Agriculture & Food Security

Most African farmers are disadvantaged at every stage in the process of producing and selling crops. Large areas of soil are nutrient deficient. Rains are erratic. Technology is scarce. Credit is limited. Markets are often out of reach or inefficient. But in spite of these problems, Africare knows that Africa can be the world’s next breadbasket.

Approximately 80% of Africa’s farms are small plots run by rural farmers, and if they are equipped with knowledge of best agricultural practices and with basic inputs such as improved seeds, they are able to maximize yields of diverse crops to feed themselves, their families and their communities. Africare targets rural populations with interventions to improve yields, incomes and nutrition practices to bolster the continent’s ability to feed itself, and its ability to eventually help feed the rest of the world.

(Photo:Jake Lyell)

Increasing Income and Yields—SANA

In Mozambique, Africare’s SANA Project, funded by United States Agency for International Development Food for Peace Program supported interventions in agriculture, nutrition and risk management in five districts of the Nampula Province.

In an area plagued by food insecurity attributed to low crop yields, pest and disease infestation, and poor farming practices, Africare trained 726 lead farmers in sustainable agricultural practices. This led to an increase in income for 88% of the farmers once seed production was facilitated with private sector assistance.

The project also educated 1,000 mother groups and 500 nutrition field agents, who reached 15,000 additional mothers through group discussions aimed at reducing alarmingly high rates of chronically undernourished children.

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