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Complex emergencies, food Security and the quest for appropriate institutional responses: The centrality of an analytic capacity

FAO International Workshop on “Food Security in Complex Emergencies: building policy frameworks to address longer-term programming challenges” Tivoli, 23-25 September 2003

Year of publication 2003

Author Martin Doornbos;Agriculture and Economic Development Analysis Division

Product type Meeting

Category Meeting document

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) With regard to the ‘complex emergencies’-‘food security’ nexus, institutional policies have often advanced generalized responses such as offering food aid to meet the challenges concerned. Such responses however may actually result from poor analysis or active interests to pursue particular solutions irrespective of the specific problem of situation. This paper will argue that with respect to ‘complex emergencies’ the kind of requirements they may pose to meet problems of food security, the scop e for developing general policy responses remains very limited. Cumbersome as it may appear, it rather appears advisable to start from an opposite premise, namely that each complex emergency requires its own analysis and response. In terms of preparatory action, this implies a need for less attention in searching for ready-made solutions, and more towards enhancement of institutional capacities to diagnose emergency situations when they arise and as they develop.

Language English

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