Conclusions of the Council of the European Union on food and nutrition security in external assistance

On 28th May 2013, the Council of the European Union met and developed Conclusions on Food and Nutrition Security in external assistance. While referring to the importance of under nutrition, the Conclusions also mention the increasing prevalence of over-nutrition globally and the incidence of diet-related non-communicable diseases. The Conclusion is stressing the importance of a right-based approach towards the realization of the right to adequate food. The council welcomes the different initiatives acting at various geographical levels towards food and nutrition security: Committee on World Food Security, Scaling-Up Nutrition, 2012 New Alliance partnership, Zero Hunger, SHARE and AGIR initiatives.Regarding agriculture, the Conclusion emphasizes the need to support smallholder farmers’ and the need for an environmentally friendly agriculture. It also stresses the importance of the good governance for land tenure and welcomes the adoption of last year’s voluntary guidelines. The volatility of food prices is recognized as a factor of vulnerability for poor people. The Council thus highlights the need to address the root causes of excessive food price volatility. The council insists on the importance of mainstreaming gender equality and empowerment of women. Finally, the Council welcomes the publication of the Final Report of the EU Food Facility.