Engaging stakeholders and key
decision-makers into FSN policy
processes at country level
Prof. Alexander Makeev,
e-learning and knowledge management department,
Eurasian Center for Food Security
 ECFS was founded as a response of the Russian Federation to the
L’Aquila Food Security Initiative
 The focus area – CA Countries and South Caucasus
 The activities include conducting and supporting research in land
management and agricultural economy, education (including ehttp://ecfs.msu.ru
learning), and expertise
Eurasian Food Security Network
A dynamic community of specialists and practitioners that will link
Russian, Eurasian and international research and educational institutions,
and encourage knowledge-sharing on the latest data, research findings,
and best practices.
• Cross-sectoral linkages between Eurasian, Russian and International
research and educational institutions, including:
– Collaborative web portal as a base for information support for Network community
– e-consultations on acute topics of Food security in the Eurasian region
– Framework for collecting and presenting of best practices in sustainable agriculture
– Knowledge sharing (bulletins, expert analyses, GIS)
– Academic and LLL courses, programs and training seminars to increase the level of
professionals (politicians, academia, extensionists)
– Support to Eurasian Soil Partnership
– Support to extension services in application of SLM practices
• Information support to Russian Government agricultural initiatives (BRICS,
G20, etc.)
Target Audiences
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Types of audiences:
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The focus area
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Academia
Policy makers
General public
Extension services
President’s office of the Russian Federation
4 countries: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia,
Russian government (BRICS & G20 meetings).
Audience needs include:
– Practical solutions and support in decision making on food security
– Research at the regional, national, and sub-national levels in the related to food security areas
of economics and land and water resources
– Best practices in food security at the regional, national, and sub-national levels
– Increasing capacities through training focused on improving the skillset of researchers and
decision makers
ENVIRONMENT
Competitive landscape:
Although a lot of multi- and bilateral agencies operate in the region, they are focused
on individual mainly infrastructure related projects and do not have a holistic
comprehensive approach to food security in the Region
Education and research are hardly supported
Some local agencies have fairly comprehensive data sets and local context knowledge
Access to external content providers:
Lots of useful research exists from the Soviet Union legacy times within individual
organizations.
Partners & potential synergies:
FAO, CGIAR (ICARDA & IFPRI), World Bank, GFAR, Moscow State University, local
Universities and Agriculture Institutes, Ministries of Agriculture in Russia and target
countries, the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Language
Russian is the main language for cross-country communications. Great need for
services in Russian.
E-learning center - http://edu.ecfs.msu.ru
• E-learning platform compatible with MSU and international
standards and in partnership with regional and international
organizations.
• LLL courses on soil and water and agro-food management and
SLM practices, including based-on-demand courses
• Training seminars for various stakeholders (politicians,
academia, extension services)
• Two Master’s Programs on Food security, focused on audience
in the Eurasian region:
• Land and water resource management for Food Security
• Agrifood management
EASP
Eurasian Soil Partnership
Joint ECFS/FSN E-consultations on FSN platform - 2013
Focus on CAC
countries
First e-consultation:
Towards a Eurasian Soil Partnership for food
security and sustainable development
Second e-consultation:
Food Security issues in the Eurasian region:
major challenges and G8/G20 initiatives in
relation with the regional situation
(Armenia,
Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan)
Branded
web page
Food Security issues in the Eurasian region:
major challenges and G8/G20 initiatives
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Open for six weeks (22.05.2013 - 28.06.2013)
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47 comments by experts from 11 countries
(Armenia, Georgia, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Pakistan, Tajikistan, USA, Uzbekistan)
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1400 visits to the page from 76 countries
Affiliation of participants
Towards a Eurasian Soil Partnership for food
security and sustainable development
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Open for three weeks (26.08.2013 - 15.09.2013)
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68 comments by experts from 11 countries (India, Iran, Italy,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan,
Ukraine, Uzbekistan)
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1200 visits to the page from 95 countries
Affiliation of participants
The online consultations reached out to:
• 5000 FSN Forum members
• 800 experts from CIS countries
• relevant platforms and communication channels
During the two online consultations
the website received over
3000 visits from 114 countries
Number of visits
Topic 1: What are some of the key socio-economic drivers of land degradation
in Eurasia? What are the direct and indirect economic and social impacts of
land degradation? How do people respond at various scales and in different
contexts to land degradation?
Topic 2: What tools are available to adequately respond to land degradation
and guide sustainable land use decisions? What are some good practice
examples of sustainable land management approaches in the Eurasian region?
Topic 3: What are the roles of policies and which institutions enhance decision
making and governance for sustainability of land systems?
https://collaboration.worldbank.org/groups/russia-ecfs
International Conference on
Eurasian Food Security Network and Eurasian Soil Partnership
(February 29 – March 2, 2016 Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic)