MONETISATION OF PROJECT FOOD AID?

Summary Project (both development and emergency) food aid aims at increasing household food security of selected beneficiary groups, and has for this reason traditionally been provided strictly in kind. Monetization, i.e. sale of food in the local markets and programming of the funds for general sector or balance?of?payment support has traditionally been a prerogative of government?to?government programme food aid. Today, the potential of local food markets as a channel for promoting household food security interventions is being explored, and monetization is recognized as a potential route to more effective targeting. The managerial complexity of project food aid monetization should not be overlooked, nor the absorptive capacity of local markets overestimated; and sight should not be lost of the self?targeting potential of food aid in projects directed to the poorest and most powerless. The traditional project food aid approach therefore remains legitimate. However, it is also costly and thus its scope in number and size of projects therefore limited. If project food aid is to contribute in the future more effectively to targeted household food security, monetization can open up new room for manoeuvre, and project food aid agencies should not shy away from the challenge. Résumé La monétisation des projets d'aide alimentaire Les projets d'aide alimentaire (de développement ou de secours) cherchent à augmenter la sécurité alimentaire au niveau des foyers individuels et au sein de groupes spécialement choisis: c'est pour cette raison que traditionnellement, cette aide a été fournie exclusivement en nature. Classiquement, la monétisation, c?à?d. la vente de cette alimentation dans les marchés locaux et la programmation des fonds ainsi dérivés vers le secteur général ou pour le soutien de la balance des paiements est restée le privilège des programmes d'aide alimentaire accordés par un gouvernement à un autre. Or actuellement, le potentiel des marchés alimentaires locaux en tant que canal pour la promotion des interventions de sécurité alimentaire est en voie d'exploration, et la monétisation est désormais censée être un biais éventuel vers un système de ciblage plus efficace. Il ne faudrait pas oublier non plus la complexité de la monétisation des projects d'aide alimentaire au niveau de la gestion, ni surestimer les capacités d'absorption des marchés locaux; ni faudrait?il perdre de vue le potentiel d'autociblage de l'aide alimentaire dans les projets adressés aux gens les plus pauvres et les plus dépourvus de pouvoir. Ainsi, l'approche traditionnelle des projets d'aide alimentaire est toujours légitime. Toutefois, elle reste pour autant coûteuse et donc ses possibilités en termes du nombre et de l'étendue des projets restent limitées. Si l'on veut qu'à l'avenir, les projets d'aide alimentaire puissent contribuer plus efficacement à la sécurité alimentaire ciblée sur les foyers individuels, la monétisation peut faciliter la gestion, ainsi les agences responsables pour les projets d'aide alimentaire ne devraient pas répugner à poursuivre cette possibilité. Resumen La monetización de los proyectos de ayuda alimentaria Los proyectos de ayuda alimentaria (para desarrollo y emergencia) de la ayuda alimentaria aspiran a incrementar la seguridad del sustento familiar en grupos selectos de beneficiarios, y por esa razón ha sido tradicionalmente provista en especie. La monetización, es decir, la venta de alimentos en los mercados locales y la programación de los fondos a nivel de sector o para apoyo a la balanza de pagos ha sido siempre una prerrogativa de los programas de ayuda alimentaria de gobierno a gobierno. Pero actualmente se está explorando el potencial de los mercados locales como vías para promover seguridad alimentaria familiar, y se está reconociendo la monetización como un medio posiblemente más efectivo. No se debe subestimar la complejidad en el manejo de la monetización de planeamiento, ni tampoco sobrestimar la capacidad de absorción de los mercados locales; no hay que perder de vista el potencial auto?direccional de la ayuda alimentaria en proyectos dirigidos a los mas pobres y desposeídos. El enfoque tradicional de la ayuda alimentaria, por lo tanto, continua siendo legítimo. Sin embargo, es muy costoso, y su alcance en cuanto a número y tamaño de proyectos es limitado. Si el planeamiento de la ayuda alimentaria debe contribuir más efectivamente en el futuro a la seguridad alimentaria enfocada en la familia, entonces la monetización puede abrir nuevos campos de acción, y las agencias de planeamiento no deben rehuir el desafío

COUNTERPART FUNDS AND DEVELOPMENT

Summary Counterpart funds play an important, growing and often controversial role in developing countries. The Bulletin reviews the issues and connects counterpart funds to wider themes in development: poverty targeting, aid conditionality, the management of the budgetary process — and many others. New guidelines are presented. The first priority is to narrow the gap between best and usual practice. Résumé Les fonds de contrepartie et le développement Les fonds de contrepartie jouent un rôle crucial, croissant et de plus en plus souvent, controversé dans les pays en voie de développement. Le Bulletin réexamine les questions de base et tente d'associer les fonds de contrepartie à des thèmes plus larges au sein du développement: comment cibler la pauvreté; la conditionnante de l'aide; la gestion du procédé budgétaire; et ainsi de suite. L'article présente de nouvelles lignes directrices, la priorité absolue étant de réduire l'écart entre la pratique optimale et la pratique d'usage. Resumen Los fondos de contrapartida y el desarrollo Los fondos de contrapartida juegan un rol creciente, importante y a menudo contencioso en los países en vías de desarrollo. El presente Boletín analiza esta cuestión y conecta los fondos de contrapartida con temas de desarrollo más amplios: enfoque anti?pobreza, condicionalidad de ayuda, manejo del proceso presupuestario y muchos otros, para los cuales se presentan nuevas pautas. La prioridad más absoluta es reducir la brecha entre las prácticas en uso y las mejores posibles

Sustainable Agricultural Productivity Growth and Bridging the Gap for Small-Family Farms: Interagency Report to the Mexican G20 Presidency

In 2011, G20 leaders committed to sustainably increase agricultural (production and) productivity (paragraph 43 of the Cannes Declaration). They "agree(d) to further invest in agriculture, in particular in the poorest countries, and bearing in mind the importance of smallholders, through responsible public and private investment," they "decide(d) to invest in research and development of agricultural productivity. Early in 2012 Mexico, as G20 President, invited international organisations to examine practical actions that could be undertaken to sustainably improve agricultural productivity growth, in particular on small family farms. The preparation of this report, co-ordinated by the FAO and the OECD, responds to this request. It is a collaborative undertaking by Bioversity, CGIAR Consortium, FAO, IFAD, IFPRI, IICA, OECD, UNCTAD, Coordination team of UN High Level Task Force on the Food Security Crisis, WFP, World Bank, and WTO. We, the international organisations, are pleased to provide you with this joint report and look forward to continuing collaboration within the G20 framework to further elaborate and, as appropriate, implement the recommendations that it contains

The relevance of market prices for the design of transfer programs in response to food insecurity

This paper focuses on the use of market prices as discriminatory factors for the selection of strategies in response to conditions of food insecurity according to the comparative efficiency of different strategies. A classical production model has been used to define the conditions of relative advantage of different response options and to capture the effect of some contextual variables on such conditions. This type of approach can be quite useful when trying to optimize response strategy through its geographical diversification or adjustment over time. While such analytical approach reflects mainly a static cost-efficiency perspective, it can be sharpened through the partial inclusion of an effectiveness perspective

Governing food and agriculture in a warming world

In order to understand, how, why and whether the trade-offs and tensions around simultaneous implementation of the SDGs are resolved in ways which are both sustainable and equitable requires an appreciation of power relations across multiple scales of governance. We explore the politics and political economy of how the nexus around food-energy and water is being governed through initiatives to promote ‘climate-smart agriculture’ (CSA) as it moves from the global to the local. We combine analysis of how these interrelationships are being governed (and ungoverned) by key global institutions with reflection upon the consequences of this for developing countries that are being targeted by CSA initiatives. In particular, we look at Kenya as a country heavily dependent on agriculture, but also subject to some of the worst effects of climate change, and which has been targeted by a range of bilateral and multilateral donors with their preferred vision of CSA. We draw on strands of literature in global environmental politics (GEPs), political ecology and the political economy of development to make sense of the power dynamics which characterize the multi-scalar politics of how CSA is translated, domesticated and operationalized in practice

Association between wasting and food insecurity among children under five years: findings from Nepal demographic health survey 2016

Background Wasting is a consequence of food insecurity, inappropriate dietary practices, and inadequate caring and feeding practices. The present study assessed association between wasting and household food insecurity among under 5 years old children, along with other socio-demographic characteristics. Methods This study is a secondary analysis of the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016. The survey is cross-sectional in design with use of standardized tools. The sampling frame used is an updated version of the frame from the 2011 National Population and Housing Census. The participants were children under 5 years of age (n = 2414). Logistic regression was carried out to identify the odds of being wasted for children belonging to different levels of food insecure households using odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals. Results The prevalence of wasting increased with the level of food insecurity, from mild (9.4%) to moderate (10.8%) and to severe (11.3%). The highest proportions of wasted children were in Province 2 (14.3%), from rural areas (10.1%), born to mothers with no education (12.4%) and from a richer quintile (11.3%). Children belonging to severe food insecure households had 1.36 (95%CI 0.72–2.57) adjusted odds of being wasted and those belonging to mild food insecure and moderately food insecure households had 0.98 (95%CI 0.64-1.49) and 1.13 (95%CI 0.65–1.97) odds of being wasted respectively. Province 1 (AOR 2.06, 95%CI 1.01–4.19) and Province 2 (AOR 2.45, 95%CI 1.22–4.95) were significantly associated with wasting. Conclusion Considering the increment in childhood wasting as per level of food insecurity, an integrated intervention should be developed in Nepal that, 1. addresses improving knowledge and behavior of community people with respect to diet and nutrition; 2. reduce the problem of food insecurity through agricultural interventions

Of Left-Behind Places and People: Inequality, Labour Migration and Development in India

This paper reviews the relationship between inequality, labour migration and development in India, with a focus on those who are left behind. The paper concentrates on spatial inequalities and inequalities between population groups and argues that these inequalities are creating left-behind places and left-behind populations. It also identifies potential implications of being left behind

Outbreak of Type 2 Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus in Nigeria: Emergence and Widespread Circulation in an Underimmunized Population

Wild poliovirus has remained endemic in northern Nigeria because of low coverage achieved in the routine immunization program and in supplementary immunization activities (SIAs). An outbreak of infection involving 315 cases of type 2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2; >1% divergent from Sabin 2) occurred during July 2005–June 2010, a period when 23 of 34 SIAs used monovalent or bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) lacking Sabin 2. In addition, 21 “pre-VDPV2” (0.5%–1.0% divergent) cases occurred during this period. Both cVDPV and pre-VDPV cases were clinically indistinguishable from cases due to wild poliovirus. The monthly incidence of cases increased sharply in early 2009, as more children aged without trivalent OPV SIAs. Cumulative state incidence of pre-VDPV2/cVDPV2 was correlated with low childhood immunization against poliovirus type 2 assessed by various means. Strengthened routine immunization programs in countries with suboptimal coverage and balanced use of OPV formulations in SIAs are necessary to minimize risks of VDPV emergence and circulation

Assessing the impact of microfinance programming on children: an evaluation from post-tsunami Aceh

This paper presents an evaluation of the long‐term impact of microfinance programmes on Acehnese children during the post‐tsunami recovery. The study, conducted from June to August 2010, examined the impact of microfinance programming six years after the tsunami. The sample consisted of 185 microfinance participants, with a comparison group of 192 individuals who did not participate in microfinance programmes. All respondents were parents, interviewed through a structured survey. The study used four child protection indicators—diet, health, childcare and education—in contrast to traditional repayment rate indicators. The primary results were insignificant with respect to all four child protection indicators, suggesting that, with respect to these indicators, there was no long‐term difference between the impact of microfinance on beneficiaries' children and non‐beneficiaries' children. These findings signify a need for microfinance actors to move beyond traditional indicators of economic success to evaluate the social changes microfinance programmes are presumed to effect