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Sustainable Livelihoods, Social Protection & Food Security Dr Anna Mdee John & Elnora Centre for African Studies, University of Bradford

Sustainable Livelihoods, social protection and food security

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Presentation by Anna Mdee from the University of Bradford at the Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches seminar on 26th January 2011, at the Institute of Development Studies, Brighton, UK.

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Page 1: Sustainable Livelihoods, social protection and food security

Sustainable Livelihoods, Social Protection & Food Security

Dr Anna MdeeJohn & Elnora Centre for African Studies, University of Bradford

Page 2: Sustainable Livelihoods, social protection and food security

ESRC Seminar Series- Bradford June 2010

How can sustainable livelihoods help us think through food security & social protection?

Main discussion themes:

•Use of technology•Access to land,•Agricultural inputs and markets •Future challenges of climate change, peak oil and population growth.

Page 3: Sustainable Livelihoods, social protection and food security

What is Food insecurity and why is it an issue?

•“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”. (FAO, 1996)

• FAO estimate that up to 30% of the population in Sub Saharan Africa are suffering from Food Insecurity.

•The majority of those are small holder and subsistence farmers.

Page 4: Sustainable Livelihoods, social protection and food security

Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis of Food Security

•Assets/capitals•Policies, institutions and practices•Vulnerability•Diversification•Starting with where we are

•Going back to the rural development roots of SLA?

Page 5: Sustainable Livelihoods, social protection and food security

Social Protection for reducing food insecurity?

• Cash Transfers- Malawi• Agricultural inputs (seeds and fertilisers)- ADRA- Ghana•Market support- Kerala •Food Sovereignty- UK Incredible Edible

Page 6: Sustainable Livelihoods, social protection and food security

Big or small liveilhoods?

The future of farming?GMOsEcological Agriculture- can it feed everyone?Biofuels and land-grab

Page 7: Sustainable Livelihoods, social protection and food security

•Social protection measures are an important component in increasing the sustainability of livelihoods and enhancing food security.•Agricultural inputs (seed and fertilisers), knowledge, market support and cash transfers have been shown to be successful at various scales.•A sustainable livelihoods approach is helpful in analysing how to target and also in assessing the impact of social protection measures for food security.

•More evidence is required on the best means of social protection for food security and how it should be targeted for maximum benefit.

•Improving the resilience and sustainability of agricultural livelihoods is fundamental and requires substantial global commitments to a new and more equitable and ecologically sound systems of food production.

Page 8: Sustainable Livelihoods, social protection and food security

Thanks for listening