Food Security presented by: Martin Ohlsen, Country Director, DRC

Keynote 2: Food Security presented by: Martin Ohlsen, Country Director, DRC

---

Food Security defined…

A situation in which all people, at

all times, have physical, social, and

economic access to sufficient, safe

and nutritious food which meets

their dietary needs and food

preferences for an active and

healthy life.

(World Food Summit, 1996)

---

The three columns of food security

food availability,

supplies, markets

household have

access to food

food utilization -

consumption score,

nutrition value

---

Food Security in East Africa

• Vulnerable to recurrent drought, floods,

conflicts and food price fluctuations

• Political trends characterized by

• Interstate tensions

• Resource based conflicts

• Political instability

• Surplus production – weak road infrastructure

causes low market integration.

• Despite some improvements, food security

and chronic malnutrition remains high in the

region

---

As of August 2012, 14.5 million people living in the Horn of

Africa are in need of humanitarian assistance – WFP assists

about 8 million with about 600,000 Mt per year

---

WFP Response Mechanisms

• General Food Distribution or cash and voucher programmes for beneficiaries

to purchase appropriate food from the local market.

• School meals programmes as an effective safety net for vulnerable children.

• Disaster risk reduction interventions through investment into rogrammes that build

resilience, early response capacity of communities to cope with risks and threats and

enhance lives and livelihoods.

• Post harvest handling, commodity management and improved market access

through strategic and targeted investments in market infrastructure, capacity building,

and purchase of food commodities from small farmers (P4P).

• Projects contributing to national and regional food market integration to

including local food procurement and measures that improved national and regional

logistics and transport capacities (port-, road rehabilitation, building of warehouses

and training).

---

Critical Operational Risks

Contextual

Programmatic

Institutional

• Deterioration of relations with

neighboring countries, border

conflicts

• Escalation of ethnic tensions

and internal conflict(s)

• Weak institutional structures

and poor governance;

• Political instability and related

violence;

• Recurring natural disaster.

• Resource constraints

• Inability to access beneficiaries

with needed food assistance

• Poor infrastructure, insufficient

transport capacity, low delivery

rate and insecurity

• Pipeline breaks

• Increased operational costs as a

result of increased fuel prices,

local legislation and road-checks

• Staff safety and security

• Reputational loss

• Reduced trust among key

stakeholders (donors,

governments, partners)

that WFP can deliver

• Inability to fulfil WFP

mandate

---

Asante!