Feeding hunger and insecurity

5. The global response to high food prices: what is being done?Monitoring ProgressThe CFA falls largely silent on how the response willbe monitored, advocating for an internal monitoringsystem drawing on the multitude of systems alreadyin place to track malnutrition and food security.Three issues arise (1 and 2 are discussed furtherin section 6):The need for appropriate indicators. Improvedagricultural production, access to markets,trade liberalisation, access to food are all vitalto resolve the global food security crisis, butif the CFA is to focus on vulnerable groups,nutrition must become the principle outcomeindicator of policy success or failure.The need to improve and connect existingmonitoring to the decision-making process.The need for an external monitoring system toensure actors deliver on their promises. HungerAlliance and other bodies see a substantialrole for NGOs in providing the link between theglobal framework and implementation at thelocal level.Effective monitoring will guarantee neither compliance,nor success, but is essential if we are tomake real progress in alleviating this form of poverty.Concrete commitments are required, and thelack of political will remains the greatest impedimentto the eradication of hunger.Participation and OwnershipCompliments must first be given to the HLTF fortheir efforts to make the design of the CFA an inclusiveprocess. However, the CFA will only besuccessful if it ensures an inclusive platform foraccountability, ‘ownership’ and participation at alllevels of planning, implementation and monitoring.To date, policy debate surrounding the CFA hasbeen remarkably lateral, dictated by the UN agenciesand IFIs without significant influence from affectedcountries. In fact, many governments areyet to endorse the Framework. A major pillar ofthe CFA is the push for greater support for smallscalefarmers, though the voice of smallholders isnoticeably absent from the deliberation process.The question remains: will the international communityendorse and establish an enforceable rightto food?The CFA aims to be the catalyst for action byproviding governments, international and regionalagencies and organisations, and civilsociety groups a menu of policies and actionsfrom which to draw appropriate responses.(HLTF 2008:vii)Action Against Hunger remains sceptical, butopen. The CFA provides a high quality, holisticapproach to high and volatile global food prices,outlining what is needed to address both shortand long-term needs. However, a number of ambiguitieswithin the document and the lack of clearleadership and support threaten to undermine theopportunity to effectively tackle malnutrition andfood insecurity in an environment where politicalsupport is waning as the financial crisis continuesto put strain on the economies of donor countries.Hunger must be kept on the agenda; it must begiven priority.5.1.2 The Global Partnership onAgriculture and Food SecurityFirst suggested by France and the UK at the RomeSummit in June 2008, and endorsed by the G8 amonth later, the Global Partnership on Agricultureand Food Security (GPAFS) remains conceptual –a partnership bringing together developing countrygovernments, multilaterals, universities, researchinstitutes, non-governmental organisations, farmers’organisations, civil society organisations, privatefoundations, the private sector and other institutionsto tackle global food security as a unit(FAO/CFS 2008). More will, hopefully, be knownabout the form the GPAFS will take after the highlevelmeeting on “Food Security for All”, in Madrid,scheduled for late January (sometimes referred toas the Madrid Meeting). As it stands, the GlobalPartnership represents a new architecture to com-38ACF International NetworkFeeding Hunger and Insecurity