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145. Presenting the ICSP, the Country Director said that WFP was working with the Government on all aspects of it. It was ambitious, but its cash-based approaches could make a significant contribution to long-term development.

146. Saying that the overriding needs were to address chronic malnutrition and food insecurity as a basis for further development in line with the Government’s plans and SDG and zero hunger targets, Board members expressed support for the procurement of food from smallholder farmers as a tool for sustainable economic and agricultural development and for South–South cooperation to enhance local capacities. Capacity development for government staff was also a prerequisite for economic recovery; other training would focus on institutional capacities for disaster response. Board members observed that the large numbers of refugees and IDPs were affecting host communities, which required support, and expressed concern about the scale of needs and the effects of conflict on implementation of the ICSP, with some asking whether the ICSP was overambitious under the circumstances and some requesting clarification regarding cooperation among the Rome based agencies.

147. Some members noted that while 70 percent of the population was engaged in agriculture only 1 percent of the national budget was allocated to the sector. High food prices were attributed to inefficient production, and arable land was ample but not being cultivated. Initiatives to increase production were therefore significant as means of addressing malnutrition and driving economic development. Board members also urged WFP to address gender based violence and related issues under the ICSP.

148. Board members expressed approval of assessments to inform targeting and of plans to scale up, but asked whether WFP had the resources to monitor its widespread activities effectively. Some members recommended emergency food assistance for displaced people to forestall the need for subsequent food security and nutrition interventions.

149. The Country Director said that P4P activities were efficient in terms of food procurement and also helped to drive reconciliation in conflict areas. He assured the Board that WFP’s staff and resources were adequate, while stressing that the support of partners was indispensable; the main constraint on current activities was the 70 percent funding gap. The Country Director said that while more land could be cultivated the main impediment to food availability was the difficulty of getting it delivered to markets. According to FAO, the country had the potential to provide food for 2 billion people but lacked the means to tap that potential. Board members acknowledged that the structural and political challenges were not new and expressed gratification that WFP was seeking to establish a sustainable presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in collaboration with the other Rome based agencies.