Enhancing food security

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• Enhancing food security
• and nutrition among the most vulnerable
• farm families in eastern Sri Lanka
• P. Ramanathan
• Programme Officer, ERCU,FAO

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Background Eastern Sri Lanka

• Many Farming Families repeatedly displaced and
  are among the countrys poorest and most
  vulnerable communities
• Farmers returning to their former villages and
  farmland to rebuild their livelihoods
• Farmers lack basic agricultural inputs and their
  former lands and irrigation systems are in
  serious need of rehabilitation
• A need to strengthen the existing system to cater
  to changing needs

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Enhancing food security

• The demand for food is rising at 1.5 per cent
  annually, mainly due to population growth and
  changes in population structure
• The growth of demand for food has been projected
  to reach a level of 3.3 percent annually by 2010,
  and the agricultural sector faces a challenge of
  meeting this increased demand
• While it is possible that sufficient food remains
  available at national level, household food
  security is likely more difficult to achieve,
  particularly with the wide income disparities
  amongst the different categories of Sri Lankan
  society

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Why food/nutrition insecurity?

• Low productivity (agriculture, livestock,
  fisheries)
• Insufficient crop diversification and value
  adding activities
• Inadequate supply of protein-rich foods in the
  local diet
• Large post-harvest losses and seasonal gluts
• Lack of farmer participation in top-down
  agricultural development
• Need to further decentralize responsibility to
  provincial authorities and field level officers
• Need for an integrated, holistic approach and
  long-term vision of development to address food
  insecurity
• Need for a mechanism at national level that will
  ensure a seamless transition between early
  warning, emergency preparedness, emergency
  assistance, rehabilitation, recovery and
  development
• National Programme for Food Security
  (NPFS)

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FAOs Response
MANDATE OF FAO
To improve agriculture productivity
To fight hunger and improve nutrition

To improve the lives of the rural population
ROLE of FAO
Development Assistance Through wide range of
technical assistance projects Emergency and
Rehabilitation Assistance Technical expertise in
farming, livestock, fishing and forestry crucial
in emergency response and rehabilitation efforts
in moving crisis affected communities away from
dependence on food aid and paving the way for
long term sustainable development Information
Collects, analyses, interprets and disseminates
Advice to Government Agriculture Policy and
Planning , Administrative and Legal Structures
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EC Food Facility

• Project Enhancing food security and nutrition
  among the most vulnerable farm families in
  eastern Sri Lanka
• Budget EURO 5.127
• Duration 2 years
• Implementing partner - Ministry of Agriculture
  Development and Agrarian Services,Provincial
  Ministry of Agriculture, EP, UN Agencies, NGOs
  CBOs.
• Beneficiaries farming families previously
  displaced by conflict and now returning to their
  land

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Project Objective

• To restore and enhance agricultural production
  to ensure food security and improved nutrition
  for returning or recently resettled farming
  families in two districts of eastern Sri Lanka.
• Project Outcomes/Results
• 4000 hectares of abandoned land rehabilitated
• 40 small reservoirs and tanks rehabilitated
• 20,000 farming families supported
• Capacity of extension workers towards market
  oriented production enhanced contributing to
  improved market access and increased farm income
  of small-scale farmers

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Proposed activities

• Reaffirm direct operational partnership with
  district/provincial Agriculture Department, UN
  agencies, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders
• Conduct baseline surveys and needs assessments
  and identify beneficiaries in the two project
  districts
• Initiate procurement of inputs and arrange for
  delivery arrangements
• Procure services for land preparation and other
  rehabilitation activities
• Strengthen agriculture extension and out reach

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Activities for result 1

• Poor status of land after many years of
  abandonment
• Land ownership state or title deed or permit
  holders with irrigation facility with
  possibility of 2 seasons cultivation
• Clearing and leveling of land with necessary
  drainage and irrigation channels designs and
  contractual arrangement
• 4000 beneficiaries ( 1 ha/beneficiary) 4000 Ha
  abandoned land rehabilitated and prepared for
  cultivation.(400 Euro/ Ha)

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Activities for result 2

• Rehabilitation of small reservoirs (40) with
  community participation, finalizing the list of
  tanks, contractual arrangements and execution
• One season of rice, homestead/home gardening
  support and live stock assistance to ensure food
  security
• Improved water management system for 2000 Ha
  (holdings 0.1 0.3 Ha, 16,000 beneficiaries),(11,
  000 Euro/reservoir)

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Activities for result 3

• Additional support

Seed paddy/fertilizer (1 ha) 4,000
Seed paddy/fertilizer (0.2 ha) 10,000
10 fruit trees /HH 5,000
Vegetable/OFC for 0.1 Ha both seasons and 20 chicks/HH 9,000
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Project status

• EC and FAO have cleared the project document and
  government approval is awaited to commence
  implementation
• FAO is initiating action to strengthen the
  present Field Offices in Trincomalee and
  Batticaloa and recruit project staff

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Thank You.