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The Gambia and FAO Partnering to achieve food security and nutrition Since the establishment of FAO Representation in the Islamic Republic of the Gambia in 1979, Organizational work has given vital support for the development of agriculture and natural resource sectors - primarily through the Technical Cooperation Programme, Telefood, Trust Fund, Emergency and various regional programmes. FAO has implemented more than 120 projects supporting agriculture and natural resource development, as well as facilitating the creation of policies, programs and projects that contribute to improved production, productivity, food quality and national technical and institutional capacities. In 2014, Gambia achieved the Millennium Development Goal 1 hunger target of halving the proportion of hungry people in the country by 2015. The Forest Farm Facility was launched in 2013 with specific objectives to increase social awareness of the economic potentials of forestry and to integrate forestry into other economic sectors. The Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) is a multi-donor programme supported primarily through a multi-donor trust fund. The Forest Farm Facility initiative promotes the Gambia Government’s cross-sectoral coordination mechanisms through capacity enhancement of Agriculture and Natural Resources Working Groups and Platforms, Forest and Farm Producer Organizations (FFPOs). It has catalysed the involvement of FFPO in multisectoral stakeholder policy dialogues at local and national levels. It is linking local voices and promoting genuine participatory processes and information sharing. Implementation of the FFF initiative has strengthened capacity of smallholder producer organizations including that of women producers in forestry based business and policy engagement. The capacity of beneficiaries building in policy decision is supported and beneficiaries are equipped with better skills and opportunities to access investments for sustainable forest and farm management. CONTACT Perpetua Katepa-Kalala FAO Representative in Gambia FAO Representation FAO Building, East Street, 10 ‘M’ Section Banjul, Gambia Tel.: +220-4498034 E-mail: [email protected] Matching FAO’s expertise to the Gambia’s development priorities FAO assistance in the Gambia is shaped by the Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2013-2016, which is being jointly developed with multiple Government agencies and non‑governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs) and development partners. The Framework provides for four medium-term priority areas: ■■Agricultural productivity and commercialization: improving productivity, production and capacity; emphasizing evidence-based planning, and training, formulation and monitoring to engender development of appropriate inclusive and equitable policies ■■Sustainable natural resources and development, training to support responsible fishing practices; adopt control, monitoring and surveillance systems to safeguard resources, and improve smallholder adaptation to climate change ■■Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation: This priority will build on the institutional and technical capacities of government and communities in disaster risk reduction. It also aims at improving smallholder adaptation to climate change; promote adoption of appropriate measures to mitigate the negative aspects of climate; and make training available at all appropriate levels on improved climate-proof irrigation infrastructure and sustained crop production ■■Improved food and nutrition security: at a household level; augmenting early warning preparedness and disaster mitigation, enhancing school and community education, and strengthening food security monitoring and early warning and information systems The CPF has been implemented in partnerships with stakeholders, in alignment with the joint efforts of the Government of Gambia and other development partners for enhanced coordination and aid effectiveness. The Government of Gambia and FAO have also sought effective collaboration and support from stakeholders to ensure successful implementation. 3/2015/2 Forest Farm Facility – enhancing sustainable forest and farm management Emergency rehabilitation following 2012 severe weather conditions Emergency assistance to control Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) outbreak Vulnerable populations in the Gambia were severely affected by a combination of long dry spells, a late start to the rainy season, early cessation of the 2011/12 cropping season and soaring food prices. To restore livelihoods and increase the resilience of those affected, FAO partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Disaster Management Agency. The emergency programme included performing germination tests on seeds delivered by implementing partners to ensure quality; and distributing a total of 305 tonnes of quality seeds to beneficiaries in the 19 most affected districts, including: 50 tonnes of cowpeas, 45 tonnes of groundnuts, 60 tonnes of maize and 150 tonnes “Agriculture must of rice. FAO provided support to the Department of Livestock Services to complete 3 nationwide vaccination campaigns to curb the CBPP outbreak and prevent further spread of the disease. The livelihood of the most vulnerable households was protected in the process. A medium-to-long-term national strategy was also developed, to sustainably control and eradicate CBPP in Gambia, including short-term interventions to contain the CBPP outbreak and prevent its spread, and a long-term strategy focusing on the provision of capacity building for the Department of Livestock Services. The project was funded through FAO Technical Cooperation Programme and the Government of Japan. support and protect natural resources to achieve sustainable food security.” Strengthening food safety capacities The project was implemented by the Department of Agriculture with FAO with funding from AfDB and the Government of the United States of America. In collaborating with FSQA, the project has sought to implement a tool for evaluating national food control systems and serve in the future as authoritative and practical guidance for strengthening national and regional food safety control programmes. Furthermore, the proposal for strengthening the Scientific Affairs and Food Control Directorates of the newly established FSQA will allow Gambia to request funding to build sustainable technical capacities of these two directorates. A total of 33 865 farmers benefited from the seed distribution, representing a José Graziano da Silva, higher number of beneficiaries FAO Director-General reached than initially planned. In addition, efforts contributed to improved crop production with an estimated total production of 6 613 885. Farmers were able to enhance their productive capacity and gain easy access to high quality and improved seeds, while households were better able to sell their products, obtaining an estimated market value of US$5 693 998. Food access, individual food intake and the overall food security situation in identified areas were also significantly improved. A more recent project has aimed to assist and strengthen the Gambia’s newly established Food Safety and Quality Authority (FSQA) which began operations in 2013. The purpose of this project was 1) to evaluate the food system of Gambia using a new FAO tool and identify the strengths, gaps and needs; 2) to deliver introductory training in evidence-based food safety decision making; and 3) to develop a proposal to strengthen the technical capacities of the two Directorates. ©FAO/Seyllou Diallo ©FAO/Seyllou Diallo The project was funded multi-trust fund and implemented by FSQA and FAO.