Promoting CARICOM/CARIFORUM Food Security (Project GTFS/RLA/141/ITA) (FAO Trust Fund for Food Security and Food Safety – Government of Italy Contribution) Promoting CARICOM/CARIFORUM Food Security (Project GTFS/RLA/141/ITA) (FAO Trust Fund for Food Security and Food Safety – Government of Italy Contribution) PRESENTATION TO CTA/CFNI/CARDI SEMINAR “INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TOOLS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY PLANS IN THE CARIBBEAN REGION.” Belize, March 14-18, 2005 BY SANDRA PLUMMER FOOD SECURITY SPECIALIST REGIONAL FOOD SECURITY PROJECT

DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT UPDATE OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES INFORMATION NEEDS OF EACH COMPONENT OF PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVED COMMUNICATION

DESCRIPTION OF REGIONAL FOOD PROJECT GENERAL OBJECTIVE To improve food security situation of CARIFORUM Member States both individually and collectively by increasing availability and access to adequate quantities of safe, nutritious foods to food insecure and poor rural communities across the Region. OUTPUTS Strengthened food and nutrition, agriculture and trade and economic and social policy framework Efficient, effective and sustainable water resource-related production system resulting in increasing productivity demonstrated on a pilot basis on farms.

NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES Vertical Activities - Demonstration Farms to improve productivity of selected crops Horizontal Activities - Linking agriculture activities to trade, health and nutrition and community development

VERTICAL ACTIVITIES Increasing output and incomes of small farmers by utilising increased and more efficient irrigation systems to grow more than one crop a year 255 farmers across Region provided with technical assistance, training, irrigation equipment, farm inputs

TRADE COMPONENT Build and strengthen the capacity within agricultural planning and trade policy units in member states for engaging in meaningful trade policy analysis and participating in trade negotiations Training of officials involved in planning and trade policy activities Provision of technical assistance and support in strengthening the trade-related functions within the respective Ministries of Trade and Agriculture.

Trade Component Activities Training Needs Assessment Review of Trade Policy Formulation Process National Training Workshops in Antigua, Dominica and St Kitts on trade policy analysis and agricultural trade negotiations Regional Training Course in “Trade Policy Analysis and Agricultural Trade Agreements” Technical Studies on Sugar (Guyana) and Bananas

Trade Component Activities Support to OECS Collaboration with CRNM Analysing international competitiveness of selected crops (Belize) April-July, national seminars and workshops will be conducted to sensitize and train persons at the national level.

FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENTS Identifies the inter-sectoral linkages among Trade, Agriculture and Health and Nutrition Identifies factors at national, regional, community and household levels which affect food security

FIGURE 1: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSMENT OF FOOD SECURITY: IDENTIFICATION OF VULNERABLE GROUPS AND FACTORS AFFECTING FOOD SECURITY NATIONAL LEVEL REGIONAL LEVEL Policy Planning Socio-Economic Characteristics Health and Nutritional Status  Poverty  Education  Employment (Dependency Ratio)  Access to Water  Public Awareness  Health Indicators  Nutrition Indicators Food Imports Food Production Food Exports  Types of Food  Food Prices  Access to Land (Legislation)  Marketing Intelligence (Data Base)  Farm to Market Roads  Drainage and Irrigation  Access to Credit  Factors affecting Exports Food Production  Access to Land (Leases)  Markets and Marketing Intelligence (Location of Markets)  Farm to Market Roads  Drainage and Irrigation  Access to Credit Food Distribution (Imports and Local) Regional Governance Access to Health Care and Nutritional Status Livelihood Strategies in Region  Issues affecting Livelihood Strategies  Health Facilities  Nutritional Status (Children Under 5)  Livelihood Assets of Vulnerable Groups Policy Planning

Policy Planning COMMUNITY LEVEL HOUSEHOLD LEVEL Community Governance Access to Health Care and Nutritional Status Livelihood Strategies in Community  Issues Affecting Livelihood Strategies  Health Services/Health Programmes  Diseases Present  Nutritional Status of Children Under 5  Food Prices  Type of Employment Food Production Food Distribution (Imports and Local)  Access to L and (Land Disputes and Land Size)  Markets and Marketing Intelligence(Prevention of Gluts)  Access to Credit (Community Arrangements)  Drainage and Irrigation  Transportation Costs for Food Food Availability at Household level (Imports and Local)  Household Food Production  Farm Production  Access to Credit (Ability to Repay)  Access to Land (Length of Lease) Food Accessibility at Household level  Health Status (all members )  Nutritional Status (Under 5)  Household Income and Diet costs  Food Hygiene  Household Consumption and Nutrition Knowledge Policy Planning

INFORMATION NEEDS VERTICAL ACTIVITIES Background Data on water quality, stream flow, well capacity and soil analysis lacking Water Management Aspect of Irrigated farm demonstration not adequately considered by countries Demonstration-farmers and extension officers need to maintain detailed/accurate crop records Poor access and monitoring capability Document requirements between FAO and Member States

INFORMATION NEEDS:TRADE COMPONENT Specific data requirements for Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) Determine objectives and outputs for institutional strengthening activities Cost of Production data for specified commodities Market analysis for specified commodities

INFORMATION NEEDS:FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT Categories of Indicators Food Availability -Production, Imports, Exports, Stocks, Losses, Other Uses -Changes in quantities in markets over time -changes in agriculture production over time -Food Aid over time

INFORMATION NEEDS:FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT Food Accessibility - Socio-economic monitoring of Vulnerable Groups e.g household income, livelihood strategies, access to health care, access to potable water, periods of poverty, state of health, food hygiene, nutritional status

INFORMATION GAPS:EXPERIENCE OF PROJECT Lack of baseline data on farm systems Lack of complete data for trade analysis Lack of complete data for food security assessments

COMMUNICATION NEEDS Operational Level - sharing of information within and between departments - stakeholders such as farmers’ organisations need to be sensitised re trade related issues - improvement in the quality of data collected by Ministries of Agriculture and Health

COMMUNICATIONS NEEDS Policy Making Level - sensitisation of policy-makers to inter-sectoral nature of food security. - strengthening of existing multi- agency, inter-sectoral mechanisms to address food security -utilisation of data to plan

General Public - sensitisation of general public of link between trade reform and food security - public awareness of nutrition requirements COMMUNICATION NEEDS

Establishment of climate of holistic planning and operationalisation of programmes related to food security at all levels of system. Public Awareness on Food Security can serve as push factor COMMUNICATION NEEDS: GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Thank you