Preventing and mitigating a potential food crisis in Ecuador and strengthening the resilience of social protection in the face of a crisis

Executive Summary.- Food insecurity and malnutrition in Ecuador have increased significantly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among the most vulnerable population. The conflict in Ukraine began at a time when Ecuador was coping with the economic effects caused by COVID-19, resulting in increased inflation, production shortfalls and limited government capacity to offset the impact of the pandemic. The ripple effect of the Ukrainian crisis in Ecuador is resulting in a complex economic situation that threatens to significantly worsen post-pandemic food insecurity projections, against a backdrop of increasing (food) inflation. To respond to this situation, the UN agencies (WFP, ILO, and FAO), drawing on their specific expertise, seek to generate evidence-based inputs to support public policy and provide solutions to address the agri-food system crisis, increase resilience and strengthen the social protection system. Three outputs are foreseen to meet this objective: 1. The activation of data and evidence generation systems to know and anticipate the real impacts on populations in situations of vulnerability, labor informality and social unprotection; 2. The design and implementation of measures for the prevention and immediate response to a situation of food insecurity, 3. Strengthening institutional capacities to implement policies that increase the resilience of the social protection system through innovative tools, identification of fiscal space and funding sources, and participatory consultation processes.

Project symbol

ECU/22/50/UND

Admin unit

DWT/CO-Lima

Start date

01/07/2022

End date

28/02/2023

Total allocation

83492

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

82102

Development Partners

Multi Partner Trust Fund Office, UNDP

Country/Countries

Ecuador

Outcomes

Outcome 8: Comprehensive and sustainable social protection for all
Outcome 3: Economic, social and environmental transitions for full, productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all