Seminars on new EU measures for food security in ACP States

In the present economic and political context, significant changes are taking place in food security issues. Nowadays, emphasis is being placed on developing seamless and sensible links between various food security programmes, including emergency aid and overall development policies. In 1996, the European Union adopted a new community programme with flexible, trans-sectoral tools designed to: ? improve market supply through support to local food production (local purchases, and so-called triangular operations); ? facilitate the access of vulnerable groups to basic food supply, instead of simply providing food; ? create a stable and responsive political and economic climate to encourage long-term food security policies. Between October and December 1997, CTA and the Food Aid and Food Security Unit of the Directorate-General for Development of the European Commission organised a series of three seminars based on this new set of measures. This was done against a background of alarming perspectives, especially with regard to sub-Saharan Africa. The seminars were intended to inform and encourage discussion about the measures with ACP decision-makers (Permanent Secretary level of Ministries of Agriculture, Economic Affairs and Trade) and with representatives of NGOs and regional organisations, all of whom were actively involved in this domain. The four regions of Africa, and the Caribbean, were represented *. Each participant approached the seminars with their own particular experience and vision, and together discussed various sections of the new measures and their tools, such as aid in kind, financial aid, counterpart funding and foreign exchange arrangements. A set of case studies underlined just how diverse (e.g. countries in a critical state, in the process of rehabilitation, and with a high level of food insecurity) and complex situations of food insecurity are, as well as the difficulties of implementing corrective steps. It was recognised that it was the role of the State to create an institutional and economic framework to protect the poorest of the poor. Further, the importance of making national, regional and international policies coherent and complementary was stressed. Participants also emphasised the need for communication and consultation between various partners. * West Africa: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger Central Africa and Caribbean: Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haïti, Madagascar, Rwanda, São Tomé and Principe East Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Uganda, Zimbabwe; Yemen also participated.In the present economic and political context, significant changes are taking place in food security issues. Nowadays, emphasis is being placed on developing seamless and sensible links between various food security programmes, including emergency..