Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director, CPD, called for coordination of public food distribution systems and better regional connectivity to ensure food security in South Asia.
He was addressing the South Asia Policy Dialogue on “Regional Cooperation for Strengthening National Food Security Strategies,” held in New Delhi, India on 13-14 August 2013.
As a panellist, Professor Rahman addressed two sessions on “High-level panel on ensuring access to food for all: Food policies to alleviate poverty and hunger, market management and public distribution” and “National food security strategies and pathways to increased regional cooperation.”
Professor Rahman argued that public food distribution systems in SAARC countries should be better integrated with SAARC Food Bank towards more effective food security in the region, and that better regional connectivity could play an important role in ensuring access to food during times of emergency and natural disasters in the region.
From a medium-term perspective, there was a need for more active interaction among experts of the region to address food security concerns and emergency challenges in South Asia. In this connection, he emphasised the need for a shift towards nutritional security in the region.
The policy dialogue was organised by the ESCAP-South and South-West Asia Office based in New Delhi, in partnership with ESCAP headquarters and the ESCAP Centre for Poverty Alleviation through Sustainable Agriculture (CAPSA) based in Bogor, Indonesia.
The event has been convened as part of the United Nations Development Account project entitled “Strengthening regional knowledge networks to promote the effective implementation of the United Nations development agenda and to assess progress”, which ESCAP is implementing in Asia and the Pacific.
The project aims to build on existing networks to create a regional knowledge network of food security experts and policy makers, and to provide a virtual platform that will be available to all to facilitate the sharing of ideas and good practices to enhance food security.
Food security experts from governments, research organisations, regional and international organisations and civil society from the SAARC countries in South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) took part in the dialogue.
To view the concept note, programme details and powerpoint presentations made at the policy dialogue, click here.
