› Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organisations in Germany, independent of politics and religion. It was established in 1962, as the German section of the “Freedom from Hunger Campaign”.
The Food Security Standard (FSS) takes into account the Right to adequate Food in agricultural production. Applying the FSS in sustainability certification systems ensures that farmers, workers, and neighbouring communities are food secure.
FSS Team
The FSS project of WHH, WWF and ZEF will be phased out by 31.12.2021. The successes of the project are obvious:
the FSS is developed, applicable and recognized. The task now is to transition the FSS from the development phase to application – the broadest possible application. Today, hunger can no longer be tolerated in agricultural production.
MEO and WHH have joined forces for this purpose. Together, they want to take the FSS forward, put it into practice and establish it in sustainability certification.
› Meo Carbon Solutions is an innovative solution provider supporting companies, ministries and institutions with customized approaches to increase sustainability.
FSS Advisory Partner
The FSS has been set up and will be continuously further developed through a multi-stakeholder process, involving representatives of private companies, the research sector, NGOs, development organizations, sustainability certification schemes and administrations.
Our Advisory Partner WWF is one of the leading environmental organizations, working in more than 80 countries worldwide to halt environmental destruction and shape a future were people and environment live in harmony.
Dr Liliana Gamba is an international expert in sustainable energy and biobased economy with long-lasting experience in developing and implementing sustainability strategies. In her former position as Senior Project Coordinator Sustainability Standards at WWF, Liliana coordinated the formulation of the FSS indicators and the development of the FSS audit tools. Currently, Liliana works at KfW Development Bank as an Environmental and Social Specialist.
Our Advisory Partner ZEF is an international Think Tank aiming to find science-based solutions to development-related issues in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Dr. Tina Beuchelt is an international expert in food security, gender, human rights and global supply chains. Her research activities also include the identification of pathways to achieve rural development, equity, justice and sustainability. She developed the conceptual framework for the FSS and accompanied the FSS scientifically to ensure that it will reliable deliver impacts.
Development of the FSS
The FSS Project started in 2017 as a cooperation of the Center for Development Research (University of Bonn, Germany) and the NGOs Welthungerhilfe (Bonn, Germany) and WWF (Berlin, Germany), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture (BMEL) via the agency “Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe” (FNR).
The project group jointly developed, tested and established the FSS. Since then, the FSS criteria, indicators and the related tools have been successfully tested in cooperation with local producers and several certification schemes (ISCC, RSPO, CmiA, UTZ/Rainfor- est Alliance) within the framework of regular sustainability audits. The Pilot Audits were held in food insecure regions in Africa, Latin-America and Asia.
Together with stakeholders in the respective producing countries and in Germany the project group demonstrated that the FSS is a viable and valid tool to integrate the Human Right to adequate Food as a new building block into existing sustainability standards and certification schemes. The FSS Project intends to increase the application and demand for the FSS by companies, producers, society and governments. A handbook for auditors, food security monitoring tools and training materials have been developed to enable a smooth adoption into certification practice.
For more about our Pilot Audits, please visit our > Download section where you will find detailed reports and summarized learnings (Factsheets).
Please note for the map below:
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on these map(s) do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FSS concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries.
The FSS Pilot Audits
- Product: Cotton
- Standard: › CmiA (Cotton made in Africa)
- Types of farms: Small Scale Farmers, Outgrowers
- Global Hunger Index 2019: 38.1 (alarming)
- Product: Sugar Cane
- Standard: › ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification)
- Types of farms: Plantations (Guatemala), farmer groups (Bolivia)
- Global Hunger Index 2019: Guatemala: 20.6 (serious) / Bolivia: 15.4 (moderate)
- Product: Coffee
- Standard: › Rainforest Alliance
- Types of farms: Small Scale Farmers, Estates
- Global Hunger Index 2019: 25.2 (serious)
- Product: Palm Oil
- Standard: › RSPO (Rountable on Sustainable Palm Oil)
- Types of farms: Malaysia: small scale farmers (organised), Indonesia: Plantation and small scale farmers
- Global Hunger Index 2019: Malaysia: 13.1 (moderate), Indonesia 20.1 (serious)
The FSS Pilot Audits
Click on country name for more information
Zambia
- Product: Cotton
- Standard: › CmiA (Cotton made in Africa)
- Types of farms: Small Scale Farmers, Outgrowers
- Global Hunger Index 2019: 38.1 (alarming)
Guatemala & Bolivia
- Product: Sugar Cane
- Standard: › ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification)
- Types of farms: Plantations (Guatemala), farmer groups (Bolivia)
- Global Hunger Index 2019: Guatemala: 20.6 (serious) / Bolivia: 15.4 (moderate)
Kenya
- Product: Coffee
- Standard: › Rainforest Alliance
- Types of farms: Small Scale Farmers, Estates
- Global Hunger Index 2019: 25.2 (serious)
Malaysia & Indonesia
- Product: Palm Oil
- Standard: › RSPO (Rountable on Sustainable Palm Oil)
- Types of farms: Malaysia: small scale farmers (organised), Indonesia: Plantation and small scale farmers
- Global Hunger Index 2019: Malaysia: 13.1 (moderate), Indonesia 20.1 (serious)
Users
The following sustainability standards offer a certification which fully includes the FSS and is recognized by FSS.
Financing
The Food Security Standard is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
What is food security?FAO, 2004
“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”
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