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Food Security E-learning course presented at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Innovation Fair

This year’s ECOSOC Innovation fair, running from from 2 to 5 July 2007, showcases the most innovative approaches for combating poverty and hunger. At the fair, The FAO highlighted its successful E-learning activities, including the EC-FAO Food Security Programme's comprehensive Food Security E-learning course.

E-learning: Cost-effective and Efficient

The FAO has turned to E-learning as a cost-effective and efficient way of meeting its member states’ frequent requests for training and strengthening national technical capacity.

Indeed, a much larger number of people can be trained at a fraction of the cost it would take to run a face to face workshop. Furthermore, the courses include a wealth of resources such as brief and practical guidelines, manuals, job aids, free software, etc. that enrich the learning experience.

The E-learning courses are self-paced and busy learners can customize their own “Personal Learning Path”. The courses are available for free both on the internet and on CD-Rom to meet the needs of users in countries with low bandwidth. Last but not least, the E-learning courses have been adapted into face to face training materials which national institutions can use to deliver high-quality training on their own.

FAO E-learning Initiatives

The following E-learning initiatives from FAO were presented at the ECOSOC Innovation Fair:

1. Food Security Information for Action: A series of E-learning courses on the collection, management, analysis, and reporting of food security information.
www.foodsec.org/dl

2. Information Management Resource Kit: A series of E-learning modules to build information management capacity in food security and agricultural agencies, institutions and networks.
www.imarkgroup.org

3. The Right to Adequate Food: A series of E-learning materials to support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food.
www.fao.org/righttofood/kc/dl_en.htm

4. Enhancing Participation in Codex Activities: An e -learning course which explains the organization, management and procedures of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and provides guidance on developing national Codex structures and activities. The course will available at: http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/agns/capacity_tools_
codex_en.asp


About ECOSOC

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations to Member States and the United Nations system. This year’s high-level segment theme is “strengthening efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger, including through the global partnership for development.”

Geneva, July 2007