Host Country

Sierra Leone

Highlights

The programme enters its up-scaling phase targeting 200 000 farmers.

Beneficiaries

Over 200 000 farm families from poor rural farming communities in the 13 agricultural districts of Sierra Leone

Budget

US$32 million

Commencement Date

2002

Background

• On his re-election in May 2002, the President of Sierra Leone pledged to eradicate hunger within his 5 year term of office, and to accomplish this within a human rights framework.
• In 2002, with FAO support, the Government of Sierra Leone launched the Operation Feed the Nation NPFS under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and within the framework of the National Recovery Strategy and now the National Poverty Reduction Strategy.
• The Programme was designed to go through three phases: a preparatory, consolidation and up-scaling phases.

Goals

• To deal with chronic hunger experienced during the hunger seasons of the year.
• Respond to the needs of a larger number of rural resource poor farm families to successfully increase food production.
• Contribute to national food security.
• Improve household incomes and reduce poverty.

Activities

• The Government of Sierra Leone's Operation Feed the Nation has been assisted by the FAO, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Development Bank (ADB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Republic of Ireland and Italy in close collaboration with international NGOs funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
• Decentralized community-based market organizations are being created through Farmer Field Schools, Agricultural Business Units and District Networks. In addition, food security activities such as Food Security through Commercialization, school gardens, value added activities, income generation, post harvest losses, awareness raising on HIV/AIDS, malaria control programmes, adult literacy programmes, mechanisation, social safety nets, infrastructures, and community banking/village saving schemes have been incorporated into Operation Feed the Nation.
• Establishment of a secretariat on the Right to Food in the office of the Vice President, focussing on public awareness raising, accountability, monitoring progress and setting up the necessary legal framework.
• Follow-up to a May 2003 national symposium called "Operationalising the Right to Food" is being handled by a national committee based on a project under German and the FAO funding for the Right to Food.

SSC

• Supported by Chinese experts and technicians.
• Focused on establishing demonstrations plots to serve as a training ground for farmers and field staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
• Will embark on large scale, nationwide Programme implementation.

Results

• Fourteen District Networks for marketing, commercialization and credit have been established by over 40 000 farmers involved in Operation Feed the Nation. Literacy and health issues are being incorporated into the on-going up-scaling stage by the Government of Sierra Leone.
• The UNDP supported Agricultural Business Units merged with the Farmer Field Schools, enabling farmers' capacities to be strengthened, making farming a business and thus improving household food security, income generation and poverty reduction
• The Farmer Field School approach to extension delivery is now accepted by the Ministry as the main approach in the delivery of agricultural extension in the country. This has resulted in the acceptance of the concept by other donors such as the World Bank, ADB, IFAD, EU, USAID, etc.
• Farmers' overall acceptance of the Farmer Field Schools programme, due to its bottom up approach. More farmers are being trained as facilitators, working in their communities. This has resulted in the widespread adoption of the Programme in the country
• Improved skills and knowledge acquired by farmers is resulting in an increase in yields and production of the major food crops. This decreases the months of hunger in the country. There is also a decrease in post harvest losses and some farmers now mobilise resources locally for community development works.
• Large percentage of rural people are now aware of food security issues
• The Programme has been piloted in some primary schools to involve school children in food security issues. There is an improvement in the nutritional and health status of the school children in the pilot communities.
• The Programme has trained over 300 extension field staff from government and NGOs. About 200 farmer facilitators have been trained and are now working in their communities.
• District networks of Farmer Field Schools established in the 13 agricultural districts in the country. These networks have been supported with production inputs, post harvest technologies and processing equipment and training in business management, group formation and management, leadership skills etc.
• Over 55 000 farmers have benefited directly from the Programme.

Moving Ahead

• Operation Feed The Nation is in the third stage of up-scaling to 200 000 farmers and supporting their community development programmes. Existing groups will move more strongly towards income generating activities, district networks will be strengthened to facilitate marketing and member support while more households will be able to participate in Operation Feed The Nation activities.
• Operation Feed The Nation NPFS has been aligned with the Poverty Reduction Strategy Pillar II to be one part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy for operational activities.