Enhancing Rural Livelihoods through Improved Food Security

Project Title: Enhancing Rural Livelihoods through Improved Food Security This project is specially designed to address this food shortage, so that poor family will be able to grow vegetables during spring, summer and autumn – and possibly in winter. Gobi Greenhouse will partner with a local agricultural cooperative (women members) to develop an all-weather green-housing facility. This project promotes the demonstration and implementation of 3 innovative approaches: Passive Solar Green House (PSGH), bioclimatic cellar, water management/soil conservation package. The objective of the project is to implement and mainstream innovative, sustainable, affordable and locally owned approaches to improve food security. The specific objective of the project is to enhance the capacity of resource-poor and poverty-stricken farmers and herders at low income brackets to produce a wide variety of vegetables using sustainable and environmentally-friendly technologies with integrated social ownership and management and involvement. The goal of this sample proposal is to increase local availability of safe, quality vegetables to enhance food security as well as achieving nutritional balance through diversification of diets of the poorest segments of the vulnerable populations in target area. Priority in the selection of target groups and project beneficiaries will be given to ethnic communities, female-headed households, newly settled families, resource-poor herders and farmers, and other vulnerable groups without access to secure livelihood. Project Background This project is designed to address this food shortage, so that poor families will be able to grow vegetables during spring, summer and autumn – and possibly in winter. Gobi Greenhouse will partner with a local agricultural cooperative formed by women members to develop an all-weather green-housing facility in the town of. Due to mortality, alcoholism or other social problems, there are many women headed households, taking care of large families. These women, both in rural and peri-urban areas, are seeking for alternative livelihood activities and especially for small scale agriculture that allow self-consumption as well as cash income. Despite their herder’s background, most of them have some experience on gardening and are requesting trainings on agriculture, water and soil management as well as more efficient techniques (especially greenhouses). Innovative approaches are developed to the constraints of the regions (short length growing period, poor quality of soil, water scarcity) and of the target groups (low capacity of investment, low agricultural knowledge). It specifically addresses climatic constraints in order to decrease the vulnerability of the people while building the capacity of the beneficiaries for improved, sustainable vegetable production. The proposal includes the whole vegetable production chain, from seed management to nutrition/cooking class in order to address the needs of the beneficiaries both for the vegetable production and the nutrition knowledge and know how (awareness, cooking classes). These two aspects are considered as major pillars to improve food security, notably in the National Programme for food Security. Indeed the action will promote innovative approaches to improving food security in Kasese western Ugandaregion, addressing old and new food security challenges through innovative and locally owned sustainable solutions, which could be scaled up and mainstreamed. Objectives The objective of the project is to implement and mainstream innovative, sustainable, affordable and locally owned approaches to improve food security amongst 150 of the most vulnerable people in kasese Uganda. The specific objective of the project is to enhance the capacity of resource-poor and poverty-stricken farmers and herders at low income brackets to produce a wide variety of vegetables using sustainable and environmentally-friendly technologies with integrated social ownership and management and involvement. The goal is to increase local availability of safe, quality vegetables to enhance food security as well as achieving nutritional balance through diversification of diets of the poorest segments of the vulnerable populations in target area. Priority in selection of target groups and project beneficiaries will be given to ethnic communities, female-headed households, newly settled families, resource-poor herders and farmers, and other vulnerable groups without access to secure livelihood. Description of the Project This project promotes the demonstration and implementation of 3 innovative approaches: Passive Solar Green House (PSGH), bioclimatic cellar, water management/soil conservation package. They will be locally owned as they are developed with local stakeholders (Resource Persons and Direct Beneficiaries) who will be trained for the implementation to make available the skills within the communities. It is designed based on analysis of the food security situation including a literature review, assessment with the local authorities and ministry, and the target groups using participatory approach.  The action supports small and medium scale (5 ha) agricultural production for self-consumption and sale at local, informal and formal, markets.  The innovative approaches will increase availability and quality of vegetables as they will extend the length growing period (through PSGH) and the quality of storage. They are low cost (based on local materials and on the local capacity of investment) and low-level technologies (improvement of the existing tools).  Various training, technical assistance and monitoring/onsite training will be provided to farmers regarding production and post harvest including vegetable growing, green house and cellar run.  The diversification of the diet of the most vulnerable, although, it is challenging in a “meat dominated context”, is the main component for the improvement of the food security.  The action is fully coherent with national policies and especially with National Programme for Food Security (NPFS) launched by the government in 2009. The action intends to contribute to its implementation.  The limited water resources are taken into consideration for the design of the project and have contributed to the selection of the target area. Water supply and water demand are carefully addressed throughout the project that will lead to the proposition of simple technologies to improve the situation  Special attention is paid to gender as 70% of the direct beneficiaries are women, as well as to environment protection: 500 tonnes of CO2 are yearly saved compared to heated green houses. CO2 emissions are limited to office heating, transportation of materials and embodied energy in materials. Why is this project/ activity needed? In Kasese Uganda, Food insecurity is considered most serious in both urban and rural areas where a large and growing proportion of the Kasese Ugandan population lives. Given the dynamics between rural and urban areas (i.e. migration), the UNICEF, FAO and UNDP in their joint food assessment (2007) recommended to strengthen the actions to prevent vulnerable groups in rural areas from falling into food insecurity. Therefore, the project chooses to work in rural area of XXXXXXXX province. The proportion of people living below the national poverty line has remained persistently high over the last 18 years. The first poverty survey in (the Living Standard Measurement Survey) estimates that one-third of population was living in poverty (36.6%). According to the Household Socio-Economic Survey, poverty continues to affect one-third of the population despite a slight reduction 35.2%, (Household Socioeconomic Survey) Poverty was higher in urban areas in 2003, however this trend was re-versed with higher poverty in rural areas persistent The food basket of an average Kasese Ugandan is conspicuous by the dominance of flour and flour products, meat and meat products but a negligible presence of vegetables and fruits. A lack of vegetables contributes to an absence of essential vitamins and minerals that may cause “micronutrient deficiency”, many of which are irreversible. The main micronutrient deficiency problem in Kasese Uganda is vitamin D deficiency among younger than five years children that stands at 41 percent (MOH, UNICEF, NRC, 2004), with a high prevalence in eastern, western, highlands regions.. Among pregnant women vitamin D deficiency is 38 percent. Twenty percent of children are anaemic. According to the Ministry of Health data, anaemia among pregnant women increased to 11.5 percent in 2007 from 10 percent in 2004. Iron deficiency anaemia in children under five years old is also very high (21 percent). Other vitamin shortages such as folic is not well known to people and there is no record about it in Kasese Uganda. A key to addressing the twin challenge of food and nutrition security is to increase safe vegetable production in the country through increasing the resources and capacity of resource-poor farmers. This will not only bolster household food security but will contribute to safer and more nutritionally balanced diets and enable access to supplementary income by selling surplus production. Reasons for applying for assistance from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and third parties: As a young organization, we need support (financial and expertise) to start the activities and improve the socio-economic situation of Khankhongor population of Kasese western Ugandaprovince. Expected Output and Results of the Project/ Activity  Expected result 1:  Innovative, sustainable, locally owned and affordable approaches on vegetable production and post-harvest – passive solar greenhouses (PSHG), bioclimatic cellar, and water management/soil conservation package – demonstrated.  The current technologies do not allow the most vulnerable people to address Kasese Uganda severe environment. A 12 months efficient greenhouse using Passive Solar System (without heating system) will be constructed and vegetables length growing period will be extended significantly to reach 12 months.  Expected result 2:  Sustainable increase of vegetable production in the innovative approaches run by the most vulnerable.  The direct household beneficiaries will be able to produce seedlings in spring, fruit and roots vegetables in summer and leafy vegetable in winter and thus considerably increase and diversify their production throughout the year. So far mostly potato and carrots are produced resulting in a poor food diet. The possibility to diversify diet is also an expected result  Expected result 3:  Better Accessibility to local vegetables at the crucial period (quality/ capacity storage)  Through the improvement or construction of bioclimatic cellars, quality of vegetables will be improved throughout the year and the storage capacity will be extended.  It will contribute to the improvement of diet especially at crucial period, where the vegetables available at the market are not local and expensive (end of winter, spring). A hygienic storage will also contribute to the reduction of health problems (such as diarrhoeas, intestinal infection). The stored vegetables can also be sold on the market at crucial period and provide additional cash income, at a moment where expenses are higher.  Expected result 4:  Nutrition amongst the most vulnerable improved.  Awareness on balance diet and food value of vegetables combined with higher accessibility to vegetables and more abilities on how to cook them are the necessary combination to improve nutrition and thus health among the most vulnerable and especially:  Malnutrition of children  Cardio- vascular related sicknesses  High blood pressure  To have one’s own production and being able to store it increase the access during critical seasons and can consequently reduce:  Anxiety about household food provision and food dietary estimated at 20 to 30%  Frequency of reduction of portion size and skipping meals estimated at 10 to 15%  Hunger and complete lack of food at household level estimated at 3 to 5%  Expected result 5:  The innovative approaches are mainstreamed in collaboration with the local government.  Publications are necessary tools to ensure the successful implementation of the project and extend the possibilities for mainstreaming.  The collaboration with government and local authorities is crucial for mainstreaming as well as the dissemination of results and experiences during national workshop and seminars with the participation of key stakeholders including decision makers. Involvement of local authorities (if applicable): Description of Target Population The target population is the poor, vulnerable population of Kasese western Ugandaprovince and ethnic communities, women-headed households, households with disabled people, families with many children, newly settled families, vulnerable groups, ex-herders and resource-poor farmers will get priority in beneficiaries’ selection.Under the project 30 household families (approx. 150 people) will be the direct beneficiaries, while 6,000 will be indirect beneficiaries. These 30 households will be formed into a community Group who will receive full support from the project in accessing required inputs – seed/seedlings, machinery, equipment, passive solar winter green house, tunnels and storages – to cultivate potato and vegetables in 5 ha of irrigated lands with the application of a package of innovative and environmentally-friendly technologies. Beneficiary households will receive potato and vegetable seed and different technical and technological trainings. How are the applying– and executing organisation related to the target population: We, the applying organization located in Kasese western Ugandaprovince and always worked with the local vulnerable population on food security and desertification projects. We promote planting vegetables and trees in the town. How is the target population involved in formulating and executing the project / activity? The project was designed through a participatory process involving key stakeholders, who contributed to and expressed their agreement with the objectives, the proposed project components, and the overall implementation approach. The project will continue to involve key stakeholders in (i) implementing combinations of approaches; (ii) generating, delivering, and testing passive solar greenhouse design; and (iii) assessing current practices, as well as the needs and priorities of disadvantaged communities and families. Activities stimulated by the project will require active participation by communities and beneficiaries. Stakeholders will also take part in project monitoring and evaluation. Local government will be closely involved throughout the project. What are the benefitsto thetarget population from the proposed project / activity? The benefits to the target population are:  Locally owned, affordable, sustainable all-year around operating winter greenhouse  Extended period of vegetable cultivation which will help supply of own consumption of vegetables  Supply of vegetables during the critical period with the help of bioclimatic root cellar operation  Increase in nutrition status and nutrition knowledge  Increase in children’s health and ability  Income generating through sell of surplus vegetables at lower cost so the whole community of kasese municipal and other towns will benefit from quality and low-price vegetable  The winter greenhouse design will be disseminated so the better-off local residents can construct the greenhouse themselves and improve their food security situation  Agricultural knowledge and skills improved  Promotion of reducing CO2 emission through passive solar greenhouse Which Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is / are targeted by the project / activities (one or more):  MDG # 1: Eradicating extreme hunger and poverty  MDG # 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women Describe the effects of the project / activity on each MDG that is targeted: The project is contributing to the realization of MDG # 1: Eradicating extreme hunger and poverty and specially below targets within the Goal:  Target 1: Halve the proportion of people whose income is below the minimum living standards  Target 2: Reduce by six times the proportion of people who suffer from malnutrition  Target 3: Increase employment of population, reduce youth unemployment who are newly entering into labour market  Target 4: Reduce negative effects of population concentration and migration  The project is also contributing to the realization of MDG #3: Promote gender equality and empower women. Effects Describe the effects of the project / activity on reducing poverty: The proposed innovative approaches are developed according to the constraints of the regions (short length growing period, poor quality of soil, water scarcity) and of the target groups (low capacity of investment, low agricultural knowledge). It specifically addresses climatic constraints in order to decrease the vulnerability of the people while building the capacity (trainings) of the beneficiaries for sustainable vegetable production. The proposal includes the whole vegetable production chain, from seed management to nutrition/cooking class in order to address the needs of the beneficiaries both for vegetable production, storage and nutrition knowledge and know how (awareness, cooking classes). These two aspects are considered as major pillars to improve food security, notably in the National Programme for Food Security and contribute to the poverty alleviation. Describe the effects of the project / activity on local culture and customs: In terms of food supply, the traditional pastoral sector sustains Kasese Uganda as self-sufficient in meat and milk products. At present the country is well-positioned to fully realize the productive potential of its extensive livestock sector by exporting processed products such as meat. In 2005, 7.3 thousand tons of processed meat was exported. Russia is the basic meat export market for Kasese Uganda. Since 2004, canned meat and pet food has been started to export to Korea, Japan and Indonesia. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of pastoral animals (camels, horses, cattle, sheep and goats) up to over 43 million. As a consequence, the pastures are being overgrazed triggering desertification, a process accelerated by the effects of global warming. Inability to maintain the population of herding animals at par with the regenerative capacity of the country’s pasturelands presents a potential risk in the supply of livestock-origin food products when weather conditions deteriorate causing death of animals.