The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), are organizing a 2 day consultation workshop on December 3rd – 4th 2014, in Johannesburg, South Africa to discuss the opportunity of consolidating efforts of knowledge-sharing and monitoring in the SADC region for improved Food and Nutrition Security and Resilience through Risk Management with the establishment of a NEPAD/SADC Food and Nutrition Security Knowledge-Sharing and Monitoring Platform.

This initiative is envisaged in response to the Malabo Declaration and Implementation strategy (to come), including the Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation Goals 2025 (Assembly/AU/Decl.1(XXIII)), and the CAADP Results Framework (2015-2025) which stipulate the importance of conducting systematic mapping, monitoring and evaluation efforts at regional and country levels and set targets for improving food and nutrition security. It will also support regional mechanisms, such as the implementation of the SADC Food and Nutrition Security Strategy. It will build on on-going efforts to strengthen access to information and capacities of governments and stakeholders for improved informed decision-making within the CAADP framework and the SUN Movement.

Ultimately, this initiative is aiming at (i) improving access to up-to-date and accurate data, including specific nutrition, food security and risk management indicators, as well as information on the different policies, programmes, coordination mechanisms and investments in the area of food and nutrition security across countries, sectors and actors; (ii) providing a support decision and advocacy tool for improved food and nutrition security related policies and investments; (iii) enhancing sharing of knowledge on good practices and cooperation across countries for improving food and nutrition security and resilience building.

Objectives and outputs of the workshop

The consultation workshop goal is to set the stage and discuss the relevance and scope of a NEPAD/SADC Knowledge-Sharing and Monitoring platform for capturing, synthesizing and disseminating relevant information related Food and Nutrition Security, and encouraging exchange of knowledge and expertise across member states in the SADC region.

Specific outputs of the workshop will be:

• Take stock of existing networks and initiatives, their lessons learned and best practices ;
• Elaborate the purpose, the value addition to stakeholders, the functions and the scope of knowledge exchange across countries for enhancing food and nutrition security;
• Explore the possible content (incl. type of data, information and knowledge) of the platform and mechanisms for knowledge exchange ;
• Clarify the roles and responsibilities of different actors in contributing to this initiative and resources required for sustainable operating modalities ;
• Identify next steps (Roadmap) and pilot countries.