Partners and Donors

FAO and the EC

Food security for all is one of the main objectives of the EC’s Development policy, which is based on the following principles:

	promoting Food Security geared to alleviating poverty;
	helping recipient countries improve food production at the regional, national and family level;
	reducing dependence on food aid; and
	increasing nutrition standards.

In order to implement such a policy, the European Commission has been financing a European Programme for food aid and food security since 1996. Foreseen interventions include budget support to Governments, NGO rehabilitation projects and other development projects. The EC programme also allocates grants to UN agencies for free food aid distribution (WFP, UNRWA and ICRC) and to support important food security tools through FAO.

In this context, the EC-FAO partnership in the food security domain has focused on strengthening national food security information systems, while building capacity in food security analysis, food security and nutrition policy formulation, market and trade analysis and policy support, multilateral trade negotiations on agriculture, and other food security-related interventions.

The Joint Research Center (JRC) also collaborates with the Programme on specific activities.