IFS-Operational Guideline

The standard norm for improving the performance of the public sector is bench-marking. It is important to regularly compare food security situation against those of other nations.

In view of the fact that production is now targeted for global markets, farmers increasingly require a global strategy through branding. Wide options for commodity branding exist due to the diversity of agricultural commodities in Nigeria.

The characteristics, achievements and constraints faced by the various initiatives of food security need to be considered in all attempts to establish any sustainable food security strategy.

The policy thrusts of the Institute of Food Security shall remain:

Promotion of best agricultural practices (in order to shift from current subsistence nature to modernized agricultural production, storage, processing  and marketing),

• • Appropriate intervention mechanisms for enhanced food security among the citizens, gainful employment and reduced rural-urban migration, and
  • Emphasis on intervention mechanisms for improved natural resources conservation.

Sequel to these, professional staff shall be assigned to programmes relevant to their fields. Information and Communication Technology staff shall be engaged to serve as system analysts (and run the Institute’s website) while a Public relations Unit and a Data Bank would be equipped for efficiency.

The Institute of Food Security (IFS) will serve as the intellectual powerhouse of the food economy to tackle issues in their theoretical, structural and other dimensions. To achieve this, a number of programmes and activities are necessary. Six programmes have been created for implementation. Activities fall into research, training and extension, all being involved in each programme.

Strategy and Governance Programme:

• • • Visioning for the food economy, food policy instability
    • Pro-poor investments
    • Food Security Strategies; food policy process
    • Rural-urban linkages
    • Non-farm rural development strategies
    • Reviews of policies, expenditures and return on investments
    • Enhancing farmers’ entrepreneurship – conditions for growth, constraints

Knowledge, Innovation and Extension Programme:

• • Strengthening agricultural research and development capacity for improved livestock, crops and seed varieties, stock breeding etc.
  • Training and re-training of public agricultural and rural    development staff (planners, policy makers etc).
  • Advisory plans for the private sector and governments in project development, implementation, credit administration, marking etc.
  • Outreach/Extension activities
  • Gender issues

Technology and Environment Programme:

• • Agricultural science and technology policy
  • Green revolution
  • Agricultural mechanization processes
  • Seed technology
  • Water resources management
  • Soil fertility
  • Green energy studies
  • Climate change mitigation
  • Applied research, advocacy, analysis and advisory works.

Markets and Institutions Programme:

• • Analysis of the value chains and institutions for managing the food systems in Nigeria and elsewhere – market intervention strategies, trade negotiations.
  • Linkages between domestic and international markets
  • Globalization and food security
  • Pro-poor policies in the entire food chain
  • Finding market access – partnerships etc.
  • Market information systems (MIS) development

Food and Nutrition Programme:

• • Exploration of reasons for ineffective attention to food and nutrition issues awareness creation
  • Promoting public action, legislation, legal systems, and the right to food.
  • Programme implementation systems
  • Enhancing the provision of human services
  • Developing capacity to deal with food and nutrition matters.
  • Developing indicators and systems for programme coordination, monitoring and evaluation.
  • Food safety and consumer protection policy analysis.

Biotechnology and Farm Health

• • Analysis of the potentials of biotechnology as an emerging global concept as well as ethical issues.
  • Efforts to improve farming environment
  • Determination of safety measures.
  • Best farm health practices
  • Biosafety policy analysis
  • Outlining global regulatory framework for utilizing biotechnology.
  • Highlights of debates in the areas of environmental protection, public perception and acceptance as well as intellectual property rights.