The Consortium for Southern Africa Food Security Emergency (C-SAFE) has launched a new program in Lesotho aimed at alleviating food insecurity by promoting rural livelihoods and increasing productive assets.
"C-SAFE members World Vision, CARE and Catholic Relief Services will implement a Food for Assets program in six vulnerable districts. Around 14,500 households will receive food resources through projects designed to restore agricultural productivity and infrastructure and develop local capacity," says Paul Kinuthia, World Vision Lesotho.
Food for Assets is a term used to describe the use of food as an incentive for the creation of community and household level assets. In Lesotho, these assets will include community and household (kitchen) gardens, water harvesting structures, and canals; as well as training in conservation farming, erosion control and agro-forestry The projects aim to address Lesotho's major obstacles to agricultural production such as severe soil and land degradation, lack of proper land and crop husbandry practices, and inefficient use of improved seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. Food for Assets focuses on the creation of these community-owned assets, as well as building skills and improved understanding (so-called 'human assets') around ways to improve household food security.
Last year Lesotho appealed for international assistance after being plagued by drought-related problems, food insecurity and high unemployment. Delayed rains have had the most severe impact on the southern region of Lesotho, where 70% of arable land has not yet been planted. Exacerbating the already precarious situation is an adult HIV prevalence rate of 28.9%.
With almost half of the 2.1 million strong population requiring some form of food assistance, the USAID Food for Peace funded program will seek to address chronic problems to food insecurity and strengthen resilience to future shocks in the most vulnerable communities.
In the last month, 9,948 metric tons of USAID food, including maize meal, pulses and vegetable oil arrived for distribution to Food for Assets participants who are now commencing activities.
"In Lesotho it is vital that we invest in a program that not only meets emergency food aid needs, but simultaneously addresses the problems that underlie those needs," says Patrick Diskin of USAID's Office of Food for Peace. "This program seeks to do this by using food aid to support projects that will reduce people's vulnerability to food insecurity in the future."
The C-SAFE Lesotho program will be implemented through September this year. The Consortium operates similar developmental relief programs in Zambia and Zimbabwe.
For more information, write to: info@c-safe.org
Kristy Allen-Shirley
C-SAFE Communications Coordinator
Consortium for Southern Africa Food Security
Emergency
Regional Program Unit
Johannesburg - South Africa
phone +27 (0) 11 679 3601
cell +27 (0) 72 783 3696
fax +27 (0) 11 6793597
website: www.c-safe.org