The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and FAO Partners in food security, sustainable development and economic growth The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and FAO Partners in food security, sustainable development and economic growth FAO works closely with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) to achieve shared development goals for improved food security and nutrition, increased agricultural production, disaster risk management and resilience, climate change adaptation, and sustain- able development. To date, the partnership has produced numerous successful joint projects, including several regional initiatives aimed at bolstering family farming, improving resilience to climate change vulnerabilities and natural disasters, and promoting food security through several regional Zero Hunger initiatives. FAO will continue to strengthen its partnership with ACP countries through its ongoing collaboration with Governments and the implementation of its individual Country Programming Frameworks. Key areas of work Family Farming Family and small-scale farming are inextricably linked to world food security by preserving traditional food products while contributing to a balanced diet, safe- guarding the world’s agro-biodiversity, and ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources. In many ACP countries, family farming represents a substantial por- tion of agricultural production—85 percent of farming land in Asia and 62 percent in Africa is used for family farming. When combined with specific policies aimed at social protection and well-being of communities, family farming represents a significant opportunity to boost local economies. FAO has devoted significant time, effort and funding to the promotion of family farming, and continues to work with governments to develop programmes and policies tailored to their specific needs. In addition to naming 2014 the Inter- national Year of Family Farming, FAO has launched regional initiatives dedicated to family farming in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, and the Near East and North Africa. Climate Change Climate change poses a fundamental threat to global Terraced hills used as part of FAO’s Transboundary Agro-ecosystems food security, sustainable development and poverty Management Programme (TAMP) to promote sustainable land eradication. Agriculture, fisheries, forestry and food management and mitigate the effects of climate change in the systems must undergo fundamental transformations Kagera River basin. ©FAO/Giulio Napolitano in order to meet the related challenges of global 2 food security and climate change. Adaptation of the even seconds. Populations around the world are agricultural, forestry and fisheries sectors, with a focus increasingly becoming exposed to natural hazards on improved resilience of production systems and (drought, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, disease the local communities depending upon them, is of epidemics, etc.), man-made crises (socio-economic paramount importance in coping with the expected shocks, conflicts, etc.) and protracted crises changes in climatic conditions. FAO’s work focuses on (complex, prolonged emergencies that combine two adaptation and mitigation of agricultural sectors and or more aspects of the above-mentioned crises). advocates for better management of the synergies and People who rely on agriculture for their livelihoods trade-offs among both. In the African, Caribbean and are often the worst affected when a crisis or a Pacific regions, FAO collaborates with governments disaster strikes, potentially putting their food and and partners to identify innovative technologies and nutrition security at serious risk. FAO is working appropriate practices in subregions for coping with towards increasing the resilience of people and the adverse impacts of climate change, while working their livelihoods to these threats by implementing a to reduce the contribution of agriculture, including resilience strategy based on four pillars: i) enable the livestock, aquaculture and deforestation, to greenhouse environment, ii) watch to safeguard; iii) apply risk gas emissions. and vulnerability; and iv) prepare and respond. The Organization has also launched regional initiatives Resilience centred on building resilience to disasters and crises in Africa’s drylands and building resilience for Natural disasters can destroy lives and wipe out enhanced food security and nutrition in the Near years of development in a matter of hours or East and North Africa. FAO’s response to Tropical Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu Tropical Cyclone Pam struck Vanuatu with devastating force on 13 March 2015. The Category 5 storm brought 250 km/ hour winds, heavy rains and flooding that displaced thousands of people, flattened homes, destroyed critical infrastructure and caused extensive damage to agriculture. These losses have caused immense hardship, especially among the 80 percent of people in Vanuatu who rely on agriculture. In addition to the destruction of crops, existing food and seed stocks have also been destroyed by the cyclone. In all provinces, much of the population will be without local staple food supply from the end of March until at least mid-June, when fast-growing crops can be harvested if replanting starts immediately. Fish trap in Pango, FAO is working with the Vanuatu Food Security and Agriculture Cluster, which Efate, Vanuatu is leading an integrated response by the Government and the international ©Phillip Capper/ Flickr: flissphil community, to restore agricultural production and rebuild people’s livelihoods, as well as to increase the country’s resilience to extreme weather events. In the immediate term, FAO is garnering support to provide assistance for seeds, farming equipment and technical expertise, and working with the Government to get the agriculture sector back on its feet. 2 3 FAO’s work in ACP countries Belize Belize has been a member of FAO since 1983, and Angola FAO currently supports the country in four priority areas: i) sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and FAO collaborates extensively with the Government rural development policies; ii) innovations for food of Angola in several priority areas, including family security and nutrition; iii) national agricultural health, farming, South-South Cooperation and projects food safety and quality standards; iv) and climate that support rural women. The Organization is also change adaptation and risk reduction. Examples of currently providing targeted technical assistance recent activities include assisting the government for the implementation of the Government’s in the formulation of a national extension policy plan of action and roadmap for Africa’s Renewed and national irrigation policy and strategic plan; an Partnership to End Hunger by 2025. In the context input supply project to immediately boost local food of South-South Cooperation, FAO, together with the production as part of the FAO initiative on soaring Brazilian Cooperation, is working with the Ministry food prices; organic vegetable production; improving of Agriculture to establish a national programme for post-harvest storage; a coordinated citrus greening the development of family farming in the short and management programme; and assisting low income medium term, as well as implementing a project to farmers in adopting new sustainable farming systems. strengthen research programmes at the Agricultural FAO is also supporting a local NGO in its assessment Research Institute and the Veterinary Research and response to the illegal logging situation in the Institute. FAO has also been providing targeted Chiquibul Forest—Belize’s most prized forest due to its technical assistance in support of aquaculture—a size and rich reservoir of natural and cultural resources. growing sub-sector in the country with high potential for reducing both food insecurity and poverty. In partnership with the government and Bahamas the international NGO “People in Need”, FAO is The Bahamas has been a member of FAO since 1975, implementing a school feeding project in the province and currently their partnership focuses on three priority of Bie using local agricultural products, with plans areas: i) sustainable management of fisheries resources; to upscale nationally. FAO is also collaborating ii) sustainable forestry management; and iii) enhancing with several government ministries to disseminate agricultural trade. In the Bahamas, the Ministry of the information on nutrition education through both Environment sees the development of the forestry public and private communication channels. sector as a priority for the country. The natural pine forests are an untapped and important natural Antigua and Barbuda resource. Production and use of timber resources would not only make the Bahamas less dependent on imports, In pursuit of its own ambitious hunger eradication it would also retain financial resources in the country goals, Antigua and Barbuda has taken up the Zero and create job opportunities. Relevant legislation has Hunger Challenge which was launched in June 2012 been enacted and administrative arrangements and at the Rio+20 Conference. Pockets of undernutrition, financial commitment put in place to implement a with both stunting and wasting, have been reported forest management programme. FAO is implementing in the child population in Antigua and Barbuda. FAO a technical cooperation project on the island of Abaco is collaborating with the Government of Antigua and to pilot a