What we do

Increase food security and nutrition

Food security is a human right and critical challenge for farmers in eastern Africa. Increasing food security and nutrition is vital for a sustainable, equitable, healthy and resilient future.

The problem

In eastern Africa extreme weather, poverty and a growing population threaten farmers’ ability to grow enough food for a nutritious diet.

Recent challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and war in Ukraine added to the disruption of the global supply chain exacerbating the food insecurity in the region.

Photo credit: ClimaX Studio

811 million

people go to bed hungry each night even though enough food is produced the feed the world's seven billion people.

40%

of children under five in Ethiopia are chronically malnourished

600 million

people will be chronically undernourished by 2030 if current trends continue, with 53% living in Africa.

Photo credit: Farm Africa/Brian Ongoro

Many smallholder farmers use recycled seeds that offer little chance of growing into a healthy harvest of diverse crops.

Relying on single crops means farmers cannot benefit from a balanced diet and are more vulnerable to market fluctuations and price instability.

Poor storage facilities are common and result in post-harvest losses. Crops stored in poorly constructed warehouses are eaten by pests, while fungal infections ruin harvests when the grain stored is not properly dried.

Photo credit: Tara Carey

Without access to a variety of quality food, rural communities, particularly children, are vulnerable to mass hunger, disease outbreaks and malnourishment.

A combination of factors including the pandemic, conflict, climate change, and deepening inequalities, mean that hunger and food insecurity have been rising since 2015, and the world is back at hunger levels not seen since 2005.

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The opportunity

Sustainable agriculture practices such as growing diverse crops alongside rearing livestock significantly reduces the risk of crop failure. If one crop is affected, families can still maintain a steady food supply.

Growing multiple crops together can result in higher overall yields compared to monoculture, as different crops can utilise resources more efficiently, and they provide different nutritional value.

Farmers can supply a wider range of essential nutrients to their families, and whole communities too, combatting malnutrition and boosting people’s health.

Moreover, good storage facilities cut food losses. With extra produce, farmers can access wider markets, feed more people, get better prices and boost their incomes.

Photo credit: Michael Goima

High-quality seeds help to boost yields, even in the driest conditions.

In Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region, Ethiopia, improved seed directly resulted in improved yields and incomes. The average yield of haricot beans per unit area increased threefold, which led to a household income increase of 97%.

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Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of blindness in children worldwide.

Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are a tasty superfood packed full of vitamin A.

There are an estimated 33 million smallholder farms in Africa, which provide up to 70% of the continent’s food supply.

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The outcome

Investing in food security and nutrition for farmers in eastern Africa means a better, more stable food supply for all.

When farmers are food secure, they have consistent incomes and are less likely to face poverty. They can purchase better inputs, adopt new technologies and continue to grow more food.

The planet’s natural resources benefit too. Building smallholders’ resilience to climate change is essential to increasing their food security, and techniques like improving soil health and incorporating agroforestry will protect our precious ecosystems and help to create a sustainable agricultural system.

Increasing farmers’ food security and nutrition is vital to create a sustainable, healthy and resilient future for eastern Africa.

25%

Soils hold an estimated 25% of global biodiversity. They can sequester up to 2.05 petagrams of CO2 equivalent per year, thus offsetting as much as 34 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural land.

30%

Agroforestry practices can significantly enhance crop yields by up to 30% and soil health due to improved microclimate conditions, reduced soil erosion, and enhanced soil fertility.

Photo credit: Farm Africa / Mwangi Kirubi

How we increase food security and nutrition

  • We encourage farmers to grow high-value, nutritious crops and set up kitchen gardens.
  • We train farmers in sustainable farming methods and nutrition-sensitive skills.
  • We help to build farmers’ resilience to climate change through climate-smart and regenerative agriculture.
  • We put smallholder farmers in the value chain and provide them with better access to markets.
  • We deliver training in post-harvest handling measures like using waterproof sacks and moisture-controlled warehouses.
  • We provide farmers with access to high-quality seeds that can withstand dry conditions.
  • We promote fish farming, which helps increase access to an affordable source of protein.
  • We support women to rear goats and poultry, meaning they have access to ongoing supplies of milk and eggs.
  • We offer training in the importance of balanced diets to children’s growth and development.

"After using the regenerative agriculture practices, you increase your yields so you are able to sustain yourself. You get enough food for your family and then the rest you sell. You pay for school fees and your other family needs. It has really changed the situation for my family. My children are happy. They went to college, they graduated well."

Juliet Muthoni

Embu County, Kenya.

"My nine-month-old twin girls have been drinking the goats’ milk for three months now. They will be able to get enough milk from me and the goats, which means they will be able to grow up strong and healthy."

Lokii Regina

Karamoja, Uganda

"The kitchen garden is very important to our family. Beans are very expensive, but I can get grains from the garden to feed my family and I can sell some of them. I also grow kale and other leafy vegetables. The vegetables will be a big help to me in feeding my children."

Ngangun Jokomina

Namalu town, Karamoja, Uganda

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