Forum global sur la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition (Forum FSN)

Greetings from YPARD Pakistan

Many thanks for this very informative and interesting forum.

Apart from Gender inequality, food security along with the nutrition deficiency is one of the major issue around the world which is interlinked with the climatic changes. Due to climatic changes agriculture lands are getting worse drought condition which is ultimately affected the production size and negatively impacted the income of the rural households.

Therefore, the role of agriculture extension and International organization to facilitating the development growth programs is really remarkable, but somewhere still there is need to improve the quality of work at the end of agriculture extensions, because so far it has been observed that the research is exactly not even delivered to farmers to be implemented the same for agriculture growth. Although we have great research work, but need to work on field demonstration program for farmers’ skill enhancement.

Farmers are already in great stress due to rising price of inputs supplies [Inputs material] in the market which is the essential part for agriculture growth and better nutrition value of foods by having a fertile land due to soil quality. Low production high cost of cultivation and low market price returns are the major issues for developing and under-developing countries. It has been stated by many young entrepreneurs that bad infrastructure is the major causes in increasing the cost of transportation of goods in remote areas which is ultimately double the prices of inputs supply in rural markets. Subsidies on inputs material is not actually delivered to farmers which causes to decrease their income and by this the low foods consumption has been recorded in rural areas. If the system may not be developed and monitored appropriately then the ratio of malnutrition may not be overcome anyhow. It should be in the consideration of policy makers and regulatory authority to take necessary actions and facilitate the farmers by providing price support program and field demonstrations.

Quality and certified inputs supply is also one of the major concerned, farmers have not enough skills to recognize the certified seeds and pesticides which is not harmful in terms of human health and crops nutrient value. While due to low seed germination the cost is usually increasing. So with the collaboration regulatory authority and policy makers the multistakeholders program will help to resolve the many issues and help the rural people to get the better livelihoods by having nutritious foods. Farmers’ community system will enhance the farmers’ skills by involving youth especially young women to participate in growth program and balance the gender equality in the country.

Women are playing very wide role in agriculture production and livestock, they will be the great assets to increase the production and achieve the SDGs goals in a faster track. Their skills enhancement will reduce the post-harvest losses, because they are the main source of harvesting agriculture crops in rural areas. Women are playing decisive role in livestock production from handling the cattle in their farms till milk production and strengthening the supply of milk in a great manners, there is need to encourage them appreciate them and empower them. They are the noblest assets for economy growth.

Kind Regards, Shahla Salah

Country Representative

YPARD Pakistan

At present, there is an enormous opportunity for agricultural extension and advisory services (AEAS) for assuring gender equality, food and nutrition security, health and to achieve a range of rural development goals such as poverty reduction, preservation of the natural resource base, and so on which will ultimately contribute to achieving sustainable development goals through promotion of food security and nutrition. However, AEAS can help to ensure equal access to food and nutrition to both women and men and therefore, ensure gender equality. It can enable female farmers to understand, mitigate and adapt to new climate change challenges; support to manage their natural resources more effectively; assist them to make optimal use of their available resources to ensure access to food and income for their families. Rural extension services may also address rural woman's livelihood needs related to better nutrition, deal with the impacts of natural hazards, local institutional development (e.g. Cooperatives, women’s associations) and boosting job creation.

In addition, the extension services can help small women farm households, particularly among the rural poor women, improve their livelihoods by i) increasing their family based farm income, ii) achieving household food security and nutrition, iii) organizing into women leaded producer groups (i.e., empowerment), and iv) increasing their access to health services and education for their children.

YPARD Bangladesh initiates Agriculture for Nutrition (Ag4N) network

YPARD Bangladesh with the support from INGENAES, (Integrating Gender and Nutrition within Agricultural Extension Services), a USAID funded project, is taking up the initiative to establish a National Network on Agriculture for Nutrition (Ag4N) for the scientists, experts, researchers, students and young professionals who are working on nutrition-based agriculture in the country. This platform would be helping in networking and sharing information and knowledge that might be a great support for identifying the challenges of food and nutritional security in the country and developing sustainable solutions for it as well. Moreover, this networking community would be a focal platform for cooperating national development activities through participation in policy level dialogues while providing an opportunity for youth to contribute with innovative ideas.

Purpose of the agriculture for nutrition platform in Bangladesh:

- To inspire youth engaged learn to share.

- Cultivate leadership, create opportunity for leadership.

- Create a platform for nutrition based networking.

- Knowledge and technology dissemination.

- Knowledge sharing and networking.

- Raising awareness about food security and nutrition.

- To involved multi background young people.

- To disseminate what we have for Ag 4 N.

- To encourage young people engage.

- To promote nutrition sensitive knowledge to mass people.

- To incorporate civil society and political persons to the table.

- To promote WASH-Nutrition to mass people.

- To get small research funding from Ypard or associated institutions.

- Youth involvement an nutrition based agriculture.

- Creating awareness about food nutrition to the community.

- Sharing knowledge and resources to take initiative to future nutrition management in

Bangladesh.

- To share knowledge and exchange idea among widen audiences to achieves SDG through

sustainable agri intensification via climate smart crop production (a plant needs organic

fertilizer for it to grow in a balanced way).

- To build a network with involvement of stakeholders to ensure nutritional security.

- Engagement with GO, NGO, Private sector of professional for agriculture based nutrition

movement making knowledge sharing platform.

- Thinking and Talking, Change minds, new ways.

AEAS should change their focus from always selecting head of the households (usually eldest male member of the family) to women members of family as contact to share information.

In meetings & training programmes, women participation may be ensured at least 50 per cent, Husbands may be asked to accompany their wives to meetings & training on agricultural issues.

Whole family approach may be followed in imparting training on nutrition, since all members of the family should understand the importance of nutrition.

Women based Self Help Groups (SHGs) may be formed, supported and engaged in nutrition education

Small animal rearing, backyard poultry keeping by women play important role in household nutritional security and small savings. The AEAS can technically empower women on small scale livestock and poultry rearing.

Young women can be targeted to expose them to agripreneurial ventures on value addition and food processing activities, wherein, they not only ensure better nutrition but also get the opportunity to generate some income. http://defindia.org/young-women-see-new-window-of-opportunities/

The AEAS should promote e-literacy/Digital literacy among women, ICT tools including smartphones can be a good tools to empower women on nutrition aspects because women find a friend in smartphones. http://defindia.org/women-find-a-friend-in-smartphones/

Agricultural extension and advisory services (AEAS) as well as community workers can be key agents for the delivery of nutrition knowledge and practices to rural communities. They reach and interact closely with farmers or women groups in different settings and can sensitize them on nutrition sensitive agriculture and diets. Furthermore, they can facilitate local initiatives and facilitate coordination among local actors related to improving nutrition. In the Nutrition and Mountain Agroecosystems Project in Ethiopia, Nepal, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Peru, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), the following initiatives implemented by AEAS proved to be particularly useful:

1. awareness raising on nutrition (curricula, school gardens, preparing traditional dishes);
2. sustainable small-scale farming (organic farming, compost making, nutrition gardens);
3. diversification of home-based food production (fruit and vegetable nurseries, promoting legumes, low-cost greenhouses);
4. small-scale animal husbandry (rearing poultry, goats, fish, guinea pigs; honey production);
5. post-harvest handling (processing at household level, low-cost drying, safe food handling, food preservation).

This experience shows that diversifying farms in an ecological way helps to increase farm incomes, strengthen the role of women, improve family health, protect natural resources and increase resilience to market fluctuations and climate change. Producing and selling a variety of nutritious products not only improves the nutritional situation of local communities, but also provides business opportunities for farmers (particularly for women), agribusinesses, processors, traders, retailers and other stakeholders. In addition, it serves local policy goals related to improving health, alleviating rural poverty and reducing environmental impact. AEAS can therefor play a convening and facilitating role to bring the different stakeholders (farmers and farmer groups, municipalities and district authorities, businesses and civil society organizations) together to jointly advance nutrition sensitive agriculture practices and value chains, and to raise consumer awareness.

For more details, please refer to the attached short paper prepared for the Sustainable Food Systems Program's Technical Workshop on Sustainable diets in the context of sustainable food systems.

Currently, the role of AEAS in realizing gender equality is not assured. While everything is tilted towards privatization, key players loot government funds. Institutions like universities are seen performing most efficiently. Federal ministries and parastatals are inconsistent due to lack of sustainability. In conclusion, the role AEAS plays cannot be achieved until there is a rigid policy framework.

The extent to which AEAS should be involved

In some countries shifting cultivation was practiced some time ago and is still being practiced in many Asian countries. In a more settled form of agriculture, farmers cultivate small parcels of land permanently. A large proportion of food produced in Asia and Africa is by small-scale farmers or family farmers numbering around 500 million. They need access to information on better land predation methods, new seed/plant varieties, effective use of fertilizers, control of pests and diseases. AEAS need to facilitate these activities.

Simply providing access to know-how will not improve the productivity of small scale farmers because there are many other limiting factors such as lack of water for drinking and household activities, inadequate transport and infra-structure facilities, etc. Very often famers, mostly their family members, have to walk 1-2 km in search of water thereby wasting their time which otherwise would have been used for household activities and / or in the land. In view of the limitations AEAS need to be involved in planning/deciding what crops to grow, getting the infrastructure improved, marketing strategies, support rural communities to manage their natural resources more effectively etc. These may be done in collaboration with the other institutions such as Rural Development Division, Land Use Planning Divisions etc. operating at village level. Hence, Ag. Extension personnel should be involved in a holistic approach to development.

are the key actors in many activities related to development of the agriculture sector. They are involved in mainly in planting (e.g. transplanting rice) and harvesting (e.g. paddy/vegetables/fruits). They contribute to food security on a great way, both in their families and in society at large. This is especially true if family farming is considered, where family income depends on the combined efforts of its members. Issues related to health affect the rural population to a great extent. Malnutrition leads to various diseases such as tuberculosis which affects the rural population. . In many Asian countries Chronic Kidney Disease which is considered to be caused by low nutrition level, toxic compound/s in water also is a health problem especially among the rural population. It is the women in the families who have to face the burden when a family member/s are affected by a disease. A disease among a family member/s result in less time being spent by the woman in the family, for crop production and related activities. In general, extension staff is not adequately knowledgeable on the important aspects of nutrition and related diseases. Hence, GFRAS nutrition group need to promote knowledge of the extension staff on nutrition and nutrition related diseases.

Specific challenges I encountered -

based inequality against women is a common characteristic in many communities in Asia and Africa although they are the active labour force in rural areas. They suffer the most because of factors such as illiteracy, poor health partly due to malnutrition etc. Female agric. extension staff are unable to reach most of the farm families especially the women mainly because they live in inaccessible areas far away from village centers, and public transport is not frequently available. Hence they have to travel by foot or by bicycles/motor cycles. In my work involved in extension, I found that inadequate transport is a challenge.

Female extension staff needs to be given maternity leave when necessary. Very often replacements are not appointed due to financial and other issues and hence extension activities are affected to a great extent. This was also a challenge I encountered.

Examples of AEAS successfully addressing issues related to gender and nutrition-

 

a Consultant of PLAN, an INGO, I was instrumental in organizing and assisting a number women famer societies in Sri Lanka. A society in Kurunegala District in Sri Lanka was interested in carrying out work related to nutrition among the members. The society members were undecided on what crops to cultivate and I was able to assist in making them aware of the nutritionally desirable crops and also giving them the required information to purchase the other requirements. The active involvement with the stake holders made this programme a success.

In my work involved in the Poverty Alleviation Programme of the Govt. of Sri Lanka, home gardening was promoted with the collaboration of field staff. A large number of rural households took part in this programme. We were able to develop small enterprises with the involvement of the people in the villages, mainly women. These enterprises were involved in producing seeds and planting material, vegetative propagation, manufacturing organic fertilizers, bio pesticides etc. In this process it was possible to assist home-gardeners in obtaining necessary materials easily and also developing a few micro-enterprises in the village. Participatory discussions, to make the villagers aware of nutrition, what crops to cultivate, proper processing of the produce, biological control of pests and diseases, arranging markets, led to the success of this programme. Getting the health officers, agricultural extension officers in the village to take part in the participatory discussion was found to be advantageous.

Role of GFRAS –

GFRAS has an important role to play by helping AEAS to implement effective programs to assist woman organizations to obtain appropriate education on matters related to health and nutrition. Implementation of strategies to help AEAS need to be carried out at national level depending on the actual problems in the specific area. The intensity of the effects of the nutrition factors which influence sustainable agricultural production may differ within the same country. For example Chronic Kidney disease, related to nutrition is reported only in some parts of India, and Sri Lanka. Hence more emphasis needs to be given to control this disease in these areas. It would be advantageous for GFRAS to liaise with the relevant state and private sector organizations and NGOs as the case may be. It would be more effective if there is a coordinator in each large country, similar to UNDP which will make such liaison more effective.

The role of extension and advisory services in realizing gender equality and improved nutrition.

Extension services have been an integral part of agricultural development in several African countries since independence. For example, in Kenya, many national development plans since the 1960s put emphasis on agriculture as the basis for industrial development. The way to enhance agricultural production was through a developed extension system that reached households in rural areas.

Though many of the extension services previously provided by government have now been privatized, the sector still has a role to play, whether through government departments, NGOs or private sector - at the end of the day the objective remains the same; how best to equip agricultural producers to achieve better harvests which in turn provide nutrition to individuals and groups.

One approach would be to learn from past extension projects. For example, one of the most notable challenge was the view that farmers were the legally recognized land holders and the traditionally recognized household heads = men. The end result was that extension officers focused more on finding and imparting knowledge to men within households, leaving out women who happen to be the majority of agricultural workers and the main providers of balanced diets to families. Subsequently, the current extension programs need to review the training curricular for agricultural trainees - to incorporate information on gender in African agriculture and household nutrition.

A similar focus on evaluation of past projects will lead to a new focus on other agricultural support areas such as technology, more so agricultural machinery - are they relevant, affordable and practical enough to be used by women? In the past, the majority of improved agricultural implements tended to be designed for men in terms of the required strength to handle the machinery. This will be one area where equity comes in - the current developers of agricultural technology put more emphasis on machinery for women and girls, otherwise we will continue to see them with the jembe while men are on tractors.

In relation to improved nutrition, there is need to consult more with women within rural households, where they are the majority of food providers and as a result developed knowledge on food items for a balanced diet. The objective will be to start from where they are, rather than where we want them to be. For example, if they still get most of their nutrients from indigenous vegetables and other foods, how best to equip agricultural extension people to use those familiar food items, rather than introduce a new food product that will be too new/foreign for many to adopt = is food cultural?

Once extension providers have a good idea on where women and men are as agricultural producers, it will be easier/practical to promote relevant seeds, food crops, agricultural machinery, information on harvesting/storage and consumption which will result in improved nutrition - people will consume proper nutrition once the food items are freely available. 

How to incorporate children/students/youth into the new message for they are the agricultural producers, consumers and extension providers of tomorrow.

Over the years in Africa, Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) has been projected as a push model where the beneficiaries are the recipients and the service providers (NGOs or government) are the helpers. In such a philanthropic business model, incentives are not strong for effective participation and sustainability. Typically, farmers think of AEAS as an entitlement and consider the services to be a public good that they should have right to receive for free. Although there has been private sector involvement in AEAS provision, we are still behind because of (a) lack of adequate incentives for farm households to commit their own resources and (b) misconceptions about property right (farm households think they deserve to have it and not pay for it).

For AEAS to contribute significantly to gender equality and improve nutrition, the left and right sides of the equation need to be switched. Stronger economic incentives need to be built in for farm households. When there are stronger economic benefits (beyond those directly linked to the farm household's utilization of the services or products provided), there is a better chance that men and women are going to get more involved in AEAS. In our experience implementing biofortification programs in Nigeria, what we found out is that when we created entrepreneurs among the locals to be in the fore front of the AEAS provision in their communities, then we secure better participation and more local resource commitment. We created a concept called "Rural Facilitators" who are in addition to being a bulking agent are providing AEAS in their communities. We receive demand for food products from urban areas and then provided opportunity to the rural facilitators to access the database and fulfil the orders. This provides economic incentives to motivate the locals (both women and men) in helping provide nutrition education to farm households in their communities. Also, the fact that demand is constantly being created for their farm produce, farm households are motivated to produce more nutritious crops. This concept can significantly contribute to the process of behavioral change when supported with train-the-trainers program.

Getting the locals more involved economically in leading the AEAS provision has a potential in increasing the role of AEAS in contributing to gender equality and nutrition.

I would suggest that more women are recruited as AEAS representatives. Their visibility when visiting farmers and discussion for solutions can change local perception on women and their capacity and bring a change to reduce gender inequality.  

Furthermore, with ICT, AEAS can put together their observations at the community level, not only on agriculture, but also other related social determinants, such as poverty, nutrition, vulnerability of local population to climate change, etc. and share the data with local public authorities for analysis. The AEAS's presence can be an asset for bottom-up knowledge sharing to facilitate policy implementation fit into local context.