Food security clusters aim to ensure a more coherent and effective response by mobilizing partner organizations to respond in a strategic manner to humanitarian food security needs. 

This chapter focuses on the country-level cluster, the process for activating and deactivating an FSC, and the structure and composition of a typical FSC. It will also summarise the purpose and core functions at country level, the roles and responsibilities of:

• FAO and WFP as cluster lead agencies (CLAs); 
• The FSC Coordinator (and team); and 
• Cluster members.

Increasingly a key priority of the FSC, the capacity strengthening of local actors is also highlighted. To understand how the FSC fits within the overall humanitarian coordination architecture at country level as well as the intersectoral context, see chapter 4.