Ecuador Project Highlights: Anticipatory actions to protect agricultural livelihoods against the impact of the El Niño phenomenon in Ecuador

Objective

To develop and implement anticipatory actions to mitigate potential impacts on agricultural livelihoods and food security of above-average rainfall associated with the El Niño phenomenon.

Activities implemented

• Distributed 30 000 chickens, 1 200 feeders, 1 200 drinkers and 7 200 meters of poultry netting to 1 200 households to establish family poultry farming.
• Distributed 600 watering cans and 40.8 kg of vegetables seeds (zucchini, cherry tomato, curly lettuce, carrot, radish and spinach) to 121 households to set up family vegetable gardens.
• Distributed foliar and soil fertilizers, insecticides or biological stimulants to 289 households.
• Distributed 400 tanks of 1 000 litres, 150 tanks of 200 litres and 150 water purifiers to 339 households.
• Distributed 125 domestic silos for fodder storage to 86 households.
• Distributed artisanal fishing preservation equipment, including coolers, gutting tool kits and plastic gutting aprons to 253 households.
• Provided veterinary services to 1 579 animals in the cantons of Manabí benefiting 121 households who had also received seeds.
• Trained 431 beneficiaries on awareness-raising and anticipatory action for floods associated with the El Niño phenomenon, focusing on food security and agricultural livelihoods.
• Trained 46 staff from the Decentralized National Disaster Risk Management System, including the Prefecture, Municipalities, the National Risk Management System and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

Results

• Improved households’ diets, food availability and crop diversification thanks to family vegetable gardens and backyard poultry production, contributing to improved Food Consumption Score indicators.
• Contributed to improved crop yields and harvest, especially for maize and rice producers, thanks to the provision of different fertilizers and bio-stimulants.
• Improved access to quality water thanks to the inputs distributed, in particular in times of droughts.
• Contributed to improve animal production (fish and livestock) reduce animal mortality and improve animal health, maintaining resilient livelihoods despite adverse weather conditions.
• Strengthened the resilience and response capacity of communities by mitigating the potential impact of forecast floods on their livelihoods and contributed to greater self-sufficiency and recovery capacity.
• Contributed to the reduction of households’ negative coping mechanisms in response to the impact of threats associated with the El Niño phenomenon, thus safeguarding their livelihoods and food security.
• Supported the capacity of local partners by fostering effective collaboration between local and national actors, strengthening institutional and community capacities and establishing a solid foundation for future development efforts.