NutritionSensitiveAgriculture(NSA)- NutritioninMountainAgroEcosystems(NMA)

BestPractices

27February2018

BackgroundoftheprojectactivitiesNutrition in Mountain Agro-ecosystems (NMA) projectimplemented by HELVETAS with consortium partnershipbetween IFOAM Organics International and FIBL – ResearchInstitute of Organic Agriculture

Consider the vulnerability of malnutrition particularly due tolimited diversification of crop production, insufficient nutrientintake, behavior change communication, poor dietarydiversification, poor water sanitation and hygiene, and povertyand awareness.

Pilot project: June 2015 to May 2018

District covered: Dailekh, Jajarkot, Kalikot, Jumla, Mugu,Achham, Bajura, and Banke

ObjectivesoftheStudy• Conduct the rapid field review of the MNA projectinterventions .

• Identify the good practices and challenges of theproject activities.

• Priorities the key issues for national campaign andidentify key actors, right holders to be engaged forthese issues.

• Sharing the findings among concern stakeholdersto finalize agenda for national level paneldiscussion.

Methodology

TechniquesAdopted Total number Interviewee

Key Informants Interview 22 DADO, DHO, Livestock office, DDC, RSPs, and Beneficiaries.

Focus Group Discussion 2 Beneficiaries

Observation visit (District and site) 2 districts and 4 local sites

Project sites

Studyapproach:Qualitative

ThematicInterventionThematicInterventions WorkingDistrict

1.SchoolNutritionGarden Mugu,Dailekh

2.HouseholdlevelHomesteadgardenpromotion Kalikot,Achham

3.Promotionofdiversifiedfooditems Dailekh,Kalikot

4.Promotionofcommongrainlegumesfornutritionimprovement

Jajarkot,Bajura

5.Improvingnutritionthroughorganicmanure Banke

6.Honeyproductionandmarketing Jajarkot

7.Consumption,processingandmarketingofnettle Dailekh

8.Mediafornutritionimprovement Dailekh,Jajarkot

Findings

Goodpractices Challenges

Local Nutrition education curriculum developed • Problemofwatersupplyandnursery

• Availabilityofonlyoneresourceteacher(health&nutrition)

• Maintenanceandprotectionofcultivatedplants/crops.

• Seasonalchallenges

• Lackoftechnicalguidelines

Regular teaching regarding importance of kitchen garden

Establishment of Kitchen garden within School premises toshowcase school students

Regular demonstration (cooking) to share importance ofnutritious value of vegetable cultivated in school nutritiongarden-

District Education Office appreciated it and included NSA inlocal curriculum in Mugu and Dailkh

12 schools in Jajarkot started school Nutrition garden

Local agri-products included in ‘day school meal in fewschool of Mugu districts

Promotion of ‘one house, one kitchen garden’ campaign

Municipality allocated 7 lakh for school nutrition gardenpromotion at Mugu

1.SchoolNutritionGarden

2.HouseholdLevelHomesteadGardenPromotion

GoodPractices Challenges

Diversevegetablecultivationwithinsamegarden • Seedsandsibling/plant

• Scarcityofwatersupply

• Lackofadequateknowledgeregardingnutritiousvalueofcultivatedfood

• Workpressuretowomen

RotationofvegetablecultivationwithseasonalvariationAvailabilityofvegetableinowngardenchangedfoodconsumptionhabits

ReplacementoftraditionhabitsoffoodconsumptionsEconomicbenefitsfromsurplusproduction

Createhealthyandgreensurrounding

3.PromotionofFoodRecipeGood Practices Challenges Development of local food recipe • Lack of knowledge regarding

appropriate quantity/ ingredients • Less informed regarding recipe

at local level • Lack of Quality assurance

mechanism

• Lack of plan for scale up

• No technical Quality Control lab and Self life

High production and consumption of locallegumesChange in consumption behaviors of

locally produced highly nutritious foodlike legumes, buckwheat, beans.

Economic benefits

Food leveling

4.PromotionofLocalAgricultureCropsforNutritionImprovement

GoodPractice Challenges

Sensitization for cultivation of highlynutritious local crops

• Depend on rain water

• Lack of sufficient organicmanure

• Unavailability of High qualityseeds

• Less aware about cropplantation pattern

Awareness of food security

Change in consumption pattern of foods

Established well linked of local crops tomarket

Government prioritised local legumeproduction and also allocation Rs. 10 lakhas supports to farmers in Mugu district

5.ImprovingNutritionThroughOrganicManure

GoodPractices Challenges

Producing the organic manure in the form of Vermin compost with

simple technology

• Difficulttohavespecialtypeofearthwormsforthemanure.

• Difficulttohaveenoughcowdungs.

• Smallprojectwithlimitedcoverageinthedistrict.

• Challengesforlargescaleproduction

• Additionalmaterials demandedfrombeneficiaries

• Needmorepublicity.

Provided earthworms produced enough good quality compost

Producing the manure in a pit within small space and environment

friendly (no bad smell), enough for kitchen garden

Getting out the manure from the pit at every 3 months.

Getting technical and financial supports by the farmers from the

District Agriculture Office

Doing advocacy about the usefulness of the manure to the neighbors

by the farmers.

Providing supports with follow up / monitoring of the programme

from the RSPs.

Involvement of women in the programme

6.HoneyProductionandMarketingGoodPractices Challenges

Technology transfer (teaching / orientations of the

techniques) about the bee-keeping to the

stakeholders.

• Qualityassuranceofthehoneyproduce

• Nosubsidyplanforlargescaleproduction.

• Inadequatetechnicalknowledge

• Pilotprojectandhavenoaccountinthetotalproductionofhoneyinthedistrict

Strengthening capacity of the farmers with the

supports of the technical experts.

Clear understanding about bee-keeping and

nutritional value of honey

Improved packing and dispatching to the market

Economic value of honey and its marketingCollaborationwithDistrictFederationofBeeKeeping,andgovernmentorganisations.

Initiation taken by other neighboring VDC(formerly) people.Promotedunderthebrand‘Jajarkoteli honey’.Earlysignofincomeimprovementanddiversifiedconsumption.

7.Consumption,ProcessingandMarketingofNettle

Goodpractices ChallengesNettle became prioritized food in the area - goodsource of income and nutrition for smallholderfarmers

• Inadequateharvestingknowledgeforlargescaleprocessing

• Lackofnutrientvaluelevelinpackingmaterials

• Noclearplanandpriorityfromauthorizedsideforcommercializationofnettle.

Different form of nettle consumption practice

Consumption of nettle among all social classes ofpeople in the area

Storage of dry nettle practice developed

Establishedanettleprocessingunit–entrepreneurshippromotion.

Developed5womentrainersfornettleprocessing

Nettleproductionandmarketinglinkedatlocalmarketandeconomicbenefitstoproducers

Government has supported for storage spacedevelopment at Dailekh

8.MediaforNutritionImprovementGoodPractices Challenges

Sharing information of the project activities through the

newspaper as well as through on line.

• Mostofthemediaarecommercial

• Sustainability ofcommunityradioprogram

• Limitedaccesstoprinted media

Sharing the performance of an individual farmer / producer

Publishing success stories of an individual farmer, and also

broadcasting regular nutrition program at community radio

Good approach for media sensitization on agriculture

nutrition

Supporting actively by farmer in information sharing through

radio program.

Institutional network for learning from the project

Common understanding among the local media regarding

the nutrition issues in the area

OverallImpression• Verypositivestakeholderstowardsprojectactivities

• Projectcreatedawarenessonnutritionthroughagriculturalapproach.

• Communitydrivenness• Qualified,trainedandhighlymotivatedRuralServiceproviders(RSPs)

• Costeffective• Partnerships,collaborationandexcellentrelationshipswithkeylocalauthorities.

• Highlymobilizedlocalgovernmentauthorities• Highdemandfortheprojectcontinuationandreplication

OverallLimitationofProject• Microprojectatsmallscale• ProjectlooselylinkedwithMSNPatlocallevel.• Limitedcontributionindistrictaccount• Geographicchallenges• Limitedseedmoneytofarmer• Scatteredinterventions

AreaofAdvocacy• Organicmanureproductionanduseforhealthyfoodproductions

• Local Nutrition education curriculum need to replicate

• Some of the highly nutritious local products like nettle ,legumes, local beans, buck-wheat, walnut and other highvalue (organic coffee) etc. need more promotions

• Localmediasensitizationandengagementforscalingupnutrition

• Highpossibilityforexpansionofhoneyproduction

ThankYou