Beneficiaries at the joint stall of FAO, IFAD and WFP

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on July 26 took part in an agriculture fair in Sussundenga District of Manica Province, which was organized by the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture in Manica. The President of Mozambique, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, attended the fair, along with other senior members of the government, including the Minister of Gender, Child and Social Action, Cidália Chaúque Oliveira, the Minister of State Administration and the Public Service, Carmelita Namashulua, as well as a member of Parliament, Alcinda Abreu. The event saw the gathering of local producers, farmers and families and the display of agricultural produce, livestock and crafts in the tents and stalls of the fair.

FAO was represented by its Millennium Development Goal 1c sub-programme (MDG1c), and shared a stand with the other implementing partners of the programme, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP). To communicate FAO's activities to the participants of the fair, beneficiaries of its MDG1c sub-programme were asked to attend the stall and interact with locals. Local producer Gabriel Manuel, trained by FAO as an artisan in 'Gorongosa' silo technology, was present to explain to the visitors the importance of improved post-harvest handling and infrastructure. Cylindrical tanks that hold up to one ton of grain safely, Gorongosa silos are an affordable and locally developed technology that contribute to the reduction of post-harvest losses and increase sales possibilities to the producers during low production season, when prices increase.

A female beneficiary, Luísa Johane displayed two local dishes - one made with yams and enriched with peanuts and tomato, and another with a flour base enriched with oil, eggs and fish. These served as examples of how, using local produce, households can prepare meals that are more nutritious and healthy. One FAO nutrition specialist present at the event, Gaudêncio Monteiro, spoke to  government senior staff about the importance of nutrition education to reduce the high rates of chronic malnutrition in Mozambique. He explained that "with its home garden and nutrition education component, the MDG1c is providing direct support to address the high levels of chronic malnutrition in the country. FAO's support includes interventions on promoting the increased home production of fruits, vegetables and animals by vulnerable women in the target communities".

The overall goal of the MDG1c programme is to speed up progress towards achieving the first Millennium Development Goal to reduce hunger and to improve food security and nutrition in Mozambique. The European Union, together with the Mozambican government, is financing the programme, which is being run from 2013 to 2018. Aside from Manica Province, where the fair was held, the programme is being implemented in six other provinces of Mozambique, with a total of 48 districts being impacted.