NGOs partner farmers to fight poverty

Thandeka Matebesi, Business Reporter
The Zimbabwe Livelihoods and Food Security Programme (LFSP) is working with UKAid and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to provide extension and advisory services to smallholder farmers around the country with the aim of contributing to the reduction of poverty through increased incomes.

FAO sub-regional co-ordinator for Southern Africa Mr Alain Onibon said the programme was being implemented in four provinces.

“UKAid is supporting the Zimbabwe Livelihoods and Food Security Programme, which aims to contribute to poverty reduction through increased incomes. The programme is being implemented in four provinces covering 12 districts as follows: Mutasa, Mutare and Makoni in Manicaland (under the project name INSPIRE), Guruve, Bindura, Mazowe and Mt Darwin in Mashonaland Central (under the project name ENTERPRIZE) and Kwekwe, Gokwe North, Gokwe South and Shurugwi in Midlands (under the project name EXTRA), and Zvimba in Mashonaland West,” said Mr Onibon.

Mr Onibon revealed that the LFSP initiative was reaching at least 200 000 farming households in the places where it was being implemented.

“The programme is reaching 200 000 smallholder farming households in the four provinces. The programme encapsulates both crop and livestock farmers. LFSP works with rural smallholder farmers with an emphasis on empowering women and youth,” he said.

One of the major and innovative components of the programme is biofortification where the LFSP is promoting production and consumption of biofortified foods such as iron and zinc rich sugar beans, Vitamin A enhanced Orange Maize, and Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP).

“It is being implemented by a consortium of partners and the components are structured around the following: Extension and Advisory Services, Rural Finance, Policy Support, Biofortification and Nutrition and Market Development. Gender and Youth are mainstreamed across all programme components,” he said.

Meanwhile, FAO is working with the Government to develop a Gender Sensitive Land Policy which seeks to improve the land governance system through strengthening of the land administration system.