Presentation hold by Thierry Kesteloot, Policy Advisor, Oxfam-Solidarité, as part of the first panel of the 30th edition of the Brussels Briefing on “Agricultural resilience in the face of crisis and shocks", organized by CTA in collaboration with the ACP Secretariat, the EC/DEVCO, Concord, and IFPRI on 4th March 2013. More on: http://brusselsbriefings.net/

1. Brussels Briefing n. 30
Agricultural Resilience in the Face of Crises and Shocks
4th March 2013
http://brusselsbriefings.net
Promoting Resilient Livelihoods
Thierry Kesteloot, Policy Advisor, Oxfam-Solidarité

2. Promoting resilient livelihoods
Radical change needed by addressing inequality
Thierry Kesteloot CTA Policy Briefing, March 2013

3. RESILIENCE IN TIMES OF FAILING
FOOD SYSTEMS

4. Resilience in times of failing food
systems
• Persistent hunger
• Depleting natural resources
• Interwoven and mutually reinforcing crises
• Failing to incorporate externalities
• Markets failures and price volatility
• Early warnings but failure of humanitarian and development
responses
• Failing institutional responses
• INEQUALITIES in facing increasing RISKS
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5. Inequality is cause for increasing
vulnerability
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6. Inequalities increase by crisis of
support
Contraction of public expenditures in 133 countries in 2012 (94
developing countries)
• Wage bill cuts or caps in 73 countries, reducing the salaries of
public-sector workers who provide essential services to the
population.
• Phasing-out subsidies (food, fuel, others) in 73 countries,
despite record-high food prices in many regions.
• Cuts in social protection programs are under consideration in 55
countries, at a time when governments should be looking to scale
up benefits
• VAT increases on basic goods and services that are consumed
by the poor – that may further contract economic activity – in 71
countries
(source : UNICEF, Ortiz & Cummins, 2013)
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7. PEOPLE CENTERED RESILIENCE

8. Resilience-building based on equity
and rights
Poorer hurt subsequently :
- rights denied and left behind in the run-up to the crises
- most severely affected by crises
- more vulnerable towards increasing risks
- a few use power to reduce their own risks at the expense of more vulnerable
- suffer most from reduction in government expenditures
=> equity and rights based resilience-building should focus on the
structural causes of inequality that underlie the vulnerability and
disproportionate risk and uncertainty faced by poor and marginalised
people (especially vulnerable groups and women) rather than merely
addressing the symptoms caused by the impacts of stresses and shocks.
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9. Resilience-building based on equity
and rights
Resilience as the ability of women, men and children to realise their
rights and improve their wellbeing despite shocks, stresses and
uncertainty.
• aspirational nature of ‘being resilient’
• enable the poor and marginalised to not only ‘cope’ and survive, but also
empower to transform
• challenges entrenched power and gender inequalities that perpetuate risks
and vulnerabilities for certain people
• support the right to resources and capacities that people need to cope and
even thrive within contexts of long-term change, volatility and unexpected
shocks
• responsibility for governments and institutions to account for addressing
both impacts and root causes
=> Return to “normal” (pre-crisis) is not a the solution
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10. INSTRUMENTS AND POLICIES FOR
RESILIENCE

11. Resilience strategies and Food Security
Source : HLPE report on Social Protection and Food Security
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12. Integrated approach for resilient
livelihoods
Three pillars of Oxfam integrated program in Turkana, Kenya
• Livelihood promotion
Poverty reduction by empowering pastoralists associations
(bargaining power, enhancing skills, promote governments support)
• Social protection
Public support to allow pastoralists to take risks, absord shocks and cope
with chronic food insecurity
• Response to acute food insecurity in support of local economy
Cash transfers to strengthen local market system, strengthen women’s role
and status
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13. Resilience policies addressing inequality
Failures to Food Security Resilience instruments
Entitlements
Production Input subsidies Sustainable production methods, Agro-ecology
Livestock and crop insurances Climate adaptation production methods
Seed banks Strengthening smallholders knowledge systems
Water schemes Land reform and secure access to productive resources
Income and Public Work Programmes Social protection Floor policies
employment Purchase for Progress Public Procurement Policies for Food Security
Trade Food Subsidies Decreasing food dependancy
Emergency reserves Integrated Food Reserves Policies
Forward & Future Contracts Price Stabilisation Policies
Transfers (un)conditional cash transfers Progressive tax system
Supplementary feeding Public investments to strengthen domestic food systems
Voice Collective bargaining Equitable Value Chains and Decent Work
Targeting most vulnerable Addressing causes of inequity through empowering
Vulnerable people as beneficiaries Human Rights norms and standards and gender equity
Public Early warning systems Strengthening local knowledge systems
Goods Integrated development programmes Public policies for access to health, education, credit…
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14. Page 14

15. Resilience leading to tranformation of
food system
Source : Agricultural Transition, 2012
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16. Lessons learned
 Context sensitive (importance of good risk assessments)
 Convert uncertainties into risks (impact/probability)
 Manage the risks, not only the crises
 Essential role of public policies
 Twin-track strategies : essential assistance and protecting
productive and natural resources
 Flexible mechanisms and quickly adaptable to shocks
 Rights-based approach non-discrimination and equality,
participation, transparency and accountability
 Entails a transformation of food and agricultural systems by
addressing root causes of risks and inequalities
 Inclusive and accountable governance
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17. Policy Recommendations for Resilience

18. Funding Social Protection Floor for LDC
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19. Key policy recommendations
National governments :
Increasing progressive tax revenues
Strengthen inclusive participatory decision-making processes
Invest in sectors that poor depend on for their livelihoods
Upgrade Social Protection policies and access to essential services
Address the specific gender vulnerability and inequality
International actors :
Support social movements in addressing increasing risks and inequality
Addressing global risks in an ambitious, fair and sustainable way
Strengthen international governance and accountability based on HR
Insitute flexible long-term programming, adaptable to changing needs
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20. Thank you
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