Project profile — An Integrated Food Systems Approach to Build Nutrition Security

This project aims to rapidly increase the production and consumption of bio-fortified staple crops by vulnerable smallholder farming households who have the greatest need for nutrition and health. This project is an emergency response initiative designed to improve food and nutrition security, while safeguarding livelihoods to help prevent an emerging food and nutrition crises brought about by COVID-19 in Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Specifically, the project supports nutritious, biofortified staple foods, rich in zinc, vitamin A and iron which are expected to have a significant impact strengthening immune systems to act as a first line of defense in against viruses and diseases. The project also intends to address increased access, awareness and knowledge for women, but move towards addressing gender gaps in nutritional consumption and capacities. Project activities include: (1) strengthening the capacity of public, private and community level seed multipliers and distributers to rapidly multiply high-quality biofortified seed; (2) working with public, private and community, civil society organization, and humanitarian relief partners to distribute affordable biofortified seed to vulnerable communities; and (3) pivoting promotional and awareness campaigns to non-contact/digital spaces to educate and stimulate widespread production and consumption of biofortified crops and foods, highlighting the role of micronutrients in boosting immune systems and building resilience against shocks.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to affordable bio-fortified seed for vulnerable farming households, who tend to consume the majority of their own production; improved access to nutritious foods for household members, especially women, children and adolescents, by the growing and consuming of bio-fortified staples; (2) increased access to markets for smallholder farming households and rural/semi-urban small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), along the value chains for bio-fortified seed, crops/grain, and food; and (3) strengthened capacity and economic returns for SMEs along crop value chains by providing them with a stimulus package including connectivity, financing and training, connectivity.

Results achieved at the end of the project (December 2022) include: (1) produced 1,158,856 metric tonnes(t) of biofortified seeds, exceeding the initial target of over 250,000 t. 66% of the farmers perceived the quality of acquired biofortified seed as good or better than conventional varieties; (2) 8,865,995 people consumed biofortified foods, exceeding the initial target of 7.8 million people; (3) 66% of small and medium-sized enterprises reported participating in the biofortified value chains increased their gross income or profit, exceeding the initial target of 60%; (4) sold 347,373 t of biofortified crops by growing households, greatly exceeding the initial target of over 50 metric tonnes; and (5) gross farmer-level sales of biofortified crops or products totalled $146,006,190, exceeding the original target of $23 million.