Background
Food system transformation is needed to address the hundreds of millions of people without adequate access to food or water for a healthy life. Optimal nutrition is inextricably linked to water for food, sanitation and hygiene. Addressing unmet needs for nutrient-dense foods will thus require improved harnessing and productive use of available water, together with other resources. There are separate Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for nutrition and water but progress toward both will require consideration of the other. That is, the achievement of SDG 2 (end hunger and all forms of malnutrition), will require concerted efforts to improve the efficiency and productivity of water use (SDG 6.4) using a nutrition lens.
In this framework, FAO, in collaboration with IFAD, is implementing a three-year project, “Increasing water productivity for nutrition-sensitive agriculture and improved food security and nutrition”, in six pilot countries: Mozambique, Rwanda, Niger, Benin, Egypt and Jordan.Objectives
The overall objective of the project is to improve dietary quality and diversity through the agricultural production pathway. Specifically, the project aims to strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable soil and water management practices as well as sustainable agronomic practices that will increase yields, crop diversification, the nutrient-density and economic value of harvested crops and, as a result, incomes and health.
- Develop and pilot new methodological approaches and guidelines on nutrition-sensitive agriculture water productivity in Benin, Egypt, Jordan, Mozambique, Niger and Rwanda.
- Promote inter-sectorial coordination on the management of the “Water - Agriculture - Nutrition – Food Safety” Nexus at national and global levels through the development of National Guidelines on nutrition-sensitive agriculture water productivity (NsWP).
- Promote national policy dialogue around policy coherence and coordination of actions to accelerate progress towards the achievement of water, food security and nutrition objectives.
- Catalyze partnerships that will address the constraints to smallholder farmers′ sustainable access to remunerative markets.
The expected outcomes of the project include improvements in diet as well as greater knowledge and implementation of sustainable production practices among participating households. Specific indicators include:
- Awareness and understanding of the linkages between agriculture, food security and nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
- Improved household food and water security as well as greater diet quality and diversity through increased nutritional yields.
- Adoption of nutrition-sensitive agriculture practices related to sustainable water and soil fertility management, as well as the use of improved varieties, and crop diversity.
- Strengthened capacity of farmers to both procure farming inputs from and provide produced foods to local markets.