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E-discussion: Regional Food
Security Issues and Policies
Some of the most important questions about food security
in Southern Africa are about to regional level economic and
institutional issues. This session of the e-conference will
consider the regional dimensions of food insecurity and options
for the development of food security policy. Rather than make
direct comparisons between different countries, it will focus
on the broader regional processes, policies and programmes
that all countries are tied into and how these impact upon
each of the countries. The key issues for discussion will
include regional trade in food, including potential for regional
grain reserves and commodity exchanges, and the influence
of international trade relations, including external debt,
on food security options in the region. We
thank FANRPAN for their permission to use this excellent summary
of the regional trade and integration issues to resource the
Forum e-discussion on regional issues (see resource paper
above).
Specific questions may include:
- What are the most significant regional level influences
on food security over the last decade and what are the the
underlying factors explaining these influences?
- How far have trends in regional trade in grain over the
last decade had an impact on food security?
- How can cross-border trade in food be facilitated to improve
food security? What might be appropriate roles for formal
and informal or private sector involvement in the physical
movement of grain in the region?
- Is there a role for a regional grain reserves, either
in place or in support of national grain reserves? (This
depends on the extent of co-variance in grain harvest across
the region which affects the potential for intra-regional
trade in grain to contribute to food security.)
- What are the implications of changing commodity markets
and the establishment of futures exchanges in food products
for food availability and access across the region?
- What roles should be played by regional organisations?
Do regional organisations have sufficient capacity to carry
out these roles? Examples include the role of SADC or the
influence of SACU on trade).
- Is there a need for regional cooperation in planning for
and responding to food security including early warning
and vulnerability assessments? What form should this cooperation
take?
- Can South Africa be expected to play a central role in
supporting regional food security? What activities might
such a role include, in terms of grain trade issues and
indirect contributions?
- What impact do international trade relations have on food
security?
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