EU Heads of Mission visit UN food agencies’ projects in Manica Province
On 21 May, the three Rome-based Agencies (RBAs) – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) – welcomed four Heads of Mission from the European Union in Mozambique to projects of the agencies in Manica Province. The visiting Heads of Mission, who included the Ambassadors of the European Union (EU), Austria, Holland, and Sweden, were also joined by attachés from Portugal and Germany. Over the course of the visit, the RBAs had the opportunity to show the implementation of their projects, while also allowing the diplomatic representatives to form a deeper understanding of the development cooperation between the partners in Mozambique.
The joint programme implemented by the three RBAs is aimed at speeding up progress towards achieving the target of the first Millennium Development Goal, that is: to halve hunger and to improve food security and nutrition. The EU is financing the programme, which has a budget of US$67 million and is being run from 2013 to 2018. Aside from Manica, the programme is being implemented in six other provinces of Mozambique, with a total of 48 districts being covered.
The aquaculture farm of José Marizane
The diplomats' first port of call was Gondola District. FAO Country Representative, Castro Camarada, while welcoming the delegates, said "this is an excellent opportunity to highlight the multi-sectoral approach that the RBAs are taking in support of the Government of Mozambique's agenda to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the country". The Gondola District Administrator, Ana Chapo, in her welcome address, noted that "there is a need for the activities of the MDG to be included in the future planning of the district".
The diplomats visited an aquaculture farm owned by José Marizane, a member of a group of 55 fish farming households supported by IFAD under the PROAQUA intervention in Gondola District. Here, the diplomatic representatives were able to see first-hand the direct impact of the MDG1c programme. Explaining about the positive effects of this project, Maria Fernanda Arraes de Souza, Coordinator of IFAD sub-programme MDG1c, said "PROAQUA is supporting farmers to diversify their economic activities through the establishment of aquaculture. Moreover, it gives the opportunity to the member smallholders to diversify food consumption and increase protein consumption". According to the Ambassador of the European Union, Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, the visit has confirmed that "local farmers can indeed effectively be supported. The MDG1c programme encourages commitment and initiative, which allows the farmers to increase not only local production but also to raise additional income, allowing them to cater for expenses like education and health".
Confirming commitment to the MDG1c programme
The delegation also had an opportunity to hold a meeting to give an overview of the multi-sectoral approach the RBAs are using to accelerate the reduction of chronic undernutrition in Mozambique. In the discussion that followed, important issues were addressed, including ways to maximise the success of the programme. The coordinator of FAO sub-programme MDG1c, Walter de Oliveira, suggested that "there is a need for further support from both the donor and the government on the implementation of the PAMRDC (Multisectoral Action Plan for the Reduction of Chronic Undernutrition) at district level, in order to boost the achievement of the MDG1c objectives". Thematic issues were also discussed, such as the problem of interpretation regarding the term 'food security' in Mozambique. Nadia Osman, nutrition specialist at WFP explained that the term "food security" in Mozambique refers to the availability of cereals, tuber/roots and legumes (i.e. beans). She emphasised, however, that this is a limited interpretation, because it doesn't include the essential nutrients that small children need in order to have optimal growth. Misinformation like this can aggravate problems such as stunting. Ambassador Kühn von Burgsdorff remarked that "the diversification of food production is a vital component to ensuring food security and adequate nutrition, which in turn prevent stunting. This is one of the issues that the MDG 1c programme is dealing with".
The delegation rounded off their trip with the Governor of Manica, Alberto Mondlane. During this, Governor Mondlane confirmed the commitment of the provincial authorities to pursue a multisectoral and holistic approach in relation to food nutrition, so that local production and food security can be addressed in a suitable fashion.