Ecuador country strategic plan (2017-2022)

Country Strategic Plan approved at EB February 2017.

Revision 02 approved by the CD in December 2018.

Revision 04 approved by the RD in December 2019.

Revision 05 approved by the ED-DGFAO in July 2020.

Revision 06 approved by the ED in September 2021.

Revision 07 approved by the CD in December 2021.

Ecuador has made considerable progress with economic, social and human development in the past decade, but persistent challenges remain to achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goals 2 and 17. These challenges include a high prevalence of chronic malnutrition, increasing overweight and obesity coupled with micronutrient deficiencies, limited access to food and employment for refugees, vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change, gender inequalities and limited opportunities for smallholder farmers. 

The third National Plan for Good Living (2013–2017) establishes a foundation for the development of government policies and programmes. Four of its twelve objectives are related to food security and nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 2: i) eliminate child malnutrition; ii) ensure access to food; iii) ensure the sustainability of food systems; and iv) improve the living conditions of smallholder farmers. The United Nations and the Government, under the leadership of the Technical Secretariat for International Cooperation, developed the 2015–2018 United Nations Development Assistance Framework in line with national priorities.

The 2015 Strategic Review of Food and Nutrition Security in Ecuador  identified gaps and opportunities for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 and formed the basis for dialogue with national ministries and institutions. A multi-sector workshop was held in July 2016 to discuss the priorities of government partners and identify opportunities for WFP support.

WFP’s Country Strategic Plan for Ecuador seeks synergies with the actions of the Government and promotes knowledge transfer focused on four strategic outcomes: 

• Strategic outcome 1: Refugees, displaced persons and vulnerable people in Ecuador are enabled to meet their basic food and nutrition requirements all year long (Strategic Result 1, National Plan for Good Living target 2.7). 
• Strategic outcome 2: Smallholder farmers, especially women in targeted areas, durably increase their incomes and improve their productivity by 2021 (Strategic Result 3, National Plan for Good Living target 10.4). 
• Strategic outcome 3: Food-insecure communities and individuals in areas that are highly vulnerable to climate change, and government institutions have strengthened capacity for adaptation to climate change by 2021 (Strategic Result 4, National Plan for Good Living target 7.10). 
• Strategic outcome 4: National institutions and programmes in Ecuador, including social protection programmes, are supported to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition by 2021 (Strategic Result 5, National Plan for Good Living targets 3.6 and 3.11).

The country strategic plan consolidates WFP’s role as a strategic ally of Ecuador’s Government in facilitating the development and transfer of knowledge while maintaining capacity to complement government food security and nutrition programmes when needed.