Report__ Social protection for food security

A new HLPE publication aims to review evidence and experience, and proposes recommendations for using social protection more effectively to protect and promote food security.

//  Social protection response to food insecurity

Food insecurity refers to both the inability to secure an adequate diet today and the risk of being unable to do so in the future. Social protection is a menu of policy instruments that addresses poverty and vulnerability, through social assistance, social insurance and efforts at social inclusion.

The analysis of the report, published in June by the High-level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE), is framed by the recognition that social protection policies and programmes using a rights based approach is not only morally and legally appropriate but is likely to lead to improved food security outcomes. The appropriate social protection response to chronic poverty-related food insecurity is social assistance linked to 'livelihood promotion' measures that enhance incomes, the publication says.

The report stresses that social protection systems should not be seen as 'deadweight' burdens on fiscal systems. Well-designed social protection interventions are good for growth, in particular, by preventing the depletion of assets and reducing the personal risk of investing for the poor, social protection can be a 'win-win' strategy: pro-poor and pro-growth, it says.

//  Recommendations to policy-makers

• Every country should strive to design and put in place a comprehensive and nationally owned social protection system that contributes to ensuring the realisation of the right to adequate food for all.
• Social protection systems should pursue a 'twin-track' strategy to maximise their positive impacts on food security, by providing essential assistance in the short-term and supporting livelihoods in the long-term.
• Social protection needs to be better designed and implemented to address vulnerability to poverty and hunger, for instance by being accessible on demand to everyone who needs assistance, and by putting contingency financing in place for rapid scaling up when required.
• Social protection for food security should be underpinned by the human rights to food and social protection at every level, from governments signing up to global agreements, to national legislation and programme implementation.
• Since a large proportion of the world's food insecure people earn their living from agriculture, mainly but not only as smallholder farmers, social protection for food security should support agricultural livelihoods directly.

//  High-level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition

As part of the reform of the World Committee on Food Security (CFS), HLPE was established in 2010, for providing credible science and knowledge based advice to underpin policy formulation. The HLPE is directed by a steering committee consisting of 15 internationally recognised experts, appointed by the CFS, in the field of sustainable food and nutrition security. The committee strives to foster synergy between science and public policy and action.

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