Within the framework of their 2018 Memorandum of Understanding, the Rome Based Agencies (RBAs) – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) – decided in 2019 to move ahead with piloting joint planning and programming in three countries, including Indonesia. The RBA Joint Country Strategic Plan 2021-2025 in Indonesia, endorsed by the Government in July 2021 promotes a sustainable food systems approach that delivers economic opportunities for all along the value chain and provides affordable diversified food that meets increasing consumer demands and the standards for nutritious and healthy diets. As part of this joint plan, the RBAs proposed to pilot a sustainable food systems approach in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), a province in eastern Indonesia characterized by high poverty rates, significant food insecurity, widespread malnutrition, and a challenging climatic and agricultural/farming context.
In October-November 2021, the RBAs commissioned Savica to conduct a background study on food systems to take stock of the situation in the province. The study focused on several dimensions including: (i) food production, supply and accessibility; (ii) food consumption, nutritional status and consumer behavior; (iii) environmental aspects, including those due to climate change, affecting food production and resilience of smallholder farmers; (iv) policy landscape on food production, consumption and nutrition; and (v) institutional context, key actors and coordinating bodies. The background study also provided recommendations regarding opportunities for the RBAs to jointly tackle challenges to strengthen food systems.
