Day: February 8, 2023

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director General Qu Dongyu, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank Group (WBG) President David Malpass, World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley and World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala issued the following joint statement calling for continued urgent action to address the global crisis on food and nutrition security.

We offer our deepest sympathies to the people of Türkiye and the neighboring Syrian Arab Republic who have suffered the recent earthquakes. Our organizations are closely monitoring the situation, assessing the magnitude of the disaster, and working to mobilize necessary support in accordance with each organization’s mandates and procedures.

Globally, poverty and food insecurity are both on the rise after decades of development gains. Supply chain disruptions, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, financial tightening through rising interest rates and the Russia’s war in Ukraine have caused an unprecedented shock to the global food system, with the most vulnerable hit the hardest. Food inflation remains high in the world, with dozens of countries experiencing double digit inflation. According to WFP, 349 million people across 79 countries are acutely food insecure.

The prevalence of undernourishment is also on the rise, following three years of deterioration. This situation is expected to worsen, with global food supplies projected to drop to a three-year low in 2022/2023.[1] The need is especially dire in 24 countries that FAO and WFP have identified as hunger hotspots, of which 16 are in Africa.[2] Fertilizer affordability as defined by the ratio between food prices and fertilizer prices[3] is also the lowest since the 2007/2008 food crisis, which is leading to lower food production and impacting smallholder farmers the hardest, worsening the already high local food prices. For example, the reduction in 2022 of the production of rice, for which Africa is the largest importer in the world, coupled with prospects of lower stocks, is of grave concern. In response to the inflation of food, fuel and fertilizer prices, countries have spent over US$710 billion for social protection measures covering 1 billion people, including approximately US$380 billion for subsidies. However, only US$4.3 billion has been spent in low-income countries for social protection measures, compared to US$507.6 billion in high-income countries.[3]

To prevent a worsening of the food and nutrition security crisis, further urgent actions are required to (i) rescue hunger hotspots, (ii) facilitate trade, improve the functioning of markets, and enhance the role of the private sector, and (iii) reform and repurpose harmful subsidies with careful targeting and efficiency. Countries should balance short-term urgent interventions with longer-term resilience efforts as they respond to the crisis.

1. Rescue hunger hotspots

We call on governments and donors to support country-level efforts to address the needs in hotspots, share information and strengthen crisis preparedness. The WFP and FAO need funds urgently to serve the most vulnerable immediately. In 2022, WFP and partners reached a record number of people – more than 140 million – with food and nutrition assistance, based on a record-breaking US$14 billion in contributions, of which US$7.3 billion came from the United States Government alone. WFP sent over US$3 billion in cash-based transfers to people in 72 countries and provided support to school feeding programs in 80 countries, including 15 million children through direct support and more than 90 million children through bolstering government national school feeding programs. FAO has invested US$1 billion to support more than 40 million people in rural areas with time sensitive agricultural interventions. These activities were primarily focused on the 53 countries listed in the Global Report on Food Crises. The WorldBank is providing a US$30 billion food and nutrition security package covering the 15 months from April 2022 to June 2023, including US$12 billion of new projects, which have all been committed ahead of schedule. This also includes US$3.5 billion in new financing for food and nutrition security in hotspots. In addition, the Bank has allocated US$748 million from its US$1 billion Early Response Financing modality of IDA’s Crisis Response Window (CRW) to mostly address needs in hotspots and is mobilizing additional funds for the CRW. Funding for the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) must also be mobilized to provide concessional financing to low-income countries facing balance of payment needs. The IMF’s new Food Shock Window has so far supported Ukraine, Malawi, Guinea and Haiti, while nine countries facing acute food insecurity benefited from IMF financial support through new programs or augmentation of existing ones, with a focus on strengthening social safety nets and policies to help address the impact of the food crisis. The Global Alliance for Food Security (GAFS) is supporting greater crisis preparedness through the development and operationalization of multi-sectoral Food Security Crisis Preparedness Plans across 26 counties, which should be supported by governments and donors. GAFS also continues to monitor the severity of the food crisis and the financing of the global response through the Global Food and Nutrition Security Dashboard. We also welcome efforts by all parties to mobilize more funding for Africa’s agricultural transformation, as noted in the Dakar Declaration[4] and we want to acknowledge the great work done by David Beasley, Executive Director, WFP, during his tenure.

2. Facilitate trade, improve the functioning of markets, and enhance the role of the private sector

Countries should minimize trade distortions, strengthen the provision of public goods, and enable the private sector to contribute meaningfully to improved food security outcomes. We repeat our urgent call for countries to (i) avoid policies such as export restrictions, which can impede access to food for poor consumers in low-income food-importing countries; (ii) support trade facilitation measures, to improve availability of food and fertilizer, (iii) support trade finance initiatives in a transparent and indiscriminatory manner; and (iv) adhere to the commitments made at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference.[5]

While countries have lifted some export bans on wheat and rice, new export restrictions and bans, particularly on vegetables, are hampering availability on global markets. Global food security can be strengthened if governments support both food producers and consumers in a smart and targeted manner, such as by strengthening the provision of public goods in ways that improve farm productivity sustainably. Countries can use e-voucher schemes for fertilizers and avoid large-scale public procurement and subsidized distribution schemes, either on farm inputs or farm products, that crowd out the private sector. The WBG’s US$6 billion IFC Global Food Security Platform supports farmers to access fertilizers and other critical supplies while helping private companies make longer-term investments, focusing on improving the resilience of agri-food systems and fertilizer use efficiency. Countries should follow FAO’s International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers to sustainably manage nutrients for food security.[6]

3. Reform and repurpose harmful subsidies with careful targeting and efficiency

Countries should reform and repurpose general universal subsidies towards temporary, better targeted programs for global food security and sustainable food systems, considering the key aspects of (i) efficiency, (ii) cost and fiscal sustainability, (iii) flexibility, (iv) administrative complexity, (v) equity, and (vi) strengthened resilience and sustainability.

Most of the global social protection response to inflation is in the form of subsidies, half of which are untargeted, inefficient, and costly to already constrained governments. Support should be scaled up for countries to strengthen and deploy comprehensive, actionable and shock responsive social protection strategies. Policies and reforms supported by financing from IMF and the World Bank have focused on the transition from broad-based measures to more targeted approaches. Countries need to re-examine and reform their support to agriculture, which amounted to about US$639 billion per year between 2016 and 2018, and has since been on the rise. Of every dollar spent, only 35 cents end up with farmers.[7] Much of this support incentivizes inefficient use of resources, distorts global markets, or undermines environmental sustainability, public health, and agricultural productivity. Without ignoring the inherent trade-offs associated with large scale policy reforms [10], this funding should be reformed and repurposed in ways that strengthen the resilience and sustainability of the agri-food system, such as the adoption of good agricultural practices, research and innovation (including in fertilizer application efficiency and alternatives to synthetic fertilizers), extension and advisory services, improved infrastructure and logistics, and digital technologies that improve productivity sustainably. The FAO new science and innovation strategy and the agri-food systems technologies and innovations outlook, [11] together with the One CGIAR Initiative, plays a pivotal role across these areas to deliver global benefits of individual country reforms.[8]

Action is already under way to address underlying structural challenges in social protection and in the food and fertilizer markets, but more concerted action across these three key areas is needed to prevent a prolonged crisis. We are committed to working jointly and with impact to support the most vulnerable.

This is the third Joint Statement by the Heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Food Programme, and World Trade Organization on the Global Food and Nutrition Security Crisis.

Source: World Food Programme

Calling for a swift crackdown on infant formula corporations’ exploitative marketing tactics, a leading World Health Organization (WHO) scientist said, in a paper published on Wednesday, that nursing mothers need urgent support.

“This new research highlights the vast economic and political power of the big formula milk companies, as well as serious public policy failures that prevent millions of women from breastfeeding their children,” said Nigel Rollins, one of the authors of a series on the $55 billion-a-year industry and their marketing “playbooks”, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet.

“Actions are needed across different areas of society to better support mothers to breastfeed for as long as they want, alongside efforts to tackle exploitative formula milk marketing once and for all,” he added.

650 million lack ‘maternity protection’

The three-paper series recommends much greater support for breastfeeding within healthcare and social protection systems, including guaranteeing sufficient paid maternity leave.

Currently, around 650 million women lack adequate maternity protections, the papers noted.

Written by a group of doctors and scientists, the series examines how formula marketing tactics undermine breastfeeding and target parents, health professionals and politicians, and how feeding practices, women’s rights and health outcomes, are determined by power imbalances and political and economic structures.

“Breastfeeding is not the sole responsibility of women and requires collective societal approaches that take gender inequities into consideration,” the authors wrote. Indeed, reviews from 2016 to 2021 and country-based case studies indicate that breastfeeding practices can be improved rapidly through multi-level and multi-component interventions.

Dairy lobbyists’ misleading claims

The World Health Assembly has already addressed the decades-long challenge of questionable marketing practices among infant formula producers. In 1981, it developed the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, following an investigative report on Nestle’s targeted marketing in low and middle-income countries in the 1970s.

The new series stated that misleading marketing claims and strategic lobbying from the dairy and formula milk industries add to the challenges parents face.

Such claims as suggesting that formula alleviates fussiness, can help with colic, and prolongs nighttime sleep, are only increasing parents’ anxiety, the papers stated.

Linda Richter, of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and series co-author, said the formula milk industry uses “poor science” to suggest, with little supporting evidence, that their products are “solutions to common infant health and developmental challenges”.

This marketing technique “clearly violates the 1981 Code, which says labels should not idealize the use of formula to sell more product,” she added.

Breastfeeding’s immense benefits

WHO recommends exclusively breastfeeding infants for at least six months. The practice provides immense benefits to babies and young children, from reducing infection risks to lowering rates of obesity and chronic diseases later in life.

However, globally, only around half of newborns are put to the breast within the first hour of life.

Corporations exploit lack of support

At a time when less than half of newborns are breastfed, as per WHO guidelines, the series explains how the industry’s marketing exploits the lack of support for the practice by governments and society.

The tactics also misuse gender politics to sell its products, framing breastfeeding advocacy as a “moralistic judgment” while presenting milk formula as a “convenient and empowering solution” for working mothers, the authors found.

Politicizing breastmilk

Drawing attention to the power of the milk formula industry to influence national political decisions, the series stated that the companies also interfere with international regulatory processes. For instance, the dairy and formula milk industries have established a network of unaccountable trade associations that lobby against policy measures to protect breastfeeding or control the quality of infant formula.

In the face of those pressures on parents, the series’ authors made several recommendations; among them was a need for broader actions across workplaces, healthcare, governments, and communities, to effectively support women who want to breastfeed. They also called for formal recognition of the contribution of women’s unpaid care work to national development.

Set of recommendations

Series co-author Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, of the Yale School of Public Health, highlighted other critical steps.

“Given the immense benefits of breastfeeding to their families and national development, women who wish to breastfeed need to be much better supported so that they can meet their breastfeeding goals,” he said.

“A large expansion in health professional training on breastfeeding, as well as statutory paid maternity leave and other protections are vital.”

Source: United Nations

TRIPOLI, Feb 8 (NNN-LANA) – The Libyan Illegal Immigration Control Department, yesterday said that, Libya plans to reopen all of the closed border crossings.

The announcement was made, after Mohamed al-Khoja, head of the department, paid a visit to the south-western border city of Ghadames, and met with local security officials.

Al-Khoja discussed with the security officials, strengthening security in the area and efforts to fight illegal activities, mainly illegal immigration, according to a statement, issued by the department.

Al-Khoja also visited the Libyan-Algerian border crossing, where he opened the office of the immigration control department, the statement said.

Taking advantage of Libya’s insecurity and chaos, since the fall of late leader, Muammar Gaddafi’s government in 2011, many migrants, mostly Africans, choose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores, from the country.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

Parliament’s presiding officers to inspect SONA venue

Parliament’s Presiding Officers, led by the Speaker of the National Assembly Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Mr Amos Masondo, will today at 3pm inspect the infrastructural readiness of the Cape Town City Hall to host the 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA).

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called a Joint Sitting of the NA and NCOP for tomorrow Thursday, 09 February at 7 pm to deliver the 2023 SONA.

The Cape Town City Hall was declared a Parliamentary precinct from 01 to 23 February 2023, and all rules that apply to a Parliamentary precinct became effective.

Source: Government of South Africa

Gender-Responsive Budgeting Workshop seeks to restructure the way Government looks at financing the gender agenda

The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities held a 2-day workshop on Gender Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing (GRPBMEA) from 6-7 February 2023 in Benoni, Gauteng Province.

The workshop was attended by officials representing the three tiers of government, as well as civil society organisations and academia.

The national workshop, attended by over 500 officials working in planning, monitoring and evaluation, and finance, focussed on the implementation and institutionalisation of the Gender Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Framework (GRPBMEAF), approved by Cabinet in 2019. It is important to note that, as the department, our implementation of the framework covers priorities for women, youth and persons with disabilities (WYPD).

The workshop aimed to reflect, engage, and share progress made and lessons learned towards knowledge improvement and commitment to the institutionalisation and mainstreaming of women, youth and persons with disabilities.

The workshop was themed: “Leaping towards the achievement of the MTSF 2019-2024 target to institutionalise 100% women, youth and persons with disabilities Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing.”

The DWYPD has a critical mandate to regulate the promotion of women empowerment and gender equality, youth development and the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities. The GRPBMEAF is therefore one of a number of tools used by DWYPD to regulate the institutionalisation of mainstreaming of WYPD priorities across the work of government. With this workshop the department sought to encourage and ensure that the broader public service prioritises women, youth, and people with disabilities priorities into all plans and budgets in order to improve the results for women’s empowerment, youth development and realisation of the rights of the persons with disabilities in the country.

The workshop sought to:

• Broaden the status on progress made on the implementation of GRPBMEAF by national departments and provincial departments and related stakeholders is provided;

• Share best practices and relevant knowledge regarding policies, programmes and institutional mechanisms which have successfully advanced WYPD empowerment and equality related matters;

• Strengthen monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the implementation of the GRPBMEAF in support of the prioritisation of the institutionalisation and mainstreaming of WYPD;

• Promote accountability for full implementation of GRPBMEAF as well as strengthened knowledge on WYPD evidence; and

• To discuss the recommendations and interventions for continuous improvement on the process of the implementation of GRPBMEAF and WYPD priorities.

A gender responsive budget is an important mechanism for ensuring greater consistency between economic goals and social commitments. Periodically, DWYPD hosts meetings with national and provincial departments to capacitate departments and track progress on the implementation of the framework. The results are an improved awareness and understanding of the framework as well as an improved response rate on the self-assessment reports by departments to over 50%, which provides a baseline on institutionalising the framework.

What is the Gender-Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Framework?

The Bill of Rights guarantees full and equal enjoyment of all rights by all genders and the protection of people against any form of discrimination. In addition, South Africa is a signatory to a number of international and regional commitments to gender equality and women empowerment, including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1995) and the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development (2012), amongst others. The South African Parliament has passed legislations that further the goals of gender equality, including the Employment Equity Act, 1998, and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, 2000.

South Africa initiated a number of gender responsive budget initiatives since the dawn of democracy in 1994 and was seen as leading both on the continent and globally in developing and implementing Gender Responsive Budgeting methodologies. However, as a country we have since regressed. There is much to learn from these initiatives and the evolving legislative and policy context in South Africa, and how to sustain our gains. The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) developed the Gender Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing (GRPBMEA) Framework that was approved by Cabinet in 2019. The Framework sets out an approach to ensure that the country and government-wide systems explicitly and consistently respond to women’s empowerment and gender equality priorities. The institutionalisation of GRPBMEA is directly linked to gender mainstreaming across the state.

Gender-responsive budgeting initiatives seek to create a direct linkage between social and economic policies through the application of a gender analysis to the formulation and implementation of government budgets. A gender analysis can also demonstrate the ways in which social institutions that are seemingly “gender neutral” do in fact bear and transmit gender biases. Gender budget analyses can be applied to gender specific expenditures, expenditures that promote gender equity within the public service and general or mainstream expenditures.

The achievement of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) requires a greater equal sharing of the allocated financial resources towards programmes and interventions which should equally benefit women and men. This will ensure the achievement of women’s economic, social and political empowerment. In order to achieve this, engagements with relevant stakeholders is crucial to facilitate commitment towards ensuring the inclusion of gender in the budgeting process. As DWYPD coordinate the implementation of the GRPBMEAF, centre of government departments have been central to driving the government wide institutionalisation of the framework, in particular Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) and National Treasury (NT).

Source: Government of South Africa