From Hunger to Hope: How Integrated Programming Is Transforming Lives at the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)?

At the Fifty-third Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) held in Rome from October 20–24, World Vision joined global leaders and partners to spotlight a critical truth: hunger is not just a food crisis—it’s a child protection crisis.

In fragile and protracted contexts, children walk for hours to reach host communities. They clean, fetch water, and take on adult responsibilities—just to help their families survive. These are not isolated stories. They are the lived realities of millions of children whose futures are shaped by the intersection of food insecurity and protection risks.
 

A Call to See Beyond Hunger

World Vision’s side event, "From Saving Lives to Building Futures," co-hosted with Plan International, the Global Child Protection Area of Responsibility, and the Global Food Security Cluster, challenged the humanitarian sector to rethink how it responds to crises. The message was clear: children are not sectoral issues—they are whole human beings. Their protection, nutrition, and dignity are inseparable.

The session examined how integrated programming—combining food security and child protection—can yield improved outcomes for children and families. In countries like Somalia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, World Vision representative, Brikena Zogaj, shared the powerful results of piloting this approach:

• 47% of households ate more frequently
• 36% consumed more diverse foods
• 76% of children in integrated households attended school
• 68% showed improved concentration
• 43% experienced less tension at home
• 16% were less likely to engage in child labour

These numbers tell a story of transformation. But it was the voice of 18-year-old Nyamach from Ethiopia that truly brought the data to life. Testimonies like Nyamach’s revealed how integrated support helps them stay safe, educated, and free to be children.
 

Tools That Turn Vision Into Action

One of the session’s highlights was the unveiling of the Integrated Child Protection and Food Security Programming Toolbox—a collaborative effort by World Vision, Plan International, and other partners. This isn’t just another framework. It’s a practical, field-tested resource built by practitioners, for practitioners.

Developed through country workshops, regional consultations, and global reviews, the Toolbox equips humanitarian actors with tools to design, implement, and evaluate integrated programming. 

A Shared Commitment to Scale and Sustain

The session closed with a powerful call to action:

• Localise integration: Translate and embed tools into national systems so they take root at the community level.
• Shift mindsets: See children and families as whole, resilient beings—not fragmented needs.
• Strengthen leadership: Ensure integration is reflected in global and national strategies.
• Invest in joint funding: Encourage multi-sectoral design and accountability.
• Build capacity: Provide shared tools, training, and learning spaces at the country level.
• Advocate relentlessly: Keep integration high on the humanitarian agenda.
   

Feeding Bodies, Protecting Spirits

World Vision’s approach to the CFS is grounded in a holistic, rights-based, and faith-inspired vision—one that uplifts children’s voices, protects their bodies and spirits, and transforms systems so that no child ever goes hungry or unprotected again.

Because when we integrate food security and child protection, we don’t just feed children—we help them flourish.