Handbook for
Defining and Setting up a
Food Security Information
and Early Warning System
(FSIEWS)

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
ROME - 2000

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

PART ONE
PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. THE CONCEPT OF FORECASTING AND STEERING

3. EXISTING FOOD SECURITY MONITORING SYSTEMS

4. CRISIS MANAGEMENT

5. THE FRAMEWORK OF A FSIEWS

PART TWO
STAGES IN DEFINING AND SETTING UP A FSIEWS

CHAPTER I
Stage ONE: BASIC STUDY OF FOOD SECURITY

1. ESTABLISHING THE BASIC ENERGY REQUIREMENTS

2. IDENTIFYING VULNERABLE GROUPS

3. THE RISKS OF FOOD INSECURITY AND SPECIFIC CONSTRAINTS

4. ANALYSIS OF THE COMMODITY CHAIN FOR STAPLE FOODS AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRINCIPAL ACTORS

5. THE BASIC STUDY: CREATION OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY WORKING GROUPS (MWG) AND PROVINCIAL COMMITTEES (PFSC)

6. SYNTHESIS OF THE BASIC STUDY

CHAPTER II
STAGE TWO: DETAILED ANALYSIS OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION

1. INFORMATION ON AVAILABILITY OF FOOD

2. INFORMATION ON STABILITY OF SUPPLIES

3. INFORMATION ON CONSTRAINTS REGARDING ACCESS FOR ALL TO SUPPLIES

4. INFORMATION ON THE BIOLOGICAL UTILIZATION OF STAPLE FOODS

5. OTHER INFORMATION

6. COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND THE FLOW OF INFORMATION

CHAPTER III
STAGE THREE: HOW TO IMPROVE EXISTING INFORMATION

1. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION MONITORING AND HARVEST FORECASTS

2. MARKET INFORMATION SYSTEMS, STOCKS AND MARKETING

3. VULNERABLE GROUPS MONITORING SYSTEM

4. FOOD AND NUTRITION SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

5. MONITORING DIRECT FOOD AID AND ASSISTANCE

CHAPTER IV
STAGE FOUR: SETTING UP THE FOOD SECURITY INFORMATION AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

1. SURVEY OF FOOD SECURITY INFORMATION USERS

2. SUGGESTED INDICATORS FOR THE DATABASES AND CONTROL PANEL

3. A PLAN FOR THE FLOW OF DATA AND ITS MANAGEMENT

4. PROPOSED INSTITUTIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MONITORING FOOD SECURITY AND MANAGING EMERGENCIES

5. VALIDATION OF INDICATORS AND THE TYPE AND FORMAT OF INFORMATION TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO USERS (ORGANIZING THE NATIONAL WORKSHOP)

CHAPTER V
STAGE FIVE: STEPS TO THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF A FSIEWS

1. ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL FOOD SECURITY COMMITTEES

2. ORGANIZATION OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY WORKING GROUPS MONITORING FOOD SECURITY

3. ESTABLISHING AGREEMENT PROTOCOLS WITH INFORMATION PROVIDERS

4. GRADUAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE DATABASE AND CONTROL PANEL

5. MAPPING AND OTHER SOFTWARE

6. ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY COMMITTEE PERMANENT SECRETARIAT

7. BULLETINS, RADIO OR TELEVISION BROADCASTS, UPDATES, ETC.

8. REGULAR SUPERVISION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE FSIEWS BY THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY COMMITTEE

9. ADAPTING THE FSIEWS TO SPECIFIC NATIONAL CONTEXTS (EXAMPLE OF MOZAMBIQUE)

PART THREE
SUSTAINABILITY: THE LONG-TERM VIEW

1. REGULAR UPDATING AND EVOLUTION OF THE SYSTEM

2. EVALUATION OF THE SYSTEM

3. NATIONAL FSIEWS IN A REGIONAL (INTERSTATE) CONTEXT

4. DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES

5. THE ROLE OF THE FSIEWS IN THE FIVIMS INITIATIVE

6. INTERACTION WITH THE GIEWS

APPENDIX I
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS TO THE HANDBOOK

APPENDIX II
DOCUMENTATION

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© FAO 2001