IR1. Increasing access to diverse, safe and quality foods

The project aims to promote access to nutritious and productive varieties of vegetables, fruits, legumes, bio-fortified crops and small livestock. Support areas include better use of inputs and cultivation practices, increased market availability of diverse foods, and addressing concerns of food safety and post-harvest losses. Emphasis will be placed on diversification of crop production and animal husbandry while food safety activities will focus on the prevention and control of potential health hazards. Food quality will address inputs and cultivation practices that influence a product’s value to the consumer and post-harvest handling will focus on reduction of losses.

The project will scale-up livelihoods and economic strengthening activities for Most Vulnerable Households (MVHHs) building on ENGINE’s successful work. In collaboration with partners, production activities will be developed and implemented through GoE systems while also capitalizing on the private sector. Activities will link with SBCC to increase the consumption of promoted foods and the adoption of improved hygiene and handling practices (see IR2).

Project activities aim to improve the nutritional status of women and children through increased dietary diversity and ensuring that a minimum acceptable diet for children is met at the household level. Specific implementation objectives under IR1 include:

• Adoption of sustainable approaches for production of diverse crops and livestock
• Adoption of innovative technologies for preparation, processing, preservation, and storage of safe, nutrient dense foods
• Strengthening government systems and private sector linkages

Key Progress in Project Year II 

The project trained 15,407 development agents (DAs), model farmers, teachers and most vulnerable households (MVHHs) on agriculture productivity with an emphasis on Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture (NSA). 

To ensure dietary diversity of women and children, Growth through Nutrition provided a package of livelihood support (seeds of selected vegetables and fruits seedlings, basic hand tools for cultivation of homestead gardening, and productive animals) to 13,179 MVHHs and organized MVHHs into 540 village saving and credit groups, which also serve as a platform for SBCC (IR2) activities. The project also completed food safety assessment and piloting post-harvest handling (PHH) technologies.

Key Progress in Project Year III

The project trained 12,310 individuals (10,022 farmers and 2,288 government staff) with short term trainings focused on Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) as well as Training Of Trainers for 128 zonal- and woreda-based Agricultural Extension Workers with an improved knowledge level from 56% to 78% according to pre- and post-training test results. The knowledge was cascaded to 2,042 Development Agents. 

Additionally the project trained five model farmers per project kebele on skill-based NSA, totaling 2,793 model farmers. Training was also provided for 49 school teachers and woreda education office staff. Growth through Nutriryion provided seeds of vegetables and legumes, fruit seedlings, chicks of a dual purpose and adaptable poultry breed and farm tools to 25 model Farmer’s Training Centers.

Key Progress in Project Year IV

A significant mark of progress in year IV was promoting sustainable approaches of diverse crop production. To transfer knowledge and skill to the government staff, the project provided sustainable crop diversification training to 43 Agricultural Extension Workers.

Another focus for the year was diffusion of better nutrition-sensitive agriculture. The project scaled up this activity through the use of model farmers who promote these practices in their woredas. Growth through Nutrition provided Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) Training of Trainers to 43 Agricultural Extension Workers, which was cascaded to over 2,600 Development Agents who trained 3800 model farmers while maintaining COVID-19 infection prevention mechanisms. The method was effective – reaching for example, in the Tigray region 169 non-targeted neighboring farmers.

Through coaching and mentoring, the project supported an additional 1,891 farmers with on-farm guidance on NSA practices. Furthermore, a major issue effecting livelihoods and nutrition is the quality of inputs (i.e. seeds and breeds). To overcome this, the project trained model farmers to capacitate them to start seed distribution businesses in year III, in year IV, 21 model farmers were selected to establish fruit nurseries. Farmer Training Centers (FTCs) continued to play a significant role in promoting improved seeds as well as nutrition behaviors. Growth through Nutrition activity provided inputs (vegetable and fruit seeds and farm tools) to 26 FTCs and organized field days for agronomic trainings and cooking demonstrations.  

The project also promoted nutrition sensitive agriculture practices and post harvest technologies which were adopted through schools and field days. 213 participants were reached across 5 field days introducing technologies such as solar drier, zero energy cooling chamber, improved potato harvester, and fermented cottage cheese (Metata Ayib).