EC regional seminar on food security in Southern and East Africa

This seminar took place in Maputo from the 3rd to the 7th of November 2008. Its main objective was to bring together all EC actors involved in the management of food security programmes in the regions concerned: Delegation staff, technical assistance and Headquarter personnel (EuropeAid, DG DEV, ECHO…)

The specific objectives of the seminar are:

• Review with Delegations the impact of soaring food prices on food security, the EU proposal for a response and constraints;
• Analyse and reflect on the impact of the responses to soaring food prices on the ongoing implementation of the current programming exercise (financing modalities and review of activities) and on mobilisation of new financial resources;
• Analyse how the ’access’ and ’nutrition’ dimensions are taken into account in EC- supported food security strategies and programmes linked principally with the main conclusions and recommendations of the two seminars organised by EuropeAid E6 in Brussels from 15 - 18 April 2008 on the theme: “Entitlement and Access to Food: systems of social transfers to fight extreme poverty” and from 7 to 8 May 2008 on the theme: “Enhancing EC’s contribution to address Maternal and Child Undernutrition and its causes”;
• Review with Delegations the ongoing programming exercise and the implementation of certain aspects of the Food Security Thematic Programme (FSTP): implementation of the components on information systems, innovative approaches, LRRD, strengthening regional and continental capacity to place food security at the centre of regional and continental strategies to fight poverty and other issues ;
• Progress and prospects for ROSA (Reseau Opérationnel de Sécurité Alimentaire).

Participants: in addition to EC staff, external resource persons have been invited, consultants specialising in social transfers or nutrition, and representatives of regional organisations.