By Vincent Gunde
A consortium of Oxfam, CICOD,ELDS and the Department of Agriculture Research Services, with funding from NORAD will be partners will be implementing “Rooted in diversity” Partnership for Food Security and Livelihoods project in the two districts of Dowa and Nkhotakota targeting 1,500 farmers per district from the areas of Traditional Authority Kanyenda in Nkhotakota and Kayembe in Dowa with a clear working relationships with the national partners to reach a large number of farmers food producers and consumers.
The “Rooted in Diversity project will enhance local knowledge skills, capacities of small-scale food producers to improve production and consumption of Local Food Plants in highly variable and unpredictable agroecological environments.
Presenting the project to the District executive committee in Dowa, the Circle for Integrated Community Development (CICOD’s) Programs Manager Edward Thole, said food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa is driven by interrelated factors such as climate change, over reliance on global value chains, poorly functioning seed and food markets and inefficient use of agricultural land.
Thole said these factors have created massive vulnerabilities, hampering small-scale food producers’ efforts to secure production and consumption of nutritious food and increasing their income pushing them into poverty, and eroded agrobiodiversity.
He said the project considers Agrobiodiversity as one way to promote food and nutrition security and adapt to unpredictable weather and climate changes focusing on improving recognition and access to crop diversity for food security and nutrition.
He further said that the project will also work with and promote the functioning of farmer organizations aligned with the priorities of Malawi Agenda 2063 and Dowa district Development Plan is addressing agrobiodiversity loss while promoting cross-regional learning and leaving no one behind.
“The project is based on the premise that agro-biodiversity is the best and most sustainable way to promote food and nutrition security and adapt to unpredictable climate conditions,” said Thole.
In his remarks, Acting Chief Planning Officer for the Dowa District Council Yusuf Laki, called on all agriculture partners to support the project for it to achieve its intended outcomes reminding them to share progress for their projects.
