1.
Achieving the SDG2
in Timor-Leste
João Boavida and Gianna Bonis-Profumo
SDG2 report team: Jessica Fanzo, João Boavida, Gianna Bonis-Profumo, Rebecca McLaren, and Claire Davis
“Evolving Agrifood Systems in Asia conference: Achieving food and nutrition security by 2030”
30 Oct - 1 Nov 2019, Yangon – Myanmar

2.
Strategic Review of SDG2 in Timor-Leste
Purpose:
• Enable Government to accelerate progress towards
achieving SDG2
Process:
• A National Advisory Group led by President Ramos-Horta, Nobel
Peace Laureate, and the Bishop of Dili Dom Virgilio do Carmo, SDB
• Informed by consultations with stakeholders and communities using
PAR approach
Outcome
• 15 evidence-based recommendations to achieve SDG 2
targets and the political economy
http://www.tl-cepad.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/progress-and-success-
in-achieving-the-sustainable-development-goal-2-english.pdf
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3.
Context – Timor-Leste
History
• Independent since 2002
• In late 1999, about 70% of the economic infrastructure
including irrigation destroyed
Today
• Oil-based and dependent economy
• Home to 1.2 million people (75% of this live in rural
areas and 60% are under 25 years of age)
• Poverty remains very high and widespread (from 50.4%
to 41.8% (2007-2014) (MoF and WB, 2016)
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4.
Food Security Situation
• 75% of the population relies on subsistence
agriculture
• Agriculture systems do not produce enough food
• Cereal imports 30-40% (GoTL, 2017)
• Low yields of staple crops & high post-harvest losses
• Climate change vulnerability  El Niño draughts,
projected increases of 0.4-1.5 C by 2030-50 (CFE-DM,2016)
• 36 - 40% affected by chronic food insecurity (IPC
Global Partners, 2019)
Credit: Gianna Bonis-Profumo
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5.
Food Security Situation (Cont.)
Agriculture is largely subsistence rather than market oriented.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Cambodia Lao PDR Timor-Leste SEA
Mt/ha
Productivity (M/ha) of staple crops,
average 2014-16
Rice, paddy Maize
Cassava Sweet potatoes
Source: FAOSTAT. Source: Census 2015 (GDS and UNFPA, 2018).
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
< 1 ha (66%) 1-5 ha (32%) >5 ha (2%)
%
Farming HH agricultural activity and size of
area cultivated, Timor-Leste 2015
Mainly home consumption
Minor (backyard) activity
Mainly for sale
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6.
Nutrition Security Situation
Undernutrition burden to the economy US$41 million annually, representing ~1% of GDP (Bagriansky, 2014)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2007 2009-10 2013 2014 2016
%
Children <5
Stunting Underweight Wasting Overweight
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2009-10 2013 2016
%
Women of Reproductive Age
BMI <18.5 BMI >25 Anaemia
Sources: DHS 2003, 2009-10, 2016; TL-SLS 2007, 2014; TL-FNS 2013. 6

7.
Nutrition Security Situation (Cont.)
46 36 33 29
11
40
20 21
19
7
24
14 9
7
5
6
12 4
1
8
Timor-Leste (2016) Indonesia (2013) Lao PDR (2017) Myanmar (2015-16) Thailand (2015-16)
%ofChildren<5
Prevalence of child malnutrition in
Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand
Stunting Underweight Wasting Overweight
Sources: Timor-Leste (DHS-2016), Indonesia (MICS-2013), Lao PDR (MICS-2017), Myanmar (DHS-2015-16), Thailand (MICS-2015-16).
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8.
Nutrition Security Situation Analysis
Dietary diversity is an issue:
- High in grains and tubers
- Seasonal access to local fruits and vegetables
- Low in Animal-Source Foods
Dietary indicators for children <2-y:
- 13% consumed the Minimum Acceptable Diet
- No improvements 2013-2016 (TL-FNS, 2013, DHS-2016)
Other barriers:
- Affordability, physical access (poor roads, wet season)
- Water scarcity for horticulture, customary uses of livestock
- Nutritional knowledge
- Poverty and corruptionCredit: Gianna Bonis-Profumo
Improving the quantity and quality of foods fed to children in their first 5-years of life and of foods
consumed by pre-pregnant, pregnant and lactating women, is key to reduce stunting rates.
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9.
Policy landscape
Common goal: food secure and malnutrition-free Timor-Leste
2014 2014-2019 2017
SDP 2011-2013 + Agenda 2030
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10.
Policy landscape
Budget trends for key line ministries 2008-2019
10
$Mil
$50Mil
$100Mil
$150Mil
$200Mil
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry of Education
Ministry of Health Ministry of Social Solidarity
Source: State Budget Book 2, 2008-2019 - Transparency Portal

11.
Inter-sectoral coordination: KONSSANTIL
• Mission:
to secure inter-ministerial coordination to synchronize activities
efficient and effective use of resources on food and nutrition security plans.
• Objectives:
1. to strengthen the individual ministry’s role for implementation,
2. to consolidate existing resources, and
3. to strengthen coordination of services between the ministries to be
responsible according to their individual roles (KONSSANTIL 2012).
• Implements: Zero Hunger National Action Plan + Food & Nutrition Security Policy
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National Council of Food Security, Sovereignty, and Nutrition for Timor-Leste

12.
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13.
Inter-sectoral coordination: KONSSANTIL
• Municipal KONSSANTIL:
- Coordinate at decentralised level, including emergency response
- Pilot: Multi-sectoral approach in 3 vulnerable suco (villages)
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Credit: Gianna Bonis-Profumo

14.
Strengthening inter-sectoral coordination
• Assessment
- Lofty portfolio with limited capacity and resources
- MAF presidency disengages other ministries
- Municipal level requires more technical support
• Recommendation
- Reposition under the Prime Minister Office
- High level leadership for cross-ministry engagement,
accountability, and adequate funding
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Strong leadership is fundamental to enable coordination for
inter-sectoral and inter-ministerial policy implementation (IFPRI 2016)

15.
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16.
Recommendations: Political economy
• Improving coordination and accountability by
strengthening KONSSANTIL
• Building human capacity in food security and
nutrition
• Increasing national investment to a minimum
of 5% of GDP for nutrition and agriculture
• Agriculture-led economic growth in post-oil Timor-
Leste
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17.
Food for thought…
• Ensuring social justice and equity to address SDG 2
• Food and Nutrition is a human right
• Decision-makers need to understand the problem in
order to act
• To prevent and combat stunting, we need to continue
educating communities and the government on
how serious the malnutrition burden is for both
economic growth and continuation of peace.
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Credit: Gianna Bonis-Profumo

18.
Obrigado barak! Thank you!
SDG2 report team: Jessica Fanzo, João Boavida, Gianna Bonis-Profumo, Rebecca McLaren, and Claire Davis
with the invaluable assistance of Jose Henriques, Florenciana de Jesus Rego, and Lamberto Quintas.
Funded by the World Food Programme – Timor-Leste 18
Credit: Jess Fanzo
joao.boavida@tl-cepad.org & gianna.bonis-profumo@cdu.edu.au

19.
References
• CFE-DM. 2016. Timor-Leste Disaster Management Reference Handbook 2016. Ford Island: Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance.
• FAO. 2018. FAOSTAT Statistics Database. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en
• GDS, MoH, and ICF. 2018. Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Dili: Government of Timor-Leste General Directorate of Statistics, Ministry of Health and ICF.
• GDS and UNFPA. 2016. Timor-Leste National Census 2015. Dili: Government of Timor-Leste National Statistics Directorate and United Nations Population Fund.
• GoTL. 2017. National Food and Nutrition Security Policy. Dili: Government of Timor-Leste.
• IFPRI. 2016. Global Nutrition Report 2016: From Promise to Impact: Ending Malnutrition by 2030. Washington DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2499/9780896295841
• IPC Global Partners, 2019. The First IPC Analysis Report on the Chronic Food Insecurity Situation in Timor-Leste. National Directorate of Food Security and Cooperation, the Ministry
of Agriculture and Fisheries in collaboration with Country IPC Partners.
http://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/3_IPC_Timor%20Leste_CFI_20182023_English.pdf
• KONSSANTIL. 2012. KONSSANTIL Statues. Dili: National Council of Food Security, Sovereignty and Nutrition for Timor-Leste.
• Ministry of Finance, 2018. State Budget 2019 Books 1 and 2. Government of Timor-Leste Ministry of Finance. https://www.mof.gov.tl/category/documents-and-forms/budget-
documents/2019-state-budget-book-budget-documents/?lang=en
• MoF and WB. 2016. Poverty in Timor-Leste 2014. Dili: Government of Timor-Leste Ministry of Finance and World Bank.
• Ministry of Health and National Statistics Office of the Government of Timor-Leste, University of Newcastle, Australian National University, ACIL Australia. 2004. Timor-Leste 2003
Demographic and Health Survey. Newcastle: University of Newcastle.
• MoHS and ICF. 2017. Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey 2015-16. Nay Pyi Taw and Rockville: Ministry of Health and Sports and ICF.
https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR324/FR324.pdf
• NSD. 2015. Timor-Leste Food and Nutrition Survey 2013. Dili: Government of Timor-Leste National Statistics Directorate and Ministry of Health.
• NSD, MoF and ICF Macro. 2010. Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2009-10. Dili: Government of Timor-Leste General Directorate of Statistics, Ministry of Finance and ICF
Macro.
• NSO and UNICEF. 2016. Thailand Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2015-2016, Final Report. Bangkok: National Statistical Office and United Nations Children’s Fund.
https://www.unicef.org/thailand/sites/unicef.org.thailand/files/2018-06/Thailand_MICS_Full_Report_EN_0.pdf
• UNICEF, Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) Data. 2018. United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. http://mics.unicef.org/surveys
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