News

Food Security Concepts and Frameworks -New E-learning Course and Training Resources

July 2008

A new e-learning course on Food Security Concepts and Frameworks is now available in:

English: http://www.foodsec.org/dl

French: http://www.foodsec.org/dl/dlintro_fr.asp

The course introduces the concepts and tools used in food security analysis. It also provides guidelines on using conceptual frameworks for analysing food security. It is part of a series of food security e-learning courses being developed by the EC-FAO Food Security Information for Action Programme.

Resources for trainers, which include powerpoint slides, learners’ and trainers’ notes, and classroom exercises are also available on the CD-Rom or at:

http://www.foodsec.org/tr_res_08.htm

The training materials can easily be adapted by institutions to suit their own training needs.

The course is available at no cost to all interested learners. A French version of the course is forthcoming.

Content

Each lesson is delivered in an interactive self-paced learning environment which uses illustrated step-by-step instructions and exercises. Specific lessons include:

1. What is Food Security?

This lesson defines food security as a broad concept used to determine people’s general well-being and illustrates the four key dimensions used to analyse people’s food security status. It also explains the concepts of duration and severity of food insecurity.

2. Concepts Related to Food Security

This lesson introduces the concept of vulnerability and how it is applied to food security, and describes the relationship of food security to the concepts of hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

3. Food Security Analysis

This lesson illustrates the importance of food security analysis in triggering appropriate action to address food insecurity. It also introduces the most commonly used conceptual frameworks for analysing links among various food security dimensions and causes.

Target Audience

1) Mid-level managers, technical staff, field personnel who are involved in the collection, management, analysis, and reporting of food security information.

2) Planners, policy formulators and programme managers who are involved in monitoring progress in poverty reduction, and meeting food security goals and targets.

About the EC-FAO Programme

The EC-FAO Food Security Information for Action Programme provides 20 countries subject to chronic food insecurity, protracted crises or undergoing rapid economic transformation with the technical assistance and tools to obtain high-quality, timely food security information to formulate more effective anti-hunger policies.

For more information, write to:
information-for-action@fao.org