International cooperation to safeguard global food security
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) was founded in 1945 and is one of the oldest and largest specialised agencies of the United Nations. The objectives of this agency includes, inter alia: global food security, strengthening of agricultural production and rural development as well as promotion of sustainable resource management.
The FAO is one of three United Nations agricultural and food institutions seated in Rome. Alongside the FAO, this includes the WFP (World Food Programme) and IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development). The FAO members currently comprise 194 states and the European Union (EU); two states are associated members (current state: May 2020). For the persid 2020/2021, the regular budget encompasses around USD 1 billion. The German contribution amounts to approx. USD 61 million in this period.
For Germany the FAO is the chief mediator and partner in the fight against hunger and malnutrition around the globe. Germany, as the fourth largest contributor worldwide, strongly supports the FAO in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDG) of the Agenda 2030, notably SDG 2 "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture". This is specifically done by providing policy advice and technical cooperation and by developing standards and guidelines.
In the fight against the current COVID-19 pandemic, the FAO is working closely together with the WHO (World Health Organisation), the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) and other partners in order to prevent and contain the further spread of the pandemic in the context of the "One Health Approach". In this regard, the FAO is paying special attention to protecting supply chains and particularly vulnerable groups.
Since May 2002, the Federal Government has maintained a framework agreement with the FAO on project cooperation with regard to food security. For this purpose, Germany provides the FAO with approx. EUR 10 million of additional funds annually as a voluntary contribution via its Bilateral Trust Fund. With this fund it is intended to support projects that are aimed at improving food security in priority regions.
The Federal Republic of Germany endeavours to ensure that there is an adequate number of German staff members in international organisations. With this objective, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) implements the Associate Professional Officers (APO) Programme to foster young talent on behalf of the Federal Government. Within this programme BMEL sends two to three Associate Professional Officers to the FAO every year to cover BMEL's thematic priority areas.
In June 2019, Dr. Qu Dongyu was elected as new Director-General of the FAO. The former Chinese Deputy Minister of Agriculture succeeded Dr. Graziano da Silva who had headed the FAO since January 2012.
Committee on World Food Security
As the ministry responsible for the FAO and its Committee on Food Security (CFS), the BMEL is committed to embedding the human right to food in all policy processes. Through the BMEL's involvement in specialised sectoral policies, Germany has played a key role in the development of relevant standards and voluntary guidelines within the FAO's field of responsibility, and is committed to implementing these through specific projects. Examples include:
- The Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realisation of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security
- Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT)
- Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (RAI principles)
In addition to government representatives, the CFS also involves multilateral agencies, actors from research and the private sector and civil society in decision-making processes. This provides an opportunity to give decisive impetus to joint approaches to fighting hunger.
In addition to the "Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition", the CSF is currently also drawing up policy recommendations on "Agro-ecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition". Among other things, these products will serve as thematic elements for the World Food Systems Summit scheduled for 2021.
Germany has picked up on the multi-stakeholder approach established in the CFS and set up a Working Group on Global Food Security (AKWE). The AKWE is a joint platform hosted by BMEL and BMZ. Here, policy-makers, non-governmental organisations, the scientific community and the private sector engage in regular expert discussions on current topics related to global food security. The objective of the AKWE's work is to promote exchange, consultation and active cooperation between the various stakeholders in order to implement the human right to adequate food.
