Plan of Action 2013-2014 Zero Hunger Challenge in Antigua and Barbuda

ZERO HUNGER CHALLENGE ANTIGUA & BARBUDA PROPOSED PLAN OF ACTION 2013-2014 PROPOSED PLAN OF ACTION 2013-2014 ZERO HUNGER CHALLENGE IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA This Plan of Action 2013-2014 has been jointly prepared by the Government of Antigua and Bar buda and collaborating agencies (FAO, IICA, PAHO, PMA, ECLAC), in the framework of the Hunger-Free Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative. The Plan of Action is aligned with the recently approved Food and Nutrition Security Policy for Antigua and Barbuda, and with the National Economic and Social Transformation Plan (NEST), proposing concrete actions towards the eradication of hunger and extreme poverty in the country. 1 ZERO HUNGER CHALLENGE – ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA PLAN OF ACTION 2013 ­‐2014 1. BACKGROUND This document presents the broad elements of a Plan of Action aimed at the elimination of hunger and extreme poverty in Antigua and Barbuda within a period of two (2) years. Table 1 of this document is a summary of the priority actions that have been identified by an Inter Agency Mission that visited the country between November 26 -30, 2012. The proposed actions will be reviewed with the Government and finalized during a follow-up mission. The Hunger-Free Latin American and Caribbean Initiative (HFLACI) is a commitment of the countries in the region to eradicate hunger in the region that originated in the Summit about Hunger held in Guatemala in 2005. It has been supported at several other regional summits held since then. The Zero Hunger Challenge originated at the Rio + 20 Conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012, where the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Governments, international organizations, political and business leaders, civil society, academics and activists to step up efforts to end hunger. He stated that “in a world of plenty, no one –not a single person – should go hungry”. In announcing the Zero Hunger Challenge, the UN Secretary General indicated that Brazil and its “Fome Zero” Program was an inspiration, since it is a proof that societies can beat back hunger. The Zero Hunger Challenge has five objectives: 1. 100% access to adequate food all year round. 2. Zero stunted children less than 2 years, no more malnutrition in pregnancy and early childhood. 3. All food systems are sustainable. 4. 100% growth in smallholder productivity and income. 5. Zero loss or waste of food. 2 Antigua and Barbuda has an upper middle income status and comparatively better economic indicators that some other of its Caribbean neighbours. However, according to the latest report “Status of Food Insecurity in the World 2012”, released in October 2012 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Program (WFP), the prevalence of undernourishment affects 20.5% of its population. This figure is the highest of all Caribbean countries except Haiti. The relative worse position of the country is not a new phenomenon and has been maintained over the years. The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is committed to economic and social reforms and has recently approved a Food and Nutrition Security Policy, a Poverty Reduction Strategy and a National Economic and Social Transformation Plan (NEST) Plan. These policies and plans must now be reflected in concrete actions that would allow the achievement of the intended results. During the Caribbean Week of Agriculture, held in Antigua and Barbuda in October 2012, the Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Latin American and the Caribbean of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Dr. Raul Benitez, and the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Dr. Victor Villalobos, signed a Letter of Intention agreeing to cooperate with the Government in the elimination of hunger and extreme poverty in the country. They would jointly design and implement a set of coordinated, coherent and effective actions for this purpose. This would be in the form of an open program allowing for the inclusion of other actors willing to take part in this effort. The elimination of hunger in Antigua and Barbuda will provide important lessons on how to proceed in other countries. As a follow-up to the Letter of Intention, an Inter-Agency Mission comprised of representatives from FAO, IICA, the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), visited Antigua and Barbuda during the period 26-30 November, 2012 to assess the situation related to hunger and poverty in the country, identify critical problems, and propose priority areas for intervention. A separate document reports the work and meetings of the mission. 3 PROBLEM DEFINITION The most recent situation of hunger and poverty in Antigua and Barbuda can be gleaned from data presented in that Country Poverty Assessment (CPA) Report, which was conducted in 2005/2006. The CPA Report indicates that:  The indigent population was estimated at 5.0 % or 4252 individuals, located in 1384 households, constituting 4.4 percent of the households of the country. The indigence line was estimated at EC$6.71 (US$2.51) per day or EC$2449 (US$917) per annum, and would have provided an adult male equivalent with 2400 kilocalories per day.  18.3% of the population fell below the poverty line, defined as being “unable to meet the basic needs deemed acceptable by the society in which they live”.  Another 10% of the population was estimated to be vulnerable, that is at risk of falling into poverty if there were shocks to the economy. According to the CPA, women, the elderly and children were most affected and the highest levels of poverty were reported in the small rural community of St. Phillips, where no economic activity had replaced sugar cane production. A high rate of poverty was also reported in St. John’s City and St. John’s Rural and was associated with the rural- urban drift and with economic migrants coming into the country. While the CPA report provides some description of vulnerable groups, the identification of vulnerable households that is critical for the success of the efforts to eradicate chronic hunger and poverty is not available. It should be noted that the economy of the country has been negatively impacted by the global economic crisis that started in 2008/2009 and still continues. Food prices have increased, remittances decreased and the decline in tourism had strong negative effects on personal incomes and government revenues. It is assumed that this has reduced the purchasing power of vulnerable households and increased unemployment, poverty and hunger, but no hard data is available. The current level of poverty, food insecurity and vulnerability in the country is not known. 4 In fact, over the past three to four years, Antigua and Barbuda has experienced major economic fallout arising from the global economic crisis which began towards the end of 2008. The crisis led to a strong contraction of the economy with real GDP growth rates falling drastically from a positive rate of 9.08 % in 2008, to -8.50% in 2010, and -5.50% in, 2011 (BMI, 2012). And while there is a projection of a weak recovery of 1.2% in 2012, there is evidence of further challenges, as the euro-zone crisis deepened during the year. The slowdown was as a result of declines in the country’s key economic sectors of tourism, construction and financial services. In the former case, total tourism arrivals fell from 965,431 in 2009, down to 870,240 in 2011, and only rebounded slightly in 2012. The impact on the financial sector was more spectacular with the collapse of Stanford International Bank, concomitant effects from the fall of CL-Financial, the Caribbean’s largest financial conglomerate at the time. The overall impact of the crisis has led to the worsening of key microeconomic indicators with deficits on the fiscal and current account balances, as well as the increases in the public debt, which stood at 83% of GDP in 2012. Undoubtedly these economic conditions had social impacts, such as increasing unemployment and growing levels of poverty. 2. STRATEGIC ANALYSIS The government’s policy response has been to craft a National Poverty Reduction Strategy, within the context of a broader National Economic and Social Transformation (NEST) plan, as well as a National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security. The core policy elements being: • Growth and wealth creation; • Expansion of pro-poor employment and income generating opportunities; • Modernization of social protection system and increasing resilience of the poor; • Improvement in the nutrition and health status of the population; • Good governance and public sector management; • Building of resilience through environmental sustainability. In order, to achieve these goals, there are key strategic elements which need to be undertaken. These include the following: 5 • Stimulating economic growth through expanded trade, particularly in agriculture; • Re-vitalizing the agricultural sector in order to enhance the rural economy, thereby empowering the poor to better access food; • Embark on a tourism sector diversification programme, which strengthens the tourism product, particularly through sector development in Barbuda. • Enhance public education and awareness, so as to better utilize local foods and improve nutrition and health status. • Improving social sector performance through enhancing government capacity to design, implement and monitor coherent social policies and interventions. There is a general consensus and acceptance that the agricultural sector has a major role to play in economic growth and diversification efforts, particularly given the country’s large import bill and the scope to increase domestic agricultural production. As such, the sector was perceived as contributing to the reduction of hunger and poverty as well as to one of the fundamental pillars of food and nutrition security - that associated with economic expansion. However, the development of the agricultural sector would have to be pursued with a new thrust that recognizes the importance of market development through value added processing and where feasible export trade as drivers for the development of the sector. It is also recognized that the structural weaknesses and other challenges facing the sector would have to be addressed if the sector was to be perform this important role. Critical to the analysis is the fact that Antigua and Barbuda, like other Member States of the Caribbean Region, is currently experiencing rapid dietary and epidemiological transitions. In fact, the changing food consumption patterns, linked to the increased reliance on food imports, have heightened the level of anxiety with regards to the rising levels of dietary– related illnesses and diseases among a wide cross-section of the region’s populations. With respect to the epidemiological transition, nutrition related chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart diseases, and cancer have replaced malnutrition and infectious diseases as the major public health problems. Further, the burden of disease, disability, and premature death has shifted from young children to adults in the productive years of their life. In this context, there is the urgent need to improve the nutrition and health status of the population. 6 It has been established that the main social indicators of Antigua and Barbuda are fairly good but that the country is facing increasing pressure to maintaining them as a result of the global economic slowdown and fiscal constraints. In 2009, the Government spent 5.2 percent of GDP on Social Protection, 3.6 percent of GDP on social insurance in part because of the Civil Servants (noncontributory) pension plan, and 1.6 percent of GDP on social assistance. Social assistance spending has most likely increased in recent years with the introduction of the School Uniform Programme in 2004, the School Meals Programme in 2006, the Student Loan Programme in 2008, and the cash transfer programmes such as the People’s Benefit and Senior Citizens Utility Programs in 2009. There have been also large untargeted subsidies on fuels and utilities which have been partially eliminated in late 2009. There are no clearly defined targeting criteria and instruments and preliminary analysis of the social protection programmes indicates that several of the programs are poorly targeted. According to a recent report prepared by the World Bank (“Antigua and Barbuda: Social Protection Assessment”, May 25, 2011), there is significant programme duplication and some programs are overly generous. At the same time, there are some critical areas unattended. The report mentions the following unattended areas: • Early Childhood Development/pre-school programme for poor children; • Children out of primary school; • Active Labour Market Programmes, including support to jobless youth and poor youth attending vocational training and workers victim of retrenchment programs; • Low income housing and access to basic services (water, sanitation and electricity). Given existing and foreseeable resources limitations, the Government should improve targeting and programme management mechanisms, introduce adequate monitoring and evaluation systems, integrate programs and consider other measures to improve the efficiency of the resources used for social protection. The establishment of a Central Registry of Beneficiaries and of common household assessment tools is an urgent task and will help to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability and establish the necessary coordination among programmes. These activities are included in a World Bank Public Sector and Social Transformation Project that is expected to be approved in April 2013. 7 At household level, poverty has resulted from a combination of factors such as limited access to productive employment opportunities; inadequate physical assets, such as capital and credit even on a small scale; and poor access to markets. The worst affected are female headed households, small farmers, urban slum dwellers, landless rural workers, fisher folks, street children, orphans, persons with disabilities, households headed by the elderly, pensioners, the unemployed and those in low-paying formal and informal employment, and persons living with HIV and AIDS. The expansion of pro-poor employment and income generating opportunities is critical to the elimination of hunger and poverty in Antigua and Barbuda. This can be undertaken by increasing access to education, training and self-upgrading in key but competitive economic areas that are of importance to national development, including the use of ICTs, and by the provision of credit for micro-enterprises and SMEs. However, such programmes must be driven, to a large extent, by labour market demand analysis to determine the areas for skills training. The importance of setting common goals and establishing and sustaining an integrated approach must be recognized. In this context the critical issues that must be highlighted include the need for: • Building good governance; • Political commitment; • Long term sustainability – poverty alleviation related to structural problems with implications for good governance and for promoting long term sustainability; • Commitment to the implementation process by various strategic partners; • Better integration, coordination and collaboration among diverse activities of all involved; and • Opportunities for linkages e.g. backyard/school gardens and nutrition education in the National school meals programme and the Peoples Benefit Programme; registers of under- nourished children and of beneficiaries of social protection programmes These core elements identified in the strategic analysis above should underpin the overall hunger and poverty reduction plan over the short, medium to long term in Antigua and Barbuda. 8 3. OBJECTIVES The overall objective of this framework document is to outline a roadmap for the elimination of hunger and poverty in Antigua and Barbuda within two (2) years. More specifically, the document presents the broad elements of the Plan of Action as it relates the following critical areas: • Growth and wealth creation. • Nutrition and health status of the population. • Expansion and improvements in the social protection system. • Pro-poor employment and income generating opportunities. • Governance and management of hunger and poverty programmes. 4. ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN OF ACTION 4.1 Overview The Plan of Action is comprised of five (5) broad elements: • Economic expansion and diversification of the agricultural sector, particularly given the large import bill, the scope to increase domestic agricultural production and the requirement to establish appropriate links with the Food and Nutrition Security Policy. • Improvements in the nutrition and health status of the population. • Expansion in the social protection system and improvements in the management and efficiency of its operations. • Expansion of pro-poor employment and income generating opportunities. • Good governance and management of hunger and poverty programmes – by institutionalizing the rules of good governance evident in greater transparency and accountability in the delivery of public services. 9 5.2 Economic Expansion and Diversification of the Agricultural Sector The agricultural sector is perceived as having the potential to contribute significantly to the reduction of hunger and poverty as well as to one of the fundamental pillars of food and nutrition security - that associated with economic growth and expansion of income generating opportunities. However, the development of the agricultural sector would have to be pursued with a new thrust that recognizes the importance of market development through value added processing and where feasible export trade as drivers for the development of the sector. It was also recognized that the structural weaknesses and other challenges facing the sector would have to be addressed if the sector was to be perform this important role. It is within this context that the following broad areas were identified as critical elements in developing the action plan: • The adoption of technologies and approaches which address the high costs of production and facilitate increases in productivity; • Improved post-harvest handling, storage and value addition; • Marketing support and trade facilitation, inclusive of the strengthening of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary systems; • Strengthening/enforcement of legislations, particularly those related to access to and utilization of lands, livestock and praedial larceny; • Special Programme of Assistance for the increased production, value added processing and consumption of locally produced staples and livestock products with emphasis on white potato, cassava, sweet potato, small ruminants and poultry; • Special programme of backyard and school gardening to increase food availability at the household and school levels; • Cross cutting sub-programmes which focus on women and youth engagement and participation in the process of agricultural sector development. 10 5.3 Improved Nutrition and Health Status of the Population This component of the Plan of Action will cover the following broad actions: • Increasing the access of vulnerable groups to nutrition, health care and social protection; • Improving the dietary consumption of vulnerable families; • Ensuring that nutrition-related actions by policy makers, food manufacturers and consumers are aligned to the national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG); • Expanding the school meals programme coverage; • Ensuring that school children are consuming healthy school meals and are making more healthy choices away from school; • Reducing the contribution of obesity, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and HIV to families’ economic vulnerability; and • Establishing an objective early warning and evaluation/monitoring of food security vulnerability for decision making. 5.4 Expansion and improvements in the Social Protection Systems As indicated, the efficiency and effectiveness of the resources used in social protection could be improved with better identification and targeting of beneficiaries and the utilization of better programme management instruments, including management information and monitoring and evaluation systems. In this context, this component of the Plan of Action will focus on the following critical actions: • Identify the poor and food insecure population and its characteristics through detailed studies and analysis (review of census data, improved on demand registration, conduct appropriate surveys of specific areas); • Establish a Central Registry of Beneficiaries to be used by all social protection programmes and consistent targeting mechanisms across them; • Introduce appropriate information systems; • Strengthening coordination mechanisms for all social protection programmes; • Improve management and operations of the country´s social protection system, including the consolidation of programmes, the adjustment in the institutional 11 placement of some programmes, and the establishment of unified payment mechanisms; • Establish an Early Warning System on Food and Nutrition Insecurity and prepare contingency plans to economic shocks, climate change and other natural disasters • Expand the cash transfer programs so as to cover all the vulnerable population; • Developing and implementing information, education and communication campaigns; • Close the Early Childhood Development/pre-school coverage gap through increase care from community clinics and increase home visits by health workers; • Establishing programme information and monitoring and evaluation systems 5.5 Expansion of Pro-poor Employment and Income Generating Opportunities This component of the Plan of Action will seek to strengthen the efforts being made by the Ministries of Education, Social Transformation and Agriculture, the private sector, Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority, Gilbert Agricultural and Rural Development Centre, Faith Based Organizations, and other NGOs in the expansion of pro-poor employment and income generating opportunities for the elimination of hunger and poverty. This can be effected by the provision of support to efforts aimed at: • Increasing access to education, vocational training and self-upgrading in key but competitive economic areas. • Conducting of labour market demand analysis to determine the areas for skills training. • Provision of credit for micro-enterprises and SMEs • Increasing the support for small farmers and promote entrepreneurship and home food production. • Establishing links between small farming agriculture and tourism and promotion of ecotourism; • Developing and implementing interventions to enable poor individuals and households to formalize asset ownership 12 5.6 Stronger political commitment, improved governance and effective management of hunger and poverty programmes This component seeks to work with political actors, as members of parliament and in the government, towards building political awareness around hunger and food security issues, increasing their visibility and inclusion as priority topics in the public policy agenda of the country. This also entails the establishment of a transparent and accountable institutional mechanism based on good governance, for the effective management of the Plan of Action. This mechanism should operate in a coordinated manner, articulating multisectoral efforts to advance food and nutrition security and the realization of the right to food. Institutional arrangements and capacities for policy and programme implementation will achieve more effective, efficient and sustainable results to the extent that governance mechanisms are coherent with human rights principles. The experience of other countries in the region in policy development and implementation considering a rights approach should be of interest to generate a discussion on governance mechanisms for different components of the food system. The following broad actions will be undertaken: • Identifying parliamentarians and civil society actors willing to advance food and nutrition security issues in the legislative agenda and generating opportunities for a regional dialogue • Improving capacities of political and technical actors on right to food and governance issues • Providing learning and exchange opportunities on public policy development and implementation in food and nutrition security-related areas that form part of the Plan of Action (social protection, school feeding, nutrition, etc.) 13 TABLE 1 SUMMARY MATRIX OF PRIORITY ACTIONS 2013 - 2014 14 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINT Establishment of a pilot protected agriculture project to serve as a demonstration and training facility for farmers. Development of a seed and genetic material plan, seed bank developed and implementation mechanism for the production/importation, conservation, evaluation and distribution of high quality planting and genetic material executed. Adoption of new/improved technologies in livestock breeding and production promoted. Sustainable exploitation of the country’s fisheries resources and greater investment in aquaculture to increase the availability of fish and fish products promoted. Best practices for sustainable production of food crops, livestock, fish and other food commodities/products identified, documented and disseminated Strengthening producer’s organization with a view to achieve economies in sourcing inputs. Outcome 1 Rural production system is strengthened and linked to national food and nutrition security policies Product 1.1 Special Programme of Assistance developed and implemented for the increased production, Technologies and approaches adopted, value added processing and consumption of locally produced staples, fisheries, and livestock products with emphasis on white potato, cassava, sweet potato, small ruminants and poultry On farm mechanization through greater use and improved access to modern and appropriate small-scale equipment/tools promoted 15 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINT Training provided in post harvest handling for farmers, CMC staff and extension personnel Requirements for food storage assessed and proposals developed regarding produce storage arrangements Product 1.2 Improved post-harvest handling, storage and value addition Technical assistance, capacity building and other support provided to the Agro-processors Association and other agro-processors in Antigua and Barbuda in areas related to new processing techniques, sourcing of packaging and labelling materials, access to information on food safety standards, and product development and promotion, with a special focus on women. Product 1.3 System of marketing and trade facilitation process enhanced and linked to government social programs Assistance provided in strengthening the market information system. 16 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINT CMC and the School Feeding Programme operations streamlined to facilitate marketing of agricultural produce. Strengthening of sanitary and phytosanitary systems Support provided in the area of SPS, with focus on capacity building of regulatory personnel and the private sector (through training in GAPS, GMPs, HACCP) in meeting market standards. The application of Performance Vision and Strategy (PVS) tools to assess the SPS, Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health systems could be one of the immediate to short term actions Improvements of land titling and utilization policies, updating them to ensure better access to water, land and the collateralization of land entitlement to access credit. Product 1.4 Strengthening/enforcement of legislations, particularly those related to access to and utilization of land and water Support provided for water harvesting, storage and adoption of water management practices and technologies which ensure optimal use of the scarce water resource. 17 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY Government Focal Point Product 1.5 Special programme of backyard and school gardening implemented to increase food availability at the household and school levels Support provided to expand the present scale of operation of backyard and school gardening programmes, with special focus on women and youth. Prepare list of children nutritionally at risk from community clinics and other sources. Increase home visits to at-risk children’s households to provide counselling and care. Use community approach in identified at-risk areas to provide counselling and health care. Outcome 2 Nutrition and health status of the population is improved through articulated actions in health. education, social protection and agriculture Product 2.1 Increased access of vulnerable groups to nutrition, health care and social protection, with a focus on reducing pre-school stunting from 2% to near zero and wasting from 3% to near zero Update and submit list of at-risk children to Social Protection Commission for priority support to those households through the various protection services 18 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINT Nutrition education programs introduced as a condition in commodity cash transfer protection programs. Food Vendors (who service these protection programs) must ensure that a variety of healthy foods are available year round. Product 2.2 Improved dietary consumption of vulnerable families, with 80% of beneficiaries selecting food items for healthy eating. It is necessary to link with special programme of backyard and school gardening (Product 1.5) Food preparation demonstrations are introduced to support the beneficiary families. Complete the field testing and development of the guidelines. Launch the guidelines to ensure all stakeholders are aware of it. Product 2.3 Nutrition-related actions by policy makers, food manufacturer and consumers are aligned to the national food based dietary guidelines (FBDG), with 50% of the nutrition programmes across the country utilizing the FBDG Conduct training to various publics to ensure appropriate use of the guidelines. Product 2.4 School meals programme expanded to ensure a 90% student coverage in Antigua and Barbuda. Dissemination of best practices. 19 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINT Facilitation of access to a full time nutritionist. Supporting the expansion of the operations of the programme. Dietary evaluation of the school feeding programme. Implement recommendations for improvement. Product 2.5 School children are consuming healthy school meals and are making more healthy dietary choices away from school, with 100% of school meals conforming to the national dietary guidelines and 50% of students improving their overall consumption. It is necessary to link with the special programme of backyard and school gardening and increase the amount of food provided by Family Farming/Smallholder Include nutrition education sessions in accordance with Ministry of Education and Principals’ schedule. 20 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINT Expand the prevention efforts of the Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS) for various chronic conditions. More community based sessions by the MOH on screening and treatment compliance with these conditions Product 2.6 Reduce the contribution of obesity. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and HIV to families’ economic vulnerability, with the rate of increase in obesity and NCDs , HIV morbidity reduced by 80% Intensify training using the algorithms for nutritional management of HIV, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, among others. Collection of a cost list of commonly used food items from various local vendors and markets across parishes. Using a computer model generate the lowest cost of a 2400 calorie balanced diet, and also for a family of five. Relate that cost to the current minimum wage as an estimate of vulnerability. Product 2.7 An objective warning and evaluation/ monitoring of food security vulnerability established for decision making, with nutrient cost analysis applied nationally and by parish It is necessary to link this output with WB initiative. FAO´s TCP in Early Warning Systems could complement WB one. Use the model also as a promotional tool for healthy eating at low cost. 21 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINT Conduct studies and analysis to identify the poor and food and nutritional insecure population and its characteristics using census data, surveys, on demand registration and others Establish a Central Registry of Beneficiaries for all social programs and appropriate information and targeting systems Establish a system to monitor and evaluate all social programs Outcome 3 All persons experiencing hunger and extreme poverty are included in an efficient Social Protection System Product 3.1 An improved beneficiary-targeting system for all social programs is established and an evaluation and monitoring system for poverty and food security vulnerability is established Establish an Early Warning System on Food and Nutrition Insecurity and contingency plans for disasters and other shocks Consolidation of the Food and Nutrition Security Committee and the National Social Protection Commission. Include food and nutrition security objectives within the social protection system Product 3.2 The Government´s capacity to manage and monitor social programs is improved Establishment of consistent targeting and payment mechanisms for all social programs 22 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINT Examine the possibilities of consolidating existing programmes and of improving their operational management and efficiency Obtain additional funding from the Ministry of Finance or from external partners to expand existing cash transfer programs Compare the expanded information and identification of vulnerable groups with the beneficiaries of existing programs Develop and implement information and educational campaigns to incorporate all vulnerable population to existing programmes Product 3.3 Expand the cash transfer and other programs to cover all the vulnerable population Actions of community clinics and health workers to increase services to pre-school children that are nutritionally at risk (Product 2.1) 23 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINT Expansion of the support programmes for small farmers –especially in the area of micro finance- and promotion of entrepreneurship. Establish links between small farmers and tourism activities Product 4.1 Improvements in rural livelihoods and in rural income generating opportunities In collaboration with the private sector, expanding apprenticeship and other welfare-to-work programmes to equip relevant groups with the necessary skills in preparation for entry in the workforce. Conduct a labour market demand analysis Outcome 4 Expansion of pro-poor employment and income generating opportunities Product 4.2 Developing active labour market policies Promote human capital development among poor and vulnerable groups through the widening of the scope and reach of vocational training programmes, adult learning certification programmes, and continuous learning programmes 24 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINT Developing and implementing appropriate mechanisms and programmes for transition and absorption of displaced workers, especially in rural areas. Identification of political actors committed to food and nutrition security, including parliamentarians and civil society leaders/organizations Sub regional meeting with other parliamentarians in the Caribbean to learn about the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger Outcome 5 Political commitment, governance and policy management are enhanced Product 5.1 Hunger and food security issues are prioritized in the political agenda Documentation and dissemination of relevant material on similar experiences in other countries 25 PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION OUTPUTS (O) ACTIVITIES (EO) SUPPORT AGENCY GOVERNMENT FOCAL POINT Identifying the most effective and efficient institutional modality for implementation Regional meeting to exchange experiences and facilitate discussion on different country approaches to policy development and implementation Training on right to food and governance principles Product 5.2 Institutional mechanism established and with capacities to ensure effective integration, coordination and collaboration among the diverse actions and institutions involved in the process Documentation and dissemination of relevant material on policy development and implementation in other countries