During the first semester of 2022, Vinicius Limongi and Camila Alencar, from the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger Programme Team, taught a class on food security at the Professional Master’s Degree in International Policy Analysis and Management, a graduate programme at the Institute of International Relations (IRI) at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). The lessons explored key issues relating to food security policy through case studies and discussions with experts.
The students had the opportunity to debate about the conceptualization of food security, the main actors in this policy sphere and the current state of food security in Brazil and the world. They also learned about the main strategies used by WFP and governments actors to combat food insecurity in emergency and development contexts and explored how to build sustainable food systems, with a focus on school feeding and small-scale agriculture programmes.
“The contents that we’ve explored during the semester were based on the ongoing food crisis, how the involved actors are dealing with it and the role WFP has in different scenarios”, said Vinicius Limongi.
This initiative is part of a wider partnership established between the WFP Centre of Excellence and PUC Rio’s Institute of International Relations. Over the coming years, the Centre of Excellence and the Institute will work together to carry out research and produce knowledge relevant to the real challenges and opportunities experienced by countries assisted by the Centre. The goal is to engage students and promote the production of graduate research on areas such as the impact on school feeding programmes, food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations, food systems and rural development.
With the technical and institutional support of WFP, graduate students will have the opportunity to develop professional and academic work that can support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 2, aimed at zero hunger and the promotion of sustainable agriculture; and SDG 17, which focuses on strengthening means of implementation and the revitalization of global partnerships for sustainable development by 2030.
About WFP – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency, saving lives in emergencies and contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and climate change impacts through food assistance and food and nutrition security projects. The Centre of Excellence Against Hunger is the result of a partnership between the WFP and Brazil. The mission of the Centre of Excellence is to support developing countries in creating and implementing sustainable solutions against hunger, inspired by successful experiences developed in Brazil. The WFP Centre of Excellence also acts as a global hub for policy dialogue and knowledge about food systems.
About IRI – The Institute of International Relations (IRI) at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) is a centre of excellence in the area of International Relations in Brazil. During its more than 30 years of existence, the Institute has been a pioneer in research on Brazil’s foreign policy, in Latin America’s political and economic changes, and transformations in the world order. Its Graduate Programme trains researchers who work in several universities in the country and abroad, and its Undergraduate Program has been ranked among the five best in the country and the best in Rio de Janeiro. The Institute is internationally recognized as a reference in teaching and research within the discipline of International Relations and maintains a diversified network of partnerships with important universities abroad. PUC-Rio is one of the best universities in the country, with 24 departments and 11 complementary units dedicated to research, teaching, and extension.