Brazil supports building food security in Namibia
The Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) has supported WFP Food Systems Programmes in Tsumkwe, Gobabis, Stampriet, Opuwo, and Olukula since 2020. The programmes are designed to improve productivity, combat hunger, and benefit more than 300 smallholder farmers.
“The objective of the food systems programmes is to contribute to Namibia’s Zero Hunger efforts while enhancing household food and nutrition security, transforming rural livelihoods through increased production, job creation, value-chain development, and fostering sustainable, catalytic food systems,” said Tiwonge Machiwenyika, Acting Country Director of WFP in Namibia.
As a direct result of the funding from the Federative Republic of Brazil, significant impact has been observed in the aforementioned five communities, including job creation, and building local capacity, with over 100 smallholder farmers trained in financial management, farm management, good agricultural practices, value addition, processing, and market readiness skills.
“This is precisely the aim of ABC in each South-South cooperation project, to empower people by providing the tools to produce food, market their products, and to establish successful models that can be replicated elsewhere,” said Vivian Loss Sanmartin, Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to Namibia.
These efforts have led to impressive outcomes at Olukula Integrated Food Systems Project, including harvests exceeding five metric tonnes of vegetable produce and the production of over 65,000 eggs from poultry in 2024. The project has reached a 50 percent increase in local vegetable production and received the Emerging Producer of the Year Award (1st runner up) at the Annual National Agronomy and Horticulture Awards hosted by the Namibia Agronomic Board in September 2024.
The Government of Brazil’s continued support highlights the strong partnership among Brazil, WFP and the Government of Namibia and their steadfast support to helping Namibia achieve Zero Hunger.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.
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