Look, listen and learn: promoting the use of CSOs’ evidence in policies for food security

Look, listen and learn: promoting the use of CSOs’ evidence in policies for food security

Published Jan 2005

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Involving civil society society organisations in food policy making

How can the work done by the many Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Southern Africa be incorporated into policymaking processes around food security? An output of a joint action research project, this series of briefing papers emphasises that CSOs have an important role to play in strengthening policy processes by working in the arena between the household, the private sector and the state to negotiate matters of public concern. In particular, CSOs are in a unique position to present and promote the needs of poor and vulnerable people, whose voices may not otherwise be heard effectively in the policy process. This centres around three related factors. First the political context - the actors and structures and the pressures involved. Second the evidence, including availability, credibility, packaging and promotion. Finally, the links between policy makers and CSOs, which has a lot to do with media, communications and linkages.

Five thematic briefing papers are presented, each indicating how CSOs can contribute and be heard:

  • Policy briefing 1: The role of SADC: One of the challenges for CSOs in engaging with regional food security policy is often their lack of familiarity with the programmes agreed by member governments for implementation by its Secretariat. This policy brief is designed to fill this gap in relation to the Southern African Development Community Secretariat
  • Policy briefing 2: The role of external donors: Discusses the international donors to SADC and their roles. It emphasises that donors work at both the national and regional level to support closer regional integration, and that donors often prefer region–wide programmes as they appear to offer more efficiency in aid programming
  • Policy briefing 3: harmonising seed policies: The SADC Dar es-Salaam Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security requires governments in the region to provide for quality seeds in a timely manner, among other necessary steps to increase production. Improved seed supply will thus ultimately improve the productivity of both farm labour and cultivated land, with direct benefits to household food security. This briefing discusses whether CSOs should add their voice to the case for regional seed trade harmonisation
  • Policy briefing 4: CSOs and the SADC Dar-es-Salaam Declaration: The Dar-es-Salaam Extraordinary Summit Declaration and Plan of Action on Agriculture and Food Security was held in the aftermath of the 2001-03 drought and subsequent food emergencies in several SADC countries. This briefing asks whether, two years on, CSOs need to ask ask whether the Dar-es-Salaam Declaration has made a difference and what else needs to be done to galvanise regional food security efforts
  • Policy briefing 6: reforming maize markets and regional food security: This Policy Brief is intended to encourage greater CSO involvement in the debates around national grain policies and their impacts on food production and marketing. It shows that local evidence on the impact of national maize price and market policies can help to inform what is a very complex issue for most governments confronted with immediate challenges of widespread hunger in their own countries and demands to address long term strategies for the region as a whole

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