Consolidating social and agricultural approaches with advanced nutrition

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (

United Nations / Multilateral body

)

#SDGAction33672

Description

Intro

The Cash+ initiative in Kyrgyzstan demonstrated that integrated social protection and agricultural interventions can generate sustainable improvements in food security and nutrition of vulnerable rural households, enhance their agricultural productivity, and support their pathways out of poverty. The pilot intervention could help to benefit 150 households (840 people, half of which are children) in Suzak district of Jalal-Abad oblast, 22 percent of which were female-headed households and 19 percent of which were single mothers. Pilot participants were given an informed choice between productive options tailored to their unique livelihood profiles as well as to local agroecological conditions and opportunities.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

The project participants were given a choice between three productive packages. The first package aimed to improve household nutrition through diet diversification and self-sufficiency in some nutritious foods. The second productive package helped households without regular access to irrigation water or with limited labour resources to diversify their diet, but does not guarantee self-sufficiency. The third productive package enabled vulnerable households to be involved in income-generating activities and to unfold their labour potential. Out of three options offered to pilot participants, the productive package aimed at income-generating activities was the most popular. Out of 150 households participating in the pilot project, it was selected by 123 families. The high demand for the productive package that supports income generation served as an evidence for the desire of vulnerable families to overcome poverty and actively participate in the economic life of the pilot region. Income diversification and their progressive growth will also have a positive impact on the nutritional status of vulnerable households. In addition to high value crop seeds, such as cauliflower, cucumber, lentils, lettuce, spinach and tomato, under the income-generating productive package project beneficiaries receive medium-sized unheated tunnel greenhouses. These greenhouses allow households to produce certain crops almost throughout the year, from early spring to late autumn, thus meeting the demand of the local community for fresh vegetables and greenery in low agricultural season. Nutrition education will also ensure that additional income leads to improved nutritional status of vulnerable households.

Results/Outputs/Impacts

Cash Plus initiative provided a unique opportunity for beneficiaries (150 households (840 people, half of which are children) receiving state Monthly Benefit for Low Income Families) in engaging them in other activities, which help them to use their knowledge and skills to improve their livelihood. In accordance with the result of 74% of households improved agricultural productivity and could generate income, and the income of 27% of families exceeded the guaranteed minimum income. Over 70% of households improved their food security, while more than 90% of the pilot project participants reported improved dietary diversity and the nutrition of children and women. The results of the Cash Plus pilot have also contributed to evidence-based policymaking in the area of labour and social protection. Evidence on enhanced impact of complementary social protection and agricultural measures on livelihoods and poverty reduction outcomes derived from the Cash+ pilot informed the first draft of the National Labour and Social Protection Development Programme 2020-2023. The idea on complementing social cash transfers with productive agricultural support was also translated into the respective programmatic measures under the draft national social contract programme for 2020-2023.

Enabling factors and constraints

Government has defined the social contract strategy and its concept, implementation modalities and monitoring and evaluation framework based on the Cash+ approach, which defined as a priority tool for poverty reduction in the National Development Strategy 2018-2040, Government Programme “Unity, Trust, Creation” 2018-2022, National Food Security and Nutrition Programme 2019-2023, and the draft Employment and Social Protection Development Programme 2020-2023.

Sustainability and replicability

The issue of sustainability is important for any good practices. Since the pilot was not only successfully implemented technically, it provided evidence-based results, which could serve as a model in reducing the poverty of population and improve dietary diversity and the nutrition of children and women. The Government currently is seeking funds to replicate this model in other oblasts, which definitely contribute in achievement of SDG 1 (Zero Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).

Other sources of information

COVID-19 Impact

To understand the impact of COVID-19 health and economic crises on Cash Plus pilot beneficiaries, who obtained complementary social protection and agricultural support before the pandemics, a rapid phone monitoring exercise was conducted in April-May 2020. The rapid monitoring included randomly selected 73 households, of which 63 households were interviewed. The majority of the respondents noted that quarantine measures including restriction on movement negatively affected income and employment status of one or more members of their families, who were temporarily released from work or had to terminate their employment due to the lockdown measures. However, 87 % of interviewed households claimed they relied on social protection payments they received and agricultural knowledge, skills and inputs they received in the course of the pilot to sustain and restore livelihoods during and after the pandemics. The interviewed beneficiaries noted that complementarity between social protection measures and agricultural support made them more prepared to withstand the crisis, enhancing their resilience to shocks and preventing them from reverting to negative coping strategies, such as reducing the amount and diversity of food consumed or ceasing agricultural production, thus preserving their food and nutrition security.

SDGS & Targets

Goal 1

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Goal 2

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Deliverables & Timeline

N/A

Resources mobilized

N/A

Partnership Progress

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False

Feedback

This initiative belongs to SDG Good Practices

This initiative does not yet fulfil the SMART criteria.

Timeline

03 April 2017 (start date)

24 October 2019 (date of completion)

Entity

FAO Representation in the Kyrgyz Republic

Ongoing

SDGs

1 2

Other beneficiaries

The pilot intervention could help to benefit 150 households in Suzak district in Jalal-Abad region, 22 percent of which were female-headed households and 19 percent of which were single mothers. Respective ministries of labour and social affairs and the ministries of agriculture were identified as the leading agencies for the interventions from the governmental side. While the central apparatus was responsible for the overall coordination of the pilots and respective policy and programme efforts, the regional structures of the respective ministries supported the actual implementation of the interventions in the field. In addition, the Inter-Agency Working Groups (IAWGs) was formed chaired by the respective ministries of labour and social affairs and agriculture. The IAWGs also included development partners working in the area of social protection, such as UNICEF, ILO and WFP, as well as national civil society organizations engaged in poverty reduction and rural development efforts.

More information

www.fao.org

Countries

Kyrgyzstan

Contact Information

Dinara, Assistant of FAO Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic

dinara.rakhmanova@fao.org