Project profile — Strengthening Food Systems in Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

• South and Central Asia, regional (9.00%)
• Far East Asia, regional (5.00%)
• Oceania, regional (2.50%)
• South of Sahara, regional (70.00%)
• West Indies, regional (2.00%)
• North and Central America, regional (2.50%)
• South America, regional (1.00%)
• Middle East, regional (8.00%)

• Agricultural policy and administrative management:
Agricultural policy and administrative management (31110) (10.00%)
Agricultural development (31120) (15.00%)
Agricultural inputs (31150) (25.00%)
Agricultural services (31191) (25.00%)
Agricultural financial services (31193) (25.00%)

• Indigenous Issues (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (significant objective)
• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (significant objective)
• Desertification (significant objective)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Climate change mitigation (significant objective)
• Climate Change Adaptation (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)

This project aims to increase the food security and resilience of farmers and rural communities impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19), especially women. The project works to address the COVID-related disruptions in the food system that restrict the functioning of markets, interrupt production and processing, and negatively impact the livelihoods and food security of rural communities. Project activities include: (1) providing gender-equitable and timely agricultural inputs and basic assets for crops, livestock, and fisheries production to small-scale producers; (2) providing logistics, transport, and storage support to smallholder farmers, particularly women, to avoid produce losses, and facilitate access to markets; (3) delivering targeted funds through existing financial institutions working with small-scale producers and small and medium sized enterprises, prioritizing women’s access to appropriate financial services; and (4) utilizing radio, mobile, and digital communication technologies tailored to small-scale women and men farmers, which provide timely information on agricultural markets, weather, production techniques, remote training, and COVID-19 updates.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) reduced COVID-19 related impact on farmers’ productivity by ensuring equitable access to agricultural inputs, especially for women; (2) stabilized availability of nutritious foods and prices for farmers and rural communities through facilitated access to markets; (3) maintained rural financial services to protect employment on family farms and in rural small and medium sized enterprises, allowing farmers to avoid negative coping strategies such as selling productive assets; and (4) producers have timely information on prices and markets for inputs and outputs, weather, production techniques, COVID-19 updates, and other social issues that increase during pandemics (e.g. gender-based violence).

N/A

• Proactive disclosure