Rome-based agencies work together to ensure food security in Mozambique | FAO

FAO Mozambique, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme, has launched a 5-year programme to strengthen food security and nutrition activities in the country. Funded by the Government of Mozambique and the European Union, the programme aims to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goal 1C, which is to “halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger”. To do this, the programme adopts a strategy to strengthen the three pillars of food security and nutrition: agricultural and fisheries production, access to food, and the nutritional status of vulnerable groups.

Distribute work and share responsibility
The programme is being implemented in five provinces of the country: Manica (Manica, Gondola, Susongdenga and Barue districts), Sofala (Nhamatanda, Buzi, Gorongosa and Malingo districts), Tete (Angonia, Sangano and Makanga districts), Zambezia (Gurué and Alto Morocué districts) and Nampula (Malema and Ribaue districts). Overall, the programme consists of 16 components shared by the three organizations. The components implemented by FAO include:

• Support for the seed industry
• Improving access to inputs through e-vouchers
• Consolidating and expanding Farmer Field Schools
• Vaccine against Newcastle disease
• Post-harvest and household-level infrastructure
• Home gardens and nutrition education

Now, more than a year into the programme, the results are visible. The availability of quality seeds has improved significantly. Smallholder farmers, including women, have increased access to agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and herbicides, as well as related advisory services from different sources such as private companies and farmers’ organizations. Storage facilities at the household level have also improved, and post-harvest losses have been reduced. Finally, women and children have gained better knowledge on basic nutrition, hygiene and health, and fruit, vegetable and chicken production.

“I can sum up the secret of our success in one word, and it’s very short. That word is ‘trust’,” said Castro Paulino Camarada, FAO Representative in Mozambique. “You have to be transparent, you have to dialogue, you have to collaborate, you have to complement each other.”

Invest in prevention
The focus on Newcastle disease is a particularly important component of the project. The Newcastle virus affects poultry production, especially chickens, and during outbreaks can cause 70 to 80 percent mortality in birds. FAO Mozambique invested in a vaccination campaign against the disease to prevent outbreaks, the only preventive measure currently available. The campaign covered 15 regions in the center and north of the country, reaching more than 62,000 families. This initiative aims to combat malnutrition and increase income for rural families through poultry production. In addition, FAO provided laboratory and cooling equipment to help the government increase vaccine production capacity.

Reap the benefits
There are 3.2 million smallholder farmers in Mozambique, and agriculture absorbs 86% of the workforce. They are the most direct beneficiaries of this program. Farmers involved in seed production are enjoying increased productivity, and many are benefiting from the voucher program. Smallholder farmers are benefiting from training in post-harvest handling and improved post-harvest storage. However, success is not limited to the agricultural sector. Primary school teachers and children throughout the country are benefiting from nutrition education, as are all women who have implemented home gardens. The program is still in its early stages, but it is off to a good start.