Improving natural resource management for sustainable food production

FAO prioritizes the restoration of water for irrigation as a key element for agriculture and food production. Thousands of rural families depend on agriculture as the main source of income and livelihood. A large percentage of these families lack access to irrigation water to cultivate profitable crops around the year.

On the natural resources assessment provides the Organization a vision to design an integrated approach to improve the water use and efficiency in the country, though: constructional and rehabilitation works on irrigation facilities, provision of climate-smart technologies for effective use of water, capacity building programs for technicians on topics related to effective irrigation and natural resources management, involvement of the local communities to govern the operation and management of irrigation, including water-crop requirement and collective irrigation,  Water use efficiency is also an important aspect. FAO designed its modern irrigation systems based on local conditions, types of agriculture activity, and water quality and quantity.

Then, to engage local communities in the management and operation of the water systems, FAO contributes to the establishment of Water Users Associations, involving women, to schedule and operate water access to farmers’ lands based on the crop’s need and the land’s space. The WUA is also involved into regular maintenance of the pumping sets and canals to ensure sustainable operations.

Livestock production towards empowerment

Livestock production has suffered a massive damage by the conflict. This is a sector that is a major contributor the household economy, with engagement of women.

Through its market and community consultation assessment, FAO works on the following interventions:

1. Improve the nutrition of animals: Support livestock keepers and herders to produce fodder through integrating fodder crops in their crop rotation, and the use of local resources, through disseminating information by Farmers Field Schools is a vital tool to spread this information and introduce new techniques to the herders.
2. Animal restoration: Support livestock keepers to breed better and healthier cattle through the Organization’s artificial insemination campaign. This intervention helps farmers increase the number of healthy and strong animals, improve the living situation of farmers as well.
3. The enhancement of veterinary services and facilities is fundamental to ensure that small livestock keepers can access these services. FAO provides specialized capacity building programmes for veterinary and technicians with latest scientific practices to achieve mitigation and prevention of livestock pandemics and diseases transition through animal health and treatment campaigns to avoid outbreaks and dissemination of transboundary animal diseases to neighboring countries.

Crop production towards increased productivity and profitability

Crop production suffered from a big reduction during the crisis coupled with climate change. To restore crop production thus local food production and supply FAO works on the following:

1. Enhance the current agricultural practices done by small scale farmers;
2. Facilitate farmers access to information and techniques to increase agricultural productivity through FAO’s farmer field schools (FFS) and to increase their income through FAO’s farm business schools (FBS);
3. Mainstream climate smart practices: FAO promotes climate-smart practices through its farmers field schools to guide actions that transform agri-food systems towards climate-resilient practice, which integrates between traditional and innovative practices - such as promoting crop rotation and intercropping, improving animal breeding and feeding, and more.
4. Support farmers to produce inputs using local resources to cope with the increased prices of agriculture inputs

Create sustainable income generating opportunities towards a better living

Based on the market assessment and community consultation, FAO works on creating jobs opportunities for rural communities or improving what is already existing, while mainstreaming gender aspects, encouraging young people and including people with disabilities.

Food processing and marketing units

FAO’s dairy processing units and agro-prosessing units are intervention operated by local communities after receiving capacity building trainings on climate smart practices, food safety, quality standards and basic business management skills. Through the units, women and people with special needs are involved in operations, products-lines and promoting to the local markets.

Since 2018, FAO established 36 units in eight governorates to produce dairy, vegetable and fruit products, depend on the availability of seasonable raw materials. The units’ earnings are split between the workers based on their individual contributions, with a percentage reserved for the unit itself to cover operation costs and maintenance.

Vouchers schemes

FAO’s voucher system responses to the on-going economic inflation and disruption to supply chains, which limits women’s ability to access the needed inputs for production. The scheme also gave women the opportunity to bridge the gaps in their production process depending on their needs. encouraged them to have a business mindset and a vision for marketing their products and expanding their businesses for a sustainable livelihood.

The Nabta agri-preneur programme

FAO’s Nabta programme promotes agri-entrepreneurship and business thinking among aspiring young people and women who have business ideas that could advantage the rural communities. Since its launch in 2020, Nabta has been inspiring youth and women to learn about business ideation, design a project proposal and market analytics.

The start-up proposals ranged from farming projects, dairy production, beekeeping, to fodder and fertilizer making among others. The Organization provides in-kind grants and mentorship to remarkable proposals to assist these entrepreneurs have the best chance of success, while linking them with like-minded individuals through a Community of Practice (CoP) that facilitates the exchange of ideas and experiences to ease the process of business establishment.

Social empowerment towards social cohesion and stability

Discrimination against women and girls in rural communities often reaches a level where it amounts to gender-based violence (GBV). FAO, through the prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) pilot projects in Homs and Rural Damascus, is working to tackle two of the most pervasive forms of GBV in rural communities in Syria: economic violence and early marriage.

This is implemented on the community level through Dimitra Clubs (DC) and the household level through the Discussion Group Series (DGS), two unique interventions which are being implemented by FAO in Syria for the first time in the NENA region.

Dimitra Clubs in Syria join the already existing 7 000 clubs that engage individuals, couples, local influencers and opinion leaders in facilitated discussions to generate community-led solutions to community-based issues.

Discussion Group Series aim to mitigate economic violence at the household level by highlighting the value of women’s contribution to household economics, and as well as the importance of effective communication and non-violent conflict resolution. 

Capacity building for farmers and local communities

FAO empowers farmers to become risk-aware and ensure their production is resilient against challenges, through its two field platforms: Famer Filed Schools and Farm Business Schools.

The Farmer Field Schools/Farmer Business Schools (FFS/FBS) are experience exchange platforms that empower farmers use adaptable good agricultural practices and climate smart practices, as well as shifting the farmers mindsets from produces to profitable farming by learning business and analytical skills for a better food production based on the market’s needs. The schools have shown effectiveness and powerful impact in increasing communities’ capabilities and involvement, as well as encouragement towards changing the mindsets from farming to profitable business.

Strong capacity for early recovery

The improvement and transition of agriculture depend on up-to-date knowledge and skills of local and national technicians to support farmers. FAO undertakes a variety of capacity building programmes to establish qualified and reliable national experts to promote good agricultural practices that address environmental, economic, and social sustainability aspects of on-farm production.

These activities complement other areas of FAO’s work to secure the farmers’ access to information, finance, technology, and other areas of impact that help enhance their ability to successfully become proactive producers.