Resource Mobilization

Strengthening food security in Sierra Leone

In view of the highly precarious food and nutrition security situation facing Sierra Leone, the project served as a response to widespread concern over undernutrition. With the national economy heavily dependent on agriculture, and with women and youth trapped in perpetual poverty due to persistent norms of social exclusion, there was a perceived need in the country to put in place nutrition-sensitive measures. With the consideration given to nutrition in agriculture often insufficient, the project was geared towards guiding the country towards its dual objective of wealth creation and improvement of food and nutrition security.

What did the project do

The project helped to strengthen food security and nutrition coordination mechanisms at central and district levels, in particular supporting the Government in establishing the Scaling-Up Nutrition Secretariat. The production and consumption of diverse locally available foods was heavily promoted, with the resulting Sierra Leone Food-Based Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Eating one of the project’s key achievements. The Right to Food concept was integrated into agriculture extension training, as well as the curriculum of NjalaUniversity, while efforts were made to link agriculture and nutrition interventions.

Impact

The first steps have been taken to enable Sierra Leone to rid itself of chronic malnutrition. The production of Food-Based Dietary Guidelines and the integration of the Right to Food into university curricula are fundamental in raising food security awareness among the most vulnerable elements of society. High levels of ownership and buy-in from government agencies and partners suggest that the project’s achievements will trickle down to those most in need, breaking the cycle of chronic food insecurity.

Activities

  • Establishment of the Scaling-up Nutrition Secretariat, which operates as the central national forum for stakeholders in the field of nutrition.
  • Multisectoraldistrict coordination committees on food and nutrition security and the right to food set up in eight districts.
  • Food-Based Dietary Guidelines for healthy eating developed, printed, validated and launched.
  • Teaching manual on food and nutrition security and the right to food produced for lecturers at NjalaUniversity, who were assessed and pre-tested.
  • 239 agriculture extension cadres across 13 districts trained on basic nutrition concepts linked to agronomic practices.
  • A series of nutrition-based activities organized and implemented, including promotion of school gardens in Bo, food demonstrations in Kambia, vegetable demonstration plots in Konoand organization of awareness-raising meetings in Koinaduguand Pujehun.
Project symbol: GCP/SIL/042/GER
Project title: Mainstreaming food and nutrition security and the Right to Food into the Smallholder Commercialization Programme of Sierra Leone
Contact: FAO Office in Sierra Leone
Email: [email protected]
Download PDF: http://www.fao.org/3/a-bt809e.pdf