Access to food: the SDC's commitment to sustainable food systems

Sufficient and adequate food is a human right, yet over 800 million people remain chronically undernourished. The SDC works at various levels to ensure that every person in the world has access to sufficient and adequate food.  

A woman stacking apples in a market with a rich selection of fruits and vegetables
The SDC is committed to diversified production and food systems and access to fruit and vegetables for all. © SDC

The SDC's focus

The SDC aims to achieve sustainable food security for all. That is why it promotes agriculture, markets and food policies that guarantee secure access to adequate food even for the poorest and most disadvantaged sections of the population. In its work, the SDC considers all aspects of the entire food system, 'from farm to fork', which affect food availability and quality.

While direct food aid deliveries play an important role during acute crises, the SDC is increasingly supporting projects that prioritise sustainable and balanced long-term nutrition and functioning local markets. In the event of a crisis, food aid can thus be delivered much more efficiently by focusing on those most in need.

The SDC focuses in particular on the role of women and young people in food production and nutrition. It works to ensure that they have access to resources and education. Young people often seek opportunities in the agriculture or food sector, both in the rural and in urban areas. By providing sound training endeavours in organic farming as well as start-up opportunities for food retailers in towns and cities, the SDC helps to boost economic prospects while also strengthening food systems.

To improve access for all, especially disadvantaged groups, the SDC is active in the following areas:

Right to food

The SDC was actively involved in drafting the UN's Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realisation of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security, adopted in 2004, and has since been working to ensure their implementation. A number of countries have subsequently adjusted their policies, legislation and institutions in accordance with the Guidelines. The SDC is also working to ensure that civil society organisations and other stakeholders can monitor compliance with the right to adequate food and tell governments where there is potential for improvement.

Balanced nutrition

The SDC works to ensure that, in addition to staple foods, people also have access to a varied diet. To this end, it supports diversified agricultural production and food systems. Information and awareness-raising work, education, access to safe drinking water, healthcare and proper processing and storage of food also play an important role.

Crop forecasting and insurance

The SDC uses new technologies such as satellite data with radar technology to establish crop forecasting and agricultural micro-insurance. Among other things, crop forecasts facilitate the early detection of food crises, enabling timely intervention to prevent food emergencies and famine. In partnership with the private sector, the SDC develops micro-insurance products for smallholder farmers as well as insurance for countries, against flooding and drought for example. This is important to prevent more people falling even deeper into poverty.

Background

Hunger and malnutrition are major challenges. While the proportion of hungry people in the world fell from 23% to 12% between 1992 and 2015, according to the UN approximately 821 million people were chronically undernourished in 2017.

Sufficient and nutritious food is especially important during the first 1,000 days of an infant's life, otherwise the child can suffer permanent damage. According to the 2018 Global Nutrition Report, over 240 million children under the age of five are affected by chronic or acute malnutrition and more than 2 billion people are suffering from vitamin or mineral deficiency. To counter this problem, food can be enriched with micronutrients. However, a sounder approach would be to promote diversified agricultural production that provides access to a wider range of foods.

The right to adequate food is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) made this right legally binding. In Switzerland, the ICESCR came into force in 1992.

To improve the overall quality of food systems, the SDC draws particularly on innovations developed by Swiss universities and private companies. Such partnerships range from research into sustainable cropping systems and scientific consolidation of practical experience from the food industry through to the development and application of technological solutions. The SDC helps to disseminate these approaches through international policy dialogue, drawing on its own decades of experience, as well as that of Swiss non-governmental development organisations in agricultural projects and from collaborative work with farmers' organisations.

Documents

Current projects

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Backstopping support for SDC’s Cluster Green thematic Knowledge Networks A+FS, CDE and RésEAU

01.01.2025 - 31.12.2028

As a globally active knowledge-based organisation, SDC is critically dependent on effective and efficient knowledge management. SDC’s thematic networks sit at the heart of this endeavour, rendering an essential service across the organisation and its partners by connecting network members, collecting and processing information, and retaining and distributing knowledge. State-of-the art backstopping services are essential to this activity, as is close cooperation between SDC’s thematic networks.


RDC, HEKS-EPER, Aide d’urgence intégrée.

01.11.2024 - 31.10.2026

La résurgence des conflits armés en province du Nord Kivu continue d’entrainer des déplacements récurrents des populations, des violences sur les civils, des pertes de moyens d’existence ainsi que des besoins humanitaires importants. Dans une logique de continuité des phases précédentes, ce projet propose une réponse intégrée - sécurité alimentaire, moyens de subsistance, accès, eau/hygiène - pour répondre aux besoins humanitaires urgents et renforcer les mécanismes de résilience de plus que 480’000 personnes.


Fonds humanitaire régional pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre (FHRAOC)

01.11.2024 - 31.10.2025

Le Sahel central est confronté à une crise humanitaire prolongée, complexe et multiforme, marquée par des déplacements de population, l’insécurité alimentaire, des épidémies et les effets du changement climatique (inondations, sécheresse). Par cette contribution, la Suisse soutient le Fonds humanitaire régional pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre, ce qui permettra de répondre aux crises humanitaires dans la sous-région et de mener un plaidoyer efficace dans la localisation et la protection.


Clean Air China (CAC) Consolidation Phase

15.10.2024 - 15.02.2026

Air pollution poses a  significant challenge  to public health, environmental sustainability and the climate particularly in Asian countries such as China. Knowing the sources of pollution is essential  to  formulate adequate policies. The Swiss Paul Scherrer  Institute  (PSI)  together with  its Chinese  partners from the Institute of Earth Environment (IEE) will transfer an innovative air pollution source identification  model  developed  under  phase  1  and  capacitate  the  cities  to  run  the  model  independently.  


Somali Resilience Programme (SomReP)

01.10.2024 - 31.12.2025

SomReP aims to foster sustainable livelihoods and increase the resilience of (agro-) pastoralist communities to climate shocks across Somalia. By supporting vulnerable communities to better cope with ecological disasters SomRep makes an important contribution to mitigate key drivers of fragility in Somalia and thereby promotes Switzerland’s interest to strengthen stability and economic develop ment in the Horn of Africa region.


Faso Yafa : Média de communication de masse contre la stigmatisation

01.10.2024 - 31.12.2026

En juin 2024, le gouvernement annonçait plus de 3 millions de personnes déplacées internes du fait de la crise sécuritaire, accentuant les tensions et les conflits dans les zones d’accueil. Avec le projet Faso Yafa, la Suisse soutient la production et la diffusion via les radios communautaires, d'informations humanitaires utiles à ces personnes déplacées et leur donne un espace de parole. Elle soutient aussi le dialogue entre personnes déplacées et communautés hôtes, luttant contre la stigmatisation et renforçant la cohésion sociale.


Appui au renforcement des capacités de résilience des populations vulnérables du Batha – REPAR

16.09.2024 - 15.09.2027

L’intervention vise à améliorer la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle des populations vulnérables de la province du Batha de manière holistique, à travers une approche prenant en compte à la fois les activités de développement et humanitaire. Le projet appuie la mise en place d’un mécanisme local durable de prévention et de gestion des crises alimentaires, l’augmentation des revenus des ménages vulnérables et l’assistance alimentaire pendant les périodes de soudure.


Food security and livelihood assistance to conflict-affected populations in Northeast Nigeria

15.09.2024 - 31.08.2027

Food insecurity and malnutrition remain prevalent across Northeast Nigeria, driven by insecurity leading to displacement and lack of access to farmland. This is further compounded since 2023 by soaring inflation. The situation is affecting up to 4.8 million food insecure people in 2024. SDC’s continued funding to FAO seeks to further strengthen the resilience of crisis-affected people by sustainably improving their food production and productivity with a particular focus on women.


Andean Regional Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change (ARIACC)

01.09.2024 - 31.08.2027

ARIACC aims to increase the resilience of Andean Family Agriculture to climate change by improving the implementation of relevant policies, building capacity, leveraging investments, scaling innovative practices and promoting regional and global knowledge exchange. Close multisectoral collaboration will ensure the sustainability and scaling of the initiative. The project builds on longstanding SDC experience in the region and consolidates successful achievements of Phase 1 while sharing them globally.


Socio-Economic Integration of Refugees in Armenia - SEIRA

01.09.2024 - 31.08.2027

Switzerland will continue supporting Armenia in integrating refugees from Nagorno Karabakh into society while improving social cohesion and economic prospects in remote rural areas of the country. By contributing to activities of the UN World Food Programme and of a local NGO, it will support 1’500 refugee- and vulnerable local households towards sustainable development facilitating the transition from humanitarian aid to long-term development.


Tajikistan UNDRR - Strengthening Resilience to Disasters and Climate Change in Tajikistan (SRDCT)

01.09.2024 - 28.02.2026

Tajikistan is highly vulnerable to natural hazards and climate impacts, thus strengthening resilience needed as fundament for sustainable development. The intervention will contribute to (i) sustainable and effective mechanisms and instruments to improve risk governance through the national DRR platform,  (ii) improved risk knowledge through robust loss data collection and recording, and (iii) preparedness measures through support to multi-hazard Early Warning Systems and risk information.   


Increasing Market Employability (IME)

01.09.2024 - 31.12.2026

North Macedonia’s economy is characterised by persistently slow growth rates as a result of low productivity due to outdated practices and scarce labour force due to high emigration. To address this, Switzerland, through its Increasing Market Employability project, supports small and medium-sized enterprises in sustainable agribusiness and tourism to become more competitive and environmentally sustainable by improving their products and services, while creating decent employment. The duration of the project is extended until 31.12.2026.

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