The formulation of a Regional Policy for Food and Nutrition Security (RPFNS) in the Caribbean bodes well for the region, economist James Tefft of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said recently.
The FAO has been supporting Caricom towards the implementation of the policy.
Speaking to Stabroek News at the Princess Hotel where a workshop for the formulation of the policy was held recently, Tefft said he views the role of regional bodies such as Caricom in addressing food and security issues as important. He said the implementation of the RPFNS is a concerted effort by the Caribbean Community, noting that it is important to get beyond the talk; how to move forward while establishing partners and alliances.
According to Tefft, it is also important to bridge the gap between work ongoing in countries to ensure food and nutrition security and the political underpinnings of such work. According to him, if the relevant stakeholders while considering the way forward, especially in terms of the political framework, do not consider the aforementioned, there would be have another document left lying.
Tefft said that existing policies within the Caribbean are good for the region as Caricom attempts to implement a RPFNS noting that initiatives such as the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) are part of a ‘spider web’ which needs to be tied together to move things forward.
Tefft said he has worked with the FAO in parts of Sub Saharan Arica and when questioned on whether there are similar policies to the food policy being established here, he said there are regional organizations like Caricom with similar agendas which have made food and nutrition policies there successful.
He said the idea is to have a strategy within the Caribbean region which can be adopted by Caricom member states. Based on such a strategy member states could contribute politically towards its development while gaining partners as well as donors as the policies are implemented.
Tefft said the recent meeting was a move in the right direction as the forum addressed several constraints within the Jagdeo Initiative, to better establish what needed to be done at the national level. The Caricom Secretariat considers the formulation and implementation of the RPFNS as an important complementary and operational tool to assist member states and the community in achieving food and nutrition security.
At the two-day workshop, stakeholders of the public and private sectors as well as donors and development organizations gathered to share knowledge, experience and opinions on the salient food security issues facing the region, identify the priority problems and constraints, contribute to forming a common understanding on food security targets, as well as to outline a course of action and calendar to formulate, garner support for and approve, fund and implement the RPFNS.
The outcomes of the workshop will be developed to add to a detailed agenda and operational plan to complete the policy formulation process.
