Food and Nutrition Security

Secure Farming for Rural Smallholder Farmers An Initiative on Non-traditional Financing Services

Krishi Utsho is a successfully proven supply chain model which has improved the food security situation of vulnerable farmers and their families. As part of the KU initiative, the idea of MEDA (Non-traditional financing initiative) project is to mitigate the financial predicaments of vulnerable farmers, through introducing financial institutions to provide benefits to the farmers and bring banks and financial services closer to them. The plan is to create a linkage with bank and insurance company to secure financial offers
by becoming a guarantor where farmers’ loan will be secured by the insurance services. The project is being piloted in Bogura and Jashore. As the starting point, a baseline study has been commissioned to assess the current situation and circumstances of the target beneficiaries. This report is a reflection of the findings of the baseline survey.

To capture the information to fulfill the objectives of the study, mixed methodology was used – wherein 100 KU beneficiaries (randomly selected) participated in the quantitative survey, while six FGDs (target beneficiaries), two IDIs (KU franchisee shop owners) and two KIIs (representatives from insurance company and commercial bank) were conducted to supplement the qualitative information to support the quantitative data.
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Impact Report Empowering Women and Youth for Sustainable Entrepreneurship through Agro Business

The idea of EWYSEA (Empowering Women and Youth for Sustainable Entrepreneurship through Agro-business) project was
conceived with the objective to create opportunities for earning income and becoming self-reliant, for both rural women and
youth groups through avenues of entrepreneurship. Krishi Utsho is a successfully proven supply chain model which has
improved the food security situation of vulnerable farmers and their families. As part of its commitment to improve the
gender parity in rural areas, where women and youth are the most vulnerable segments of society, and to improve the food
security situation in its program areas, KU implemented EWYSEA under its umbrella project to act as a vehicle for support.
This endline study was commissioned to assess the economic and social impact of the project and its initiatives on the target
groups, and the satisfaction level of customers and stakeholders of the EWYSEA project, with direct impact of EWYSEA on
beneficiaries. The endline study was designed as mixed methodology.

In the case of women entrepreneurs, major sources of income were found to be petty trade, agriculture and livestock farming.
All depended on cash income and only 33% on in-kind income. Range of monthly average income varied from BDT 2,100-
9,300, and major expenditures were for food, health, household purchase and children’s education. Most respondents
reportedly take household decisions jointly with their husbands; furthermore as earning members in HH they now enjoy more
decision making authority. Community level participation has increased since EWYSEA started. Women entrepreneurs found
training and awareness sessions conducted by Krishi Utsho highly informative and enlightening, by receiving information on
business strategy and marketing. Read More...

Baseline Survey of Hariyo Ban Program II

Building on the accomplishments and learnings of Hariyo Ban Phase I, the second phase is being implemented in Nepal since July 2016. The objective of phase II is to increase ecological and community resilience in Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) and Chitwan Annapurna Landscape (CHAL) across 15 districts (Figure 1). The program focuses interventions on specific working sites having common issues, threats and opportunities in the biological corridors in TAL while it works in sub-river basin in CHAL. The program is implemented by a consortium of WWF Nepal, Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE), National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and the Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN), with WWF serving as the managing partner for the program. [55 pages] Read More...

Fonds Regionaux de Developpement Agricole – ASARA

Le Projet intitulé « Opérationnalisation du Fonds Régional de Développement Agricole dans la région
Anosy », a démarré début janvier 2014 pour une durée initialement prévue de 42 mois. Le projet a
été prolongé par voie d’avenant sur 6 mois, soit jusqu’au 5 janvier 2018. Le projet est mis en oeuvre
par CARE International à Madagascar qui intervient dans la Région Anosy depuis 1995, sur des
actions liées au développement agricole et rural (22 projets réalisés). L’Action s’inscrit dans la continuité de l’appui apporté par CARE à la mise en place FDAR entre 2009 et 2011. CARE a été opérateur du projet FDAR pilote dans la Région Anosy, avec l’appui de la Délégation de l’Union Européenne à Madagascar (DUE), et du projet Appui au Renforcement des Organisations Professionnelles et des services Agricoles (AROPA) financé par le Fonds International pour le Développement Agricole (FIDA).

L’Action vise à opérationnaliser le FDAR de la Région Anosy, pour soutenir l’accès des Exploitations Agricoles Familiales (EAF) aux services. Au sein du projet ASARA, l’Action est connectée à un appui à amélioration de la couverture des services d’épargne et de crédit (lot 1) et d’actions qui permettront de structurer les filières et l’économie agricole régionale (lot 3). L’Action s’intègre dans une logique de partenariat avec les attributaires de ces lots. Read More...

PROGRAMME EUROPÉEN DE SÉCURITÉ ALIMENTAIRE ET NUTRITIONNELLE ASARA

L’Union Européenne finance les Programmes ASARA (Amélioration de la Sécurité Alimentaire et Augmentation des Revenus Agricoles) et AINA (Actions Intégrées en Nutrition et Alimentation) dans le cadre de son initiative visant à accélérer l’atteinte de l’Objectif du Millénaire pour le Développement (OMD) 1c, « réduire de moitié, d’ici 2015, la proportion de la population vivant dans l’extrême pauvreté et souffrant de la faim ».

ASARA et AINA pilotés respectivement par l'USCP (Unité de Suivi et de Coordination du Projet) et la FAO (Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’Alimentation et l’Agriculture) visent la réduction de l’insécurité alimentaire des familles vulnérables dans les zones ciblées. Le programme AINA vise en plus l’amélioration de la sécurité nutritionnelle de ces familles. Les Régions Androy, Anosy et Atsimo Atsinanana sont des zones communes aux deux programmes si AINA intervient également dans les Régions Amoron’i Mania, Vatovavy Fitovinany et ASARA dans le District de Fort-Dauphin. Read More...

Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP) Midterm Report

In 2009, Norad-funded women empowerment programs (WEPs) started implementation in seven countries: Burundi, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. In 2009 and early 2010, an extensive quantitative baseline study was conducted in these countries around a common set of indicators. The present mid-term review (MTR), which was done using qualitative methodology, analysed in depth the process and nature of changes that the programs are contributing towards. In all the program countries, the country WEP team carried out the review internally with the technical assistance of an external consultant and CARE Norway (CN).

With slight variations, the overall objectives of the country WEPs focused on the economic, social, and political empowerment of women. The village savings and loan association (VSLA) methodology was common for all the programs; and these groups create the platform for working on other aspects of the program besides economic empowerment. The initial changes that the programs produce are seen in terms of increased access to savings and loans, employment opportunities, and asset ownership. The ability of the women to earn income, generate their own savings and make financial contributions in the household (HH) has greatly improved their self-esteem, thereby giving them better leverage to involve in and influence HH decision making processes. Men were highly appreciative of the income women were able to bring in to the family as a result of being involved in VSLAs. Through their improved position in the household, women reported being able to negotiate the use of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and the abandonment of different harmful practices. Through the use of couples-based approach and engaging men initiatives, HH relationships are beginning to improve; men in these households are reportedly starting to have a more positive attitude towards women’s empowerment and are themselves even taking part in domestic activities in some contexts. The VSLA approach is enabling women to create strong social networks that are becoming an influential force for social change. As a result of increased knowledge on their human rights and increasing leadership skills, women are beginning to understand how they have to position themselves to realize their strategic interests. The VSLA groups and networks also enable women to mobilise support when they are running for elections; this support has increased number of women being elected into different posts. The contribution of women in VSLAs and in community leadership positions is being increasingly recognised and appreciated by local authority figures, which can be seen when they actively seek the advice of women and VSL groups in relation to different community development initiatives.
Through working in partnership with others, the programs are being implemented in a high quality and timely manner. Engagement with strategic partners has occurred effectively in some countries, and been instrumental in enabling the programs to link grassroots evidence to national level advocacy activities which have achieved concrete results. [52 pages] Read More...

Community-Driven Financial Inclusion for the Most Vulnerable Households

The Tat Lan Programme, funded by the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) in Myanmar was implemented in two phases (2013-15 and 2017-18). The overall goal was to ensure a sustainable increase of food and nutrition security and incomes of participant households in 259 communities in the townships of Myebon, Pauktaw, Kyaukpyu and Minbya in Rakhine State. [24 pages] Read More...

Summative Evaluation for Food Sufficiency for Farmers

The evaluation primarily focused on assessing the overall performance of the project, ultimate and intermediate outcomes and the way in which they individually and collectively contribute to ultimate outcomes of the project in particular and overall goal of PSNP in general. In addition, this evaluation seeks to capture the project lessons learned at different levels including drawing out the rationale of why and how the project results were achieved. The evaluation covers, West Hararghe, East Hararghe, and South Gondar zones that are intervention areas of the project results from 2013-14 and 2017-18.

Supported and funded by the GAC, the five-year FSF project has been implemented by CARE Canada and CARE Ethiopia in close partnership with relevant government intuitions and private sector partners from 2013-14 and 2017-18. With a budget of CAD$13,052,440, of which CAD$ 12,000,000 was contributed by GAC and CAD$ 1,052,440 by CARE, the project was implemented in a total of 11 woredas within Oromia and Amhara Regions. In the Oromia Region, the project was active in two zones, West Hararghe (in Odabultum, Doba, Messela and Tullo woredas) and in East Hararghe (Kurfa-Chelle, Haromaya, Meta and Deder woredas). In the Amhara region, South Gondar Zone, the project was implemented in Simada, Ebinat and Tach-Gayant woredas. The overall objective of the project is to increase the beneficiary household’s income to equal CAD$ 400 over the life of the project and to ensure beneficiaries are food secure. The project’s total primary beneficiaries’ number is 42,887 PSNP households and out of these, 34,310, including 5,000 Female Headed Households (FHH), are expected to achieve sustained graduation from food aid. [222 pages] Read More...

Bringing Agroforestry to Scale for Improved Livelihoods

The BrASIL-CSVIL project is a collaborative project between the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and CARE Mali (HARANDE Program) for maximizing synergies. The Goal of the Harande program, meaning ‘food security’ in Fulani, consists of “Sustainable food, nutrition and income security for vulnerable household members in Youwarou, Tenenkou, Bandiagara and Douentza in Mopti region. The collaboration under BrASIL-CSVIL aims at ensuring a better intervention that takes full account of adaptation to climate change, optimal natural resource management and reduction of target communities’ vulnerability to climate change. This partnership puts high emphasis on the bottom up and community led, cascading training of trainers and farmer-to-farmers learning approaches. A key strength of the Harande program is its links with other development actors that maximize synergy and multiply impacts for population groups beyond the targeted communities as well as leveraging efforts funded by USAID by establishing linkages with Feed the Future projects. In order to be more inclusive and innovative in its approach, Harande proposed to work closely with all the USAID projects operating in the Mopti region but also other development actors. Initially, the project was planned to be implemented in 10 villages in Mopti region. However, in 2018, the security issues have been degraded within the region especially in the district of Douenza. Therefore, our activities were focused within 2 villages, Dandoli (new) and Sincarma (old) in the district of Bandiagara. Some activities were done in three other new villages including Koé Doe (Commune of Pignari), Wendéguélé (Commune of Dandoli) and Ourou (Commune of Dourou), all in the Cercle of Bandiagara of Mopti region.
The present report gives an overview of activities conducted in the Fiscal Year of 2018 from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018 under the BrASIL-CSVIL project. [17 pages]
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Evaluation finale du Projet FARIMBOGNA

Une situation géographique « inadéquate » au sein du bassin cyclonique Sud-Ouest Océan Indien place le pays sur une sorte de « route des cyclones ». Près du tiers des cyclones prennent naissance au niveau de l’Océan Indien et évoluent grosso modo sur une trajectoire Est Ouest, avec de multiples variantes (en Termes de sinuosité des trajectoires). Cet ensemble fait de la Région Atsinanana, une porte d’entrée privilégiée des cyclones issus de l’Est. Et les prévisions assez pessimistes des perturbations climatiques ne semblent pas arranger la situation dans l’avenir. Une violence plus accrue des cyclones et des inondations est à craindre pour les décennies à venir. C’est pour cette raison que trois districts de la Région Atsinanana ont été choisis comme terrain de mise en œuvre du projet Farimbogna, avec un objectif de renforcement de la résilience des communautés les plus vulnérables par l’intermédiaire d’actions de réduction de risques de catastrophes inclusives. La mise en œuvre des activités a pu se faire grâce au soutien de l’Union Européenne. Read More...

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