O. Muhate (right), FAO, at the launch of UNESCO National Commission’s project in Gaza Province

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Thursday (16/07) attended the launching workshop of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) National Commission's 'School Vegetable Garden Project' in the city of Xai-Xai, Gaza Province.

"The school gardens can help guarantee a learning platform on how to plant food and eat healthily while preserving the integrity of the soil and protecting the environment", the Coordinator of the "Food Security and Nutrition Programme" of FAO, Octávio Muhate, said. Horticulture is part of the country programming framework of FAO Mozambique, and school gardens in particular are expected to play a central role in contributing to the improvement of the food security of vulnerable households in terms of an increase in food availability, access and consumption.

"There are other reasons for us [FAO] to promote this initiative of the National Commission of UNESCO's, since the school garden project aims to pass on some knowledge on food and sustainable agriculture to children, which we encourage, Octávio Muhate added.

The initiative aims to guarantee nutritious meals to children in the covered schools, increasing their fitness and concentration levels in school, while also promoting the adoption of a healthy nutrition and diet outside the school.

"These schools have enough land to maintain sustainable gardens", the Coordinator of UNESCO's Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet) in Mozambique, Augusto Nunes, said. "We believe that we are going to reach the expected results, since we train both students and teachers and offer them agricultural tools and seeds."

The project started in 2014, in Maputo Province, during the UN International Year of Family Farming, and is now being expanded to other regions of the country. After Gaza, it  is expected to be launched in Tete Province in August. The "School Vegetable Garden Project" is one of the activities of UNESCO's ASPnet, which was launched in Mozambique in 1995, initially covering 5 schools. Today around 40 schools participate, 21 of which are covered by the school garden initiative.

With the objective of coordinating and promoting experimental activities towards developing education at an international level, the Network carries out various activities in different areas, namely peace culture, human rights, peace and democracy as well as education for sustainable development.