National Food Security and Nutrition Strategy.

This multi-sectoral and cross-sectoral Strategy provides for revising and updating the Food Security and Nutrition Strategy (FSNS) 2008, in order to implement all the necessary activities to reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition in the country in the next five years. The objectives of this Strategy are to make certain that all Liberians have reliable access to the food they need and are able to utilise that food to live active and healthy lives, recognising thus right to food as a fundamental human right. The Strategy describes four different dimensions of food security: food availability, access to food, utilisation of food, vulnerability and exposure to shock. The Strategy specifies six priority actions to increase access to food for all Liberians: 1) enhancing access to employment in the agricultural sector; 2) securing access to factors of production and productive assets; 3) improving adult literacy for adults and access to education for girls; 4) improving agricultural markets and marketing; 5) increasing educational opportunities that integrate nutrition, agriculture and food security; 6) strengthening safety net programmes. In order to improve food assistance and health and nutritional status, the Strategy focuses on three priority action areas: 1) reducing malnutrition among vulnerable groups; 2) increasing access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene practices; 3) reducing morbidity from common communicable diseases. The Strategy concerns the following matters: women’s empowerment and gender in agriculture; food security and agriculture; production of biofuels; migration and urbanisation; volatile and high prices of staple foods; climate change and agriculture; investments in small holder farmers to address food insecurity; health and nutrition issues; increasing access to food, particularly nutrient-dense foods and fortified food.