UNITED NATIONS MALAWI

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION
Helping to build a world without hunger

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger and malnutrition. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also source of knowledge and information. We help developing countries and countries in transition to modernize and improve agriculture. Forestry and fishery practices and ensure good nutrition for all.

Since our founding in 1945, we have focused special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of world's poor and hungry people.

Achieving food security for all is at the heart of FAO's efforts- to make sure people have regular access to enough food in order to live high quality lives.

FAO works on behalf of its members – more than 180 countries worldwide – while striving to defend the rights of the world’s citizens to free from hunger. We also cooperate with thousands of partners worldwide, from farmer group to traders, from noon-governmental organizations to other UN agencies, from development banks to agribusiness firms.

FAO provides the kind of behind the scenes assistance that helps people and nations help themselves. If a community wants to increase crop yields but lacks technical skills we introduce simple, sustainable tools and techniques. When drought pushes already vulnerable groups to the point of famine, we mobilize action. And in a complex world of competing needs, we provide a neutral meeting place and the background knowledge needed to reach consensus.

FAO’s mandate is to raise levels of nutrition, improve agriculture productivity, better the lives of the worlds economy.

FAO in Malawi

FAO works with the Malawi government and non-governmental organizations to develop projects and policies targeting households who are most at risk, such as farmers with limited land, malnourished children and HIV and AIDS affected households.

FAO programmes focus on capacity building. Depending on the needs of particular area or population, activities could include healing the soil, maximising use of water, providing seed, crop and garden diversification, livestock production

Healing the soil - Soil fertility is ruined very quickly when growing one crop repeatedly in the same place or when burning the bush or any organic matter. Etc.

FAO uses various methods to reverse these practices and improve soil fertility. Some ways of improving soil fertility are through crop diversification and encouraging farmers to retain all organic waste in the soil through compositing manure.

Maximizing use of water

FAO is working with partners to increase technical knowledge on maximizing the use of all water sources. Partners improve their knowledge and skills for overall water management and are trying different settings.

One of FAO’s worldwide projects is ’The Special Programme for Food Security’ This includes strong focus on simple techniques for water harvesting and irrigation

One of the uniqueness about this programme is the use technical expertise from developing countries, referred as “South-South Cooperation” As part of building local skills in water management. FAO supported 18 Malawians to attend a 3 month irrigation technician training in Zimbabwe.

FAO has projects that support the integration of fishponds and irrigation. This assists farmers who live inland to maximize the use of available water to produce fish for food security and income.

Improving seed availability

Improving access to a wide variety of seeds assists households to diversify their crops. FAO supports projects on seed multiplication, creating household and community seed banks for future planting material and exchange seeds locally between households.
Roots and tuber crops are easy to grow. The roots are easy to grow. The leaves are a good source of vitamins, and they are easy to save for future use.

Crop diversification

Diversifying crop production assist in spreading the of crop failure and assist in ensuring household food security. A household with diversified crop production has surety of

Diet diversification

Economically crop diversification helps households to diversify in income sources, thereby improving house economy and productivity.

Livestock

Livestock is another way to diversify food supply, to improve the soil, and to improve the house economy. FAO purchases and distributes livestock, drugs for animals, and supports training for NGO’s staff and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security technicians.

For more information visit www.fao.org or contact

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Evelyn Court, Area 13
P.O. Box 30750, Lilongwe 3
Tel: (265) 01 773 255
Fax: (265) 01 773 263

FAO launches a new project on the promotion of rural employment and decent work in Malawi

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched on 24th January 2011 the new project “Policy support on rural employment and decent work for the promotion of equitable and sustainable livelihoods under conditions of climate change in Malawi and Tanzania”. Funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the 1.8 million dollars project will be implemented for three years between 2011 and 2013 in both Tanzania and Malawi. As an immediate follow up on the launch of the project, the FAO held a day and a half workshop with national key stakeholders on 24th and 25th January. The main objective of the workshop was to establish closer links with and among key stakeholders in the country and to obtain a better understanding of the policy environment and existing strategies and programmes related to decent work and rural employment in Malawi. The workshop aimed to gather information from participants on the relevance of rural employment and decent work for the mandate of their respective organizations and institutions, and identify past, planned and ongoing work for the enhancement of rural employment and decent work in the country as well as the major policy frameworks, strategies, policies, national and decentralized co-ordination mechanisms of high relevance for addressing rural employment and decent work concerns in the country. Through the workshop, FAO aimed to assess the national capacity and institutional needs in order to optimize its engagement in the country and the implementation of the project.

The main outcome of the project is a better adaptation of national policies for the promotion of rural employment and decent work, which will be achieved through the provision of support to the Government for better addressing rural employment and decent work in national development strategies, policies and programmes, particularly those related to agriculture and rural development. The project aims also at strengthening the capacities of the Government and other strategic national stakeholders, including UN staff, through individual capacity development activities and provision of technical assistance for an effective integration of rural employment and decent work aspects in their organization structure, strategies, budgets and work at policy and operational level. By assessing the specific needs of youth in targeted districts the project also aims to promote innovative rural entrepreneurship and job creation schemes, as well as reducing the occurrence of child labour in agriculture, particularly in acquaculture and the fisheries sector in selected districts and communities of the Lake Malawi. It has to be emphasized that FAO will complement and support the already existing national efforts in promotion of decent work and rural employment and work closely with important national implementation partners, particularly the ILO.
Presenting at the workshop, Mr. Peter Wobst, FAO Senior Economist and Project Leader, emphasized that an improved provision of decent rural employment can significantly contribute to a sustainable rural economic growth and the achievement of food security, which can, ultimately, lead to poverty reduction. He also indicated that there is a high level commitment at the UN level to adequately promote decent employment and emphasized its importance in the achievement of the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in the world which is confirmed through the inclusion in 2005 of a new target in MDG 1 which aims to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people.

Among the main challenges discussed were the inadequate implementation of employment-centered policies and programmes, inadequate tech expertise of main stakeholders, lack of financial and human resources, lack of capacity to effectively participate in policy development, and insufficient inter-institutional collaboration and coordination in respect to the promotion of decent work and rural employment.
Among the recommendations, the workshop participants were emphasizing the importance of a better prioritization for the utilization of resources and of an increase in policy coherence to promote employment-centred growth and rural development strategies, policies and programmes, especially in the agricultural sector. This will be ensured through an efficient collaboration among the various stakeholders by strengthening or establishing inter- institutional mechanisms at national and local levels.

Contact: Ms Norah Mwamadi, National project Coordinator:norah.mwamadi@fao.org

In the picture the two ladies are using a treadle pump for Irrigation in Malingunde in Lilongwe.

FAO is supporting Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development in designated areas (Karonga ADD and Shire Valley ADD) to control diseases through vaccination and using latest technology for disease surveillance (Digital Pen Technology)

A veterinary assistant at Ngabu in Shire Valley ADD interviewing a farmer on his herd of cattle. He is using a digital pen to record animal surveillance data which is later downloaded into a computer which sends the data to the web server through the internet.

FAO Malawi is supporting Avian Influenza Rapid Response Team in the Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

FAO Representative in Malawi Mr. Mazlan Jusoh explains to Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Hon Uladi Mussa, M.P., how the protective clothing are used by the Rapid Response Team during an event to hand over the equipment to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Hon Uladi Mussa MP

The Principle Secretary for Agriculture, Dr Andrew Daudi, making a speech to participants at the launch of project on Policy Support on Rural Employment and Decent work in Malawi and Tanzania, 24th January, 2011 at Lilongwe Hotel

Participants posing for a group photo after the launch of project. The participants came from Government, UN agencies and NGos