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Peru

Multisectoral Commission on Food Security and Nutrition

(Comisión Multisectorial de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional)

Peru's Multisectoral Commission on Food Security and Nutrition coordinates public and private institutions and civil society around national food and nutrition security. Convened by the agriculture ministry, it formulated the national food security strategy and plan, and works largely at the level of agenda setting and agreement.

Institutional set-up and structure

The Commission was established in 2002 and given a further legal basis in 2021. It is convened by the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, which holds the national convener role, and works through thematic working groups. It is a largely public structure, with non-state members attending when meetings are convened. Since 2022 it has been working to bring national food security policy into Peru's formal administrative planning system.

Mandate and decision-making power

Its mandate is to coordinate the efforts of public and private institutions, national and international, together with civil society representatives, towards national food and nutrition security. Its functions include evaluating and recommending food and nutrition security policy on the basis of technical reports from the sectors involved, updating and proposing the national food security strategy, proposing the national plan with responsibilities, deadlines and funding forecasts, and proposing mechanisms of articulation between sectors.

The Commission is tasked with the following roles (building blocks):

  • Agenda setting: advocacy and dialogue; deciding on goals and strategic priorities

  • Policy formulation and decision making: providing technical advice; coordinating policy development; developing policies for consideration by the relevant authorities

Who is involved

  • Government: agriculture; environment; foreign trade and tourism; development and social inclusion; education; women and vulnerable populations; production; foreign affairs; and health

  • Subnational government: the national assembly of regional governments and the network of rural municipalities

  • Producers: the national irrigation district users' board, the national agricultural convention, and the artisanal fishing enterprises association

  • Development partners: a United Nations agency providing support, convening and indicator systems

How it works in practice

  • Formal meetings are held intermittently, at times every six months, depending on the deputy minister in charge

  • The Commission functions as a forum where issues are placed on the agenda and interests expressed

  • Policy instruments developed by the Commission are approved by supreme decree

  • Food security indicator measurement supports accountability, with civil society playing a role

  • Progress has centred on planning and agreement; implementation has been constrained by budget

Opportunities for improvement

  • Higher-level backing for the convening ministry would give the Commission's leadership more momentum

  • Developing instruments for implementation and monitoring would extend the Commission's reach beyond planning

  • Strengthening the capacities of participating actors, and widening membership to academia, would deepen the Commission's work

Evidence base: key informant interviews and policy documents, 2026. Last updated: September 2026.

Strengths

  • Its formal structure allows food security issues to be discussed among stakeholders and placed on the national agenda

  • Long-serving participants have kept food security a standing priority over many years

  • It convenes national ministries alongside regional government, municipal and producer representatives

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