DDiAdmiN1. This week, we join Feed The Future in celebrating its annual #FeedTheFuture week to: commemorate 10 years of working to #EndHunger; launch its annual Progress Snapshot highlighting global results and stories of people who are #CultivatingHope; and discuss the decade ahead and what needs to happen to strengthen food systems around the world.
2. #FeedTheFuture, a USAID-led initiative of the USA is aimed at combating global hunger and poverty – by boosting agriculture-led growth, resilience and nutrition in countries with great need and opportunity for improvement – through partnerships and innovation.
3. Since 2007, Feed the Future has helped millions of people in vulnerable communities around the world reduce hunger and malnutrition, increase their incomes through agriculture, and create economic opportunities both on and off the farm.
4. Feed the Future helps partner countries improve agricultural production and markets and create new opportunities; strengthen the resilience of communities to shocks; reduce hunger and improve nutrition, especially among mothers and children; and increase the exchange of ideas, technologies and products.
5. With the agricultural sector contributing to about 75 per cent of Nigeria’s labor force amid a substantial growth potential while playing a key role in food security on the African continent, Feed the Future has supported #Nigeria in developing the sector, expanding the #employment opportunities therein and contributing to #foodsecurity and stability, to help people to rise from extreme #poverty.
6. In celebration of #FeedTheFutureWeek, we’re featuring DDI-facilitated Feed the Future Nigeria Livelihoods Project, a 5-year program supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), that provided support to very poor households by growing their #agricultural production, increasing incomes and improving the nutrition of children – thereby #CultivatingHope to #endhunger, and ensure #foodsecurity!
7. In 2015, DDI, as a sub-grantee to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) facilitated the implementation of the agriculture component of the project which was executed in rural communities across five Northern states (Kebbi, Sokoto, Borno, Yobe and Adamawa) and the FCT – Abuja.
8. The project used a multi-sector approach that saw the involvement of relevant stakeholders, and was focused on seven main commodity crops: rice, sorghum, soybean, groundnut, cowpea, maize and millet –
9. …targeting 16 Local Government Areas – Birnin Kebbi and Dank Wasagu (in Kebbi State); Rabah, Dange Shuni, Tangaza and Kebbe (in Sokoto State); Biu, Hawul, Jere and Kaga (in Borno State); Gombi and Hong in Adamawa State; Bursari and Jakusko in Yobe State; as well as Bwari Area Council in the FCT.
10. #Outcomes:
– 965 and 562 Producer Groups were formed from vulnerable households in the Northwest and North East respectively.
– 184 women producer groups with a membership capacity of 4208 were formed in Sokoto
– Degraded land was successfully reclaimed in Sakkawi in Sokoto State
– There was sustainable increased yield per unit of land of about 60% for Maize, Millet, sorghum, Soy and Cowpea in Kebbi and Sokoto States and the FCT.
– 60 marketing committees were formed in the Northeast and northwest resulting in a total sales volume of about N265.9 million
– An Agro-input fair was conducted in the NW and NE reaching over 7,000 farmers and resulting in a sales volume of over N16.5m from 2015 – 2017.
– 121 field agents were trained to offer private extension services to farmers
– 198 community seed producers were trained and established
– Project beneficiaries were trained on home gardening and small ruminant production
– 758 demonstration farms were established across project communities
– 24 Government extension agents were retrained
– 29 Village promoters were trained and supported to access fertilizers worth about N3.2million
– 17 new farming technologies were introduced
– 2,100 households were supported with inputs voucher and 165 seed entrepreneurs were established
– 9,592 farmers were trained on post-harvest handling while 146 livelihood clubs were established.
– There were collaboration and linkage of Lead farmers and FAs to ADPs, seeds and agro-input dealing companies, off-takers, etc, to ensure project sustainability.
11. Let’s join in celebrating a decade of #CultivatingHope to break the cycle of poverty and hunger! Together, we can #endhunger in our lifetime.