Guinea-Bissau, a West African nation, boasts 88 islands and several national parks. Settled in what looks like a botanical wonderland, the majority of the population – 80 percent - relies on agriculture for their survival.
But farmers struggle to produce enough food to feed their families throughout the year. Political instability, irregular rainfalls and volatile food prices have been exacerbating their struggles.
More than two-thirds of the population lives below the poverty line. Overall, around 10 percent of the population doesn’t have enough food to lead a healthy life; in some areas, this figure can be as high as 50 percent.
As a result, migrating to bigger towns, to neighboring countries or to Europe is not uncommon.
How to farm fish
In Pitche village in the far east of Guinea-Bissau, 15 youths have just learnt something new: to farm fish in floating cages. Some 50 others have learnt to sustain themselves by growing and selling cassava.
Before joining this FAO-supported project, they all had one thing in common - unemployment.