FAO Partnership Strategy Venera Zakirova, Regional Partnership Development Officer. FAO-REU Budapest, 4.12.2013

Why partnership FAO acknowledges that eradicating hunger, malnutrition and poverty is a fight that can only be won by joining forces with different stakeholders. Partnerships make it possible to mobilize the best available knowledge and capacities and provide the most effective services in working toward common goals. "Ending hunger cannot be done by any individual organization alone". FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva

food security is partnership main goal The main objective of the Strategy is to enhance collaboration aimed at further increasing delivery of FAO’s objectives of eliminating food insecurity and reducing poverty. Overarching priority thematic areas for FAO partnerships: food security and protection of human rights, and dignity of farming to support and encourage rural youth, capacity building of food producers, gender equality and women development/empowerment.

What is Partnership The FAO Organization-wide Strategy on partnerships defines as, “...cooperation and collaboration between FAO units and external parties in joint or coordinated action for a common purpose. It involves a relationship where all parties make a contribution to the output and the achievement of the objectives rather than a solely financial relationship”.

Areas of collaboration. CSOs/NGOs, Private sector, Academia play a crucial role in food security and poverty reduction is several areas: from policy dialogue and discussions on substantive matters to programme and project design and implementation.

Areas of collaboration. How. The strategies identify six main areas of collaboration: Policy dialogue. To ensure the involvement of NGOs in policy dialogue on issues related to food and nutrition security Normative activities. To ensure the involvement (participatory approach) of CSOs in the design and implementation of codes of conduct and regulatory frameworks in areas related to FAO’s mandate Knowledge sharing and capacity development. To promote the flow of global knowledge on agriculture and nutrition issues, while also capitalizing on the knowledge CSOs have from grassroots levels and regional contexts Advocacy and Communication. To jointly reach grassroots audiences and support raising their interests and concerns to decision-makers, while also informing public opinion of these issues Joint use of resources. To jointly mobilize and use the wide human, physical and financial resources available at different levels Field programme. To strengthen local capacities and project outreach in a cost-effective manner

WHO ARE THE PARTNERS? Partnerships include main stakeholders: UN agencies, funds and programmes, academia and research institutions, international financial institutions (IFIs) and inter-governmental entities. FAO partners with Governments, Civil society - including both people’s organizations and NGOs, Producers’ organizations and cooperatives, and the private sector.

Food security – is shared goal in partnership Successful partnerships result from different organizations working towards shared goal – food security Partnership activities must be consistent with FAO’s mission and should enhance the effectiveness of its work programme. An important element of the strategies ensures that key stakeholders in the field of food security are identified and involved at global, regional, and country levels in support of FAO's work.

FAO vision In partnership, FAO can more effectively contribute to global efforts to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty, improving food access for the poor and vulnerable by working together with its partners. FAO Vision: A world free from hunger and malnutrition where food and agriculture contribute to improving the living standards of all, especially for the poorest, in economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable manner.

How to partner Mutual Principles a) A partnership is a voluntary association of actors sharing a common interest; based on mutual respect and acknowledgement of each organization’s capacities; built upon the comparative advantage and knowledge of each organization, and not compromising the position, opinions and nature of any of the partners. b) Respect for UN principles, human rights and dignity, gender equality and, in particular, the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security. FAO principles. a) FAO Membership and Governance: FAO is an Organization accountable to its Member States. The nature of the Organization entails agreements and adoption of standards of other UN and intergovernmental bodies. b) Neutral forum: FAO can provide a neutral forum for dialogue and debate. c) Knowledge organization: FAO is a knowledge organization, not a funding institution. In those cases when the Organization funds a CSO, FAO’s rules and regulations apply.

FAO’s five Strategic Objectives. 1. Help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. Why: Still 870 million people still suffer from chronic hunger including 171 mln children under age 5. 2. Make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable. Why: The world’s population is predicted to increase to 9 billion people by 2050 that would require growth in agriculture sector. 3. Reduce rural poverty. Why: Most of the world’s poor live in rural areas. 4. Enable inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. Why: make sure that smallholder farmers and agricultural producers are not excluded from value chain. 5. Increase the resilience of livelihoods from disasters. Why: make sure that people have access to food during disaster or crises.

CSO/NGOs – who are they Civil society organizations (CSOs) are those non-state actors that fit within three main categories: 1) member-based organizations (MBOs); 2) non-governmental organizations (NGOs); a 3) and social movements (SMs) that work in areas related to FAO’s mandate. Member-based organizations (MBO) are locally-based organizations made up of stakeholders (e.g.small farmers, fishers or forest dwellers) who want to work towards a variety of common goals, such as managing common resources, lobbying their Member States on certain issues, or helping to satisfy local needs by providing goods or services. NGOs are formally constituted, legally registered, free from commercial interests, non-profit organizations that provide services, information and expertise, sensitize public opinion, and conduct advocacy activities. Social movements (SM).This category includes platforms, committees, mechanisms, federations and networks of advocacy-based and policy-oriented organizations related to FAO’s mandate on food security and nutrition, which promote claims or rights of specific constituencies (e.g. land-holding farmers, fishers and fish workers, pastoralists and herders, forest dwellers, rural landless workers, urban poor, indigenous peoples).

CSO mechanisms include 1) balanced representation by CSOs that considers 12 constituencies small farmers, landless, agri workers, fishers, pastoralists and herders, forest dwellers, ethnic groups and indigenous people, urban poor, consumers, NGOs, women and youth, 2) geography 3) gender 4) member-based groups such as farmer associations

Private sector. The private sector includes enterprises, companies or businesses, regardless of size, ownership and structure. It covers all sectors of the food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries systems from production to consumption, including associated services: financing, investment, insurance, marketing and trade. Two billion smallholder farmers live and work in the developing world. They are crucial in the fight to reduce poverty and to feed a growing global population.

HOW TO PARTNER Facilitate partnerships for food security and nutrition, agriculture and rural development between governments, development partners, civil society and the private sector. Collaboration may start at the grassroots level in a bottom-up approach that builds on well-established local relationships. One of the roles of governments is to create enabling environments for the CSO/NGOs and Private sector to optimise their role in rural development

How to partner – needs assessment Summary of Kyrgyzstan case study: 1. National platform to provide discussion, advocacy and learning platform, to bring together CSO/NGOs to share their experience, practices, successes, peer-to-peer exchanges and access to policy making processes. 2. Capacity building to CSO/NGOs to address current challenges in food production: technical capacities on new methodologies, up to date knowledge and skills, best practices, knowledge sharing. This could be facilitated through trainings, workshops, conferences. 3. Capacity building on more effective partnership with local/national stakeholders, including governments such as participatory approach, leadership, project proposal development, promotion of community advocacy initiatives, tender participation. This could be facilitated through trainings, workshops, conferences. 4. Enhancement/inclusiveness of CSO/NGOs voice into policy debate through civil society body at national/local governments and parliaments. (Similar bodies exist in Ukraine – Civil society advisory committee at Ministry of Agriculture, Public Chamber in Russia). 5. Analytical center that would provide continuing flow of practical knowledge transmitted to educational programs and vocational trainings, hence providing access to information to most remote groups of agricultural workers, including farmers. 6. Vocational education center that would provide continuing flow of up-to-date knowledge and skills needed for agricultural workers.

Web-links Strategy for Partnerships with Civil Society Organizations, English: http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3443e/i3443e.pdf http://www.fao.org/partnerships/civil-society/ Russian: http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/027/mF999r.pdf The FAO Strategy for partnerships with the private sector http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/028/mg311e.pdf The Principles and Guidelines for cooperation with the private sector . ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/x2215e/x2215e00.pdf