  the  EC  FS  policy,  operations  will  be 
financed primarily with cash to stimulate local production and markets. In the absence of 
functional markets and alternative options, implementing partners may use cash allocations 
to purchase and distribute food. Working together with local authorities and communities 
will be of  paramount importance to  identifying the most appropriate forms of  assistance. 
Maximum coordination and harmonisation with other donors will be ensured. 

•  On  partners  (with  whom):  prime  partners  will  be  international  and  local  NGOs,  local 

authorities whenever possible and UN agencies where appropriate. 

3.7. 

Promoting innovative policies and strategies 

In order to keep pace with evolving food security challenges at the local, national and regional 
levels,  the  Thematic  Programme  may  support  the  development  and  testing  of  innovative, 
sustainable and locally owned policies, strategies and approaches, as well as dissemination of 
best practices in the field of food security.  

Typical  areas  of  intervention  would  include:  agriculture  and  natural  resources  management; 
food  security  and  rural/local  development  (including  urban/peri-urban  issues);  sustainable 
management  of  and  access  to  natural  resources  including  forestry  and  fisheries;  nutrition, 
demographic and labour issues, migrations; food security and health/education (etc.). 

By  focusing  on  innovation  the  Programme  will:  promote  and  complement  actions  of  civil 
society  stakeholders;  provide  assistance  that  builds  on  people’s  coping  capacities  and  their 
innovative  solutions;  support  methodological  work  and  actions  aimed  at  reducing 
vulnerability;  allow  policy-makers  to  research  and  plan  for  new  food  security  challenges; 
enhance the potential for replication of innovations and their South-South dissemination. 

3.8. 

Beneficiaries 

Being as a key instrument to fulfilling food security objectives, the Programme aims to reduce 
food  insecurity  worldwide  and  therefore  will  concern  a  broad  range  of  beneficiaries.  All 
three components of the Programme will be designed and implemented with the ultimate aim 
of improving the livelihoods and food security of the rural and urban poor especially among 
the most disadvantaged groups.  

In  this  context,  particularly  in  component  2,  food  security  aid,  will  target  beneficiaries 
belonging  to  two  broad  disadvantaged  groups:  i) those  who  are  not  self-reliant  and  need 
temporary  support  to  sustain  their  livelihoods  (e.g.  through  safety  nets),  and  ii) those  who 
need temporary support to graduate from absolute poverty and engage in productive activities. 
Priority  will  be  broadly  given  to  the  following  groups:  children  under  the  age  of  5; 
communities with members suffering from HIV/AIDS or other chronic illnesses; war affected 
communities and groups and Internally Displaced People; women, particularly female heads 
of  household;  food-insecure  pastoralists,  small  farmers  and  fisher  folk;  landless  and  farm 
labourers, urban ultra-poor. 

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A broad range of intermediate beneficiaries will be also targeted by the Programme through 
capacity  building,  including  staff  from  national  and  regional  administrations,  governmental 
and non governmental institutions, private sector institutions, etc. 

3.9. 

The implementing partners of the Thematic Programme  

The Programme is intended to work with a range of different public and non-state actors. In 
particular,  aid  in  situations  of  state  failure  will  rely  on  local  stakeholders’  assessments, 
priorities and own initiatives. 

The EC is taking concrete steps to promote strategic partnerships with UN and multilateral 
agencies  in  areas  which  make  coherent  contributions  to  EC  food  security  programmes. 
Strategic partnerships also support the work of the EC in the international policy dialogue on 
food security.  

The  role  of  civil  society  organisations  as  partners  will  be  of  primary  importance  in  all 
components:  as  strategic  allies  in  advocacy,  as  prime  partners  in  the  design  and 
implementation  of  aid  in  situations  of  transition  and  instability,  and  as  promoters  of 
innovation.  The  programme  will  support  the  capacity  of  Northern  and  Southern  NGOs  to 
engage  in  the  policy  dialogue  on  food  security.  The  Programme  will  foster  cooperation 
between  NGOs  and  other  non-state  actors,  and  the  private  and  public  sector.  The  role  of 
professional associations, trade unions and private institutions will be actively promoted. 

Depending  on  the  specific  situations,  public  stakeholders  could  also  be  partners  of  the 
programme. Local authorities play an important role in fragile states and situations of post-
crisis.  Continental,  regional  and  national  institutions  might  be  associated  with  global 
programmes for the delivery of global public goods, such as research and innovation. There 
could  also  be  scope  for  involving  public  stakeholders  in  the  promotion  of  innovative  food 
security policies and strategies. 

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ANNEX 1 – PROGRAMME’S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, BENEFICIARIES AND PARTNERS 

ANNEX  

1. 

STRATEGIC  PRIORITIES  TO  SUPPORT  THE  DELIVERY  OF  INTERNATIONAL  PUBLIC 
GOODS AND THE FINANCING OF GLOBAL PROGRAMMES 

1.1. 

International Public Goods (IPGs)7  

forestry, 

livestock, 

(including 

fisheries/aquaculture)  and 

•  Pro-poor  and  demand-driven  research  and  technological  innovation,  primarily  in 
agriculture 
sustainable 
management  of  natural  resources,  with  an  explicit  focus  on  food  security.  International 
public institutions should be eligible for funding, including in partnership with the private 
sector. The support package would include downstream dissemination of information and 
technology  as  well  as  best  practices  and  strengthening  of  capacities  of  regional/national 
research institutions. Research themes would include: sustainable agricultural productivity, 
efficient use of water resources, animal health, nutrition (so-called hidden hunger) market 
and  trade  (e.g.  dynamics  of  local  and  regional  markets  and  prices,  Sanitary  and 
Phytosanitary  Standards,  knowledge  dissemination).  Research  should  also  contribute  to  a 
better  understanding  of  the  root  causes  of  food  insecurity  (social,  anthropological, 
environmental and economic aspects).  

•  Support  for  the  use  and  dissemination  of  satellite  imagery  and  data,  not  only  for  crop 
monitoring  and  early  warning  systems,  but  also  for  food  security  systems,  e.g.  including 
such dimensions as land use and management.  

•  Capacity development and training, such as distance learning tools, to expand the reach 

of research and know-how in remote areas. 

•  Networking: Partnerships with EU research initiatives that are relevant for food security 
and  complementary  to  those  funded  by  existing  programmes  (such  as  the  6th  and  7th 
Research  Framework  Programmes).  North-South  and  South-South  Scientific  and 
technological networking of scientists, students, experts, institutes (including twinning) to 
promote sharing of experiences and foster initiatives on an inter-regional, continental and 
global scale. 

1.2. 

Global (and continental) programmes  

Global programmes are a means of developing common approaches across regions in specific 
areas relevant to food security. Priorities include: 

•  Food  security  information  and  early  warning  systems,  livelihood  monitoring.  Global 
programmes  will  develop,  test,  standardise  and  disseminate  methodology  and  tools,  and 
support  capacity  and  institutional  development  at  regional  and  national  level,  ensuring 
consistency  and  coherence  between  systems  at  different  levels  Emphasis  will  be  on 

7 

As defined by the International Task Force on Global Public Goods: International public goods address 
issues  that:  i)  are  important  to  the  international  community,  ii)  cannot,  or  will  not,  be  adequately 
addressed  by  individual  countries  acting  alone,  and  therefore  iii)  are  addressed  collectively  on  a 
multilateral basis, by both developed and developing countries. 

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methodologies designed to ensure that the information is made available and is accessible 
by  all.  The  funding  of  national  systems  will  however  be  provided  by  geographical 
instruments or governments or other donors. Such programmes will help to harmonise and 
align donors’ approaches, in particular EU Member States. Their implementation will rely 
both on specialised organisations including UN agencies and on a large platform of expert 
NGOs and international institutions. The Programme will be instrumental in coordinating 
and aligning food security information methodologies and systems currently supported by 
different EC instruments, e.g. in LRRD situations. 

•  Food  Security  Strategies.  Support  through  a  global  programme  will  be  provided  to 
governments willing to develop food security strategies and plans, where food security is 
not  selected  as  a  priority  area  for  assistance  and  in  collaboration  with  international 
organisations. The Thematic Programme will not fund national food security programmes, 
which will have to be supported by way of the geographical instruments. 

•  Networking of senior policy experts, providing a forum and at the same time a training 

opportunity for policy formulation and implementation.  

•  Networking  of  civil  society  organisations,  to  improve  their  access  to  information, 
facilitate sharing of experiences and best practices, and strengthen their advocacy capacity, 
in particular of women and disadvantaged groups. South-South and North-South networks 
will be supported. Farmers’ associations and trade unions (agricultural labourers) will also 
be eligible for support, including in twining/collaboration with EU organisations. 

•  Support for continental and regional FS programmes, in fields of specific relevance to 
food  security,  such  as  agriculture,  sustainable  management  of  natural  resources  and 
agricultural trade in support of regional organisations’ priorities. Other themes of relevance 
could  include:  commodity  chains,  diversification  within  and  from  agriculture,  markets 
(including  capital  and  labour),  access  to  land  and  water,  HIV-AIDS.  Global/continental 
programmes  will  focus  on  the  areas  of  comparative  advantage  and  value  added  of  the 
regional/continental organisation with a demonstrable impact downstream. 

1.3. 

Advocacy and advancement of the global food security agenda 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  advocate  for  and  address  key  food  security  issues  in  the 
international  debate  and  foster  harmonisation  and  alignment  with  developing  partners  and 
donors. Particularly important will be a stronger alliance with civil society organisations. Key 
issues include: (i) the role of food aid in food security (so as to foster a greater international 
consensus  on  food  aid  policies);  needs  assessments  (currently  overly  food  aid-biased); 
(ii) Poverty Reduction Strategies, pro-poor growth and food security; (iii) trade (international 
and  regional  trade  have  a  strong  impact  on  food  security); (iv) governance  (food  security  is 
heavily affected by  governance  failures); (v) the right to food (as reflected in the Voluntary 
Guidelines to which the EU subscribes). 

2. 

ADDRESSING  FOOD  INSECURITY  IN  EXCEPTIONAL  SITUATIONS  OF  TRANSITION  AND 
STATE FRAGILITY 

The  new  “EU  Consensus  on  Development”  clearly  states  that,  where  food  security  is 
concerned,  “particular  attention  will  be  paid  to  transition  situations”.  There  is  a  strong 
commitment to “paying greater attention to poorer countries, difficult partnerships and fragile 

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and  failed  states”8,  recognising  that  30%  of  the  poorest,  and  food-insecure,  people  live  in 
fragile states. 

The  Thematic  Programme  focuses  on  the  dynamic  nature  of  food  insecurity:  the  transition 
from  relief  to  rehabilitation  and  development  is  rarely  a  linear  one  as,  due  to  the  high 
vulnerability  of  the  extreme  poor,  even  a  small  shock  can  have  a  serious  adverse  effect  on 
their  survival  capabilities.  Failure  to  address  such  vulnerability  leads  to  the  repeated 
mobilisation  of  emergency  support  when  humanitarian  conditions  deteriorate.  Hence,  the 
overriding  priority  of  Food  Security  support  in  transition  countries  will  be  to  address 
vulnerability  to  prevent  any  regression  back  into  crisis  by  promoting  resilience  and 
opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.  

In the case of transition from emergency to development, EC aid is conceived within a broad 
economic, social and political context, defined in the EC Communication on “Linking Relief, 
Rehabilitation and Development”9 as: 

“Rehabilitation  programmes  which  gradually  take  over  the  relief/emergency  aid  to 
stabilise the economic and social situation and to facilitate the transition towards a 
medium and long term development strategy”. 

This  definition  recognises  a  gap  or  “grey  zone”  between  humanitarian  assistance, 
rehabilitation  and  development.  Implementation  of  the  LRRD  concept  has  been  rather 
disappointing so far, particularly because of the nature of the humanitarian and development 
instruments, and the timing and forms of their application.  

Of particular concern is the food security policy response in situations of protracted crises. It 
is now estimated that 50 million people worldwide live in an area affected by protracted crises 
lasting for five years or more (e.g. Sudan). The term applies most often where vulnerability is 
associated with violent conflict or political instability. Moreover, in more recent times, it has 
been linked to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which has a disastrous impact on economies already 
weakened by governance failure and periodic economic and natural shocks.  

In  the  context  of  transition,  a  number  of  different  scenarios  justify  thematic,  rather  than 
geographical, assistance. These may be grouped into three broad categories:  

•  Situations and countries in which it may be difficult to agree on Food Security actions with 
partner governments owing to alternative priorities. For example, food insecurity may be 
concentrated in particular areas (out of state control) or among particular groups (Internally 
Displaced People). 

•  Countries in which cooperation has been suspended or no cooperation framework (CSP) is 
in place. The absence of a functioning state means an increased role for civil society and 
multilateral organisations to intervene effectively (e.g. Somalia). 

•  “Forgotten  crises”  in  which  cooperation  with  national  governments  may  be  difficult  to 

establish through geographical instruments. 

8 
9 

This concept covers difficult partnerships and crisis/post-crisis situations.  
COM(2001) 153. 

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In all cases EC aid responds to the needs of the most vulnerable and acts as an entry point for 
more systematic policy dialogue and longer-term cooperation arrangements.  

In  target  countries,  the  programme  will  provide an  instrument  to  ensure,  during  a  transition 
period,  the  follow-up  of  activities  financed  under  the  humanitarian  instrument  before  the 
phasing-in of long-term food security activities under geographical development programmes. 
In this transition period, the Programme will ensure that food security is properly and timely 
addressed.  

Similarly, in the event of a food crisis involving several countries in a region (e.g. as in 2005 
in  Western  Africa),  a  regional  response  is  required  to  complement  national  actions  (e.g.  on 
early warning systems, regional food markets, etc.). In such an event, resources may not be 
available in the Regional Indicative Programme and the FS TP could, if required, bridge the 
gap between the emergency and the development response.  

The  need  to  devise  effective  criteria  for  phasing-in  and  phasing-out  different  instruments 
raises the question of how to assess short-term needs (life saving situation) and longer-term 
needs (life protecting) and identify the right stakeholders. In situations of state failure, the role 
of  local  stakeholders,  their  communities  and  organisations  as  partners  becomes  even  more 
essential. 

To respond to the above challenges in exceptional situations, the Programme will: 

•  establish LRRD country strategies, with a specific focus on food security. Work at the 
Commission level will be steered by a standing LRRD Commission inter-service working 
group who will review the rolling programme and oversee implementation. LRRD requires 
flexibility and fast resource allocation. This may mean adapting the timeframe of aid, the 
financing procedures, the choice of instruments, beneficiaries and implementing partners.  

•  Improve  phasing-in  and  phasing-out  by:  (i)  supporting  Food  Security  information  (see 
component  1);  (ii)  adopting  innovative  approaches  (see  component  3)  such  as  the 
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IFSPC) tool developed by the Somalia Food 
Security  Assessment  Unit;  (iii)  working  jointly  with  the  Humanitarian  Aid  Instrument  in 
order  to  improve  criteria  and  introduce  them  as  of  the  planning  of  the  relief  phase,  on  a 
international 
case  by  case  basis;  (iv)  promoting  effective  coordination  among 
organisations,  national  and  local  governments,  civil  society  and  beneficiaries;  and  (v) 
raising awareness of the LRRD approach. 

As  indicated  earlier,  a  tough  challenge  in  addressing  food  insecurity  is  how  to  overcome 
crises  in  countries  marked  by  conflict  and  political  instability  where  phases  of  transition  do 
not follow the linear LRRD approach but often overlap. Examples of countries in protracted10 

10 

Protracted  crises  can  be  defined  as  ‘situations  in  which  large  sections  of  the  population  face  acute 
threats to life and livelihoods over an extended period, with the state and other governance institutions 
failing to provide adequate levels of protection or support’. The term has been applied most often where 
vulnerability is associated with violent conflict or political instability. Moreover, it has been linked to 
the impact of the HIV/Aids pandemic, which has a disastrous impact on economies already weakened 
by governance failure and periodic economic and natural shocks.  

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and complex crisis11 include DRC, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, West Bank and 
Gaza.  

Furthermore,  in  the  event  of  a  food  crisis involving  several  countries  in  a  region  a  regional 
response is required to complement national actions (e.g. on early warning systems, regional 
food markets, etc.). In such an event resources may not be available in the Regional Indicative 
Programme and the FS TP could, if required, bridge the gap between the emergency and the 
development response.  

In devising concrete action for this component, the Programme will prioritise, inter alia, the 
following: 

•  On targeting (who): vulnerability assessment will focus on the most affected communities 
and  vulnerable  groups  with  lower  resilience  to  shocks,  and  will  be  careful  to  avoid  any 
discrimination that might lead to conflict (see details in chapter 5 on beneficiaries). 

•  On  aid  (what):  very  often  the  relief  approach  is  protracted  by  the  delivery  of 
unconditional  transfers  of  food  aid  and  handouts,  while  protection  and  recovery  of 
productive and social assets vital for food security is neglected. Investments are crucial to 
allow  economic  integration  and  longer-term  recovery.  Concrete  examples  of  aid  are:  the 
rehabilitation  of  local  infrastructure  combined  with  productive  and  social  safety  nets, 
improved  availability/access  to  agricultural  inputs,  non-agricultural  income  generating 
activities,  etc.,  addressing  vulnerability  to  shocks  and  strengthening  people’s  resilience 
through support for crisis prevention and management. 

•  On  tools  and  approaches  (how):  in  line  with  the  EC  FS  policy,  operations  will  be 
financed primarily with cash to stimulate local production and markets. In the absence of 
functional markets and alternative options, implementing partners may use cash allocations 
to purchase and distribute food. The time frame of the rehabilitation programmes will have 
to  allow  for  a  gradual  consolidation  of  livelihoods  and  institutions  so  as  to  restart  the 
normal  development  processes.  In  this  context  predictability  of  support  is  important. 
Working together with local authorities and communities will be of paramount importance 
to  identifying  the  most  appropriate  types  of  assistance.  The  Programme  will  support  by 
every possible means coordination and harmonisation with other donors’ intervention. 

•  On  partners  (with  whom):  prime  partners  will  be  international  and  local  NGOs,  local 

authorities whenever possible and UN agencies where appropriate. 

3. 

PROMOTING INNOVATIVE POLICIES AND STRATEGIES 

In  order  to  keep  pace  with  evolving  food  security  challenges  at  local,  national  and  regional 
levels,  the  Thematic  Programme  may  support  the  development  and  testing  of  innovative 
sustainable and locally owned policies, strategies, and approaches, as well as dissemination of 

11 

An increasing number of emergencies are related to conflict and have come to be known as "complex 
emergencies".  The  Inter-Agency  Standing  Committee  (IASC)  defines  a  "complex"  emergency  as:  "a 
humanitarian crisis in a country, region or society where there is a total or considerable breakdown of 
authority resulting from internal or external conflict and which requires an international response that 
goes beyond the mandate or capacity of any single agency and/or the ongoing UN country programme". 
(Source FAO (2004), FAO's Emergency Activities: Technical Handbook Series). 

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best  practices  in  the  field  of  food  security.  The  areas  below  have  been  identified  by  the 
Commission  as  possible  fields  for  intervention;  this  list  is  not  exhaustive  and  may  be 
reviewed as needs and situations require. 

•  Pro-poor  growth-orientated  agriculture,  fisheries/aquaculture  and  forestry  with  an 

emphasis on low-cost, locally owned, sustainable solutions 

•  Prevention and preparedness strategies to avert food crises or mitigate its effects 

•  Food  security  and  rural/local  development  (decentralisation,  rural-urban  linkages,  local 
development  and  area-based  management  are  priority  areas  in  the  new  EU  policy 
statement). Stimulation of the local private sector 

•  Sustainable  management  of  and  access  to  natural  resources  (land,  water  and  energy), 
impact of the degradation of natural resources on household and national food security 

•  Urban  and  peri-urban  food  security,  landless  food-insecure  and  income  diversification 

through non-agricultural activities 

•  Nutrition  and the  neglected  issue  of “hidden hunger” (micronutrient deficiencies have an 

enormous impact on the lives of mothers and children in particular) 

•  Demographic, labour issues and migration 

•  Relations  between  key  social  issues  and  food  security  (safety  nets,  the  HIV-AIDS 

pandemic, sanitation, the role of education in fostering food security, etc.) 

•  Gender  equity,  minorities  and  ethnic  groups  usually  targeted  as  extreme  poor  and  food-

vulnerable. 

Through its focus on innovation the Thematic Programme will: 

•  promote and complement actions of civil society stakeholders, who are leading players in 
developing  effective  aid  which  has  the  potential  to  link  relief,  rehabilitation  and 
development; 

•  promote  aid  that  builds  on  people’s  coping  capacities,  their  innovative  solutions  and 

supports methodological work and action aimed at reducing vulnerability; 

•  strengthen  the  capacity  of  the  Community  to  engage  in  effective  policy  dialogue  with 

developing partners and donors; 

•  allow policy-makers to research and plan for new food security challenges that might arise 

in the medium to long term; 

•  enhance  the  potential  for  replication  and  upscaling  of  innovations  and  their  South-South 

dissemination. 

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4. 

BENEFICIARIES 

Being a key instrument to fulfilling food security objectives, the Programme aims to reduce 
food  insecurity  worldwide  and  therefore  will  concern  a  broad  range  of  beneficiaries.  All 
three components of the Programme will be designed and implemented with the ultimate aim 
of improving the livelihoods and food security of the rural and urban poor, especially among 
the most disadvantaged groups.  

In  this  context,  particularly  in  component  2,  food  security  aid  will  target  beneficiaries 
belonging  to  two  broad  disadvantaged  groups:  i)  those  who  are  not  self-reliant  and  need 
temporary  support  (e.g.  safety  nets),  and  ii)  those  who  need  temporary  support  to  graduate 
from  absolute  poverty  and  engage  in  productive activities.  Priority  will  be  broadly  given  to 
the following groups: 

•  Children under the age of 5: In 2005, despite abundant global food supplies, at least 150 
million children under five were suffering from various forms of malnutrition. The results 
of  childhood  malnutrition  leave  a  legacy  of  underweight  children,  stunted  growth, 
susceptibility to infections, as well as other physical and cognitive disabilities.  

•  Communities  with  members  suffering  from  HIV/AIDs  or  other  chronic  illnesses: 
HIV/AIDS  and  other  illnesses  such as malaria and  tuberculosis inflict  a heavy burden of 
care  on  families,  thereby  triggering  food  insecurity.  There  is  often  a  household  trade-off 
between  food  and  health  care  provision,  as  households  deplete  a  limited  asset  base  and 
exhaust  social  networks  of  ‘kin  and  community’  to  provide  care.  When  the  most 
productive worker dies a household often experiences a food gap.  

•  War-affected communities and Internally Displaced People: Aid must target war-affected 
populations  and  provide  assistance  to  internally  displaced  populations,  who  are  often  the 
casualties in a protracted crisis. It must aim at food self-reliance of affected populations. 

•  Women:  The  prevalence  of  food  insecurity  particularly  applies  to  women,  who,  despite 
their  multiple  roles  as  food  producers,  household  managers,  care  givers  and  income 
generators,  continue  to  be  the  most  vulnerable  to  food  insecurity.  This  prioritisation 
complements the support of programmes focusing on children under the age of five.  

•  Food-insecure pastoralists,  small  farmers and fisher  folk: Aid  must  support  these  three 

groups, who are often the extremely poor and most dependent on a limited asset base. 

Landless  and  farm  labourers,  urban  ultra-poor:  These  categories  are  often  neglected,  but 
demographic  pressure,  combined  with  inadequate  and  inequitable  economic  growth,  in  both 
Asia and certain African regions, drives increasing numbers of poor out of agriculture. 

The Programme will target a broad range of intermediate beneficiaries by way of capacity 
building,  including  staff  from  national  and  regional  administrations,  governmental  and  non-
governmental institutions, and private sector institutions, etc. 

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5. 

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS OF THE THEMATIC PROGRAMME  

The Programme is intended to work with a range of different public and non-state actors, at 
global, national and local level. In particular, aid in situations of state failure will rely on local 
stakeholders’ assessments, priorities and own initiatives. 

The EC is taking concrete steps to promote strategic partnerships with UN and multilateral 
agencies  in  areas  which  make  coherent  contributions  to  EC  food  security  programmes. 
Strategic partnerships also support the work of the EC in policy dialogue in the international 
food  security  arena.  Strategic  partnerships  provide  a  means  of  building  upon  the  respective 
comparative  advantages  in  specific  areas,  whilst  also  reinforcing  the  ‘added  value’  of  a 
consistent  approach  amongst  donors.  Recently,  the  Commission  has  signed  memoranda  of 
understanding with the FAO and WFP. Other UN agencies do relevant work in terms of food 
security,  UNICEF,  UNDP,  WHO,  IFAD,  UNRWA,  for  example.  The  CGIAR  group  is  a 
prime partner of the Commission as far as agricultural research is concerned. 

The role of civil society organisations as Programme partners will be of primary importance 
in all components of the programme, as strategic allies in advocacy, as prime partners in the 
design  and  provision  of  aid  in  situations  of  transition  and  instability  and  as  promoters  of 
innovation.  The  programme  will  support  the  capacity  of  Northern  and  Southern  NGOs  to 
engage in policy dialogue on food security. The Programme will foster cooperation between 
NGOs and other non-state actors, and the private and public sector. The role of professional 
associations, trade unions and private institutions will be actively promoted.  

Depending  on  the  specific  situations,  public  stakeholders  could  also  be  partners  of  the 
programme. Local authorities play an important role in fragile states and situations of post-
crisis.  Continental,  regional  and  national  institutions  might  be  associated  with  global 
programmes for the delivery of global public goods, such as research and innovation. There 
could  also  be  scope  for  involving  public  stakeholders  in  the  promotion  of  innovative  food 
security policies and strategies. 

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ANNEX II - PUBLIC CONSULTATION REPORT 

In  a  spirit  of  consultation  and  dialogue,  as  enshrined  in  the  Commission  Communication 
COM(2002)  704,  the  drafting  of  the  Food  Security  Thematic  Programme  involved  the 
participation  of  both  Commission  departments  and  a  wide  range  of  stakeholders  and  civil 
society organisations. 

Using  an  issues  paper  for  the  purposes  of  the  consultation  process  was  chosen  in  order  to 
facilitate a truly participatory consultation process. First of all, the paper was prepared on the 
back  of  literature  made  available  by  specialised  agencies  in  food  security,  informal 
discussions and a critical review by the Commission departments concerned. The issues paper 
was  sent  to  50  Delegations  in  countries  where  food  insecurity  prevails.  It  was  circulated  to 
policy departments of specialised agencies, such as IFPRI (CGIAR), FAO and WFP, as well 
as,  informally,  to  EU  Member  States.  The  paper  was  published  on  the  Europa  website  for 
general public information. It was also discussed at meetings with two NGO networks, the EU 
Food  Security  Group  of  CONCORD  and  the  International  Food  Security  Network,  which 
facilitates the work of local NGOs in 12 food-insecure countries.  

Feedback  from  the  consultation,  which  was  generally  very  positive  on  the  pertinence  and 
substance  of  the  Thematic  Programme,  provided  interesting  material  for  the  drafting  of  the 
Communication. 

In  particular,  Delegations  underlined  the  need  to  ensure  flexibility  and  rapid  procedures  for 
the implementation of the Programme, together with greater coordination/synergy among the 
different  cooperation  instruments, be they geographical or thematic (other budget lines) and 
particularly relief. 

Specialised  agencies  provided  valuable  inputs  both  on  policy  and  methodological  issues, 
according  to  their  main  areas  of  competence. FAO  highlighted  the  importance  of  continued 
investment  to  develop  capacities  and  food  security  information  systems  while  applying  a 
strategy combining short and long-term approaches. WFP focused on the second component 
of  the  Thematic  Programme,  situations  of  transition,  and  elaborated  on  the  phasing-
in/phasing-out of relief and the need for a good mix of assistance for long-term recovery and 
development, supporting community building and local authorities. IFPRI underlined the need 
for  a  broad  approach  to  food  security  by  investing  in  rural  development  and  agriculture, 
without neglecting urban food security, particularly in capacities and technology. 

EU  Member  States  stressed  the  need  for  an  integrated  approach  to  food  security  as  part  of 
poverty  reduction  and  pro-poor  growth,  and  underlined  the  importance  of  good  governance 
and  decentralisation/local  development.  They  emphasised  the  importance  of  not  neglecting 
poor urban dwellers, the landless and the private sector as a partner. 

Civil society organisations warned against procedures that might make the Programme rigid 
and  slow  to  implement,  while  NGOs  stressed  the  importance  of  their  role  not  only  as 
implementing  partners,  but  particularly  in  advocacy  and  policy-making.  The  need  for 
increased  NGO/South-South  and  North-South  cooperation  was  also  highlighted.  NGOs 
provided a number of concrete and interesting inputs for the future programming of the new 
thematic instrument. 

EN 

21 

   EN