Handbook for defining and setting up a Food Security Information and Early Warning System (FSIEWS).

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Contributor:

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Series:

FAO agricultural policy and economic development series ; 6.

FAO agricultural policy and economic development series, 1020-6531 ; 6

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Food supply.

Famines--Prevention.

Famines.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (135 pages)

Place of Publication:

Rome ; [Great Britain] : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2001.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The World Food Summit, held in Rome in November 1996, recognised the urgent need for better information. As a result the FIVIMS (Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping System) initiative was launched, as a co-operative venture, to assist countries and the international community to identify the "who, where and why" of food insecurity. Even before the Summit, many countries had established approaches for this purpose based on multidisciplinary networks, at national and local levels. One of these approaches, developed first in French-speaking Africa, is the FSIEWS method (Food Security Information and Early Warning System) proposed in this handbook as one of the tools available to those engaged in the fight against hunger. This contribution to the FIVIMS initiative is addressed to the national technical officers at central and decentralised level, as well as to their collaborators from the technical assistance community.

Contents:

Intro

PART ONE

PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS

1. INTRODUCTION

Historic Background to Food Security Information Systems

Advantages of the FSIEWS Approach

Technical Aspects of the Methodology

Definition of Food Security

2. THE CONCEPT OF FORECASTING AND STEERING

3. EXISTING FOOD SECURITY MONITORING SYSTEMS

3.1 Description of Existing Systems

Institutions

3.1.2 Market Information System€(MIS)

Tools

3.1.3 Monitoring Vulnerable Groups (MVG)

3.1.4 Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (FNSS)

3.1.5 Other existing monitoring systems that may be used in food security

3.2 Constraints of the Systems

3.2.1 Poor organization

3.2.3 Functional constraints

3.3 Recent Changes in the Socio-Economic Context

4. CRISIS MANAGEMENT

5. THE FRAMEWORK OF A FSIEWS

PART TWO

STAGES IN DEFINING AND SETTING UP A FSIEWS

CHAPTER I

STAGE ONE: BASIC STUDY OF FOOD SECURITY

1. ESTABLISHING THE BASIC ENERGY REQUIREMENTS

The Commodity Chain Approach

Brief Outline of a Commodity Chain

Limitations of the Commodity Chain Approach

6. SYNTHESIS OF THE BASIC STUDY

CHAPTER II

STAGE TWO: DETAILED ANALYSIS OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION

5.1 Food Aid

5.1.2 Information on managing food-aid stocks

5.1.3 Information regarding the distribution of food aid and assistance

5.2 Population Movements

CHAPTER III

STAGE THREE: HOW TO IMPROVE EXISTING INFORMATION

1. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION MONITORING AND HARVEST FORECASTS

1.1 Data

1.2 Data Analysis

1.3 Constraints

1.4 Improving Existing Systems and Monitoring Production

1.4.1 At organizational level

1.4.2 At the technical level

1.4.3 Monitoring animal production and fishery products

2. MARKET INFORMATION SYSTEMS, STOCKS AND MARKETING42.

2.1 The Institutional Structure of an MIS

2.2 Data

Monitoring markets

The storage of products

Imports and exports

2.3 Data Analysis and Dissemination of Information

2.4 Principal Constraints of an MIS

3. VULNERABLE GROUPS MONITORING SYSTEM

3.1 Defining Vulnerable Groups, or at Risk to Food Insecurity

3.2 Data

3.2.1 Monitoring poverty

3.2.2 Monitoring physical access to supplies

3.2.3 Monitoring coping strategies

3.3 Monitoring Vulnerability during Food Crises

4. FOOD AND NUTRITION SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

4.1 The Institutional Framework and Setting Up an FNSS

4.2 Data

4.3 Data Processing

4.4 FNSS in Crisis Management

5. MONITORING DIRECT FOOD AID AND ASSISTANCE

5.1 Monitoring Aid

5.2 Setting Up a Monitoring System in Emergency Situations

CHAPTER IV

STAGE FOUR: SETTING UP THE FOOD SECURITY INFORMATION AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

1. SURVEY OF FOOD SECURITY INFORMATION USERS

2. SUGGESTED INDICATORS FOR THE DATABASES AND CONTROL PANEL

3. A PLAN FOR THE FLOW OF DATA AND ITS MANAGEMENT

4. PROPOSED INSTITUTIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MONITORING FOOD SECURITY AND MANAGING EMERGENCIES

5. VALIDATION OF INDICATORS AND THE TYPE AND FORMAT OF INFORMATION TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO USERS (ORGANIZING THE NATIONAL WORKSHOP)

CHAPTER V

STAGE FIVE: STEPS TO THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF A FSIEWS

3. ESTABLISHING AGREEMENT PROTOCOLS WITH INFORMATION PROVIDERS

4. GRADUAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE DATABASE AND CONTROL PANEL

5. MAPPING AND OTHER SOFTWARE

6. ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY COMMITTEE PERMANENT SECRETARIAT

7. BULLETINS, RADIO OR TELEVISION BROADCASTS, UPDATES, ETC.

8. REGULAR SUPERVISION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE FSIEWS BY THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY COMMITTEE

9. ADAPTING THE FSIEWS TO SPECIFIC NATIONAL CONTEXTS (EXAMPLE OF MOZAMBIQUE).

PART THREE

SUSTAINABILITY: THE LONG-TERM VIEW

1. REGULAR UPDATING AND EVOLUTION OF THE SYSTEM

2. EVALUATION OF THE SYSTEM

3. NATIONAL FSIEWS IN A REGIONAL (INTERSTATE) CONTEXT

4. DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES

5. THE ROLE OF THE FSIEWS IN THE FIVIMS INITIATIVE

6. INTERACTION WITH THE GIEWS.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references.