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| High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition | |
|---|---|
| Name | High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition |
| Formation | 2009 |
| Type | Advisory body |
| Headquarters | Rome |
| Parent organization | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Committee on World Food Security |
High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition is an advisory body created to provide evidence-based analysis and recommendations on global food security and nutrition issues to the Committee on World Food Security, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and other United Nations agencies. The panel synthesizes research and stakeholder knowledge to inform policy processes linked to crises such as the 2007–2008 world food price crisis, the Syrian civil war, and the Horn of Africa droughts (2010–2012). It engages with actors including the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and civil society networks like La Via Campesina.
The panel was established in response to the global attention generated by the 2007–2008 world food price crisis and the subsequent reform of agricultural governance at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Committee on World Food Security in 2009. Key institutional developments involved agreements among the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Environment Programme. Foundational discussions referenced reports from the High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis and consultations with actors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and national ministries from countries like Brazil, India, and South Africa.
The panel’s mandate directs it to produce independent, policy-relevant assessments on thematic issues affecting food security and nutrition for use by the Committee on World Food Security, the United Nations system, and national policymakers in states such as France, United States, and China. Its objectives include synthesizing peer-reviewed literature from journals like The Lancet, coordinating with research institutions such as the International Food Policy Research Institute and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, and addressing emergencies exemplified by events including the 2011 East Africa drought and the 2015–2016 El Niño. The mandate emphasizes inclusivity of stakeholders from La Via Campesina, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and indigenous groups represented at forums like the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Governance arrangements were set through policy instruments of the Committee on World Food Security and involve experts appointed from academic institutions like University of Oxford, Columbia University, and Wageningen University & Research, international organizations including the World Bank and World Health Organization, and civil society organizations such as Oxfam International and ActionAid. Membership spans disciplines and sectors, drawing individuals affiliated with entities like the International Institute for Environment and Development, the United Nations Development Programme, and national research councils such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Appointment procedures reference procedures used by bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the World Health Organization Expert Committees, while reporting lines link to plenary sessions of the Committee on World Food Security and related meetings at the United Nations General Assembly.
The panel has produced thematic and methodological reports addressing topics such as responsible agricultural investment, land tenure, biofuels, and urbanization. Notable outputs include reports paralleling analyses in publications like The Lancet series on maternal and child nutrition, assessments informed by the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development and collaborations with the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Food Programme. Reports have examined links to commodities markets referenced in the 2008 global food crisis literature and to trade regimes overseen by the World Trade Organization. The panel’s methodological guidance has been used alongside work from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on climate impacts and by researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute.
The panel’s findings have influenced policy deliberations within the Committee on World Food Security and national policies in countries including Brazil, Ethiopia, and Kenya, informing programs by the World Food Programme and investment strategies linked to the International Fund for Agricultural Development. Critics from networks such as La Via Campesina and scholars associated with Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley have questioned aspects of the panel’s framing, pointing to tensions evident in debates over land grabbing and large-scale agricultural investment discussed in reports by Oxfam International and the International Land Coalition. Others have raised procedural concerns comparable to critiques leveled at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change regarding expert selection, transparency, and representation of smallholder and indigenous voices.
The panel collaborates with multilateral actors including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and research consortia like the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and the International Food Policy Research Institute. Its evidence syntheses inform normative guidance used in policy frameworks alongside documents from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization, and humanitarian responses coordinated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Partnerships with civil society actors such as Oxfam International, ActionAid, and La Via Campesina shape outreach and uptake in regional initiatives across West Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Category:Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Category:International organisations based in Rome