Bermet and her family live rural Kyrgyzstan and have always grown much of the food they eat. Potatoes, corn and tomatoes had been their dietary staples, thanks to how easy they are to grow. There was food on the table, but being ‘food secure’ means more than just having enough to eat – it means having access to a nutritious and balanced diet. This is what posed a challenge for Bermet and her family.
“I have always known that our land could produce more and give us better income opportunities,” she recalls, “but we did not have enough knowledge and money to produce anything else.”
A FAO pilot project was launched in Bermet’s area, the Jalal-Abad region of Kyrgyzstan, in 2017 with the aim of boosting not only livelihoods and income but also nutrition. Taking part in the project was a real turning point in Bermet’s life.
After receiving seeds, a small greenhouse and training on agricultural best practices, she wasted no time getting down to business. Bermet planted not only traditional crops like cabbage, carrot, cucumber and tomato but also nutritious plants she had never seen or tried before.
“As for the greens, we had never grown them before. From time to time, I bought some dill at the market and that was it. This was the first time we saw and tried spinach, lettuce, lentils and cauliflower.”
Bermet continues with a smile, "Previously I made salads in winter only from tomatoes, carrots and onions. Now I use different greens, cauliflower and even broccoli from my own garden. Our diet has definitely become richer in vitamins.”
The pilot project, Productive Social Contract/Cash Plus, has helped more than 150 households living in this western region of Kyrgyzstan to improve their nutrition and increase their incomes by giving them training in agriculture. This is designed to complement the existing state social cash transfer programme. The pilot is part of the wider project that is funded by the Russian Federation.
