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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Investing in rural communities through holistic transformative initiatives that spur food, nutrition security and income generation

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United Nations / Multilateral body
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#SDGAction43660
    Description
    Description
    The initiative draws on four ongoing complementary projects (KULIMA, Afikepo, MCB and PROSPER with a common denominator of sustainably enhancing food, nutrition and income security of smallholder farmers through a holistic skills development community outreach in 14 district. The initiative is premised on the three impact-level objectives of the National Agriculture Investment Plan 2017 - 2023 (NAIP); Broad-based and resilient agricultural growth, Improved well-being and livelihoods of Malawians and Improved food and nutrition security. Although the initiative is anchored on SDGs 1, 2 and 13, the inherent activities have potential to accelerate other SDGs and targets, including health (SDG3), gender equality (SDG5), economic growth (SDG8), sustainable production and consumption (SDG12), and ecosystems, biodiversity and forests (SDG15). The following paragraphs describes the four initiative in more details. KULIMA is multi-year EU-funded programme coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MoAFS) and implemented by multiple partners including FAO. Under this programme, FAO focus is two-fold (1) build capacity of the MoAFS to operationalize the District Agricultural Extension Services System in 10 districts; and (2) promote sustainable agricultural growth to increase incomes and enhance food and nutrition security in the context of climate change. By May 2022, capacity of 600 public extension workers and 8,000 lead farmers would have been built benefiting 402,000 productive farming families to improve their productivity, diversification and income generation. Afikepo is a multi-year EU-funded Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture project implemented with the technical support from FAO and UNICEF, under the overall coordination of the Government of Malawi. The project, which aims at enhancing nutrition security and intends to reach 675,000 households in the same 10 districts as KULIMA. Particular focus of Afikepo is to support the increase and diversification of dietary intake of safe and nutritious foods to achieve optimal nutrition for; women of childbearing age (721,710), adolescent girls (392,040), infants and young children (430,650). PROSPER is a UKAid-funded resilience programme jointly implemented by the UN system in Malawi in close collaboration with International NGOs. Designed to contribute to reduction of extreme poverty and end the recurrent cycle of crises and humanitarian assistance. The programme targets 1.1 million vulnerable people aiming at reducing the impact of climate shocks through tailored skills development, improving livelihoods of small-scale farmers, responding to seasonal food consumption needs, supporting the design of social safety nets, and generating evidence and knowledge to inform government policy, particularly supporting the implementation of the National Resilience Strategy. MCB, funded by the Government of Flanders aims to strengthen the capacity of MoAFS to support market access for smallholders, contributing to poverty reduction. Through tailored production and entrepreneurial skills development coupled with mentoring, at least 1,000 farmer organisations will be nurtured into viable business units benefiting at least 30,000 farm families resulting in increased productivity and income.
    Expected Impact

    The Afikepo NSA programme will help government of Malawi ensure strengthened, sustainable and well-capacitated district and community level structures, which are critical for the delivery of Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) and Maternal, Infant and Young Children Nutrition (MIYCN) messages to households. The programme expects to contribute substantially with stunting reduction among children below 5 year whilst ensuring increased proportion of households producing bio-fortified crops and practicing at least one of the common practices of integrated homestead farming that is critical to food and nutrition security in Malawi (SDG 2). Further, having the practical solutions for policies and programmes, the initiative will strengthen the legal framework and enhance streamlining of NSA related essential measures and strategies thereby advancing the right to food (SDG 2), good health and wellbeing (SDG 3). The PROSPER Joint UN Resilience Programme aims to support poor and vulnerable direct beneficiaries in four districts to improve their resilience to climate and weather-related shocks and to achieve their full economic potential. The Joint UN Resilience Programme’s vision is to be a collective and influential voice for innovation, evidence and impact, and to provide a collective platform for enhance engagement on policy and programme implementation to build the resilience of households and communities, strengthen shock sensitive social protection, expand climate smart agriculture as well as sustainable agriculture through strengthening extension services (through adoption of the FFS approach), reduce exposure to hazards and risk, and achieve food and nutrition by diversifying and improving income generation and economic opportunities. Eventually, increased and diversified income will enable households to retain assets and build up reserves, reducing the negative impact of shocks and stresses. The overall expected impact of the KULIMA action is to promote sustainable agricultural growth and incomes to enhance food and nutrition security in Malawi within the context of climate change in a sustainable manner. With the aspect of non-formal adult education to be achieved through the FFS approach, beneficiaries of the programme will be empowered to develop and implement sustainable and eco-friendly practices, which are adapted to local conditions prevailing in their respective areas of activities. Moreover, organizing them into production groups will ease their accessibility for any development initiative/message provided by the various actors active in Malawi. The Market Capacity Project will create a demand driven and integrated extension delivery system, providing needed assistance to smallholder farmers to produce for the market. It will also increase the number of smallholder farmers organized in formal farmer groups, which will be producing in a sustainable way, leading to increased volumes of agricultural produce for the market. The experiences obtained and lessons learnt will be mainstreamed in future agricultural extension strategies and policies of the Ministry of Agriculture, for application beyond the two districts.

    Partners
    UNICEF (United Nations), WFP (United Nations), UNDP (United Nations), Government of Malawi (Government), Resident Coordination Office (United Nations)

    Goal 2

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

    Goal 2

    2.1

    By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round

    2.1.1

    Prevalence of undernourishment

    2.1.2

    Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)

    2.2

    By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons

    2.2.1

    Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age

    2.2.2

    Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)

    2.2.3

    Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)

    2.3

    By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment
    2.3.1

    Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size

    2.3.2

    Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status

    2.4

    By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

    2.4.1

    Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture

    2.5

    By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed

    2.5.1

    Number of (a) plant and (b) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities

    2.5.2

    Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction

    2.a

    Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries
    2.a.1

    The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures

    2.a.2

    Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector

    2.b

    Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round

    2.b.1

    Agricultural export subsidies

    2.c

    Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility

    2.c.1

    Indicator of food price anomalies

    Goal 1

    End poverty in all its forms everywhere

    Goal 1

    1.1

    By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day

    1.1.1

    Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line by sex, age, employment status and geographical location (urban/rural)

    1.2

    By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions

    1.2.1

    Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age

    1.2.2

    Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions

    1.3

    Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable

    1.3.1

    Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and the vulnerable

    1.4

    By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance

    1.4.1

    Proportion of population living in households with access to basic services

    1.4.2

    Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, (a) with legally recognized documentation, and (b) who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and by type of tenure

    1.5

    By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters

    1.5.1

    Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

    1.5.2

    Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP)

    1.5.3

    Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030

    1.5.4

    Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies

    1.a

    Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions

    1.a.1

    Total official development assistance grants from all donors that focus on poverty reduction as a share of the recipient country's gross national income

    1.a.2

    Proportion of total government spending on essential services (education, health and social protection)

    1.b

    Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actions

    1.b.1

    Pro-poor public social spending

    Goal 13

    Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

    Goal 13

    13.1

    Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

    13.1.1

    Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

    13.1.2

    Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

    13.1.3

    Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies

    13.2

    Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning

    13.2.1

    Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    13.2.2

    Total greenhouse gas emissions per year

    13.3

    Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

    13.3.1

    Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment

    13.a

    Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible

    13.a.1

    Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025

    13.b

    Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities


     

    13.b.1

    Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    Name Description
    Two percent annual reduction of stunting (chronic malnutrition) among children aged less than 5 years from a baseline of 28 percent
    Increased production and productivity through adoption of technology combinations with at least a 15 percent increment of farming households adopting a minimum of three agricultural technologies combinations
    Strengthened capacity of decentralized institutions of the Ministry of Agriculture to support smallholder market-oriented agricultural production and contribute to poverty reduction
    Intensified and diversified agricultural production and improved nutrition for targeted vulnerable communities
    Financing (in USD)
    55,572,295
    No progress reports have been submitted. Please sign in and click here to submit one.
    False
    Action Network
    SDG Acceleration Actions
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    Timeline
    01 June 2020 (start date)
    30 June 2023 (date of completion)
    Entity
    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
    SDGs
    Region
    1. Africa
    Geographical coverage
    Lilongwe, Malawi
    Other beneficiaries
    None
    More information
    Countries
    Malawi
    Malawi
    Contact Information

    Zhijun Chen, FAO representative in Malawi