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FAO Digital Services Portfolio

Facilitating training for DSP in Food Security Early Warning Systems in Zanzibar

Zanzibar (Tanzania), 12/03/2023 - 15/03/2023

Training of national officers in DSP use in Zanzibar

©@FAO Tanzania

From 12-15th March 2023, a total of 15 experts from different ministries responsible for agriculture and food security-related subjects were introduced to FAO’s digital services portfolio to develop sub-themes for Zanzibar and content for the latter. They were also finally introduced to the dashboard input tool for updating the app's content.

At the end of the training, four themes of the digital services portfolio were developed specifically for Zanzibar to include the following components:  Ulaji Bora (Health Eating), Kilimo Bora (Good Agricultural Practices), Uvuvi na Uzalishaji Viumbe Maji ( Fishing and Aquaculture), Utunzaji Mifugo (Livestock Keeping), Post-harvest handling. Apart from these new themes, markets for Zanzibar were also added in the Agriculture Market place and Market Information was updated as well in the Agri marketplace.  

At the end of the training, participants were encouraged to keep on populating the system with new and relevant information. Based on the structure of the system, FAO is responsible only for the technological component, but the management of the content and its relevance to society remain with the responsible ministries, departments and agencies.

Following the training, messages are still to be tested with the end users, awareness to the general public needs to be raised and an official launch to be carried out. This will be done in close collaboration between the Viungo Project which is funded by the European Union through the Agri-Connect project, the 2nd Vice President's Office through the Zanzibar Disaster Management Commission and FAO could be involved through the Agri-Connect project. Another action will focus on FAO’s extended support in the use of SMS to deliver early warning information and on a collection of market prices from different markets using mobile applications piloted in other countries by FAO including Zambia and Malawi.