21 October 2011: The 37th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) considered updates on global and regional initiatives, held policy roundtables, and discussed global coordination and support for national processes.

The Committee met from 16-21 October 2011, at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy.

On global and regional initiatives and linkages, discussions were held on: coordination with the G20, L’Aquila Food Security Initiative; the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR); and the Report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.

Roundtables focused on: increasing food security and smallholder-sensitive investment in agriculture; gender, food security and nutrition; and food price volatility. On global coordination and support for national processes, the committee considered processes for mapping food security and nutrition actions at the country level; and considered progress on a Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition. During the meeting countries were encouraged to support investment in CGIAR institutions, particularly in relation to their work on climate change, water scarcity and land degradation.

The Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security were not completed in time for consideration by the meeting. [CFS Website]