The Committee on World Food Security: moving the reform forward

In a context characterized by a large spectrum of international responses to the dramatic 2007-2008 food crisis, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) embarked upon an ambitious reform in October 2009. While recognizing that the CFS reform is an ongoing process not yet fully completed, this policy brief might be used as a contribution in order not to narrow down any evaluation effort of this mechanism and to diversify the types of expectations and outcomes to be evaluated. Drawing attention on the critical issues to ensure the full development of the reform appears necessary while “the Committee is ready for the next step”, according to Gerda Verburg, the new CFS Chair.I n a context characterized by a large spectrum of international responses to the dramatic 2007-2008 food crisis, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) embarked upon an ambitious reform in October 2009. While recognizing that the CFS reform is an ongoing process not yet fully completed, this policy brief might be used as a contribution in order not to narrow down any evaluation effort of this mechanism and to diversify the types of expectations and outcomes to be evaluated. Drawing attention on the critical issues to ensure the full development of the reform appears necessary while " the Committee is ready for the next step " , according to Gerda Ver-burg, the new CFS Chair. Recommendations m Any attempt at evaluating the CFS reform should take into account the diversity of outputs and outcomes it generated. m Defining the criteria and processes in order to prepare the conditions for a proper evaluation of the CFS reform needs to be discussed through a relevant participatory process. m Considering the CFS as a policy formation process will help identifying critical steps where there are margins of progress to move the reform forward. m The role of the HLPE has to be considered as of a strategic nature, in so far as knowledge production ensured in the CFS has a key role to play in advocating for changes in current policies. It is therefore necessary to strengthen HLPE's institutional capacities. m Considering diversity of knowledge systems and approaches rather than focusing on credential diversity in terms of scientific expertise is necessary to promote a more complete coverage of the complex issues studied by the HLPE. m Adjusting CFS guidelines for implementation in national context and monitoring locally the effects of the CFS workstream with specific indicators for each region is key to ensure continued engagement by local civil society organisations. m Capacity building of local civil society organisations is needed in order for them to stay involved in the processes and interact with enough expertise with other larger organisations. Institut du développement durable et des relations internationales 27, rue Saint-Guillaum