Water and Energy in Food Security

WWD2014 - Panel Discussions: Post 2015 Agenda - Water and Energy in partnership for Sustainable Development

APRC/14/10

32nd FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

Food Security

• Food security exists when all people at all times have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

• The four pillars of food security are availability, access, utilization and stability.

32nd FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

A new perpective on the question

• Two transitions:– structural transformation of agriculture

– transition to sustainable agriculture

• Farmers have the same aspirations as we do.

• Structural transformation as a threat.

• Sustainability and equity

32nd FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

The effect of transition towards sustainability on incomes is uncertain

• Sustainable Production Intensification (SPI) a key FAO approach towards sustainable farming systems.

• SPI is meant to result in improved, more sustainable livelihoods.

• Their overall effect on farmers’ incomes is uncertain.

32nd FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

SPI technologies and labour

• Increased reliance on off-farm work, rural migration result in rural labour scarcity

• SPI that supports agricultural labour productivity growth and competitive earnings?

• Inclusive, greener, more efficient food chains

• Agricultural employment still dominant in developing countries

• low earnings from labour

32nd FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

SPI and economies of scale

• Staples will still be the bulk of agricultural production The ‘farm income question’

• Countries have adopted policies addressing that question

• Strengthened cooperation among farmers

32nd FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

Exit strategies will facilitate transition to SPI

• Rural populations need better opportunities for employment outside agricultural production

• Avoid disruptions in livelihoods - balancing exit rate from agriculture and the absorptive capacity of the economy

• Territorial approaches for multi-sectoral strategies

32nd FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

Conclusions

• A green growth agenda supports the aspirations of farming and communities to control their future

• This is not sufficient to address structural issues that make a future in agriculture a questionable proposition

• A successful transition to SPI will depend on:

– Sustainable but labour-saving technologies

– Forms of land consolidation

– Successful exit strategies for many

32nd FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

• Managing transitions involves a number of policy dilemma and difficulties:

– changing policies that support farmers’ incomes in the short term but perpetuate rural poverty with negative impacts

• Member countries need to initiate a broad-based policy dialogue:

• Long-term future and evolution of agriculture and farming

• Prospects for rural development outside of agriculture;

• Sustainable farming system that procure much higher incomes

• Distribution of costs and benefits of the transition to sustainability

• Non-distortive measures to address income gaps

32nd FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

• There is a need to broaden discussions beyond agriculture and natural resources

• FAO has been partnering with ESCAP on Economic, Food and Water Security:

– WWF6

– APWS2

32nd FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

The Water-Energy-Food Nexus is a fruitfulentry point in the region

32nd FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific