Weaving biofortification into the global development agenda:

Regional plans

Prof Sheryl Hendriks

Food Security @ UP

Framework for African Food Security

• To increase resilience at all levels by decreasing food insecurity and linking vulnerable people into opportunities for agricultural growth

Improving resilience –the African agenda

• Improved risk management

• Increased supply of affordable food through increased production and improved market linkages

• Increased economic opportunities for the vulnerable

• Increased quality of diets through diversification of food among the target groups.

FAFS Objective 4

• Increased quality of diets through diversification of food among the target groups.

• While investment in increasing the production of staple foods will have an immediate, significant, impact on the poor, increasing the ability of the poor to access sufficient protein and micronutrients through varied, nutritious diets is necessary to ensure sustainable gains in the battle against poverty, hunger and malnutrition.

Regional push factors – shared vision

• Political endorsement at the highest level

– Policy statement passed by Heads of States

– Setting priorities from national consensus/plans

– Cross-subsidisation benefits

• Policy coercion

– Country plan reviews

– Mutual accountability & M&E

• Incentives

– Nutrition sensitive value chain incentives for private sector investment

– Tax waivers for such products

– Direct contracting

– Ensuring and improving tradability of goods

First things first – information and advocacy

• Regional knowledge platform for scientists

– Peer learning

– Peer support

– Leverage of resources to support programmes

– Knowledge products and policy support

• Regional knowledge platforms for advocacy

– Cross-sectoral discussion

– Civil society discussion targeted at women (clinics, weaning, school feeding)

– Production and consumption change programme ideas

– Public awareness to address preferences and prejudices

Overcoming constraints

• Technical support for registration processes

– common legislation to facilitate approval and movement of produce and establish benchmarks

• Economies of scale for:

– Germ plasm banks

– Seed multiplication & distribution

– Capacity development

– Advocacy and awareness campaigns

– Learning from the biotech debates and resistance

Partnerships?

• CG Centres playing a greater public and coordinating role among players

– advocacy

– Evidence-based analysis of potential and real impacts

• WFP P4P

• Regional DPs and NGOs => Ag Sector Working Group pressure

• SROs => support for NROs

• University Community Engagement

Thank you