1. REGIONAL DIALOGUE ON
FOOD AND NUTRITION
SECURITY IN THE CARIBBEAN
building governance for
food and nutrition security
ANTONIETA SURAWSKI
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
AUGUST 1 and 2, 2013

2.  Why is FAO talking about
governance?
 What is FAO’s commitment to
governance?
 What is governance for FAO?
 How does FAO approach governance?
 What is FAO’s experience in building
governance?

3. 1. WHY IS FAO TALKING ABOUT
GOVERNANCE?
 Background and context
 Commitments and resources: something
is not working
 Recognition of political and social factors
to achieve FNS
 Focus on governance and human rights
approach

4. 2.a WHAT IS FAO’S COMMITMENT
TO GOVERNANCE?
 FAO has reformulated its vision through five new strategic
objectives, all of which address governance at the sectoral
level or from an FNS approach
 The first strategic objective is to “contribute to the
eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition”
with focus on improving governance for FNS
◦ Political commitment of countries through PFH
formed, strengthened and articulated with civil society
(legislation, work at supranational level)
◦ Development of FNS initiatives through regional integration bodies
(CARICOM, UNASUR, SICA, CAN) in articulation with CELAC and
CFS
◦ Countries are better prepared to address the intersectoral nature of
FNS through alliances, partnerships and south-south cooperation

5. 2.a WHAT IS FAO’S COMMITMENT
TO GOVERNANCE?
 Restructured Committee on Food Security
 Theoretical and operational development
of Right to Food and its realization
 Resources are being oriented to working
with countries in governance and political
issues around FNS; to promote the
participation of civil society and different
stakeholder groups in FNS processes

6. 3.a WHAT IS GOVERNANCE
FOR FAO?
 What are governance issues?
 Governance at the
national, regional, global levels
 Evolution of the concept of governance
- Governance for FNS refers to “formal and informal
rules, organizations, and processes through which
public and private actors articulate their interests
and make and implement decisions at the
local, national, regional, global levels”

7. 3.b WHAT IS GOVERNANCE
FOR FAO?
 Sector level governance and governance
for FNS
◦ Refinement of the concept at the sector level
◦ Sector governance is required for FNS
governance
 Governance and human rights
◦ development objective or process
◦ Normative vs action-guiding tool

8. 4.a HOW DOES FAO APPROACH
GOVERNANCE?
 No one model of governance
 No one operational definition
BUT we still need
 An analytical framework for understanding
the context, give guidance to
diagnose, assess, monitor governance for
FNS in a specific country context

9. 4.b HOW DOES FAO APPROACH
GOVERNANCE?
 Do not look for an ideal state of
governance
FOCUS ON CONTEXT:
 Understand current reality of governance
for food security (gaps, opportunities)
 Identify and analyze actors/ interests

11. 4.d HOW DOES FAO APPROACH
GOVERNANCE?
 Governance matters….but the main goal is to improve
food and nutrition security
 Cross cutting dimensions or principles should be
defined/qualified by each country and put in
perspective
 Lack of evidence on which governance
principles/dimensions lead to better FNS outcomes
IN WHICH GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLE SHOULD
WE INVEST?

12. 4.e HOW DOES FAO APPROACH
GOVERNANCE?
 Learn from analytical work which
principles lead to increased food security
 Go from anecdotal evidence to solid
knowledge
 Get a feel for the weight of governance
principles

13. 5.a WHAT IS FAO’S EXPERIENCE
IN BUILDING GOVERNANCE?
 Hunger-Free Latin America and the
Caribbean Initiative
A common goal for the countries in the
region
Reaffirmed at the FAO Regional
Conference in 2012
Regional outcomes relate to political and
social aspects of FNS

14. 5.b WHAT IS FAO’S EXPERIENCE
IN BUILDING GOVERNANCE?
 What does the HFLAC Initiative pursue?
 Countries to reaffirm their political commitment to
eradicate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition
Parliamentary Front Against Hunger for legal frameworks
and budget allocation
FPH consolidated in the framework of supranational
parliamentary structures (PARLATINO)
 Stronger dialogue between
governments, parliamentarians, civil society, dev.
Partners
 Countries improve institutions, strategies and
programmes to address the intersectoral nature of
FNS through alliances and partnerships

15. AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORTH
TOWARDS FOOD AND NUTRITION
SECURITY IN THE CARIBBEAN
 The Caribbean region and Member States have
made a commitment to improve FNS
 Regional FNS Policy and Action Plan based on RtoF
 National policies and action plans
 FAO is committed to addressing political and
social aspects of FNS through its renewed vision
and goals – focus on governance
 Experience in strengthening governance in the
rest of the LAC region: lessons to share and
knowledge to build upon

16. AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORTH
TOWARDS FOOD AND NUTRITION
SECURITY IN THE CARIBBEAN
ALL OF YOU ARE HERE TOGETHER!!!
THANK YOU