The United Nations for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (the OCDE) and the UNCDF have collectively launched a common publication entitled « The Adoption of a Territorial Approach in Food Security and Nutritional Policies » during the course of a launch event at the OCDE head quarters on 29 April in Paris last year.

The goal of the event was to discuss the development of the next steps of this common initiative, after the Milan Conference (October 2015) and to explore the possible support for the implementation of the recommendations of the pilot studies. The publication is based on the evidence gathered in case studies conducted in Cambodia, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Peru, in addition to two national diagnoses from Mali and Niger.

The key reasoning behind the adoption of a territorial approach of SAN policies originates from the fact that despite the high economic performance of the countries in the process of development during the last two decades, the inequalities in revenue, as well as geographical disparities, have increased. In addition, the facts demonstrate that food security, poverty and geographical disparities are strongly correlated.

A consensus was reached during the Milan Conference to ensure a more inclusive growth and to realize the sustainable development (ODD) objectives. Specifically, objective 1 : To eliminate poverty in all its forms and throughout the world, and objective 2 : To eliminate hunger, to ensure food security, improve nutrition and to promote sustainable agriculture until 2030.To do this, a paradigm shift in the development of the SAN policies is imposed in order that the territorial approach supplies an appropriate framework for this change.

SAN's territorial approach is based on the combination of three dimensions : Governance, Information and Investments. The collaboration of the UNCDF with the FAO and the OCDE is based on a long-term partnership with Less Developed Countries (LDC) and the role on behalf of the local administrations in the implementation of SAN's national policies on its investment mandate and experience in terms of investments in favor of the SAN are necessary to achieve this approach.
A series of high level sessions on the priority intervention zones, as well as the perspectives of donor funds and partners in development, have enabled the foundations to be laid for this implementation and to paint a global picture of the recommendations for these countries as well as the path to follow in order to implement this approach.

The UNCDF has already implemented this approach in the PMA and has facilitated high-level panel discussions with government representatives (officials) from Niger, Mali and Benin. In addition, before the conference held in Paris, the UNCDF supported the diagnostic of countries and workshops from Niger and Mali, to discuss the limitations which are hindering the implementation of SAN's territorial approach and to identify solutions in order to overcome these obstacles.

The results of the studies and workshops carried out in Mali, Niger, Peru, Colombia, Cambodia, Morocco and Ivory Coast, offer a change in the classic sectorial approach which was descending towards a multi-sectoral approach, and more specifically, in the context of each country. These results highlight the importance of a governmental system, which can perform at several levels. They bring to light that ensuring a sustainable food and nutritional security requires favorable development conditions and the population must receive the means in which to embark on activities that generate revenues.
The most efficient way to achieve this is to adapt interventions that are specific to the local conditions and which highlight the importance of the under-utilized local talents and resources by way of a territorial approach. The results of the study also reveal that governments, multi-lateral agencies and the private sector have a critical role to play.

The panel, which was facilitated by the UNCDF, has underlined and reaffirmed the need to implement SAN's territorial approach to:

1. Improve governance and to facilitate the coordination of local stakeholders in the planning, implementation and the management of public and private investments linked to SAN
2. Reinforce the resilience of the local food systems, by promoting reliable infrastructures economically and socially, as well as investments which prevent soil degradation, and to
3. Promote structural programs using the territorial approach, such as that of the Belgian Survival Fund for food security implemented in the districts of Nioro Nara, in Mali.

In conclusion, the territorial approach can reinforce the food security policies and should concentrate on :

1. the improvement of strategies beyond the agricultural programs ; the promotion of governance systems at several levels to reinforce horizontal and vertical coordination ;
2. the increase of availability of information and indicators at local and regional levels to support the Food and nutritional security policies based on evidence ;
3. the combining of social policies with economic growth policies.

The UNCDF will continue to reinforce its partnerships with West African countries who are interested in the territorial approach, including with the regional level of the the Committee enabling the Inter-States to fight against Drought in the Sahel (CILSS) via the methodology used in the Finance for Food program.

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