"It is of utmost importance that each participant of the thematic group feel in some way the ownership of the group."

Norman Bellino, current representative of the FAO in Peru, has strongly promoted the Thematic Group on Rural Development and Food Security of the Network in Venezuela and in Peru. In this interview, he explains some of the key elements and the potentials for making these groups operational and become important actors in development.

If you had to summarize in very few words the role that the Thematic Group is playing presently in the field of rural development of Peru, what would you say?

As you know, the new government, which took power at the end of July 2001, gives high priorities to fighting poverty and generating employment. This is reflected in the document Productive Social Emergency Programme "Let's Get To Work", which is a strategic framework for developing some of the poorest zones of Peru over the next 36 months. We have invited a high member of the government to the last session of the Thematic Group, to sensitize the representatives of the International Technical Co-operation, NGOs, etc. concerning the problem, particularly of the rural environment, and to exchange ideas in order to arrive at a consensus on sustainable development in the areas selected. As a forum, the Thematic Group has shown interest in treating the programme's themes on rural development, and thus more frequent meetings have been projected as support during the execution of the aforementioned plan.

The Thematic Group will also have an important complementary function in identifying and formulating the SPFS, given that some agencies of international co-operation and NGOs involved work in some of the rural economic corridors identified by the FAO.

What is the strategy that has been followed in the coordination of the Thematic Groups, first in Venezuela and now in Peru, to make them function effectively?

First of all, it is very important that rural development and food security constitute high-priority areas for the government in question and that this be reflected through efficient agricultural and rural institutions, with, in the case of countries with low income, bilateral and multilateral co-operation from NGOs and from the whole of civil society. In the case of Venezuela, on the establishment of the thematic group, food security did not represent a high priority for the government and in fact the international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank had a limited portfolio of projects for the sylvo-agricultural sector. On the other hand, this country being a petroleum producer and exporter, the presence of NGOs and donor countries was extremely reduced. Nevertheless, particularly through personal and professional relationships, we succeeded in establishing a small dynamic group, and at certain points we counted on the financial support for specific technical advice from the World Bank, which paid in that case. On my arrival in Peru at the beginning of 1999, during the first meeting, I requested that invitations be extended to other branches of the public administration that had not participated in the group, such as the Ministry of Fisheries, the Executive Secretariat of International Technical Cooperation-SECTI (Presidency of the Council of Ministers), etc. as well as some NGOs that were chosen based on a strict criterion of professionalism and experience in the rural sector. Basically, the variety of participants that covered a spectrum from the public administration to the NGOs and the civil society, including the international cooperation, has rendered positive results with respect to information exchange, formulation of joint activities, etc.

What does the effectiveness of the group depend on?

In our case, the effective functioning of the group depends, first, on the level of personal relationship that each participant maintains, beyond the thematic group itself. On the other hand, it is crucial to count on high-level speakers involved in priority themes for the country to distribute any type of documentation beforehand, and to send out the invitations on average two weeks ahead of time. This enables us to verify the attendance commitments and, in the worst cases, to postpone or cancel the meeting if the number of participants is too low (something that fortunately has not yet occurred).

Also, it is vital that each participant has the feeling of being a partial "owner" of the thematic group (the famous sense of "ownership"), thereby assuring the permanent support of the institutions making up the group.

It is also important, at least twice a year, to make an open self-evaluation in consultation with the members to ensure that we all agree with the course we are following.

What do you believe these types of initiatives to be in countries that have not yet undertaken them?

I believe that the ideal in forming and launching a group would be for this event to coincide with another great interest for the organization and the country, for example the World Food Day, the release of the campaign Telefood, the signing of an important project on rural development and/or food security (like the SPFS), the presentations of regional officials (in our case the one from agro-industries and the one from commercialization and credit, made their visit coincide with a meeting of the group) as well as from the headquarters, the presentation of WAICENT, SOFA, etc.. It is important from the outset to have a group that feels strongly identified with the FAO and very close to the activities that the organization fosters in the country (counterparts of the projects, traditional partners such as some agencies of the UN and of the International Technical Co-operation, National Co-ordinator of the World Food Day, delegates of the government that have participated in important events of our organization, recent regional conferences, seminars and workshops, such as the TCP/RLA/8933 "National Workshop of Strategies for the Development of National Agriculture to 2010". In addition, little by little, other local high-level institutions can be included, plus agencies of the United Nations, NGOs, academic institutions and donors of international co-operation which feel attracted by the spirit of the initial group of the founders. Of course, it is of paramount importance, depending on the theme, to have the occasional presence of the Ministry or Vice Minister of the sector involved and of other high-level authorities, depending on the frequency of the meetings.

What are the greatest limitations that you find in the Network on Rural Development and Food Security, and how do you believe these could be resolved?

Due to the increase in activities that this representation has been assuming in the last few years, it has not been possible to devote more time to the programming of the thematic group, as we might have desired. Therefore, the greatest limitation is the lack of financial resources to hire a consultant to function as a permanent secretary and expert in these matters, in order to assure that the themes in the meetings are up to date, as well as of utmost importance, and are presented by special high-level guests. This would require regular funds that would enable us to programme the sessions with more frequency and dynamism from the standpoint of participation. These funds could also be used to invite speakers that live and work outside the capital. Greater follow-up on the part of our office with respect to those making up the thematic group would encourage stronger participation and collaboration among those involved. It also bears highlighting that currently more than 10 networks are operating (within the United Nations, other networks and inter-agency forums and co-operating committees) and that in many cases these are represented by the same person, at times causing too much of the sensation of events and meetings.

What do you believe FAO can learn from the meeting with civil society?

In consideration that in Peru a great number of NGOs have in some cases more than 30 years of experience in rural development and food security, there is a very rich source of information on experiences, especially with marginal sectors of the society which is valuable for the work of the thematic group. These organizations also support us in a highly fruitful way in carrying out activities such as the World Food Day, the Telefood campaign, etc.

What possibilities of the TG would you like to explore in the future?

Considering that, as in many other Latin American countries, the decisions on silvo-agricultural policies are made at the level of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (revenue agencies in other countries), I intend to invite an officer from this Ministry in order to have the extremely important presence of a decision maker in the group. Secondly, I would like to form ad hoc sub-groups with a fixed time frame and in specific areas, such as livestock, to accompany more pointedly the Productive Social Emergency Programme "Let's Get to Work."