The Brazilian government has donated N$2.2 million to implement five community-based food system projects in Namibia.
The projects are aimed at increasing the production capacities of communities, boosting local food production, promoting market access in cases of surpluses and responding to the increasing malnutrition concerns.
The projects also seek to increase access and consumption of diverse and nutritious foods.
Handing over the donation, Brazil Ambassador Vivian Loss Sanmartin said this is the third donation that Brazil is advancing to Namibia since 2019 when they began with humanitarian assistance to fight drought in the country.
“This is a commitment of Brazil to continue supporting Namibia in the fight against food insecurity through transformative action,” she said.
Tsumkwe Clinic in Otjozondjupa, Olukula Clinic in Ohangwena, Epako Clinic in Omaheke, Stampriet School in Hardap and Opuwo Maternity in Kunene regions, are the direct beneficiaries of the projects.
“This is to benefit communities, especially amongst vulnerable populations, including indigenous communities, people living with HIV, TB patients and school-going children. Since inception, these food systems projects have made impactful contributions to the community,” WFP’s deputy country representative Ericah Shafudah said.
“More than 50 community members, including women and the youth have been trained on good agricultural practices, equipping them with the required skills and knowledge to manage the projects.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein said the donation resonates well with Namibia’s national development goals and objective outcomes in the agriculture sector.
He said it also seeks to reduce vulnerability and to attain food and nutrition security at community and national levels.
“Notably, this assistance will support Namibia in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) alleviation of poverty and hunger. I want to agree with the statement that the achievement of our goals of food self-sufficiency and food security are pivotal and that the SDGs are giving us a clear international commitment to support our ambitions,” he said.
In the same vein, the minister said Namibia is making progress in moving towards food self-sufficiency, especially for proteins, meat and fish, with the country recording a surplus.
“We are indeed competing with our friends, the Brazilians in the export markets. For basic staples, maize, we are moving close to full self-sufficiency and local production stands currently at around 80 % of total demand. Millet and wheat are still far below the target and needs to improve significantly,” he said.
Schlettwein added that several horticultural products have improved to above the 50% local production mark and efforts are continuing to further increase production.
He therefore reiterated the significance of the donation saying the immediate impact would enable the beneficiary communities to be empowered to produce their own food, thus becoming less dependent on relief programmes, as well as boost their nutritional intake and enhance the quality of lives and livelihoods.
In addition, Schlettwein said the donation will encourage schooling and learning through cognitive skills development and human capital formation, mainstreaming beneficiaries into productive economic activity; “thus also enable income generation and pushing back the frontiers of poverty and vulnerability; and contributing to national food security and self-sufficiency objectives.”
