This course focuses on the design of information support systems at various levels (from national to household level) for monitoring and evaluating the impacts of food and nutrition security policies and programmes. The training addresses the following topics:

* What entails a M&E system for food and nutrition security and in particular what is needed to do an impact assessment
* Impact assessment in programme design and learning for impact
* Participatory approaches in assessing impact
* Use of different data for M&E
* Interpretation and communicating of results of M&E.

Tel: +31 (0)317 495 495
Fax: +31 (0)317 495 395
Email: training.wi@wur.nl
Internet: Click here

Changing climate and weather patterns are predicted to have severe negative impacts on food production, food security and natural resources in East Africa. Without appropriate responses climate change is likely to constrain economic development and poverty reduction efforts and exacerbate already pressing difficulties. Especially countries with economies rooted in climate sensitive sectors like agriculture, fisheries and forestry are expected to be hardest hit. Targets as defined in the Millennium Development Goals will be more difficult to reach.

The aim of this course is for participants to gain full understanding of climate change adaptation concepts. They are able to effectively and meaningfully contribute to the debate on climate change adaptation, either in the policy process and or in providing knowledge to the policy process. They will strengthen their positions in these processes on the basis of newly acquired concepts, skills and methodologies.

Safe, good quality food is essential to food security, public health and economic development. Increasing the supply of safe, wholesome food reduces the impact of food-borne diseases which cause many illnesses and deaths as well as economic problems in both developing and developed countries. Ensuring the safety and quality of food exports promotes international trade, which in turn provides a means of generating growth and reducing poverty.

This training course focuses on the essential elements of a comprehensive food safety system from the institutional perspective, as well as on the scientific basis and current management methodologies of food safety control.

This course aims to provide professionals working in food and nutrition security and interested in a right based approach with the knowledge, skills and motivation, to strengthen, design and implement programmes and interventions using a right based approach.

Appropriate implementation of Good Agricultural Practices and IPM for food safety and international market access requires supportive and enabling policies and institutions. This can be achieved through multi-stakeholder processes (MSP) with the aim to develop enabling IPM and/or pesticide-related policies and supportive institutional innovations. The above process is addressed in this international training programme.

Aims and Objectives:
• The roles of stakeholders in supporting the implementation of GAP, sustainable agriculture and IPM
• Development of IPM policies and institutional innovations by using multi-stakeholder processes
• Participation levels in IPM policies and implementation
• Food chains and the role of primary production in achieving food safety
• The use of pesticides in IPM to support food safety and environmental protection
• Public and private food safety grades and certification.

An integral redirection of current agricultural practices is therefore required to go beyond just incremental change. Innovation that addresses ecological, social, as well as economic sustainability aspects requires involvement of multiple stakeholders, going beyond a strictly technical approach. It stresses interactive learning and exchange of knowledge between all stakeholders, including farmers and entrepreneurs. This course will use a systems dynamics approach to design sustainable systems that produce farm products in a socially and economically responsible manner.

This course aims to offer the participants' a systems perspective on agriculture as well as tools to design innovative and sustainability farming systems. Participants will be able to analyze their own agricultural systems and propose transition paths towards improved sustainability. They will gain access to state of the art approaches and practical methods, and use their chance to refresh networks and literature.

Complex problems require innovative solutions. Such solutions are created when diverse stakeholders are able to meet, share experiences, learn together and contribute to decisions. Ultimate success then lies in developing the collective commitment and capacity to turn ideas and plans into action. This can be achieved through multi-stakeholder processes (MSPs) and social learning.

The course covers state-of-the-art thinking about participation from local to global level and introduces the most up-to-date methodologies and approaches for facilitation and participation. How MSPs and social learning relate to concepts such as innovation systems, complexity, interactive policy making and adaptive management is fully explored.

1 - 19 March 2010