Food Security in Timor-Leste During COVID-19 Lockdown: Insights from Bridging Peoples, a Leading Research and Consulting Firm

The purpose of the follow-up plan to the Rapid Food Security Assessment was to develop a set of actionable recommendations in response to the economic shocks on Timorese households caused by COVID-19 restrictions, which were compounded by agricultural shocks that occurred simultaneously. This plan was developed by Bridging Peoples, a research and consulting firm, through a consultative process led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), and included the Agriculture and Fisheries Development Partners (AFDP) and key food security stakeholders, between August and December 2020.

The plan focuses on actions that food security stakeholders can implement in the short (late 2020 – early 2021) and medium terms (early 2021 - mid 2022), comprising the next 18 months.

Recommendations are aligned with national multi-sectoral food security initiatives, including the SDG 2 Consolidated National Action Plan for Nutrition and Food Security (CNAP-NFS), and the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan which formulates policy and programmatic responses to the COVID-19 crisis. Additionally, recommended actions are informed by nutrition and gender-sensitive principles, as these are fundamental to achieving food security.

This project was conducted in 2020.

[photo credit: Vonia Viera/Oxfam in Timor-Leste]