(SMC-FAO) Sudan has donated $150,000 to support the work of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), a unique international coordinating body for policy issues related to food and nutrition, hosted by the Food and Agricultural Association (FAO).
The funds will help CFS strengthen the governance of food security and nutrition in countries of the global South.
Following a call for assistance from FAO, a donation agreement was signed between Sudan and the UN Agency, which will administer the contributions through its multi-donor trust fund. The project will be completed by the end of 2017.
“CFS needs long term investment by all of its Members to be even more effective in the global fight against food insecurity and malnutrition. Sudan is pleased to play its part in this fight to achieve the zero hunger challenge. I hope this signal from a developing country will encourage other countries to do the same,” CFS Chair Amira Gornass of Sudan said.
FAO and Sudan have a long-standing history of collaboration, which mainly focuses on policy development, building resilience of smallholder farmers in the face of climate change, enhancing production and productivity of crops and livestock, and conservation of natural resources.
This donation is an example of how non-traditional donors are emerging and can collectively act as a force for sustainable development “from the South for the South”.
Since 1996, FAO’s South-South programme has worked to identify needed expertise and connect countries that can benefit from each other’s experience. It is playing a greater role now than ever before since many developing countries face similar challenges in the fight against hunger and poverty, which makes it easier to adapt successful strategies to local conditions.
The programme enables developing countries to help each other not only financially but also through providing expertise, building capacities in a wide range of technical areas related to agriculture and food security; and exchanging  knowledge and experience.