1. “Support for Inclusion of Food Security Objectives, Policies, Programmes and Monitoring Mechanisms in the PRSP/Interim Plan of Nepal” Y B Thapa

2. Soaring Food Prices  FAO Mandate  Causes  Implications  Remedies

3. FAO Mandate  to raise the level of nutrition and standard of living  to improve agriculture productivity  to better the lives of rural population  to contribute to the growth of the world economy

4. IMF_Food Prices  Food Price Index Base Year 2005 = 100 March 2008: 170  Rise in prices has been for staple foods in the first quarter of 2008 compared to previous year Wheat 107% Rice 71%, Maize29%  This on top of substantial jumps in 2007

5. Price of staple food (paddy, wheat and maize) is on the rice. Source: MOAC

6. Food prices First quarter of 2008 (December 2007 – April 2008) Prices vary in the country depending on accessibility, local supply and stock Source: government figures Wheat flour Coarse rice Lentil Soybean 2 % 5 % 18 % 24 % Commodities _ WFP-1

7. Cooking Oil prices Mustard oil Vegetable ghee Soybean oil 16 % 26 % 28 % Commodities_ WFP-2

8. Factors behind the Food Crises  Rise in demand for meat has put pressure on meat supplies (grain to meat conversion 7:1);  Rapid increase in prices of oil (Fossil fuel to food energy conversion 10:1);  Run of unusual weather in many parts of the world;  George W Bush (2006): Aggressive push for bio-fuels. 20 %of US are dedicated to corn for ethanol; A gallon of corn ethanol uses up most of the energy that the gallon itself ultimately contains

9. Implications of Higher Food Prices Income spent of Foods

10. Effect of Price Rise in Poverty Incidence

11. Remedies_ general  Enact the Food Sovereignty Law, and implement it  Fully implement the Interim Plan targets on food security  Boost up invest for rural people, and on agriculture, forest and fishery  Take benefits from India’s policy  Improve relations along China TAR border

12. Remedies_ Operational programmes  Safety nets – having enough to eat  Stocks – ready for response  Utilizations – end hidden hugger  Availability – producing enough to eat Endowments of excluded people /regions to produce Value- chain management – diets diversify, standards and safety  Surveillance – reaching communities, and able to forecast

13. Interim Plan Targets-1  Access: Decrease incidence of hunger from 35 to 31%, increase public food distribution amount from 20 to 39 thou. MT, and contribute 12 thou. MT to SAARC reserve;  Rapid response: NFC to distribute 29 thousand MT in remote districts, and maintain 42 thousand MT as national food security buffer;

14. Interim Plan Targets-2  Utilization: decrease under-weight children from 39 to 35% of the population;  Availability: increase availability of food grains from 280 to 289 kg/capita; and  Implementation: NFSSC to have its own permanent Secretariat, Food Security Division, & devolution FNS related to DDCs/VDCs/municipalities.

15. UN_ Contact Group Thanks