The report stresses the importance of linking short-term food security needs and long-term climate adaptation strategies in food security programming.
6 October 2010: The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) have released a report titled “The State of Food Insecurity in the World: Addressing food insecurity in protracted crises.”
The report highlights a FAO project in Haiti on strengthening climate resilience and reducing disaster risk in agriculture to improve food security post-earthquake, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project integrates good practice in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation that identifies and multiplies seeds of high quality, short-cycle crop varieties. It underscores the importance of linking short-term food security needs and long-term climate adaptation strategies in food security programming.
The report highlights: the number of undernourished people has declined but remains unacceptably high; 22 countries are in protracted food crises; improvement of food security requires going beyond short-term responses and protecting people’s livelihoods; the differential impacts of food insecurity on men and women; and the need to consider existing local socioeconomic and institutional arrangements. On national and international responses to crises, the report highlights: the need to increase official development assistance (ODA); humanitarian food assistance; the challenge of addressing social protection in protracted crises; and countries can move out of crises situations through improved governance, involvement of local communities and enhanced donor coordination. [State of Food Insecurity in the World]