Commission staff working document - Food Facility: Interim Report on Measures Taken - Accompanying document to the Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - Food Facility: Interim Report on measures taken {COM (2010) 81 final}
Date: 2010-03-12
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU aid, EU financing, developing countries, eligibility criteria, food price, food production, food safety, international cooperation, price increase

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 12.3.2010 
SEC(2010) 245 final 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

Food Facility: Interim report on Measures Taken 

Accompanying document to the Report from the Commission to the European 
Parliament and the Council  

Food Facility: Interim report on measures taken 

{COM (2010) 81 final} 

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Table of Contents 

SECTION  I  -  Programming:  indicative  allocations  for  countries/regions  and  modes  of 
implementation - comparison between original programming and current outlook 

SECTION II - Status of contracts and payments by end of December 2009 (in €) 

SECTION III - List of projects retained from the Call for Proposals 

SECTION IV - Project Descriptions 

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I           Programming: indicative allocations for countries/regions and modes of implementation  

            - Comparison between original programming and current outlook 

The table below provides a comparison between the indicative allocations to countries and eligible entities, as presented in the overall plan for the Food Facility, 
and the expected final situation, taking into account the status of contracting, as well as the preparation for the final (4th) batch of programmes and projects. 

Country 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

Programming 

Current Outlook 

Implementation Channels 

Implementation Channels 

International 
Organisations 
(IOs) 

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies 

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

International 
Organisations

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies

Afghanistan 

Bangladesh 

Benin 

Bolivia 

Burkina Faso 

Burundi 

EN 

24.2 

50 

12.9 

9.55 

23.7 

13.4 

14.0 

35.0 

6.8

1.8 

18.7 

10 

7.75 

10.2 

15.0 

6.1 

5 

3.4 

3 

24.5 

52.3 

12.6 

9.55 

25.2 

13.4 

13.4   

37   

6.8   

1.8

7.75   

18.1   

10   

11.1

15.3

5.8

7.1

3.4

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Programming 

Current Outlook 

Implementation Channels 

Implementation Channels 

Country 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

International 
Organisations 
(IOs) 

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies 

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies 

Cambodia 

Central African Republic 

Comoros 

Benin 

Cuba 

17.2 

10 

3.6 

12.9 

11.7 

11.2 

10 

6.8

11.7 

6.0 

6.1 

3.6 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

17.9 

9.8 

3.6 

12.6 

11.7 

International 
Organisations

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies

11   

6.9 

9.8   

6.8   

11.7   

3.6   

5.8

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4 

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Country 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

Programming 

Current Outlook 

Implementation Channels 

Implementation Channels 

International 
Organisations 
(IOs) 

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies 

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

International 
Organisations 
(IOs) 

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies

DRC 

Eritrea 

Ethiopia 

Gambia 

Ghana 

Guatemala 

Guinea Bissau 

Guinea Conakry 

Haiti 

Honduras 

Jamaica 

40.6 

12.8 

45.4 

5.5 

20.9 

15 

8.4 

13.5 

15.8 

9.9 

5.9 

10 

8.4 

20 

5.5 

11.0 

6 

10 

9.9 

5.9 

26 

12.4 

15 

4.6 

4.4 

13 

5.9 

4 

2.4 

13.5 

9.8

26.0

8.2   

23.1   

5.5   

10.9   

6   

15

40 

13.5 

42.9 

5.5 

20.7 

15.9 

8.1 

8 

5.8 

19.9 

9.7

5.8

9.9 

5.9 

9.9   

5,9   

4.2

5.3

19.8

5.7

5

2.4

8

4.4

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5 

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Country 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

Programming 

Current Status 

Implementation Channels 

Implementation Channels 

International 
Organisations 
(IOs) 

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies 

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

International 
Organisations 
(IOs) 

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies

Kenya 

Kyrgyz Republic 

Laos 

Lesotho 

Liberia 

Madagascar 

Malawi 

Mali 

Mauritania 

Mozambique 

Myanmar 

EN 

31.2 

7 

10.8 

6 

10.9 

21.8 

17.9 

22.1 

7.6 

23.2 

24.4 

24.0 

7 

5 

4 

10.9 

12.5 

22.1 

13.5 

24.4 

6.3 

15.9 

5.2 

7.2 

5.8 

2 

3 

2 

7.6 

4.5 

6 

33.8 

24   

7 

9 

5.5 

14.8 

12.4 

18.5 

25.4 

7.5 

22.3 

24.4 

7   

5   

4   

11.5   

12.4   

21.5   

15.9

12.1

5.2

24.4   

9.8

4

1.5

3.3

2.6

3.9

7.5

5

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Country 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

Programming 

Current Status 

Implementation Channels 

Implementation Channels 

International 
Organisations 
(IOs) 

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies 

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

International 
Organisations 
(IOs) 

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies

Nepal 

Nicaragua 

Niger 

Pakistan 

Palestine 

Philippines 

Rwanda 

Sao Tomé e Principe 

Senegal 

Sierra Leone 

Somalia 

Sri Lanka 

EN 

23.3 

7.15 

19.2 

50 

39.7 

31.9 

15.6 

2.1 

14.5 

16.2 

14.4 

5.2 

10 

15.6 

17.3 

3 

6 

40 

39.7 

20.6 

10.9 

16.2 

14.4 

5.2 

6 

4.15 

3.2 

10 

11.3 

2.1 

3.6 

7 

23.1 

7.6 

19.6 

49.4 

39.7 

33.6 

15.6 

0.7 

14.6 

18.8 

14.1 

5.2 

5.9

4.6

3.6

10.6

13

0.7

3.7

3

15.6   

17.2   

3  

16   

38.8   

39.7   

20.6   

10.9   

15.8   

14.1   

5.2   

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Programming 

Current Status 

Implementation Channels 

Implementation Channels 

International 
Organisations 
(IOs) 

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies 

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies 

7.75 

7.75 

20 

8.2 

5.8 

.2.5 

18.3 

7.5 

15.4 

12.4 

3 

3 

3 

12.7 

554.05 

165.3 

200.0 

Country 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

Tajikistan 

Tanzania 

Togo 

Yemen 

Zambia 

Zimbabwe 

Multi-country 

Reserve 

Total countries 

Regional Organisations 

Administrative credits 

TOTAL 

15.5 

32.4 

13.7 

21.3 

16.3 

15.4 

13.3 

920 

60 

20 

1000 

International 
Organisations 
(IOs) 

Budget 
Support/ 
national 
agencies

NGOs 
and 
Member 
States' 
agencies

7.75

7.65   

20

8.2

2.6

18.3   

7.5

5.8

17.4   

2.7   

11.6

3.6

2.7

5.2

3.4

4.55

568.05 

136.5 

218.15 

Indicative 
Allocation 
in M € 

15.4 

31.6 

14.4 

21 

18.5 

17.4 

6.1 

4.55 

922.7 

60 

17.3 

1000 

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II - Food Facility - Status of contracts and payments by end of December 2009 (in €) 

Modality 

Commitments/contracts Payments 

Balance 

International 
Organisations 

509 970 972

325 173 655

184 797 317

Call for Proposals 

213 562 307

115 049 756

98 512 550

Budget Support 

93 700 000

0

93 700 000

Regional 
Programmes 

Total 

20 000 000

15 776 588

4 223 412

837 233 279

455 999 999

381 233 279

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III        List of projects retained from Call for Proposals 

Applicant 

Action title  

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

ACTIONAID CO LTD 

CHRISTIAN AID LBG 

Building safety nets and support 
improvement of agriculture productivity 
in northern parts of Afghanistan 

Comprehensive Support to vulnerable 
families to increase their access to  food 
facilities 

Afghanistan 

212 990 000 

Afghanistan 

123 507 200 

CLOVEK V TISNI OPS 

Increasing food availability and income 
stability in Northern Afghanistan 

Afghanistan 

175 178 700 

DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT 
FUR TECHNISCHE 
ZUSAMMENARBEIT (GTZ) 
GMBH 

Reconstruction and Stabilisation of 
Livelihoods in Balkh and Samangan/ 
Afghanistan 

Afghanistan 

200 000 000 

MERCY CORPS SCOTLAND 
LBG 

Livelihood Improvement of Farmers in 
Transition (LIFT) 

Afghanistan 

199 982 700 

STICHTING CARE NEDERLAND 

Targeted Assistance for Food-Insecure 
Families in Balkh (TAFFB) 

Afghanistan 

199 700 000 

BRAC 

Crop Intensification for Achieving Food 
Self-Sufficiency in the Coastal Regions 
of Bangladesh    

Bangladesh 

500 000 000 

CARE OSTERREICH VEREIN 
FUR 
ENTWICKLUNGSZUSAMMENA
RBEIT UND HUMANITARE 
HILFE 

Strengthening Poorest and Vulnerable 
Households Capability to Improve 

Food Security in Northwest Bangladesh 

Bangladesh 

223 148 000 

CONCERN UNIVERSAL 

Reduction of food insecurity for poor and 
extreme poor households 

Bangladesh 

359 176 000 

NETZ PARTNERSCHAFT FUR 
ENTWICKLUNGUND 
GERECHTIGKEIT EV 

Strengthening Agricultural Capacities of 
Ultra-Poor in Bangladesh 

Bangladesh 

235 242 000 

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10 

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Applicant 

Action title 

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

PRACTICAL ACTION LIMITED 

Making Agriculture and Market Systems 
work for Landless, Marginal and 
Smallholder Farmers in Bangladesh.   

Bangladesh 

252 475 200 

AGRICULTEURS FRANCAIS ET 
DEVELOPPEMENT 
INTERNATIONAL-
ASSOCIATION 

Valoriser les productions céréalières et 
maraichères de deux régions de la zone 
soudano sahélienne au Burkina Faso 
pour lutter contre les effets de la crise 
alimentaire sur la population rurale 

Burkina Faso 

103 203 300 

ASSOCIATION SOS SAHEL 
INTERNATIONALFRANCE 

Projet d’amélioration durable de la 
sécurité alimentaire des populations 
pauvres et vulnérables aux fluctuations 
des marchés et aux déficits céréaliers 
dans les provinces du Bam, du 
Sanmatenga et du Namantenga dans la 
Région du Centre Nord 

Burkina Faso 

157 050 000 

ASSOCIAZIONE COMUNITA 
IMPEGNO SERVIZIO 
VOLONTARIATO 

Projet d’amélioration durable de la 
production et de promotion de l’accès 
aux céréales de base au Burkina Faso 

Burkina Faso 

123 977 700 

CENTRE REGIONAL POUR 
L'EAU POTABLEET 
L'ASSAINISSEMENT A FAIBLE 
COUT CREPA 

Projet de réduction de l’insécurité 
alimentaire par l’utilisation des excréta 
humains hygiénisés comme fertilisants 
dans les régions du Centre-Est et du 
Centre-Ouest du Burkina Faso 

CHRISTIAN AID LBG 

COOPERATION TECHNIQUE 
BELGE CTB SA 

Programme de Réduction de la 
Vulnérabilité Alimentaire au Sahel 
(PREVAS) 

Projet de renforcement de la sécurité 
alimentaire des ménages vulnérables de 
la province de Ruyigi à travers 
l'augementation et la valorisation des 
productions agricoles 

Burkina Faso 

189 013 400 

Burkina Faso 

150 000 000 

Burundi 

230 316 400 

STICHTING CARE NEDERLAND 

Explain INABIGEGA  

Burundi 

105 492 400 

ASSOCIATION CENTRE 
INTERNATIONAL DE 
DEVELOPPEMENT ET DE 
RECHERCHE 

Accès aux services, intrants et marchés 
pour les producteurs de riz au Bénin et 
leur organisation professionnelle 
nationale (CCR-B) 

Benin 

110 000 000 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
Applicant 

Action title 

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

ASSOCIAZIONE COMUNITA 
IMPEGNO SERVIZIO 
VOLONTARIATO 

DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT 
FUR TECHNISCHE 
ZUSAMMENARBEIT (GTZ) 
GMBH 

PROJEKTGROEP VOOR 
TECHNISCHE 
ONTWIKKELINGSSAMENWERK
ING VZW 

ACTION AGAINST HUNGER - 
USA 

AGRISUD INTERNATIONAL 
INSTITUT INTERNATIONAL 
POUR APPUI AU 
DEVELOPPEMENT 
ASSOCIATION 

ASSOCIAZIONE 
COOPERAZIONE 
INTERNAZIONALE 

Projet d’amélioration de la filière rizicole 
dans la vallée de l’Ouémé 

Benin 

109 071 200 

Programme d´Appui à la Sécurité 
Alimentaire dans l´Atacora et la Donga 
(PASA/AD) 

Benin 

240 034 800 

Facilité Alimentaire Par l’Aménagement 
Hydro-Agricole (FAPAHA) 

Benin 

126 972 400 

Amélioration de la diète et éradication de 
l’intoxication alimentaire appelée Konzo 
(paralysie des membres inférieurs) dans 
le Kwango 

Production Agricole et Sécurité 
Alimentaire dans l’Ouest du Congo - 
Province du Bas-Congo, Kinshasa et 
Matadi - PASAOC 

Augmentation de la disponibilité des 
denrées alimentaires de Kinshasa par 
l’appui à la production dans le Plateau 
de Batéké  

 DR Congo 

134 900 000 

 DR Congo 

121 427 800 

 DR Congo 

167 759 897 

ISTITUTO SINDACALE DI 
COOPERAZIONEALLO 
SVILUPPO-MARCHE ONLUS 

Food security integrated project through 
the strengthening of agricultural 
and fishing activities 

Eritrea 

110 641 500 

OXFAM GB LBG 

Improving Food Security in Debub, 
Eritrea 

Eritrea 

106 845 500 

STICHTING OXFAM NOVIB 

VITA 

VITA 

Improved Food Production and food 
purchasing capacity of the most 
vulnerable communities in Eritrea 

Improved Cereal Seeds, Farm Tools and 
Inputs Distribution for High Potential 
Production Areas of the Southern 
Region in Eritrea 

Intensive Irrigated Vegetable and Forage 
Production  for  Extreme  Food  Insecure 
Riverine  Community 
in 
Western Eritrea  

in  Haikota 

Eritrea 

156 711 313 

Eritrea 

82 450 700 

Eritrea 

78 000 000 

EN 

12 

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Applicant 

Action title 

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

ASSOCIAZIONE 
INTERNAZIONALE VOLONTARI 
LAICI 

CARE OSTERREICH VEREIN 
FUR 
ENTWICKLUNGSZUSAMMENA
RBEIT UND HUMANITARE 
HILFE 

CARITAS INTERNATIONAL 
ASBL 

Enhance the capacities of the local 
actors for an improvement of the 
agricultural production and resources for 
the vulnerable families in 7 Woredas of 
SNNPRS - Ethiopia 

Ethiopia 

120 285 450 

Food Security through increased 
Income, Assets and Protection from 
grain price rises (FS-IAP) 

Ethiopia 

229 853 100 

Enhancing agricultural productive 
capacities of resource poor farmers in 
two zones of the Southern Nations, 
Nationalities and People s Regional 
State, Ethiopia. 

Ethiopia 

100 020 407 

CHRISTIAN AID LBG 

Community Productive Capacity 
Enhancement Project, Ethiopia 

Ethiopia 

135 849 300 

COMITATO INTERNAZIONALE 
PER LO SVILUPPO DEI POPOLI 
ONLUS 

Supporting Action to Strengthen 
Sustainable Livelihoods and Resilience  
Capacity of Vulnerable Households in 
Fedis, Gorogutu and Kersa Woredas, 
Ethiopia   

Ethiopia 

195 786 300 

DEUTSCHES ROTES KREUZ 
EV 

Food facility for rapid response to 
soaring food prices 

Ethiopia 

119 017 900 

FOLKEKIRKENS NODHJAELP 

Capacity Enhancement Programme to 
Promote Food Security in Amhara 

Region, Ethiopia 

Ethiopia 

135 000 000 

INTERNATIONAL 
DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES 
- UK 

Rural Agricultural Productivity 
Improvement and Development (RAPID) 

Ethiopia 

156 012 100 

OXFAM GB LBG 

Supporting production and market based 
solutions to soaring food prices in 
Ethiopia  

Ethiopia 

204 952 900 

RELIEF SOCIETY OF TIGRAY 

Food Facility (Facility for rapid response 
to soaring food prices) 

Ethiopia 

126 666 000 

SELF HELP AFRICA (UK) LBG 

Agriculture Cooperative Development 
Programme (ACDP) 

Ethiopia 

131 742 800 

TROCAIRE 

Building Resilient Pastoralist 
Communities  

Ethiopia 

224 633 200 

EN 

13 

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Applicant 

Action title 

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

VITA 

Improved food production for home and 
market in Arba Minch Zuria Woreda and 
Chencha Woreda in SNNPR Region of 
Ethiopia 

Ethiopia 

114 143 900 

ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT 
AND RELIEFAGENCY 

Northern Ghana Food Security Resilient 
Project (NGFSRP) 

Ghana 

118 101 500 

CARE INTERNATIONAL UK 

Food and Agriculture Recovery 
Management (FARM-Plus) 

Ghana 

227 793 600 

PLAN IRELAND CHARITABLE 
ASSISTANCE 

Sustainable livelihoods programme for 
vulnerable households in the Upper 
West Region 

Ghana 

225 000 000 

ASSOCIAZIONE COMUNITA 
IMPEGNO SERVIZIO 
VOLONTARIATO 

Projet de développement des filières riz, 
oignon et aubergine en Haute Guinée 
pour lutter contre la flambée des prix 

Guinea 
Conakry 

COMITE CATHOLIQUE 
CONTRE LA FAIM ET POUR LE 
DEVELOPPEMENT 
ASSOCIATION 

Renforcement de la sécurité alimentaire 
dans les zones enclavées du Nord de la 
Guinée  

Guinea 
Conakry 

GROUPE DE RECHERCHE ET 
D'ECHANGES 
TECHNOLOGIQUES 

Amélioration de la sécurité alimentaire 
en Haute Guinée et Guinée 
forestière : production, transformation et 
commercialisation du riz et de 
l’huile de palme 

PLAN IRELAND CHARITABLE 
ASSISTANCE 

Support to sustainable development of 
fish industry 

TRIAS VZW 

Facilité alimentaire en Basse & Haute 
Guinée 

Guinea 
Conakry 

Guinea 
Conakry 

Guinea 
Conakry 

115 200 000 

381 216 600 

121 122 000 

162 000 000 

179 564 878 

FUNDACION PARA EL 
DESARROLLO INTEGRAL DE 
PROGRAMAS SOCIO-
ECONOMICOS 

Asistencia agropecuaria productiva 
sostenible y nutricional a comunidades 
rurales pobres en vulnerabilidad 
alimentaria del Occidente de Guatemala 

Guatemala 

135 000 000 

ISTITUTO PER LA 
COOPERAZIONE 
UNIVERSITARIA ONLUS 

Mejora de la disponibilidad alimentaria 
en 80 comunidades indígenas del 
departamento de Chimaltenango 

Guatemala 

116 136 700 

MERCY CORPS SCOTLAND 
LBG 

Respuesta a la crisis alimentaria y 
nutricional an communidades 
vulnerables de Guatemala 

Guatemala 

100 000 000 

EN 

14 

   EN 

 
Applicant 

Action title 

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

OIKOS COOPERACAO E 
DESENVOLVIMENTO 

ASSOCIAZIONE 
INTERNAZIONALE VOLONTARI 
LAICI 

INSTITUTO MARQUES DE 
VALLE FLOR FUNDACAO 

Fortalecer sistemas campesinos 
alimentarios sostenibles y equitativos 
con pertinencia cultural en 5 
microrregiones de Guatemala. 

Projet pour la mise en œuvre de 
mesures visant à appuyer le secteur 
rural bissau-guinéen face à la flambée 
du prix du riz et d’autres denrées 
alimentaires de première nécessité 

Programa Descentralizado de 
Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional nas 
Regiões da Guiné-Bissau (PDSA/GB) 

Guatemala 

152 571 800 

Guinea 
Bissau 

Guinea 
Bissau 

118 725 100 

125 248 100 

AGENCE FRANCAISE DE 
DEVELOPPEMENT  

Irrigation et entreprenariat rural dans les 
régions Ouest, Artibonite et Plateau 
Central 

Haiti 

436 152 800 

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL 
RESEARCH MANAGEMENT 
LIMITED-AFRICA 

Dryland Farming Programme 

Kenya 

119 317 700 

TERRA NUOVA CENTRO PER 
IL VOLONTARIATO ONLUS 

Promoting Turkana pastoralist 
livelihoods to mitigate rising food prices 

Kenya 

135 000 000 

THE SAVE THE CHILDREN 
FUND LBG 

Using Food Aid to Stimulate Markets in 
Pastoral Communities  

Kenya 

458 511 300 

SOLIDARITES 

KE - Kenya 

DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT 
FUR TECHNISCHE 
ZUSAMMENARBEIT (GTZ) 
GMBH 

Identification of Poor Households in 
Rural Areas of Cambodia to Improve 

Food Security and Access to Essential 
Services for the Poor 

Cambodia 

200 000 000 

GROUPE DE RECHERCHE ET 
D'ECHANGES 
TECHNOLOGIQUES 

Development of food production, farming 
incomes, nutrition and resilience in rural 
Cambodia.  

Cambodia 

80 245 494 

HELEN KELLER 
INTERNATIONAL EUROPE 
ASSOCIATION HUMANITAIRE 
POUR LA PREVENTION DE LA 
CECITE ET DE LA 
MALNUTRITION 

Improving Household Food Security and 
Livelihood among the Rural Poor 
through the Establishment of Enhanced 
Food Production Systems - Cambodia  

Cambodia 

181 875 300 

STICHTING ZOA-
VLUCHTELINGENZORG 

Providing an “oasis of security” amid 
volatility 

Cambodia 

125 000 000 

EN 

15 

   EN 

 
 
 
Applicant 

Action title 

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT 
FUR TECHNISCHE 
ZUSAMMENARBEIT (GTZ) 
GMBH 

Improving Food Security in Northern 
Laos 

Laos 

200 000 000 

DEUTSCHE 
WELTHUNGERHILFE EV 

Community-Based Project to Strengthen 
Household Resilience to Food Price 
Volatility 

Laos 

100 000 000 

HEALTH LIMITED 

HELVETAS SCHWEIZER 
GESELLSCHAFT 
FURINTERNATIONALE 
ZUSAMMENARBEIT 

DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT 
FUR TECHNISCHE 
ZUSAMMENARBEIT (GTZ) 
GMBH 

OXFAM GB LBG 

Improve food production in Sanxai, 
Phouvong and Saysetha districts, 
Attapeu Province 

Laos 

101 154 200 

Enhancing Milled Rice Production in Lao 
PDR 

Laos 

211 967 400 

Improved Food Security in Foya District, 
Liberia 

Liberia 

200 000 000 

Promoting food security in Southeast 
Liberia (SEL) through commercial rice 
value chain development 

Liberia 

129 302 921 

DEUTSCHES ROTES KREUZ 
EV 

Food Facility Support to households 
affected by HIV/AIDS 

Lesotho 

65 085 500 

WORLD VISION LESOTHO 

Improved Food Production through 
Gravity Irrigation 

Lesotho 

50 000 000 

WORLD VISION LESOTHO 

Improved Agricultural Production for 
Vulnerable Households in Lesotho 

Lesotho 

50 000 000 

AFRIQUE VERTE 
ASSOCIATION 

Contribution à l’atténuation de l’impact 
de la flambée des prix des denrées 
alimentaires au Mali, par un soutien à la 
production agricole, au stockage, à la 
transformation et à la commercialisation 
des produits locaux 

Mali 

110 607 600 

EN 

16 

   EN 

 
Applicant 

Action title 

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

ASSOCIATION VETERINAIRES 
SANS FRONTIERES - CENTRE 
INTERNATIONAL DE 
COOPERATION POUR LE 
DEVELOPPEMENT AGRICOLE 
VSF CICDA 

CROIX ROUGE FRANCAISE 
ASSOCIATION 

DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT 
FUR TECHNISCHE 
ZUSAMMENARBEIT (GTZ) 
GMBH 

Programme d’appui au développement 
de l’agriculture à Bourem (PADAB) 

Mali 

108 205 000 

Réduction de l’impact de la flambée des 
prix et de la vulnérabilité alimentaire des 
populations des Wilayas  du Brakna et 
du Gorgol en République Islamique de 
Mauritanie 

Mauritania 

136 996 300 

Des Revenus Verts pour la nourriture  

Mauritania 

247 109 000 

FUNDACION ACCION CONTRA 
EL HAMBRE 

Projet de réponse rapide à la flambée 
des prix alimentaires dans la région du 
Gorgol en Mauritanie 

Mauritania 

107 955 000 

GROUPE DE RECHERCHE ET 
DE REALISATION POUR LE 
DEVELOPPEMENT RURAL 
DANS LE TIERS MONDE 

Projet de Relance Vivrière 
Communautaire 

Mauritania 

261 491 400 

CARE DEUTSCHLAND-
LUXEMBURG EV 

Integrated Food Security Response 
Initiative (IFSRI) 

Malawi 

100 000 000 

DEVELOPMENT AID FROM 
PEOPLE TO PEOPLE 

Green Health- Back Yard Gardening to 
increase food production among 
vulnerable households.  

Malawi 

157 336 800 

OXFAM GB LBG 

Lancer des filets de sécurité du Nord au 
Sud 

Mali 

169 806 000 

CESVI FOUNDATION ONLUS 

HELVETAS SCHWEIZER 
GESELLSCHAFT 
FURINTERNATIONALE 
ZUSAMMENARBEIT 

Reforço da segurança nos Distritos de 
Nhamatande e Buzi (Sofala) e 
Marracuene (Maputo), Moçambique 

Low cost ‘Fridges’ for Rural Africa: 

Poverty reduction and food security 
using indigenous post-harvest 
technology 

Mozambique 

117 935 700 

Mozambique 

136 572 900 

EN 

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Applicant 

Action title 

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

SAVE THE CHILDREN 
FEDERATION INC 
CORPORATION 

Strengthening Livelihood Options for 
Vulnerable Rural Households in Gaza 
Province, Mozambique  

Mozambique 

246 514 300 

AFRIQUE VERTE 
ASSOCIATION 

Actions d’atténuation de l’impact de la 
hausse des prix des aliments sur la 
sécurité alimentaire, sur la nutrition des 
enfants et sur les revenus des femmes 

Niger 

156 072 200 

COOPERATION TECHNIQUE 
BELGE CTB SA 

Projet de Lutte contre l insécurité 
alimentaire par le développement de l 
irrigation dans la région de Tillabéry 

Niger 

202 452 100 

CARE DEUTSCHLAND-
LUXEMBURG EV 

Cooperativas enfrentando la subida de 
los precios de los alimentos. 

Nicaragua 

108 471 800 

FUNDACION ACCION CONTRA 
EL HAMBRE 

Fortalecimiento de las capacidades de 
respuesta de la población campesina del 
departamento de Madriz ante los efectos 
de la crisis alimentaria 

Nicaragua 

100 000 000 

FUNDACION INTERMON 
OXFAM 

STICHTING PLAN NEDERLAND 

FOLKEKIRKENS NODHJAELP 

Mejora de la oferta, acceso y  
disponibilidad de alimentos de las 
familias pobres de los Departamentos 
Nueva Segovia y Jinotega, en el norte 
de Nicaragua 

Fortaleciendo la Agricultura Familiar 
para una mayor Producción de 
Alimentos 

Improving food security condition of 
socio-economically excluded Dalit 
communities in Far-western Nepal 

Nicaragua 

118 048 400 

Nicaragua 

136 107 300 

Nepal 

108 000 000 

OXFAM GB LBG 

Improving Food Security in Communities 
Vulnerable to Food Price Volatility 

Nepal 

144 736 500 

PRACTICAL ACTION LIMITED 

REDD BARNA (SAVE THE 
CHILDREN NORWAY) 

DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT 
FUR TECHNISCHE 
ZUSAMMENARBEIT (GTZ) 
GMBH 

HELP - Food Security (Helping to 
Enhance Local Productivity for Food 
Security) 

Nepal 

195 072 000 

Food Security Initiative (FSI) in Nepal 

Nepal 

146 131 900 

Enhancement of food security in the 
Visayas 

Philippines 

262 058 100 

EN 

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Applicant 

Action title 

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

PLAN INTERNATIONAL UK 
LIMITED BY GUARANTEE 

SOUTHEAST ASIAN REGIONAL 
CENTER FOR GRADUATE 
STUDY AND RESEARCH IN 
AGRICULTURE 

Productive capacity improvement of civil 
society groups in the Philippine 
agricultural sector and establishment of 
safety net measures against volatile food 
prices 

Philippines 

261 720 700 

Focused - Food Production Assistance 
for Vulnerable Sectors (FPAVAS) 

Philippines 

309 901 830 

STICHTING AGRITERRA 

Philippines’ Farmers and Fisherfolk for 
Food 

Philippines 

140 000 000 

STICHTING CARE NEDERLAND 

ACTIONAID CO LTD 

Making Safe Food Available and 
Accessible to Rural Poor Households in 
the Philippines  

Enhancing productive capacities and 
promoting sustainable agricultural 
practices amongst small scale farmers in 
8 food deficient districts of Pakistan 

Philippines 

117 435 000 

Pakistan 

122 003 800 

AGA KHAN RURAL SUPPORT 
PROGRAMME 

Strengthening community responses to 
food insecurity in the Northern Areas and 
Chitral (NAC), Pakistan 

Pakistan 

147 583 500 

CONCERN WORLDWIDE 

Mansehra Food Security Project  

Pakistan 

132 560 900 

OXFAM GB LBG 

PLAN INTERNATIONAL UK 
LIMITED BY GUARANTEE 

STICHTING OXFAM NOVIB 

Enhancing Food Security and Resilience 
of Small Farmers in Sindh and 
Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan.  

Improving livelihoods of rural households 
to mitigate the effects of severe price 
increases through improving the 
productive output and supply mechanism 
of the livestock sector   

Food Security Through efficient 
agriculture production of small farmers in 
Pakistan 

Pakistan 

206 116 010 

Pakistan 

196 245 000 

Pakistan 

255 000 000 

GROUPE DEVELOPPEMENT 
ASSOCIATION 

Projet d’appui à la productivité de 
l’élevage dans les systèmes 
agropastoraux au Mali, Burkina Faso et 
nord du Bénin. 

Multi-
countries 
(Benin - Mali - 
Burkina Faso) 

341 412 700 

EN 

19 

   EN 

 
Applicant 

Action title 

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

CONCERN WORLDWIDE 

Enhancing Productivity and Resilience of 
Households (EPRH) 

Sierra Leone 

163 257 200 

STICHTING CARE NEDERLAND  Rice Value Chain Development (RVCD) 

Sierra Leone 

135 797 400 

GROUPE DE RECHERCHE ET 
D'ECHANGES 
TECHNOLOGIQUES 

Accroître la production et améliorer 
l’accessibilité alimentaire dans 4 régions 
du Sénégal  

Senegal 

151 145 700 

WORLD VISION 
DEUTSCHLAND E.V. 

Improving access to food for Today, 
Tomorrow and the Future 

Senegal 

220 570 800 

INSTITUTO MARQUES DE 
VALLE FLOR FUNDACAO 

Projecto Descentralizado de Seguranca 
Alimentar em Sao Tomé e 
Príncipe (PDSA/STP) 

Sao Tome e 
Principe 

70 006 358 

ASSOCIATION VETERINAIRES 
SANS FRONTIERES - CENTRE 
INTERNATIONAL DE 
COOPERATION POUR LE 
DEVELOPPEMENT AGRICOLE 
VSF CICDA 

Appui au développement de la filière 
céréalière au Togo 

Togo 

111 130 800 

CROIX ROUGE FRANCAISE 
ASSOCIATION 

Appui aux populations affectées par 
l’insécurité alimentaire dans la Région 
des Savanes 

Togo 

134 018 700 

CRUZ ROJA ESPANOLA 

Projet d’amélioration de la situation 
nutritive dans sis préfectures de la 
Région Maritime, au Togo 

Togo 

114 212 000 

AGRICULTURAL COUNCIL OF 
TANZANIA 

Tanzania Agricultural Partnership (TAP) 

Tanzania 

152 348 700 

ASSOCIATION CENTRE 
INTERNATIONAL DE 
DEVELOPPEMENT ET DE 
RECHERCHE 

Development of Rural Finance Windows 
(RFW) to expand adapted financial 
services to small farmers and rural poor 
households in Tanzania 

Tanzania 

105 265 000 

COMITATO EUROPEO PER LA 
FORMAZIONEE 
L'AGRICOLTURA ONLUS 

SAAFI: Sustainable Agriculture Against 
Food Insecurity in Kilolo and Namtumbo 
Districts 

Tanzania 

112 494 600 

EN 

20 

   EN 

 
Applicant 

Action title 

Action 
location 

Grant Amount 

CONCERN WORLDWIDE 

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL 
RESEARCH MANAGEMENT 
LIMITED-AFRICA 

ISTITUTO OIKOS ONLUS 

MTANDAO WA VIKUNDI VYA 
WAKULIMA TANZANIA 

OXFAM GB LBG 

Mitigating the negative impacts of 
volatile food prices on vulnerable 
households in Tanzania 

Tanzania 

197 356 800 

Tanzania Smallholder Sesame 
Production and Marketing Project 

Tanzania 

102 036 300 

Improvement of food security and 
nutritional status in Maasai steppes of 
northern Tanzania, by applying 
sustainable farming technologies 

Food crops wholesale markets 
development in Mbeya and Rukwa 
region 

Improving incomes, market access, and 
disaster preparedness: A rapid response 
to food insecurity in Shinyanga, 
Tanzania  

Tanzania 

150 000 000 

Tanzania 

239 475 600 

Tanzania 

100 000 000 

CROIX ROUGE FRANCAISE 
ASSOCIATION 

Optimize the agricultural production and 
improve nutritional behaviours in rural 
areas in Dhamar Governorate, Yemen 

Yemen 

144 000 000 

TRIANGLE GENERATION 
HUMANITAIRE ASSOCIATION 

CENTRO LAICI ITALIANI PER 
LE MISSIONI ASSOCIAZIONE 

Towards the recovery of households’ 
food production capacities, 
improved coping mechanisms and a 
mitigated impact of the rise of food 
prices. 

Responding to soaring food prices: a 
step towards sustainable agriculture, 
income generation and empowerment of 
small scale farmers in Mazabuka and 
Monze district, Zambia.  

Yemen 

125 832 200 

Zambia 

107 338 900 

PLAN INTERNATIONAL UK 
LIMITED BY GUARANTEE 

Integrated Agricultural Development 
Project 

Zambia 

100 000 000 

SELF HELP AFRICA (UK) LBG 

Seed Entrepreneurship for Economic 
Development and Food Security 
(SEEDFS) 

Zambia 

108 567 000 

ZAMBIA NATIONAL FARMERS' 
UNION  

Improving Productivity of the Small-
Scale Agricultural Sector in Zambia 

Zambia 

204 944 400 

EN 

21 

   EN 

 
 
 
SECTION IV – PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS 

This section provides information regarding 43 Food Facility projects under implementation 
by international organisations as of November 2009.1 

 Project 

1.    AFGHANISTAN 

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO): Expanding Certified Seed Production 
and Utilization in Afghanistan 

Budget 

Total budget €13 257 454 (USD18 490 172)  

Brief Description 

This  two-year  project  aims  to  expand  the  production  and  use  of  certified  seed  for  wheat 
and other major food crops throughout Afghanistan. Using improved varieties of certified 
seed  in  irrigated  areas  could  potentially  boost  wheat  yields  in  the  country  by  about  30 
percent, helping to feed more people and replenish seed stocks.  

The  project,  launched  in  May  2009,  supports  the  long-term  seed  industry  development 
strategy put in place by the government, and also builds on an ongoing EU-funded project 
aimed at accelerating certified seed production and marketing in Afghanistan. This project 
initially provided basic start-up support to eight pilot seed enterprises in 2004, and, under a 
second phase since 2007, set up 29 more private seed enterprises in 11 provinces.  

Efficient seed cleaning and packaging machines are essential for a seed enterprise, as are 
good  storage  facilities;  however,  not  all  of  the  existing  seed  enterprises  in  Afghanistan 
have the same level of resources or facilities. Therefore, funds are being used to purchase 
and/or repair equipment to enable the proper processing and storage of seed.  

This  project  aims  to  create  21  new  seed  enterprises  in  12  additional  provinces,  thereby 
enabling more farmers to have access to certified seed. It also supports diversifying seed 
production to enhance profitability and long-term sustainability. 

Training  activities  in  the  area  of  business  management  and  market  exploration  are 
important components of the project, as are institutional support and policy assistance for 
breeder seed production, foundation seed production and seed quality control.  

Beneficiaries include community-based seed enterprises, associated contract farmers who 
will be able to produce and sell certified seed, farmers benefiting from extension services 
and small-scale farmers. 

•  The project was signed on 7 July 2009. 
•  Within the Project Management Team two technical consultants have been fielded as of 
mid-July for an initial 5-month period to generate the detailed work plan (together with 
the  Emergency  Coordination  Unit)  for  the  duration  of  the  project  and  to  kick  start 
project activities. 

State of Play 

1  The  information  in  this  section  is  provided  by  international  organisations  (United  Nations  agencies  and  the 
World Bank) and does not necessarily represent the views of the European Commission.   

EN 

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•  All equipment envisaged under the original project document and Procurement Plan has 
been  ordered,  with  the  exception  of  armoured  vehicles,  which  will  be  purchased 
shortly. A balance of USD2.6 million remains under the Equipment and Supplies line, 
and  the  project  team  are  discussing  how  to  spend  the  remaining  balance  with  the 
Project Steering Committee (PSC). 

•  Project  management  and  coordination  arrangements  have  been  finalized  and  the  first 

PSC meeting was held on 7 October 2009. 

•  The inception workshop was held on 16 August and the project work plan and visibility 

and communication strategy have been finalized.  

•  Criteria for beneficiary selection: seed enterprises to receive support under the project 
will  be  identified  by  the  Project  Management  Unit  during  the  inception  phase  (i.e. 
mission of technical consultants).  

•  Monitoring  and  assessment  arrangements 

revision  and 
development  of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation 
with the EC Delegation and other partners  

(including 

logframe 

•  A communication event was held on 19 July with the European Commission (because 
here  you  are  talking  about  the  institution),  Ministry  of  Agriculture,  Irrigation  and 
Livestock, FAO and the media. Press release issued.  

The Project Steering Committee is composed of the following members: 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

1.  Host government (MAIL)  

2.  Donor (European Commission)  

3.  International NGO (Mercy Corps - MC)  

4.  Local NGO (Agency for Rehabilitation of Energy in Afghanistan - AREA)  

5.  Farmer Organization (Afghanistan National Seed Organization - ANSOR)  

6.  UN (United Nations Industrial Development Organization - UNIDO)  

These  organizations  are  also  members  of  the Afghanistan  Food  Security  and Agriculture 
Cluster, which is responsible for coordinating food security in the country at a high level. 
The cluster organizes regular meetings, which are co-chaired by FAO and WFP. The PSC 
can participate and play an active role in the cluster meetings and activities.  

Issues 

Security continues to be the main challenge in project implementation.  

Financial follow-
up 

Total delivery  €4 735 395 (USD 6 604 456)  

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Project 

2.    BANGLADESH 

World Food Programme (WFP) 

Through  this  project,  WFP  Bangladesh  will  assist  400.000  ultra-poor  people  including 
landless  farmers  affected  by  volatile  food  prices  to  improve  livelihood  and  ensure  food 
security. The programme aims at helping poor farmers to produce food more efficiently. It 
will  also  improve  the  capacity  of  ultra  poor  agricultural  workers/  wage  labourers  in 
entrepreneurship,  developing  their  skills  in  small-scale  agro-based  activities,  group 
farming,  food  processing,  diversified  crop  production,  poultry/cow  rearing  and  other 
income  generating  activities.  The  programme  will  transfer  income  mainly  in  the  form  of 
cash to highly food insecure and disaster prone areas. The programme interventions include 
creation  of  employment  opportunities,  training  and  asset  grants.  Different  schemes  will 
enhance flood resilience and improve agricultural infrastructure.  

Eleven  most  food  insecure  districts,  Bhola,  Baherhat,  Barguna,  Patuakhali,  Jhalokhati, 
Pirojpur,  Rajshahi,  Naogaon,  Nawabgonj,  Narail,  and  Banderban  will  be  covered  by  the 
programme.  Each project participant will receive a daily wage of Tk.150 per working day 
for participation in employment generation activities. Families with pregnant and lactating 
mothers and malnourished children will receive micro nutrient sachets.  

In  Bangladesh,  the  EU  Food  Facility  project  commenced  in  late  March  2009.    WFP 
mobilised  rapidly  in  order  to  initiate  activities  before  onset  of  monsoon  rains.    In  April, 
NGOs  began  work  on  identifying  the  poorest  agricultural  workers  and  marginal  and 
landless  farmers,  leading  them  through  community  risk  assessments  and  prioritising 
schemes which would enhance flood resilience and improve agricultural infrastructure.  

In a first phase, in June and July 2009, WFP engaged workers from 43,244 households in 
337  schemes.    Under  these  schemes,  30  km  of  embankments  and  108  km  of 
roads/embankments were constructed or rehabilitated to protect land from flood waters and 
ensure  communities’  continued  access  to  markets  during  the  flood  season;  63  km  of 
irrigation  channels  were  de-silted,  providing  better  prospects  for  crop  production  in 
surrounding fields; 79.000 m2 of ponds were excavated, providing both irrigation and fish 
stocking possibilities; and 17,500 m2 of land was raised, preventing over 1,500 landless or 
marginal farmer households from losing their house and assets every flood season. 

Sub Office 

Number of Households 
Utilisation 

Number 

of 

schemes

State of Play 

Barisal 

17,733 

Rangpur 

21,502 

Jessore 

4.009 

Total 

43,244 

205 

85 

47 

337 

Food  (mt) 

Cash (US$) 

136.92 

565,475 

1,377.41 

477,725 

198,306 

1,514.33 

1,241,506 

In total, 13,200 hectares of agricultural land stands to benefit from the assets constructed or 
rehabilitated under the EU Food Facility project to date.  Other key benefits are as follows: 
700  farmers  can  now  cultivate  during  three  seasons  per  year  instead  of  just  one  ;  43.000 
additional people now have access to fishing opportunities; 60.000 people live in areas now 
protected from salt water intrusion; 26.000 additional people have access to markets (along 
roads/embankments); 7.000 children have access to school during the flood season; 4.000 
m2 of land around homesteads has been created for vegetable cultivation; over 8.000 people 

EN 

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no longer fear having their home washed away every flood season. 

In many cases the increased agricultural land will mean that farmers are able to grow three 
crops  in  a  year  which  will  result  in  higher  annual  yields  and  more  employment 
opportunities for the target population.  

Progress made towards results and indicators in logframe 

Indicator / Target 

Progress to end Sept 2009 

65% of beneficiary households meet the acceptable standard of food consumption score

Awaiting outcome survey 

65% of beneficiary households having at least three full meals per day 
outcome survey 

Awaiting 

Actual number of flood resilience schemes (embankments, raised seed-beds) implemented 
30 km embankments; 17,500 m2  

land raised for 1,500 homesteads;  

Actual number of agricultural infrastructure schemes (irrigation/drainage infrastructure and 
access roads) implemented. 108km access roads /  embankments; 63km irrigation canals; 
79.000 m2 irrigation /fish ponds;  

70%  households  with  increased  human  capital  score  (entrepreneurship  management 
capacity) in agriculture production  Awaiting outcome survey 

At least 70% of the trained beneficiaries will use the acquired income generating skills. 
Awaiting outcome survey 

Household  asset  score  increased  in  at  least  70  percent  of  the  targeted  households. 
Awaiting outcome survey 

  70% of the households perceived enhanced household income. Awaiting outcome survey 

78.000 people employed during lean/hunger period 43,244 people employed. 

Average 90 days work received by each participant  

Awaiting outcome survey. 

WFP is about to commence the second phase of employment generation activities, the bulk 
of which are expected to be completed by April 2010. This phase will include both Cash 
for Work and Food/Cash for Work. 

This phase will also include the issuance of cash grants to 25.000 households. This activity 
will be completed in April 2010 with the remainder of the programme  used to determine 
the effective utilisation of these funds by the recipients.  

Regular communication, in the form of both meetings and email exchanges, is maintained 
with  the  EU  Delegation  Food  Security  Unit,  with  regard  to  the  implementation  of  the 
project.    The  last  such  meeting,  on  9  September,  was  a  chance  to  update  on  progress  to 
date, highlight some of the constraints faced, discuss deliverables such as the visibility and 
monitoring plans, plus arrangements for joint monitoring.  A folder of visibility products to 
date  was  handed  over.  The  proposed  monitoring  and  evaluation  plan  along  with  the 
visibility and communications strategy have been shared with the Delegation for comment.  

WFP is following the beneficiary selection criteria in line with the contract. In this regard, 
beneficiaries  are  drawn  from  the  chronically  food  insecure,  families  surviving  on  low 
incomes  which  do  not  have  regular  work  opportunities,  marginal  or  landless farmers  and 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

EN 

25 

   EN 

 
 
those  that  are  not  members  of  any  other  major  food  or  cash  programme/safety  nets. 
Particular emphasis is placed on female headed families and those in which the male head 
of family is disabled or unable to work.  

At the request of the EU Delegation, WFP is coordinating with UNDP in the selection of 
the beneficiary caseload in Banderban, CHT which will commence in October 2009. WFP 
has  engaged  the  UNDP  sponsored  Para  Development  Committees  to  assist  with  the 
participant selection, with the intention that these beneficiaries will continue to be engaged 
by UNDP upon the completion of the WFP project.  

As agreed with the EU Delegation, WFP is focussing its activities in the following districts; 
Barisal Cluster: Bhola, Barguna, Patuakhali, Jhalokati, Pirojpur; Rajshahi cluster: Rajshahi, 
Naogaon, Nawabganj; Jessore Cluster: Bagerhat, Narail; and Banderban. 

WFP is in consultation with the EU delegation to agree to a specific structure for the WFP-
European Commission Steering Committee.  

A  Joint  Monitoring  mission  was  held  between  6-8  October  to  Rajshahi  cluster.  On  the 
mission  were  Mr.  Massimo  la  Rosa  EU  Food  Security  Focal  Unit  and  Mr.  Michael 
Dunford,  Deputy  Country  Director  WFP  Bangladesh.  Four  implementation  sites  were 
visited and meetings were held with government officials, NGO staff and focus discussion 
held with beneficiaries.  

It  is  foreseen  that  another  mission  will  be  undertaken  to  the  Banderban  region  of  the 
Chittagong  Hill  Tracts  prior  to  the  end  of  the  year.  Dates  are  yet  to  be  confirmed  but 
tentatively planned for December 2009. 

WFP  has  also  designed  a  comprehensive  monitoring  and  evaluation  plan  in  conjunction 
with the NGO partners.  

Achievements to date include:  

•  Banners  bearing  the  EU  logo  put  up  at  distribution  sites  during  food  and  cash 

distributions. 

•  EU logo printed on placards, where these are mounted at project sites 
•  EU markings placed on bags of locally procured food 
•  2 features articles on WFP Bangladesh’s website 
•  Press release issued upon signature of contract 
•  8 major newspapers  carried the story 
•  5 human interest stories produced for use on websites / brochure 
•  Footage shot for the short video; video film under editing 
•  Photo bank started 

WFP has shared a copy of the visibility and communications plan with the EU Delegation 
and is awaiting feedback.  

Tropical Cyclone Aila hit Bangladesh on 25 May 2009 causing severe damage to lives and 
livelihoods  of  approximately  four  million  people  of  southwest  coast  of  the  country.  This 
had a direct impact on the activities planned in the Barisal cluster where the concentration 
of  schemes  and  expenditure  are  the  highest.  With  good  early  warning  and  storm 
preparedness system in place, the casualties were limited to just 190 deaths, but damage to 
infrastructure  was  significant.  More  than  1700  kilometres  of  embankments  along  the 
seashore  and  riverbanks  and  1500  kilometres  of  roads,  approximately  2500  educational 
institutions and half a million houses, among others, were fully or partially damaged. More 
than  a  million  people  at  one  stage  were  displaced  from  their  homes.  Not  only  did  the 
cyclone make  implementation difficult in this area, it also submerged large tracts of land 
and  some  of  the  works  that  had  been  initiated  under  the  project  were  damaged  or  even 
washed away.  

Visibility 

Issues 

EN 

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WFP  along  with  its  partners  suspended  some  of  the  activities  in  this  area  and  will 
recommence with increased capacity in November/December.  

In Bangladesh, earth works of the type envisaged under the project can only be undertaken 
in the dry season – namely Dec to June. The commencement of the project in March left a 
limited window in which earth works could be completed before the onset of the monsoon. 
To  maximise  this  period,  WFP  deployed  additional  staff  to  work  on  NGO  selection  and 
orientation,  thereby  reducing  the  set  up  time.  Works  were  consequently  ready  to  start  in 
early June in full force. 

Another factor that impacted upon the implementation of the activities was that at the very 
onset  of  the  project,  the  UN  Office  in  Barisal,  in  which  the  WFP  office  is  located,  was 
subjected  to  a  security  threat,  allegedly  from  an  outlawed  terrorist  group.  This  security 
threat, which ultimately was found to be a hoax, regrettably resulted in the closure of the 
office  for  a  period  of  almost  2  weeks  during  which  time  the  police,  security  forces  and 
UNDSS  undertook  the  investigation  and  risk  assessment.  This  caused  a  delay  in  the 
implementation of the project which reduced the time available prior to the arrival of the 
monsoon.  

Micronutrient  powder  (containing  15  elements)  is  not  available  for  procurement  either 
locally or regionally. Due the longer than expected lead time in the procurement process, 
the  households  were  only  provided  with  food  and  cash  support  during  the  first  phase  of 
implementation.  The  MNP  is  now  expected  to  arrive  in  Nov/December  and  will  be 
distributed during the second phase of implementation.  

All households with pregnant and lactating women and children under two will be provided 
with MNP for six month duration as originally planned.  

Up to the end of October 2009, WFP has committed €6.27 million, representing 31percent 
of the first year budget.  

WFP has programmed and distributed € 1.7 million in the form of both food and cash.  

Of  the  9,720mt  of  food  to  be  procured  under  this  contract,  an  initial  6,671mt  was 
contracted  and  delivered  between  19  May  and  5  August  2009.    The  entire  quantity  was 
purchased locally.  A tender for the balance of 3,049mt will be launched towards the end of 
the year to cover distributions in early 2010. 

Financial follow 
up 

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3.    BOLIVIA  

World Food Programme (WFP) 

This  project  began  on  1  August  2009  and  will  continue  for  24  months.  The  overall 
objective  is  to  reduce  the  impact  of  the  increase  in  food  prices  for  the  most  vulnerable 
population of Bolivia, which are the small peasants, women and children. 

Project 

Activities  will  focus  on  training  to  increase  local  food  production  chains  and  thereby 
ensure a sustainable supply of vegetables and animal protein for school feeding programs. 
Distributions  of  seeds,  animals  and  tools  as  well  as  construction  materials  for  storage, 
greenhouses and stables will be implemented. 

This project is a continuation and expansion of another EU- funded project entitled Quick 
Win (contract ALA/2006/129-589).  

A  seminar  on  the  project  activities  was  held  on  August 11  in  Trinidad,  Beni,  which 
included a field visit to the most vulnerable municipalities of the Pando Department.  

The  first  farmer-to-farmer  training will  be held  in Santa Cruz on October  19-21  with the 
participation of technicians from Santa Cruz, Beni and Cochabamba.  

State of Play 

The first school orchards will be implemented beginning in November and WFP expects to 
have the first food production/processing projects by the end of 2009.    

The star crops study and land use capability study will be ready by year end. 

Visits were conducted to the project areas, where appraisals were made on schools’ needs 
for productive assets and on the willingness of school boards to maintain them.  

The Bolivian Government was informed in August that the food facility was approved and 
subsequently, a meeting took place on October 14th with the Government to establish the 
Steering Committee and finalize the annual operating plan. The Government has asked the 
Committee to be composed of only WFP and the EU Delegation at this early stage, thereby 
leaving  room  for  the  inclusion  of  other  agencies  like  FAO  or  other  governmental 
departments later on.  

Since  the  project  has  been  drafted  together  with  the  EU  Delegation,  WFP  has,  in 
coordination with the Government, agreed that the food facility should work on the same 
areas covered by a previous Europe Aid contract (ALA/2006/129-589) as well as expand to 
new areas.  

The new areas were identified based on where they have a school feeding or other food-
based program, in addition to areas having the highest food security vulnerability index and 
results of the assessment on land suitability for producing food crops. 

On October 14th, a meeting with the Vice Ministry of Rural Development and Agricultural 
Production  was  held  to  present  the  food  facility  project,  revise  the  annual  work  plan 
October  2009-  September  2010  and  formally  establish  the  Steering  Committee.  The 
Committee will have two different levels: one at the level of the Director of Agricultural 
Production  and  Food  Sovereignty  in  representation  of  the  Vice-minister  of  Rural 
Development  and  Agricultural  Production,  Head  of  Programme  of  WFP  Bolivia  in 
representation of the Country Director and the Cooperation Attaché of the EU Delegation 
in Bolivia in representation of the European Commission.  

The second level will be concerned with operational issues and coordination at field level 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

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and  it  will  be  composed  of  technicians  of  the  Ministry  and  WFP.  In  addition,  steering 
committees  will  be  established  at  field  level  to  coordinate  between  the  food  facility  and 
other related governmental projects. 

In  the  meeting  with  the  government,  the  EU  financed  “PASA”  project  asked  WFP  to 
support  39  productive  initiatives  financed  by  an  IDB  project  and  currently  managed  by 
them.  These  could  constitute,  with  a  previous  joint  assessment,  in  the  first  batch  of 
productive initiatives financed by the project. 

A field trip has been planned with the EU Delegation Cooperation Attaché for the week of 
November 16th. 

Visibility 

A visibility plan has been drafted and is under discussion with the EU Delegation.  

Issues 

Financial  

follow up 

Due  to  a  delay  in  the  transfer  of  funds  to  the  project,  procurement  could  not  begin  until 
mid-September.  

The funds for the first year have been budgeted. 

The  Country  Office  has  started  the  procurement  process  of  basic  equipment  to  enable 
implementation at the project at field level. It is expected that by the end of the year, all 
equipment purchases, as well as all necessary human resources contracts will be completed. 

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                                                                        BURKINA FASO 

 Project Title 

              Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 

Budget 

Total budget €18 064 052 (USD 25 193 933) 

Brief Description 

This  two-year  project  aims  to  improve  the  food  security  of  861  150  rural  households  in 
Burkina  Faso.  The  twin  objectives  focus  on  boosting  food  production  through  the 
availability of improved seeds (rice, maize, sorghum, cow peas and millet) and promoting a 
sustainable system of seed multiplication and certification.  

The project is in line with recommendations mapped out in the government’s action plan 
on food security, which underscores the importance of a strengthened seed supply chain for 
increasing food production. 

FAO  is  working  to  build  the  capacity  of  all  actors  involved  in  the  seed  chain,  providing 
institutional  and 
the 
Institute on Environment and Agricultural Research (INERA),  the  national  seed  service 
and other structures within the Ministry of Agriculture. 

to  national  public  services 

technical  support 

including 

State of Play 

The project is supporting some 900 seed producers, the majority of whom are organised in 
groups,  through  training  activities  and  the  distribution  of  base  seeds  and  equipment.  The 
project is also focused on building up local infrastructure for the proper drying and storage 
of seeds, and improving seed producers’ access to markets and credit. 

•  The project document has been signed by the Government on 16 June 2009. 
•  The Project Management Team is complete and operational. 
•  The Procurement Plan is complete and finalized. Repeat order for fertilisers completed. 

Local procurement ongoing. 

•  The first Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting will be held on 3 November. 
•  Selection of implementing partners completed. 
•  Selection of beneficiaries is ongoing, together with MoA Experts. 
•  Distribution of inputs to beneficiaries: currently on-going for dry season. Rice and cow 

pea foundation seeds on site. 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EC 
Delegation and other partners  

•  The official project launch took place on 6 July, including press release. 

Coordination & 

The  EUFF  project  has  catalysed  the  coordination  of  donors,  such  as  GTZ  and  JICA,  as 
well as other international NGOs around the entire seed value chain in Burkina Faso. 

Alignment 

Issues 

Project approval and project implementation have been delayed by the Government who is 
used  to  operating  projects  through  direct  budget  support.  The  project  is  addressing  this 
constraint through the nomination of a high-level national coordinator (previous Minister) 
and through continuous negotiation with the Ministry of Agriculture and its line agencies 
(also  through  the  Project  Steering  Committee).    To  date,  the  nominated  national 
coordinator has not been in a position to dedicate himself to project activities. 

Financial 
up  

follow-

Total delivery (EUR) € 759 949 (USD 1 059 901) 

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Project 

State of Play 

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) 

5.    BURUNDI 

Activities to be financed within the framework of the cofinancing of the EU are gathered in 
the  three  components  of  the  PAIVA-B  project.  Component  1:  Reinforcement  and 
protection  of  the  productive  capital;  Component  2:  Support  to  the  development  of 
agricultural  production  and  development  of  the  infrastructures  and  Component  3: 
Facilitation  of  setting  and  coordination.    Concerning  the  support  of  the  EU,  the  first 
component  aims  to  increase  the  agricultural  production  of  rice  and  of  priority  food 
productions  on  110  ha  of  marshes  and  19000  ha  of  hills.  The  second  will  enable  the 
organisations and the producers to have means of storage and roads and to retain the most 
added  value  possible  of  their  production.  The  third  aims  to  increase  abilities  of  explain 
CDC and explain OPs actions management fight against food insecurity, the appropriation 
of these actions and their perpetuation.  The financing of the EU is raised at €4.5 million 
(approximatively $ 6million) 

 PAIVA-B has been launched officially on 9 September 2009 by the Second Vice-President 
of Burundi, with the participation of the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Agriculture 
&  Livestock,  the  EU  Head  of  Delegation  in  Burundi  as  well  as  the  Executive 
Representative  of  the  UN  Secretary  General  and  the  WFP  Country  Representative. 
Participated  all  the  provincial  governors,  along  representatives  from  the  World  Bank, 
Catalyst/IFDC, USAID, local civil society organisations/NGOs, key development partners 
and  staff  from  the  ministries  of  Agriculture  &  Livestock,  Finance,  Planning  &  National 
Reconstruction and the staff involved in IFAD and other partners’ relevant projects. 

Discussions were held with the EU Delegation in Burundi and an agreement was reached 
on how to implement the visibility plan. It entails mainly informing of the EU contribution 
to PAIVA-B and producing information sheets regularly on progress and impact of PIVA-
B.  The logo of the EU will be added to all PAIVA-B documents and the CPM has already 
made  two  televised  interviews with  the  Burundi  Television where  the contribution of  the 
EU  in  PAIVA-B,  with  IFAD  and  WFP,  was  emphasized  (joint  statement  with  2nd  Vice 
President  of  Burundi  at  the  end  of  a  courtesy  call  to  the  former  in  June  2009)  and  as  a 
special guest – guest of the day- of the national TV in September 2009.  PAIVA-B team 
will further discuss the visibility plan with the EU Delegation in Burundi. 

A  baseline  study  will  be  undertaken  to  assess  progress  and  impact.  During  supervision 
missions, progress towards impact will be assessed, like for the other components financed 
by  IFAD.  These  achievements  will  be  reflected  in  the  annual  supervision reports  and  the 
EU Delegation is welcome to join these IFAD-led supervision missions.  

Coordination & 
Alignment 

PAIVA  is  in  response  to  Burundi’s  Poverty  Reduction  Strategy  Paper  (PRSP),  National 
Agricultural  Strategy  and  its  Food  Security  Programme.  PAIVA-B  has  already  been 
established with its core coordination staff already at work: the team has already visited by 
second half  of  October  2009  7  sites  for  PAIVA-B  to  enquire  about  preparatory  activities 
already carried out in order to enable them pursue the project’s activities.  

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Issues 

None. The project is starting well. A senior consultant has been hired by IFAD to assist the 
new  team  complete  the  launching  of  bids  for  equipment  for  the  beneficiaries,  vehicles, 
animals, etc.. November and December will be devoted to start activities on the ground in 
the selected first two provinces of Gitega and Karuzi. 

Financial follow 
up 

PAIVA-B has already submitted its first withdrawal application for US$1 million as a start-
up  fund.    The  IFAD  Country  Programme  Manager  (CPM)  will  be  visiting  Burundi  from 
10-24 November and will revisit the implementation progress with the EU Delegation and 
WFP-Burundi,  as  well  as  with  the  Government  (Ministry  of  Agriculture/Livestock,  all 
IFAD-funded projects, etc.).  

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6.    BURUNDI 

Project 

                          Food and Agriculture Organisation 

Budget 

Total budget €5 406 045 (USD7 592 760) 

Brief Description 

FAO is working closely with Burundi’s Ministry of Agriculture and other partners to boost 
agricultural  production  and  improve  the  food  security  of  at  least  5  600  rice-growing 
households in the provinces of Bubanza and Rural Bujumbura.  

The  two-year  project,  launched  in  June  2009,  is  in  line  with  the  government’s  National 
Agriculture  Strategy  and  the  National  Food  Security  Plan.  It  covers  three  priority  areas: 
rehabilitating  irrigation  infrastructure;  improving  farmers’  access  to  quality  inputs;  and 
strengthening the production capacity of farmers’ groups.  

To  ensure  that  the  water  resources  in  this  densely  populated  country  are  used  more 
efficiently for staple and commercial crops, the project is focused on improving more than 
2 500 hectares of irrigated land and various drainage and canal networks. 

Farming families will be provided with seeds to grow vegetable gardens as well as peanut 
and  soybean  seeds  to  plant  in  the  off-season.  Some  12  tonnes  of  certified  rice  seed  and 
fertilizers will be distributed to food-insecure families, and storage facilities will be built to 
help safeguard against spoilage.  

The  project  aims  to  support  the  training  of  farmers’  organizations  in  improved  farming 
techniques,  including  the  proper  management  of  irrigation  systems  and  storage  facilities, 
and sound nutritional practices. 

•  The Project Manager has been identified and will be in place by mid-November 2009. 
•  The  Procurement  Plan  has  been  presented  to  the  Project  Steering  Committee.  The 
schedule of purchasing the inputs, which was initially foreseen for the project’s second 
phase, will be revised slightly, on the basis of the discussions within the members of 
the  Steering  Committee.  Similarly  the  work  plan  will  also  be  slightly  reorganized  to 
take into account inputs received from the members of the Steering Committee.  

•  Project  management  and  coordination  arrangements  have  been  made  and  the  Project 
Steering  Committee  met  on  the  29  October.  Next  meeting  is  scheduled  for  mid- 
November. 

•  A Letter of Agreement has been signed with the “Société régionale de développement 
de l'Imbo (SRDI)”, which is the main partner for the first phase of the project. Letters 
of  Agreement  with  other  implementing  partners  are  under  preparation  and  will  be 
signed and in place for the second phase.  

•  Criteria  for  beneficiary  selection  has  not  yet  been  finalised  and  approved  during  the 
first  Steering  Committee  meeting,  but  it  has  been  agreed  by  all  members  that 
representatives  of  the  beneficiaries  will  be  part  of  the  Steering  Committee  from  the 
next meeting on.  

State of Play 

•  Monitoring  and  assessment  arrangements 

revision  and 
development  of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation 
with the EC Delegation and other partners  

(including 

logframe 

•  A  press  release  is  being  prepared  to  announce  the  first  meeting  of  the  steering 

committee and the project’s objectives.  

•  The project communication/visibility plan has been developed. 

Coordination  and 
Alignment 

The  Ministry  of  Agriculture  (MoA)  and  FAO  are  leading  the  Food  Security  and 
Agriculture Cluster. The members of the cluster have been informed of the existence of the 
European  Commission  /FAO-EU  Food  Facility-funded  project  informally,  but  a  more 
formal and in-depth presentation of the project’s objectives is foreseen for the next cluster 

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Issues 

meeting. Donors will participate in the next cluster meeting. 

•  Weather forecasts: the El Nino phenomenon (alternation of droughts and flooding) will 
be likely to occur in Burundi. The Imbo plain will be particularly subject to flooding, 
which could eventually delay the course of the works under the project. However, an 
inter-agency  contingency  plan  integrating  a  component  on  the  El  Nino  phenomenon 
has  been  put  in  place.  In  addition,  the  construction  and  rehabilitation  works  of 
waterways  foreseen  in  the  Imbo  plan  by  the  FAO-EUFF  (in  previous  box,  you 
mentioned  Commission  as  well  as  FAO  and  EUFF  –  consistency  or  clarity  please) 
project will specifically help to mitigate these effects.  

•  The  upcoming  presidential  elections  in 2010  could  constitute  a  destabilizing  element 
for  the  project,  as  the  Imbo  plain  is  in  proximity  to  the  capital.  However,  the 
perspectives are optimistic, as the international community, partners and donors have 
made  a  considerable  effort  to  put  in  place  mitigating  measures  to  ensure  a  smooth 
course of the elections 

Financial 
up  

follow 

Total delivery €31 709 (USD44 532) 

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7.    CAMBODIA 

Food and Agriculture Organisation: Improve the food security of farming families 
affected by the volatile food prices 

Total budget €10 971 927 (USD 15 410 010) 

 Project  

Budget 

Brief Description 

Ensuring that Cambodia’s rural poor have better access to nutritious and safe food is at the 
heart of this two-year project, signed by Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, FAO and the 
European Union in September 2009.  

The  project  entails  the  provision  of  quality  inputs  and  training  to  50  000  food-insecure 
farming  families  to  help  boost  food  production  and  productivity.  Around  24  000 
households are also set to receive assistance in planting vegetable gardens and engaging in 
small-scale aquaculture activities.  

Given  Cambodia’s  high  rate  of  malnutrition,  especially  among  women  and  children,  the 
project is working to promote nutrition education and improved feeding practices based on 
local foods.  

Another important component of the project involves the training of farmers in soil fertility 
management  and  low-input,  environmentally  friendly  technologies  such  as  Conservation 
Agriculture and Integrated Pest Management. With droughts and floods occurring regularly 
in  Cambodia,  integrating  disaster  risk  mitigation  and  preparedness  into  these  training 
activities  will  help  farmers  become  better  equipped  to  deal  with  climatic  shocks  in  the 
future. 

The  project  also  involves  providing  equipment,  storage  facilities  and  training  in  proper 
drying and storing techniques for at least 5 400 households. Some 75 000 households will 
receive  training  in  water  management  to  help  increase  the  area  of  land  under  cultivation 
and the number of crops grown per year.  

Farmers’ employment opportunities are expected to be strengthened through the provision 
of  vocational  training,  the  setting  up  of  agro-processing  enterprises  and  better  access  to 
affordable credit schemes.  

•  The  project  was  signed  by  the  Minster  of  Agriculture,  Forestry  and  Fisheries  on 
2 September  in  a  ceremony  covered  by  the  media,  both  national  television  and 
newspapers. 

•  An interim senior consultant has been recruited as inception phase team leader while 

recruitment of the Project Management Team is being finalised.  

•  The Procurement Plan was finalised by the inception mission (12 – 30 October 2009). 

The first procurement of rice seed is planned for mid-December. 

•  Project  management  and  coordination  arrangements  have  been  made  and  the  Project 

Steering Committee has been established.   

•  An inception workshop took place on 28th October, which was covered by the media.   
•  Letters of Agreement with implementing partners are under preparation.  
•  Criteria  for  beneficiary  selection  are  being  finalised.  The  selection  of  nine  target 

State of Play 

•  Monitoring  and  assessment  arrangements 

provinces has been completed and validated by the inception mission.  
logframe 

revision  and 
development  of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation 
with the EU Delegation and other partners  

(including 

•  A  project  communication/visibility  plan  has  been  developed.  Local  newspapers, 

television and YouTube have featured reports on the EU Food Facility project. 

Coordination  and 

The  European  Commission  and  the  FAO  are  developing  a  structure  that  would  bring 
together the different partners of the EUFF (including the envelope of Euro 6 million for 

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Alignment 

the NGOs/IOs) working on Food Security. FAO  is also the co-facilitator with the French 
development  agency  (AFD)  of  the  Technical  Working  Group  (TWG)  on  Agriculture  and 
Water. This TWG leads the process of the development of the Strategy on Agriculture and 
Water  (SAW),  from  which  the  Food  Security  Support  Programme  drawn  up.  The  SAW 
involves  a  process  of  harmonization  of  the  5  existing  programmes  in  order  to  avoid 
duplication and seek complementarity. This process is also facilitated by AusAid. 

Issues  

No issues/challenges reported. 

Financial 
up  

follow-

Total delivery €138 726 (USD194 827) 

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 Project 

Budget 

8.    CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC 

                         Food and Agriculture Organisation 

Total budget € 9 672 828 (USD 13 490 693) 

Brief 
Description 

FAO  is  supporting  efforts  by  the  Central  African  Republic’s  government  to  boost 
agricultural production and improve the food security of around 18 000 families (around 90 
000  people)  affected  by  the  food  price  crisis.  The  two-year  project  was  launched  in  May 
2009.  

State of Play 

With a lack of inputs crippling agricultural productivity in the country, the project is focused 
on seed multiplication activities. This is building on an FAO emergency programme already 
under way.  

The project is also supporting farmers’ groups in developing lowland fields for rice, maize, 
sorghum, niebé (cow peas), sesame and groundnut crops during the rainy season as well as 
off-season crops.  

To help reduce losses, storage facilities – for inputs and harvested food – are being built and 
input shops set up where farmers can access fertilizers and seeds produced by the farmers’ 
groups.  

A  pilot  project  will  teach  farmers,  via  a  network  of  500  farm  schools,  environmentally-
sound agricultural techniques and practices, including soil and water conservation.  

In consultation with the government, FAO is finalizing a plan to help ex-combatant farmers 
reintegrate  into  the  agricultural  sector.  The  goal  is  to  build  up  skills  and  generate  income 
opportunities by introducing them to such activities as poultry farming and small livestock 
breeding. Technical capacity building is another important component of the project. 

The  project  document  was  signed  on  3  September  2009  by  the  relevant  Governmental 
authorities  of  Central  African  Republic  and  FAO,  in  the  presence  of  the  Chargé 
d’Affaires of the EU Delegation. 

•  The Project Management Team has been reinforced and is operational.   
•  Recruitment of technical experts for 2010 is being finalized. 
•  The  workshop  for  the  official  presentation  of  the  project,  including  the  improved  log 
frame  and  the  work  plan,  was  held  on  15  October  2009  in  Bangui.  The  opening  and 
closure  of  the event was  chaired by  the  Minister  of  Agriculture.  Representatives  of  the 
EU  Delegation  and  FAO,  national  authorities,  UN  Agencies,  national  and  international 
Non- Governmental Organizations and beneficiaries participated to the workshop. 

•  Project  management  and  coordination  arrangements  have  been  finalized.  A  Ministerial 
Decree  was  passed  on  27  October  2008,  to  officially  establish  the  Project  Steering 
Committee (PSC). 

•  Procurement  of  inputs  for  the  2009  agricultural  season  is  ongoing.  Inputs  are  being 
purchased both on the national and international markets. Some of the inputs have been 
received in Bangui and have already been distributed in the field. 

•  Procurement for the 2010 agricultural season is being finalized. 
•  Seed  Multiplication  Component:  seed  producer  groups  are  being  identified  by  FAO 
national  consultants  in  consultation  with  the  Agence  Centrafricaine  de  Developpement 
Agricole (ACDA) and NGOs. Seed varieties to be introduced and multiplied have been 
selected  in  collaboration  with  the  Institut  Centrafricaine  de  Recherche  Agronomique 
(ICRA). The acquisition of these inputs on the regional and international markets is being 
prepared. 

•  Lowlands  Component:  project  sites  are  being  inspected  and  identified.  A  total  of  992 
hectares of land has already been prospected as follows: 474 hectares of land have been 
identified in Bouar, Kaga Bandoro and Bambari, 398 hectares are available in Bozoum 

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and  about  120  hectares  are  in  Paouar.  The  vegetable  seeds  to  be  distributed  for  this 
component in 2009 are already being positioned. 

•  Conservation  Agriculture  Component:  quantities  of  inputs  to  be  acquired  are  being 
harmonized  with  project  objectives.  Procurement  will  be  done  on  the  international 
markets. 

•  Monitoring  and  assessment  arrangements 

revision  and 
development of monitoring plan) are being finalized through extensive consultation with 
the EU Delegation and other partners. 

(including 

logframe 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

The  EU  Food Facility  funded  project has  strengthened  the  coordination  activities  amongst 
agencies in the field of Food Security.  

The  Cluster  on  Food  Security  is  the  principle  networking  mechanism  for  Food  Security 
issues in CAR. A number of meetings have taken place between the EUFF project and the 
Cluster  to :  i)  present  the  EUFF  project ;  ii)  identify  areas  of  collaboration  and 
complementary action/funding.  

Meetings between FAO and the EU Delegation are held regularly to discuss implementation 
progress and to coordinate with other EU funded projects.  

The Project Steering Committee, which was established on 27 October 2009, will serve as 
additional tool for coordination of activities on humanitarian aid and food security.  

Issues 

The component on ex-combatants (DDR) of the project has been delayed due to delays in 
the  process  of  disarmament,  demobilization  and  reintegration  of  ex-combatants  led  by 
UNDP. The start of the DDR component of the FAO project is pending the findings of the 
UNDP socio-economic study that will only be launched in February 2010.   

Financial 
up  

follow-

Total delivery € 1 464 605 (USD 2 042 684) 

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Project 

European Commission - United Nations Development Programme  

9.    CUBA 

Programme in Support of the modernization of local agriculture in Cuba (PALMA)  

European Commission Agreement Ref.           DCI- FOOD/2009/212-025  

Implementation  Period:                 30 months, beginning 1st of April, 2009 

Total Cost of the Action:                €11 700 000  

Special Conditions signed on:     26 June, 2009 

The resumption of the cooperation between Cuba and the European Commission took place 
in October 2008. At that time, both parties agreed to cooperate, among other areas, on food 
security.  

Food security had been identified by the Government of Cuba as their major development 
priority  and  had  also  been  included  as  a  priority  in  the  United  Nations  Development 
Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD) to 
be implemented in Cuba from 2008 to 2012.  

In  this  context,  the  EU  allocated  EUR  11,700,000  to  Cuba  under  the  “Food  facility"  and 
decided,  in  consultation with  the  Cuban  authorities  and  in  partnership  with  the  UNDP, to 
support  the  local  food  production  and  food  access  in  4  selected  provinces  and  27 
municipalities in Cuba.   

The formulation of the full project involved substantive negotiations among the key actors 
related  to  this  initiative:  European  Commission,  UNDP,  Ministry  of  Foreign  Trade  and 
Investment  and  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  in  Cuba.    The  approval  of  this  project  is  a 
concrete  evidence  of  a  new  partnership  era  between  Cuba,  the  European  Commission  and 
UNDP in Cuba. 

Project’s  General  Objective:  Decrease  the  country’s  dependency  on  imported  food,  by 
increasing  agricultural  production  through  the  support  to  cooperatives,  individual  farmers 
and related rural entities in Cuba. 

Project’s  Specific  Objective:  Increase  local  food  production  and  food  access  by 
implementing  an  economically  sustainable  strategy  focused  on  cooperatives,  individual 
farmers  and  decentralized  food  production  and  management,  in  4  provinces  and  27  pilot 
municipalities in Cuba. 

Location: The project activities will take place in four provinces and its headquarters will 
be located in Havana. The 4 target provinces are Pinar del Río, Sancti Spiritus, Granma and 
Guantánamo. 

Status of operational implementation 

State of Play 

Different style to other fiches – more bold 

Implementation  Arrangements:  The  European  Commission’s  implementing  partner  for 
this  project  is  UNDP  Cuba.    A  Steering  Committee  composed  by  the  following  core 
members:  Ministry  of  Agriculture  (MINAG),  Ministry  of  Foreign  Trade  and  Investment 
(MINCEX), the EU Delegation, and UNDP, monitors the implementation of the project. 

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Due  to  the  short  elapsed  period  of  project  implementation,  specific  results  on  objective 
verifiable  indicators  will  be  shown  in  the  subsequent  progress  reports.  The  below 
mentioned outputs are the basis for the adequate project implementation and results to 
be achieved.  

• 

The project was officially launched on 30 June, 2009.  At the ceremony were present 
the 
the  European 
top  management  representatives 
Commission, MINCEX, MINAG and FAO. 

in  Havana  from  UNDP, 

•  Programming process at the local level has been finalized: 32 proposals of the 

specific interventions to be implemented at the local level have been drafted by all 4 
provinces and 27 municipalities involved in the Project.   The process required 4 
provincial and 27 municipal workshops to be held, with the participation of 2,500 
stakeholders from the targeted provinces.   

•  The local proposals foresee a potential impact of 40million USD food import 

substitution. 

•  90%  of  the  project  procurement  plan  is  ready  to  be  revised  and  verified  once  the 

local actions are approved. 

•  A draft of a strategic training plan is ready to be submitted for revision. 
• 

Initial project visibility actions have been conducted.  5 Press notes released and a  
visibility plan is being finalized 

•  Technical advice and on-the-job assistance has been provided related to the local 

participatory planning process, structuring and organization. 

•  Monitoring:    Advancement  on  the  Local  Programming  process  duly  verified, 
through monitoring visits to municipalities conducted by UNDP and representatives of 
the European Commission. Local proposals verified and in line with project criteria. 

•  Project Management:  National Project Office (NPO) established and the 

completion of administrative personnel in charge is underway. National UNDP Staff 
has been already recruited and the International process is underway.  

•  Update on project progress and participatory planning methodology provided to 

the EC Representatives in Havana and 2 official missions from European 
Commission Headquarters.  

The project is being implemented using the methodology and local structures of the “Human 
Development  Programme  at  Local  Level”  (PDHL),  which  is  a  UNDP’s  multi-donor 
programme, fully endorsed by the Cuban authorities. The PDHL has been active in Cuba for 
more  than  11  years  and  has  acquired  a  very  strong  foundation  at  the  local  level  in  the 
municipalities where it is active.  
The  PDHL  methodology  puts  in  place  a  participatory  needs  assessment  process  which  is 
facilitated  by a  multidisciplinary working group  in each municipality.  The result  is  a  local 
strategy  which  identifies  the  local  priorities  to  be  supported  and  negotiated  at  the  national 
level  between  the  Cuban  government  and  the  international  cooperation  actors  through 
consensus  building  mechanisms.  The  programme  seeks  to  achieve  greater  harmonization 
between various national and international actors working towards this complex objective. 
Thus, in the 27 municipalities supported by the PALMA project, the municipal strategy for 
food  security  is  also  supported  by    the  above  mentioned  methodology  and  mechanism  in 
which  other  bilateral  cooperation  (AECID,  CIDA,  COSUDE/DEZA),  multilateral 
cooperation (UNDP core funds, UNDP – FAO – WFP funds from two MDG achievement 
funds  projects)  and  decentralized  cooperation  (Italian  and  Spaniards  local  governments) 
actors participate. 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

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Issues 

Programming at the local level has taken a four-month period which is considered to be an 
average  time  for  the  extensive  consultation  made  and  the  search  for  consensus  on  the 
process.  The result is that the process has improved the level of project ownership by the 
stakeholders and will impact on a smooth project implementation.  

Financial 
up 

follow 

First year Total (Euro) 

Total Cumulative (Euro) 

Budget 

Expenditure 

Contributions 

Available Fund 

% Expenditure / Contribution 

% Expenditure / Budget 

3,792,906 

       20,906 

3,650,077 

3,629,171 

1% 

1% 

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10.    DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 

Project 

                       Food and Agriculture Organisation 

Budget 

Total budget €9 651 701 (USD13 461 227) 

Brief Description 

Inadequate infrastructure and breakdowns in the agricultural production chain have stymied 
economic  growth  in  the  Democratic  Republic  of  Congo  (DRC).  The  amount  of  food 
produced in the country falls short of the needs of its growing population. 

The  two-year  project,  launched  in  May  2009,  is  in  line  with  the  Congolese  government’s 
poverty  reduction  strategies.  The  project’s  overall  aims  include  scaling  up  agricultural 
production and easing farmers’ access to markets.  

The project hopes to benefit around 36 000 vulnerable households (approximately 180 000 
people)  through  increased  access  to  quality  inputs  and  improved  transport  and  storage 
facilities.  

Work  is  being  done  to  strengthen  technical  expertise  in  the  production,  storage, 
transformation and marketing of agricultural products and to improve the network of access 
roads  so  that  farmers  can  get  their  goods  to  the  market.  Attention  is  also  being  given  to 
building the capacity of farmers’ associations.  

Another important component of the project is ensuring that key actors – the government, 
donors,  humanitarian  organisations  and  the  media  -  have  access  to  regular,  updated 
information on the state of food insecurity in the DRC, including food prices, food reserves, 
household consumption and other key data.  

FAO  is  supporting  analysis  at  national  and  provincial  level  through  the  Integrated  Phase 
Classification (IPC), a standardized tool for classifying food security and identifying areas 
for action. 

•  The project has been signed and the ceremony for signature with MOA, MFA, local EU 

Delegation and FAOR took place on 24 September 2009. 
•  The Project Management Team is complete and operational. 
•  The  Procurement  Plan  is  complete  and  finalized  both  at  headquarters  and  Field  level. 
Input  distribution  will  take  place  for  the  2010  agricultural  season,  except  in  Katanga 
where distribution of inputs is currently on-going (October- November).  

•  Members  of  the  Project  Steering  Committee  (PSC)  have  been  identified.  The  first 

meeting is scheduled for early November 2009. 

PSC includes : 

o  At  the  national  level  (Comité  Opérationnel  de  Suivi,  COS):  representative  of 
EU Delegation, FAO, operating partners (NGOs, etc.), Ministry of Agriculture 
and member of the civil society.  

State of Play 

o  At  the  provincial  level  (Unité  de  Coordination  Opérationnelle,  UCO): 
Provincial  Governorate 
(or 
representative), 
representative),  the  provincial  Inspection  of  Agriculture  (IPAPEL),  FAO, 
operating partners and Provincial Agronomic Universities. 

the  provincial  MOA 

(or 

•  Selection of implementing partners is ongoing. 
•  Criteria  for  beneficiary  selection:  final  identification  of  implementation  sites  and 
associations  of  producers  already  made,  final  identification  of  beneficiaries  (details) 
pending the final selection of implementing partners.  

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners  

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•  The  official  project  launch  Signing  Ceremony  took  place  on  24 September  and  was 
widely covered by national media (press/radio and local TV) - Press release has also been 
issued.. 

Through  its  financial  and  technical  contribution,  the  EUFF  Project  has  strengthened  the 
existing Food Security Coordination network in DRC through the following actions: 

a)  Monitoring  and  analysis  of  food  prices  in  urban  areas  (bulletins  diffusion  at 

national level) 

b)  Collection  of  Food  Security  and  nutrition  data,  food  prices  fluctuations  and  to 

identify Food Security rapid alerts in rural areas 

c)  Funding  of  the    Food  Security  Phase  Classification  (IPC)  in  EUFF  project  areas, 

which aims at providing a “common currency” for classifying food security 

d)  Reinforcing  FAO  (and  WFP)  Food  Security  Cluster  Leadership  at  national  and 
provincial level involving institutions, donors, UN Agencies and NGOs. This last 
point has been particularly evident in Katanga province where for technical reasons 
(only one agricultural season per year, in October) agricultural activities have been 
launched  since  the  beginning  of  the  project  while  in  the  other  4  provinces 
concerned with the EUFF project, the same activities will start in February 2010. 

There has been a delay in delivery of inputs, but distribution of inputs in Katanga has been 
assured through use of FAO stocks at field level.  

Total delivery € 1 464 605 (USD 2 042 684) 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

Issues 

Financial 
up  

follow-

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11.    ERITREA 

Agriculture Organisation Food and 

Project 

Increase agricultural production to overcome the challenge of Soaring Food Prices 
through the urgent distribution of agricultural inputs 

Budget 

Total budget €3 221 246 (USD4 492 672) 

Brief Description 

Rural communities in Eritrea have been made more food-insecure by the combined effects 
of a border conflict with Ethiopia, prolonged drought and high food prices.  

This  two-year  project,  launched  in  July  2009,  aims  to  restore  a  minimum  food-producing 
capacity  among  Eritrea’s  most  vulnerable  people.  Around  12  080  households 
(approximately 60 400 people) are expected to benefit.  

In order to make a desired rapid impact on farmer needs and at the same time make a more 
lasting  contribution  towards  the  National  Seed  Programme  development,  the  project  will 
follow  a  two  track  approach  regarding  seed  interventions:  quality,  drought-resistant  seeds 
will  be  generated  from  currently  growing  crops  to  be  distributed  to  beneficiaries  in  2010 
(mainly drought-affected families, internally displaced and female-headed households) and 
specific  development  intervention  will  be  made  in  research,  quality  control,  seed  grower 
programme, processing and storage and other seed sector activities. 

This programme will also include a component on integrated pest management, helping to 
pave  the  way  for  sustainable  intensification  of  crop  production.  It  builds  on  a  number  of 
ongoing FAO initiatives.  

The  project  is  also  involved  in  increasing  the  livestock  production  capacity  of  1  280 
vulnerable  households.  To  this  end,  work  is  being  done  to  set  up  a  small-scale  animal 
rearing programme and to distribute sheep and dairy goats to beneficiaries for milk and meat 
production.  

Funds are being used to improve water management capacity in this drought-prone country 
through a small-scale irrigation programme. The water harvesting activities are in line with 
the government’s food security policy and strategy while synergizing with the food security 
programmes of the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).  

Efforts will be made by the Project to ensure the linkages and mutual optimization between 
the three components of the project. 

•  The Project was signed by the Minister of Agriculture on 4 September 2009.  
•  The project coordinator has been recruited and selection of MoA experts for the different 

components of the project is being finalized. 

•  Detailed procurement plan is currently being developed with MoA experts. A number of 
changes to the initial plan have been suggested by the MoA and these are currently being 
evaluated  through  different  inception  missions  for  the  different  components  of  the 
project.  

•  Composition of the PSC has been discussed during the Inception Workshop held on 28 

September 2009 but final list is still pending of approval. 

•  Inception  workshop  took  place  in  Asmara  on  28  September  2009.  46  participants 
attended  the  workshop  from  different  departments  in  the  MoA,  research  institutions, 
farmer groups, and the EU Delegation in Asmara.  

•  The  Government  has  to  work  with  government  counterparts  as  collaboration  with 

INGOs is not allowed. 

•  Selection of beneficiaries is ongoing, together with MoA Experts. 

State of Play 

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•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners. 

•  Communication  activities:  no  independent  or  private  media  present  in  the  country. 

Recruitment of a national communication and visibility consultant is ongoing.   

Coordination & 

Alignment 

A number of meetings have been held with UNDP in order to coordinate both UNDP and 
FAO - EUFF programmes. The UNDP-EUFF programme will resume in spring 2010. The 
FAO  EUFF  programme  has  been  presented  to  other  UN  agencies  and  NGOs  through  the 
"Food security Country Team".  

Collaboration with NGOs is not currently feasible because …  

Issues 

•  Travel  restrictions  (in  place  since  2006) for  International  Staff  travelling  outside 
Asmara.  Travel  permits  need  to  be  requested  at  least  10  days  in  advance  and  are  not 
always granted.  

•  Highly restricted access to diesel fuel. 
•  Limited presence of private sector. 

Financial 
up  

follow-

Total delivery €18 692 (USD26 894) 

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12.    ETHIOPIA 

World Bank 

The objective of the grant from the European Union is to ensure that the Ethiopia Productive 
Safety  Net  Program  has  adequate  resources  to  continue  to  function  effectively,  thereby 
mitigating  the  impact  of  recent  shocks  on  the  poorest  and  most  vulnerable  in  Ethiopia. 
Resources from the grant would allow the PSNP to continue to operate in 2009 as designed, 
while a rapid response would ensure that there are no delays in the distribution of transfers 
to  beneficiaries.  Funds  would  be  channeled  as  Co-financing  through  the  existing  World 
Bank APL II Project. 

Project 

The  funds  provided  will  allow  the  program  to  cover  for  one  year  an  estimated  632,556 
chronically  food  insecure  beneficiaries.  Around  80%  of  beneficiaries  would  participate  in 
labor-intensive public works, building productive community assets that are planned within 
a  watershed  management  framework.  Around  20%  of  beneficiaries  would  be  from  labour 
poor  households  including  elderly,  chronically  sick  or  otherwise  incapacitated  households 
and these would receive transfers as Direct Support. 

State of Play 

Disbursement of EU funds to the Bank’s Trust Fund has been completed. 

 The current World Bank APL II Project is supporting the PSNP with a consortium of eight 
partners including CIDA, DFID, the European Commission, IrishAID, RNE, SIDA USAID, 
and  WFP,  who  together  have  committed  cash  and  in-kind  resources  valued  at  around 
US$1.2 billion during the current phase of the Program from 2007-2009.  All partners pool 
resources and provide on-going financing to the Program. 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

Issues 

None 

Financial follow 
up 

 Disbursement to the Project is expected in early November. 

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Project 

13.    GUATEMALA 

World Food Programme (WFP) 

This  project  began  on  1  July  2009  and  will  continue  for  24  months.  It  aims  to  reduce 
vulnerability  to  volatile  prices  and  to  improve  the  living  conditions  of  food-insecure 
vulnerable households.  

The three specific objectives are: 

• 

Improve maize production and quality, storage capacity and commercialization of 
small farmers’ organizations. 

•  Prevent  a  deterioration  of  the  nutritional  status  of  children  and  pregnant  and 
lactating  women  by  providing  a  complementary  blended  food  for  supplementary 
feeding (with maize produced and purchased through the 1st objective).  

•  Enhance  agricultural  production,  develop  income-generating  activities,  mitigate 
and  prevent  recurrent  or  seasonal  shocks  and  soil/water  management  of 
subsistence  farmers  through  food-for-work,  food-for-training  and  food-for-asset 
activities.  

Activities  will  focus  on  food  for  work  and  food  for  training  to  improve  agricultural 
production and marketing. There is also a nutrition component with supplementary feeding 
for children and pregnant lactating women.  

As  per  an  exchange  of  letters  with  the  Commission  in  October  2009,  this  activity  will  be 
expanded  ton  include  subsistence  farmers  in  3  departments  in  the  dry  corridor:  Baja 
Verapaz, Jalapa and El Progreso, due to the food insecurity levels in these areas.  

Objective 1: Field visits have been made to engage small farmers’ organizations. FAO has 
started to support maize postrera crop (Oct-Dec. 2009). Potential small farmer’s beneficiary 
organizations are being identified in coordination with FAO. 

Objective 2: Tender for maize transformation into Vitacereal® (1.100 mt) is being awarded.  
Local  authorities  have  requested  support  with  the  complementary  food  component  due  to 
food shortages in the country. 

Objective  3:  WFP  has  procured  the  following  food  items  to  be  distributed  to  subsistence 
farmers. Beneficiaries are in the selection phase in coordination with VISAN and SESAN. 

Product 

Metric tons 

State of Play 

Maize (*) 

CSB 

Vegetable Oil (**) 

Beans 

TOTAL 

968 

218 

26 

71 

1,283 

(*)   Maize was purchased from small farmers’ organizations. 

(**) The procurement (veg. oil) was approved at the regional level as the local 
price was 29% higher than those in Mexico.  

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WFP  has  consulted  with  Vitacereal®  processors  on  the  feasibility  of  transforming  maize 
procured by WFP into Vitacereal®. 

WFP is constantly in contact with local delegation.  Selection of beneficiaries by WFP and 
FAO  is  ongoing,  in  coordination  with  government  counterparts  (SESAN,  VISAN  and 
PRORURAL). 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

A steering committee meeting was held on September 3, 2009 at the EU Delegation office in 
Guatemala City to follow-up the current emergency situation in the country and to explore 
the possibilities to adapt the EU Food Facility contract Objective 3 (food for work activities 
in  combination  with  the  production  of  food  for  subsistence  farmers)  with  a  geographical 
extension of other departments in the dry corridor.  

There have been several preparatory missions to identify beneficiaries in coordination with 
FAO.  The base-line of the project is in planning process. 

The visibility plan has been developed based on discussions with EU delegation.  

Visibility 

On  September  17,  the  EU  Food  Facility  programme  was  launched  by  the  President  of 
Guatemala, Head of EU Delegation, WFP and FAO, government ministries involved in the 
implementation  and  other  government  bodies  at  a  ceremony,  attended  by  international 
community, civil organizations and media. 

Issues 

A budget revision of WFP’s Guatemala projects has been completed in order to absorb the 
purchase of maize and the cost of its transformation into Vitacereal®. 

Financial follow 
up 

A  total  of  €1.15  million,  representing  24%  of  the  first  year  budget  (July  2009-June  2010) 
has been committed.  

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 Project  

Budget 

Brief Description 

14.    GUATEMALA 

Food and Agriculture Organisation: Increased agricultural production and improved 
nutritional status 

Total budget €4 491 698 (USD6 308 565) 

This  two-year  project,  launched  in  June  2009,  aims  to  help  the  Guatemalan  government 
increase  the  agricultural  productivity  and  marketing  capacity  of  smallholder  farmers  and 
improve their nutritional status. The project, which is in line with the National Strategy for 
the  Reduction  of  Chronic  Malnutrition,  is  being  implemented  jointly  with  the  UN  World 
Food Programme (WFP).  

FAO  is  working  with  small  farmers’  organizations  (around  4  000  families)  to  help  them 
boost  the  quality  and  productivity  of  their  maize  crops.  Work  is  being  done  to  strengthen 
their storage capacity and marketing skills.  

Another component of the project involves helping small farmers to become more confident 
in investing in new technologies to access markets and to strengthen their price negotiation 
skills. The goal is to encourage food processing firms to increase their maize purchases from 
local markets, especially from small producer organizations supported by the WFP.  

By  securing  better  purchasing  conditions  from  the  WFP,  small  farmers  will  likely  be 
encouraged  to  apply  innovative  practices  to  improve  the  quantity  and  quality  of  their 
production, helping to generate income and reduce chronic malnutrition.  

The  project  is  working  to  ensure  that  at  least  6  000  households  in  the  rural  areas  of  El 
Quiché,  Alta  and  Baja  Verapaz  have  increased  supplies  of  staple  grains  for  household 
consumption and are able to diversify their food production and diets.  

Soil and water management and livelihood protection practices are linked to food-for-work 
and food-for-training activities for some 8 000 poor rural families.  

Targeted  beneficiaries  include:  small-scale  farmers’  organizations  that  produce  maize 
intensively; subsistence and infra-subsistence households that produce food in the mountain 
slopes;  and  organized  small-scale  farmers  with  high  food  production  potential  and  market 
links.  

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State of Play 

•  The  project  was  signed  by  the  President  of  the  Republic  of  Guatemala  on  20th 
September in an official ceremony covered by national television and newspapers. 

•  The Project Management Team is being finalised.  
•  The  Procurement  Plan  has  been  developed.  Input  requirements  and  technical 

• 

specifications have been identified. 
Implementing partners at national level have been identified and implementing partners 
at municipal level will be selected by the project management unit.  

•  Criteria for beneficiary selection are being finalised.  
•  An international tender for maize seeds and fertilizers has been issued. Inputs are being 

delivered.   

•  Monitoring  and  assessment  arrangements 

revision  and 
development  of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation 
with the EU Delegation and other partners  

(including 

logframe 

•  A project communication/visibility plan was developed.  
•  A  major  communications  event  was  held  around  the  official  signing  ceremony, 

resulting in television and newspaper coverage.  

Coordination and 
alignment 

The EUFF project represents a significant contribution to the efforts of the Government of 
Guatemala to respond to the emergency food crisis situation in Guatemala.  

Issues 

Guatemala has been affected by severe drought, which has caused a 60%-80% loss in bean 
crops according to the Ministry of Agricultura. The dry corridor is the region most affected 
by the drought, although the EUFF Project does not target this area.  

Financial 
up  

follow-

Total delivery €120 367 (USD169 044) 

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 Project  

                            Food and Agriculture Organisation 

15.    GUINEA BISSAU 

Budget 

Total budget €2 902 040 (USD4 047 475) 

Brief Description 

State of Play 

In partnership with the World Bank, this two-year project, launched in May 2009, aims to 
help the government of Guinea-Bissau boost agricultural production.  

The project is providing around 25 000 vulnerable farming families with seeds, fertilisers, 
tools and training to increase their output during the main growing season of 2010 and the 
off-seasons  in  2009  and  2010.  The  project  is  also  focused  on  rehabilitating  the  country’s 
agricultural infrastructure, including rice fields and market garden plots.  

In  cooperation  with  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  the  National  Institute  of  Agronomic 
Research (INPA), FAO is helping to train 50 farmers in seed multiplication. The goal is to 
strengthen  farmers’  understanding  of  the  entire  production  cycle,  from  the  supply  of  seed 
stocks to the marketing of certified seeds. Building the capacity of the INPA to control the 
quality of seeds produced is also part of the project. 

Fifty breeders of small animals (poultry, sheep, goats, pigs) are being taught new techniques 
in  livestock  management  and  receiving  help  in  enhancing  the  sanitary  conditions  of 
livestock  areas.  Veterinary  services  are  also  being  provided  with  medicines  and  other 
essential supplies.  

FAO  is  working  with  the  World  Food  Programme  (WFP)  to  support  300  school  gardens, 
benefiting around      24 000 students. The aim is to teach students gardening skills while 
boosting  their  nutritional  intake.  About  40  percent  of  the  produce  will  be  sold  in  local 
markets.  

•  The  project  was  signed  by  the  Minister  for  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  on 

14 October 2009. 

•  The Project Management Team is complete and operational.   
•  The  Procurement  Plan  is  complete  although  some  delays  are  expected  for  some  hand 

tools, computers ordered from headquarters. 

•  The first meeting of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) was held on 14 October 2009. 
•  Selection of implementing partners: contracting of NGOs is being concluded. 
•  Beneficiary  selection  is  almost  complete:  target  communities  and  beneficiaries  in  each 
region  have  been  largely  identified  by  the  National  Coordinator  with  the  support  of 
regional Delegations of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.  

•  First  symbolic  distribution  of  inputs  took  place  on  World  Food  Day  and  official 

distribution commenced shortly after (end October). 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners  

•  Media  coverage  during  launching  Ceremony  and  first  meeting  of  Project  Steering 

Committee. Activities covered by local TV, RTP Africa, local radios. 

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Coordination & 

Alignment 

The EU Food Facility project has helped to strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of 
Agriculture  and  donors  (World  Bank,  International  Fund  for  Agricultural  Development, 
African  Development  Bank,  etc)  at  central  and  regional  levels  on  issues  related  to 
agricultural development. 

Issues 

No main issues/constraints reported.  

Financial 
up  

follow-

Total delivery €227 235 (USD316 924) 

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 Project 

Budget 

Brief Description 

State of Play 

                        Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 

16.    HAITI 

Total budget €9 620 916 (USD13 418 292) 

FAO  is  supporting  efforts  by  the  Haitian  government  to  improve  the  food  security  and 
livelihoods of around 300 000 rural households made more vulnerable by the food crisis. 

The  two-year  project,  launched  in  May  2009,  aims  to  contribute  to  the  growth  and 
diversification  of  agriculture  in  Haiti,  while  at  the  same  time  building  the  country’s 
resilience to natural disasters.  

Around  85  percent  of  Haiti’s  watersheds  –  a  crucial  source  of  water  for  households  and 
crops, and a buffer against flooding – have fallen into disrepair.  

To make water more available, funds are being used, among other things, to rehabilitate a 
watershed that serves 10 000 households; improve water supply systems (household water 
tanks,  rainwater  catchments  in  mountain  areas);  and  create  reservoirs  to  replenish 
groundwater supplies and encourage diverse livelihood activities.  

Through  the  project,  farming  families  in  mountain  regions  are  expected  to  be  trained  in 
sound  agricultural  practices,  while  attention  will  be  given  to  the  development  of  land  use 
systems that combine forestry, agriculture and livestock breeding.  

Support  is  being  given  to  help  develop  household  vegetable  gardens  and  to  scale  up 
agricultural production, including the cultivation of high value crops. 

Around 8 000 households are to receive seeds and tools, and improvements will be made to 
grain and seed storage systems as well as rural roads, helping to ease the movement of food.  

Improved  water  availability  and  groundcover  for  grazing  will  increase  livestock  breeding, 
while FAO will assist around 6 000 vulnerable families living in coastal areas in developing 
aquaculture activities.  

The  project  is  focused  on  strengthening  local  structures  and  capacities  to  enhance 
sustainability. 

•  The  official  project  launch  took  place  in  Fort  Liberté  on  13-14 August 2009  with  an 
inception workshop and with the participation of the Minister and the EC Representation 
and all other stakeholders.  

•  The Project Management Team is almost complete and operational. The National Project 
Leader position has been established as a fixed term and the expert recruited and stating 
at  the  beginning  of  November;  International  finance  and  admin  support  is  secured  and 
taking place in November with AFF support; an international operations expert is already 
in place and managing the work; reinforcement of the national emergency team with the 
creation of 6 national fixed term staff positions (for those core functions) is ongoing. The 
deployment of the project team is combined with the establishment of the project office 
in  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  North  East  province  offices  and  an  extension  of  the 
existing infrastructure is being done. The inception phase initially planned for 3 months 
had to be extended until December 2009 because of the complexity of the work and the 
need to further study and test a number of activities such as small dams, storage facilities, 
etc.  International  expertise  in  civil  engineer  is  being  organized  to  further  advance  the 
plans and works related to small and medium size infrastructures. 

•  The Procurement Plan: Immediate local procurement of 3 vehicles with repeat order and 
international launch planned for the next 2. Local procurement done for office furniture 

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and  computers.  The  overall  procurement  plan  for  expendable  equipment  (estimated  to 
USD6.5 million) and for services is being reviewed and will be finalized by the end of 
December 09 once all related civil engineering studies are available. The project team is 
also  reviewing  and  identifying  various  possible  implementing  partners  or  agents 
(including  private  sector)  for  service  contracts  (USD1.68 million)  for  various  services 
and works. The First FBA of USD223.000 was sent in early July to the field. 

•  The  project  steering  committee  is  in  place  and  has  held  its  first  meeting  on 

27 September 2009.  

•  The inception workshop was organized on the margins of the official project launch on 

13-14 August 2009. 

•  Dialogue  is  ongoing  with  potential  implementing  partners  such  as  "Agro  Action 
Allemande", "CECI" a Canadian NGO, Caritas, and "Veterinarians without borders" for 
livestock  and  draft  LoAs  are  under  review.  And  LoA  is  also  being  approved  with 
SUCCO  for  the  support  in  compost.  Criteria  for  beneficiary  selection  have  been 
established with stakeholders. 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EC 
Delegation and other partners  

•  A communication support mission will be fielded in January 2010 to define and plan all 
various  communications,  visibility  and  media  related  activities  for  the  Haiti  EUFF 
project. A draft communication and visibility plan has been prepared by the team in the 
field and the FAOR and is under review by the EU Delegation in Haiti 

The  EUFF  project  in  Haiti  is  addressing  two  main  problems  aligned  to  two  main  national 
strategies:  one  on  the  rehabilitation  and  management  of  water  catchment  areas  (which  all 
present  various  stages  of  degradation)  and  a  second  one  on  the  national  strategy  for  food 
security (more than 2 millions people are food insecure). The EUFF Haiti project focuses on 
the Maribaroux water catchment area in the North Eastern Department and is tackling this 
double challenge and interacting with various interested stakeholders at the provincial and 
local  levels.  Designed  for  support  mainly  at  the  provincial  level,  the  project  is  and  will 
significantly contribute to best approaches and practices reconciling food security and food 
production,  management  of  water  and  natural  resources  and  institutional  and  individual 
capacity building in one strategic catchment area near the Dominican Republic border. The 
Project  Steering  Committee  is  organized  at  the  provincial  level  but  should  be  reinforced 
with  inputs  into  national  coordination  mechanisms  for  food  security  and  catchment  area 
management. 

Project implementation has been delayed due to a long initial detailed work planning  stage 
related  to  4  main  challenges  faced  by  the  project:  (1)  To  be  viable,  a  catchment  area 
approach and management is a medium to longer term approach requiring 5 to 10 years of 
funding and the EUFF Haiti project will only be able to initiate a catchment area planning 
and management over a 2 year short term period; (2) There is not one harmonized approach 
for  catchment  area  management  in  Haiti  but  different  donors  and  partners  approaches 
coexist, thus allowing too many interpretations on the best way forward.  Coordination work 
is being reinforced at all levels; (3) Boosting food production and food security is difficult to 
achieve  in  mountainous  areas  requiring  sound  natural  resource  management  practices  and 
more  time  for  training  farmers  in  sound  soil  and  water  management,  therefore  immediate 
inputs distribution is planned together with training in 2010; (4)  

To ensure the viability of the interventions, a participatory process with all stakeholders is 
carried  out  and  requires  time  and  excellent  joint  planning  prior  to  the  physical 
implementation of the activities, especially for small scale rural infrastructures. 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

Issues 

Financial follow-
up 

Total delivery  €139 986 (USD195 238) 

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17.    JAMAICA 

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)  

Project 

Strengthening Jamaica’s Food Security Programme 

Budget 

Total budget €5 802 649 (USD8 149 788) 

Brief Description 

This two-year project, launched in June 2009, aims to support the Jamaican government in 
ensuring that rural communities and the urban poor have improved access to safe, affordable 
and nutritious food.  

To decrease Jamaica’s reliance on expensive food imports, the project is working to boost 
the production and use of locally-grown food crops such as roots and tubers.  

To  this  end, funds  are being  used  to  increase  planting  areas,  to  create  rapid  multiplication 
centres  for  the  production  of  quality  planting  material  and  to  set  up  greenhouses  for  the 
production of quality seedlings. The project seeks to train farmers and extension officers in 
improved organic farming practices, post-harvest storage and packaging techniques.  

Given that many small farmers have difficulties in accessing water, work is being done to 
increase  the  use  of  small-scale  irrigation  systems  and  to  provide  farmers’  groups  with 
training in efficient irrigation techniques.  

FAO  is  developing  2  500  information  packages  for  distribution  and  providing  training  on 
setting up backyard gardens. At least 10 schools and six state-run homes will benefit from 
this programme.  

By expanding a small livestock breeding programme, farmers will be able to produce meat 
for  sale  in  the  local  markets.  FAO  will  also  help  to  strengthen  policy  and  government 
strategies for improved agricultural productivity and food security.  

The  overall  project  seeks  to  address  gaps  in  the  national  food  security  programme,  which 
was mapped out in 2008 following the food price crisis. Around 5 000 people living in rural 
areas and 2 000 people living in urban areas are expected to benefit.  

•  The project was signed in August.  
•  Recruitment of the Project Management Team is ongoing. 
•  The Procurement Plan is being developed. 
•  Project  management  and  coordination  arrangements  have  been  made  and  the 

• 

Project Steering Committee will meet in the coming weeks.  
Implementing  partners  were  met  during  the  operational  backstopping  mission  which 
took  place  in  October.  Letters  of  Agreement  and  Memoranda  of  Understanding  are 
being prepared.  

•  The  selection  of  beneficiaries  will  be  revised  upon  the  inception  mission,  in 

coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture. 

State of Play 

•  The first distribution of inputs is scheduled to take place in November/December.  
•  Monitoring  and  assessment  arrangements 

revision  and 
development  of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation 
with the EU Delegation and other partners  

(including 

logframe 

•  A visibility plan has been finalized and a press release issued following the signing of 

the project.  

Coordination and 
Alignment 

The project was originally designed to supplement the government’s existing food security 
strategy  which  targets  various  activities  that  together,  are  designed  to  have  a  considerable 
impact  on  the  agriculture  sector’s  short  and  medium  term  production  and  productivity.  In 

EN 

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that regard, the EU Food Facility is anchoring food security activities at this time. 

Issues 

Jamaica  continues  to  be  negatively  impacted  by  the  world  financial  crisis,  and  this  has 
affected  the  ability  of  the  government  to  pursue  its  development  plans  for  all  sectors, 
including agriculture. Currently, the fiscal space of the government is tightening as it makes 
preparations to return to the IMF for budgetary support. In practical terms, this has affected 
the  ability  of  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  to  provide  travelling  and  other  support  for  its 
extension staff, to adequately participate in project activities such as mobilizing farmers. It 
is hoped that this challenge will be addressed as soon as an IMF deal is brokered. 

Financial follow 
up 

Total delivery €76 220 (USD107 043) 

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18.    KENYA 

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 

 Project  

 Enhancing livestock production to support vulnerable populations in Kenya affected 
by volatile Food prices 

Budget 

Total budget €3 943 965 (USD5 539 276) 

Brief Description 

This two-year project, launched in June 2009, is designed to help the government of Kenya 
enhance  livestock  production  to  ease  the  burden  of  high  food  prices  on  vulnerable 
communities. 

Funds  from  the  European  Union  worth  nearly  €  4  million  are  being  used  to  restore  and 
improve  the  production  capacity  of  livestock  producers  and  to  increase  the  availability  of 
livestock products in the market.  

The  project  is  supporting  small-scale  dairy  producers  in  high  potential  areas  in  western 
Kenya  and  livestock  producers  in  the  semi-arid  and  arid  regions  of  northern  Kenya. 
Drought-tolerant  grass  seeds  are  to  be  distributed  to  irrigated  fodder  production  sites  in 
Mandera, Garissa, and Turkana districts.  

The project  is promoting  community  involvement  in  the management  of  seed bulking  and 
seed  multiplication  through  the  expansion  of  the  Pastoral  Field  School  (PFS)  approach. 
Local  entrepreneurs  are  being  encouraged  to  participate  in  fodder  production  and  seed 
bulking to help ensure sustained access to fodder seeds.  

Improving  livestock  marketing  infrastructure,  including  holding  grounds  and  water  points, 
and livestock marketing information systems are also part of the project. Producers will be 
trained in the use of new information and communication technology equipment.  

Small-scale  dairy  producers  will  receive  support  in  vaccinating  and  treating  livestock  for 
such diseases as foot-and-mouth and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.  

They will also be trained on animal health, with a focus on milk-related diseases, and on the 
use  of  feed  formulation  and  alternative  feed  crops.  Assessments  of  and  trainings  on  dairy 
marketing information and best practices in dairy hygiene are to be carried out. 

•  The  project  has  been  signed  by  the  Minister  for  Livestock  Production  in  a  media 

ceremony aired on National Television and written up in the National news papers. 

•  The Project Management Team is complete and operational. 
•  The  Procurement  Plan  is  complete,  all  equipment  has  been  ordered  and  is  to  arrive  to 

Kenya within 15 March 2010 at the latest.   

•  Project management and coordination arrangements have been finalized and the Project 

Steering Committee has already held two meetings. 

•  The inception workshop was held including all project partners, the relevant district and 
provincial officers from all the target districts, as well as the national authorities within 
the Ministry of Livestock Production. 

•  13 Letters of Agreement (LoAs) with implementing partners are under preparation (4 of 
which have  already  been signed).  The  total  value  of  these  LOAs  is USD1 834 192,  the 
value of those signed to date is USD309 228. 

•  Criteria for beneficiary selection have been established with stakeholders 
•  800.000 doses of Rift Valley Fever vaccination have been imported and delivered to the 
Director  of  Veterinary  Services  in  support  of  the  countries  vaccination  programme 
against the disease (total amount spent on this is USD375 912). 

State of Play 

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•  Two consultancy contracts have been developed and signed on information management 
and the effectiveness of past interventions in livestock marketing and the effectiveness of 
past  training  initiatives  in  the  dairy  sector.  The  total  value  of  these  contracts  is 
USD125 742. 

•  The Digital Pen Technology has been presented to project partners and a request from the 
directorate  of  Veterinary  Services  has  been  received  to  scale  up  the  use  of  this 
technology. To date 40 digital pens have been ordered from South Africa and a training 
workshop  on  the  use  of  the  pens  and  the  adaptation  of  their  use  to  include  livestock 
marketing is planned in December. 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners  

•  The  official  project  launch  will  take  place  at  the  end  of  November  through  a  major 
communication event with media coverage to show progress and achievements to date. 

Coordination at the National Level: 

At the national level coordination has been enhanced through the following: 

•  The  Project  Steering  Committee  (which  incorporates  officers  from  the  Arid  Lands 
Resource  Management  Project  under  the  Ministry  of  Northern  Kenya  and  Other  Arid 
Lands,  the  Directorates  of  Livestock  Production  and  Veterinary  Services  under  the 
Ministry of Livestock Development, the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, the Chair 
of the Agriculture and Livestock Sector Working Group the European Commission and 
FAO) meetings provide a multi-sectoral forum to discuss the design and implementation 
of the project. Concrete outputs of improved coordination that have arisen directly from 
these meetings include: 

1.  The  combination  of  Government  and  project  resources  to  combat  the  Rift 

Valley Fever risk. 

2.  The linking of KARI to all fodder production activities funded by the project 

(and the provision of their technical input into partner proposals). 

3.  Strengthening  and  feeding  information  into  the  Agriculture  and  Livestock 
Sector  working  (ALSWG)  group  (which  is  a  sub  group  of  the  Kenya  Food 
Security Meeting – the overall government / donor / NGO coordination group). 
•  Presentations  about  the  project  at  Agriculture  and  Livestock  Sector  Working  Group 

Meetings. 

•  Based  on  the  livestock  marketing  component  of  this  project  FAO  is  in  the  process  of 
organizing  a  meeting  between  key  donors  in  the  livestock  sector  and  the  Ministry  of 
livestock  development  to  discuss  their  flag  ship  project  (disease  free  zones)  and  to 
present viable alternatives that may attract more donor funding. 

Coordination at District and Provincial Level: 

•  The  involvement  of  District  Veterinary  and  Livestock  Production  Officers,  provincial 
Directors  of  Veterinary  Services  and  Livestock  Production  and  representatives  of  the 
National  Directors  for  Livestock  Production  and  Veterinary  Services  in  the  review  of 
partner  proposals.  This  process  has  ensured  that  the  relevant  authorities  have  had  the 
opportunity to review, discuss and influence the content of all proposals that have been 
presented for funding under this project. 

•  Project partners (NGOs, District, Provincial and National Staff) have had the opportunity 
to review and influence the project log frame in order to ensure that the project is fully in 
line with the priorities of each level. 

Despite the achievements in coordination to date there is a realisation that the capacity for 
coordination  within  the  government  remains  limited  (with  individuals  tasked  with 
coordination also responsible for a number of other jobs). We are therefore in the process of 
developing a proposal to support coordination at the government level by seconding officers 
to  each  of  the  ministries  of  Agriculture,  Livestock  Development  and  Northern  Kenya  and 
Other Arid Lands. 

These individuals would be located in the different ministries but work as a team, collecting 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

Issues 

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information  from  the  districts  and  presenting  it  to  organisations  and  institutions  at  the 
national level.  

They  will  be  provided with  technical  and mapping  support by  FAO.  Through  this  process 
the  ministries  will  be  able  to  triangulate  development  partner  plans  (and  their  own  plans) 
against  district  based  priorities,  enabling  them  to  influence  the  development  of  more 
appropriate,  targeted  programmes  which  are  strongly  linked  to  the  needs  of  targeted 
districts. 

Financial 
up  

follow-

Total delivery €346 712 (USD486 923) 

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19.    LESOTHO 

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 

Project 

Input to trade fairs and measures to increase seed security 

Budget 

Total budget €3 948 647 (USD5 545 853) 

Brief Description 

With  farming  in  steady  decline  in  Lesotho  and  more  than  350  000  people  facing  hunger, 
efforts to boost agricultural production over the long term and help the country achieve food 
security are crucial. 

FAO  launched  a  two-year  project  in  May  2009  to  improve  the  food  security  of  36  300 
vulnerable farming families.  

To help farmers increase food production during the main cropping seasons in 2009/2010 
and  2010/2011,  FAO  is  providing  agricultural  inputs  to  35  700  households  through  Input 
Trade Fairs (ITFs).  

These  fairs  enable  farmers  to  use vouchers  to  buy good  quality  seed,  fertilizers  and other 
inputs from participating local vendors. FAO has been supporting these fairs for a number 
of years in Lesotho to help stimulate local production. Farmers will also receive training to 
help them maximize production from the inputs.  

The trading of open pollinated seed varieties (OPVs) is being encouraged at the ITFs. These 
varieties can be recycled for two to three seasons, thus ensuring farmers’ continued access 
to inputs.  

Depleted  soil  resources  have  seriously  hampered  agricultural  productivity  in  Lesotho. 
Through  this  project,  FAO  is  providing  technical  support  to  around  500  farmers  who 
practice conservation agriculture. This technique helps restore the health of the soil, paving 
the way for higher yields.  

FAO is also providing technical and material support to some 100 seed producers. The goal 
is to produce up to 100 tonnes of certified seed for sale through the ITFs and other input 
trading channels.  

FAO  is  working  closely  with  Lesotho’s  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Food  Security  to 
implement the project, helping to strengthen the capacity of the ministry to carry out similar 
activities in the future. 

•  The project was signed on 23 September by the Minister of Agriculture, the Head of 
the EU Delegation and the FAO Representative. The official ceremony generated press 
coverage.  

•  The core Project Management Team is in place, while recruitment of additional staff is 
in  process.  Project  management  and  coordination  arrangements  have  been  made  and 
the Project Steering Committee has met three times. 

•  The Procurement Plan has been developed. The main method of input procurement and 

distribution is through voucher-based input trade fairs (ITFs).  

•  Most  activities  are  being  implemented  with  the  Government  of  Lesotho;  however, 
implementing  partners  for  the  conservation  agriculture  component  will  be  selected  in 
early 2010.  

•  More than 10, 650 households have obtained inputs through the ITFs; Another 35 ITFs 
covering  14,550  households  will  run  until  early  November.  An  interim  data  analysis 
(undertaken halfway through the fairs) indicated that 10,650 farmers (48% of whom are 
women) had obtained: 

State of Play 

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• 

• 

354  tonnes  of  seed  (99t  maize,  16t  peas,  51  t  bean,  28t  wheat,  1t  sorghum,  158t 
potatoes and 1t vegetable seed) have been accessed by (48% of who are female).  
5,237  mega  litres  of  liquid  organic  and  75  tonnes  of  inorganic  fertiliser  have  been 
purchased.  
5,862 pieces of agricultural hardware (tools and plough parts) have been purchased 

• 
•  Monitoring  and  assessment  arrangements 

revision  and 
development  of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation 
with the EC Delegation and other partners  

(including 

logframe 

Coordination and 
alignment 

•  The project communication/visibility plan has been developed. 
•  Contacts have been established with some of the NGOs that will receive funds from the 

EU Food Facility for the 2010/2011 season.  

•  One  of  these  NGOs  will  be  co-opted  into  the  PSC  to  ensure  that  synergies  are 

promoted.  

•  Further,  the  project  will  invite  a  wide  range  of  stakeholders  (NGO  –  beneficiary  and 
non-beneficiaries of the EU FF, Govt, farmer representatives, PSC members, research 
organisations  &  UN  agencies)  to  a  review  meeting  at  the  end  of  the  season  to  jointly 
assess the impact of the project and promote synergies with other interventions. 

Issues 

No issues/challenges reported. 

Financial 
up  

follow-

 Total delivery €713 806 (USD1 002 469) 

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Project 

State of Play 

20.    LIBERIA 

UNICE: Scaling Up Nutrition / Safety Nets Programmes in Liberia 

UNICEF is implementing a project to “Scale up nutrition and safety nets programmes in 
Liberia” as part of the Joint Food Security and Nutrition Programme developed between the 
Government of Liberia and the UN.  This project aims to improve the nutrition status for the 
most vulnerable groups, particularly pregnant and lactating women and children under five, 
by: (i) Improving the prevention and management of malnutrition and childhood illness with 
the introduction of the essential nutrition actions approach into 130 health facilities and the 
scale up of treatment of severe acute malnutrition at community level, (ii) Developing and 
implementing a cash transfer scheme for vulnerable households; and (iii) Improving access 
to safe water and sanitation at household level.  The agreement was signed on 15th May with 
a starting date of 1st April 2009 for 24 months. 

Output  1  -  Essential  Nutrition  Actions  (ENA)  approach  introduced  to  130  health 
facilities: Based on the Nutrition Policy that was finalized early 2009, a three year national 
nutrition action plan has been drafted and is awaiting finalisation. A national workshop for 
45 health and nutrition program managers and training instructors has been held to introduce 
the ENA approach and develop an operational plan for roll-out into 130 facilities by end of 
2010. Job aids on the delivery of the 7 targeted actions as part of routine maternal and child 
health services have been developed and validated.  Messages on the targeted actions have 
been  drafted  and  a  qualitative  study  on  IYCF  is  currently  in  process  to  provide  more  in-
depth information and facilitate development of communication tools for use at facility and 
community  level.    An  assessment  of  the  status  of  infant  and  young  child  feeding  (IYCF) 
policies  and  programmes  has  been  conducted  to  guide  the  IYCF  strategy  development 
process.  Training activities for health service providers at facility and community level on 
the approach will take place in early 2010. 

Output  2  -  Scaling  up  of  management  of  severe  acute  malnutrition  (SAM)  at 
community level: National protocols on the treatment of SAM have been disseminated to 
all facilities involved in in-/outpatient care. To date, 33% of children requiring treatment are 
covered  with  recovery  rate  of  75%.  45  health  workers  from  8  health  facilities  have  been 
trained  in  community  management  of  acute  malnutrition  and  130  health  workers  from  70 
facilities  have  been  trained  in  nutrition  screening  and  growth  monitoring.  Out-  patient 
treatment  has  been  introduced  to  1  additional  county  and  new  treatment  facilities  are 
currently  being  established  in  5  counties  which  will  increase  coverage  levels  to  50%. 
UNICEF has provided Ready to use therapeutic foods (plumpy nut, F-100 Milk, F-75 Milk) 
medical  and  non  medical  supplies,  and  anthropometric  equipment  to  the  MOHSW  and 
partners.  

Output 3 - Cash transfer program for vulnerable groups established: An assessment of 
the administrative, human and physical infrastructure for cash transfers was done and a draft 
manual of operations for the Liberia Pilot Social Cash Transfer Scheme has been developed 
and  will  be  continually  reviewed  by  key  stakeholders  during  the  implementation  of  the 
social cash transfer scheme. A study tour on social cash transfers was conducted to Malawi 
by the Government of Liberia policy makers from the Ministries of Planning and Economic 
Affairs, Health and Social Welfare, Gender and Development, Finance and Internal Affairs 
and sector specialists of UNICEF. Lessons learned from the visit have been used to finalize 
the draft manual of operations. A pilot county (region) has been identified and several stake 
holders meetings and trainings on the management of the cash transfer have been held with 
community  groups  and  Government  officials.  An  institutional  framework  for  coordination 
and implementation of the scheme is being established at national and community level. The 
disbursement of cash to beneficiaries will be launched in November 2009. 

Output 4 - Access to safe water and sanitation strengthened: Four NGO partners have 

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Coordination & 
Alignment 

been identified to implement the WASH package (hand-washing with soap, household water 
treatment  and  storage,  and  sanitation  promotion).  Health  facilities  and  catchment 
communities  from  5  counties  have  been  identified.  Contracts  with  the  4  NGOs  have  been 
drawn  up  for  the  assessment  of  WASH  facilities  and  implementation  of  household  water 
treatment and community  led total sanitation activities. A training of key stakeholders has 
taken  place  in  Monrovia  and  will  be  followed  up  with  further  training  activities  in  the  5 
counties.  

A  framework  has  been  established  to  coordinate  the  joint  programme  at  the  policy  and 
programmatic  levels.    This  includes  a  Technical  Working  group  composed  of  Sectoral 
Ministers and representatives from the UN agencies, chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture.  
At  the  programmatic  level,  joint  programme  activities  are  coordinated  by  the  Nutrition 
Coordinating Committee for nutrition and the Ministry of Planning and Economic affairs for 
the cash transfer program.  In addition regular meetings of UN partners are held to review 
progress  with  the  implementation  of  JP  activities  funded  by  EUFF  and  identify  areas  of 
integration and avoid overlap.  Within UNICEF, effort is made to identify common target 
counties and communities to ensure maximum impact. 

Issues 

Nutrition: the main constraint have been with the slightly slow pace of roll-out of the ENA 
programs and the out-patient treatment programme for acute malnutrition due to: (i) lack of 
capacity at central & county level which slows down planning & implementation process, 
(ii)  limited  partners  in  counties  with  non-emergency  focus.    UNICEF  will  strengthen 
capacity at the MOHSW with the recruitment of a UNV for a period of one year. 

Cash  Transfer:  this  is  a  new  concept  in  Liberia  which  has  generated  considerable  interest 
and  debate  in  government  and  among  other  UNICEF  partners.    UNICEF  had  to  spend 
considerable amount of time in developing consensus and harmonizing diverging views and 
interest of the key stakeholders as part of the planning process.  A common understanding 
on the way forward now exists and this is being articulated in a roll out plan. 

WASH:  more  time  than  had  been  anticipated,  is  required  to  introduce  and  develop 
approaches and channels for the implementation of the new WASH package of promotion 
and  home  based  interventions.  The  introduction  and  piloting  of  Community  Led  Total 
Sanitation has involved regional and national training activities, and a shift towards a zero 
subsidy  approach  to  infrastructure.    Establishing  local  production  of  a  home  based  water 
treatment product in Liberia has involved developing new partnerships, technical capacities 
in product production, and approaches to social marketing.  

Financial follow 
up 

The  total  cost  of  the  project  is  €3.029  million,  including  the  EU  Food  Facility  (€1.429 
million) and the support of the Government of Japan.   

A total of $1.852 million has been committed and will be spent by spring 2010 as per year 1 
of the estimated budget.  

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21.    LIBERIA 

 Project  

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 

Support to the Government’s Coordinated Response to the Food Price Crisis 

Budget 

Total budget €4 367 517 (USD6 091 376) 

Brief Description 

FAO launched a 20-month project in May 2009 to help the Liberian government revitalise 
its agriculture sector and ensure that people have ample and sustainable access to nutritious 
food.  

This initiative forms an integral part of the Government and UN Joint Programme for Food 
Security and Nutrition wherein the European Union also supports related activities carried 
out by UNDP, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP).  

The  project  aims  to  boost  food production  through  the  distribution  of  certified  rice  seeds, 
fertilisers and integrated pest management inputs to 10 000 rural food-insecure households, 
and vegetable seeds and fertilisers to 6 000 food-insecure households living in and around 
urban areas. Training is also being provided.  

Twenty production and post-harvest agro-processing groups are set to receive labour-saving 
equipment  and  training  to  enhance  production  and  primary  processing  and  value  addition 
capabilities.  

One goal of the Liberian government is to expand the area of land under cultivation without 
encroaching  on  forests.  FAO  is  providing  technical  assistance  to  development  partners  in 
rehabilitating  lowland  swamp  areas  for  planting  as  yields  are  approximately  80  to  90 
percent higher than in upland areas.  

Linking up with the WFP-supported school feeding programmes, around 110 school garden 
projects are expected to receive inputs and technical assistance.  

The  project  is  also  providing  substantial  support  to  the  national  seed  system,  which  was 
devastated during the war, and working to strengthen the Ministry of Agriculture’s capacity 
to assess and monitor growth in the agriculture sector. 

•  The Project Management Team is complete and operational. 
•  The Procurement Plan is complete and Procurement is ongoing both at headquarters and 
locally.  The  project  targets  the  rice  cropping  season  starting  March  /  April  2010  and 
vegetable  cropping  season  starting  February  2010  for  which,  preparations  are  well 
advanced  to  ensure  timely  and  effective  delivery  of  inputs.  Procurement  of  equipment 
for farmer groups is well advanced and deliveries expected in November/ December.   
•  Implementing  partners  are  presently  being  identified  for  the  distribution  of  inputs  and 

training of beneficiaries. 

•  Selection of farmer groups is presently underway jointly by FAO, WFP, UNDP and the 

Ministries of Agriculture and Gender.  

•  Inception  workshop  at  the  county  level  will  be  held  in  early  November,  shortly  after 

conclusion of assessment studies 

•  Training  manuals  for  training  of  trainers  are  being  prepared  and  training  needs 

assessment at farmer level is on-going. 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners. Data collection tools and training of GOL enumerators is 
being finalized. Series of on-going joint field assessments including the nationwide crop 
assessment  in  5  counties.  Partnership  with  LIGIS  established  for  the  training  of  MOA 

State of Plan 

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data entry staff. 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

The Liberian National Food Security and Nutrition Strategy sets out the framework for 
Food security and nutrition activities in Liberia. The institutional framework of the Strategy 
comprises: 

a)  The  Food  Security  and  Nutrition  Technical  Committee  (FSNTC)  -  coordinates  actions 
necessary to improve food security and nutrition and advocates for the necessary resources 
to enable the sectors to carry out those actions fully.  

b)  The  Secretariat  to  the  Technical  Committee  -  acts  as  a  body  that  gathers  inter-sectoral 
information,  analyses  it  and  reports  it  to  the  Technical  Committee,  which  then  takes  up 
issues with the cabinet and/or the president. The operations of the Secretariat are supported 
mainly through the FAO component of the EU Food Facility for the duration of the project 
and, will be sustained through budgetary allocations of the Government of Liberia starting 
July 2011. 

Government of Liberia /UN Joint Programme for Food Security and Nutrition  

The  overall  responsibility  for  coordination  of  the  Joint  Programme  rests  with  the 
government  through  the  Technical  Committee.  The  Joint  Programme  Steering  Sub 
Committee  is  co-chaired  by  the  Resident  Coordinator  of  the  United  Nations  with 
representatives  from  relevant  ministries,  key  agencies  and  participating  UN  agencies,  the 
World Bank and partners.  

The EU Food Facility project 

Coordination mechanisms are in place for the national Food Security and Nutrition strategy 
and the Government of Liberia/UN Joint Programme. The EU Food Facility is expected to 
strengthen these mechanisms by contributing to finance the operations of the Secretariat and 
of  the  Technical  Committee.  However,  the  signing  of  contracts  between  agencies’ 
headquarters and the European Commission in Brussels has lead to a greater emphasis on 
outward  accountability.  This  is  compounded  by  the  absence  of  a  focal  point  at  the  EU 
Delegation in Monrovia and the limited absorption capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture 
(MoA). 

Notwithstanding these challenges, the EU Food Facility fills critical gaps within the overall 
joint  programme  through  a  set  of  interlinking  actions  and  allocation  of  resources.  In 
particular, the EU Food Facility further strengthens the Purchase for Progress initiative of 
WFP  to  which,  FAO  is  a  global  supply  side  partner. The  Agriculture  Information  System 
(IAS) of African Rice Centre (previously WARDA) has been integrated within the national 
crop  survey  supported  under  the  EUFF.  Moreover,  the  EU  Food  Facility  allows  more 
durable solutions to food insecurity and malnutrition by providing a more holistic package 
to  beneficiaries.  This  level  of  alignment  and  synergy  has  been  obtained  through 
coordination  mechanisms  put  in  place  at  the  project  formulation  and  inception  stage. 
Additionally,  a  common  framework  has  been  developed  for  visibility  and  communication 
for EU Food Facility. The process has further strengthened inter-agency coordination with 
potential for possible adaptation in the overall food security and nutrition programme.  

The project has been mainly coordinated by the EU Delegation in Sierra Leone through a 
food security specialist. The Delegation is now processing the recruitment of a food security 
specialist in Liberia to coordinate programme activities at the field level. It is envisaged that 
the  inclusion  of  a  focal  person  within  Liberia  will  further  strengthen  the  coordination 
mechanisms put in place at the field level.  

Placement of field staff in adequately secure and equipped premises in the field is a major 
challenge. The issue will be resolved once the County offices of the Ministry of Agriculture 
are rehabilitated.  

Issues 

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The limited capacity of Government of Liberia in general and MoA in particular impedes 
coordinated project delivery at the county level. 

Financial 
up  

follow-

Total delivery €672 347 (USD937 723) 

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22.    LIBERIA 

Project 

Joint Programme on Food Security & Nutrition- EC Food Facility 

Budget line 

The  UN  Joint  Programme  on  Food  Security  &  Nutrition  seeks  to  mitigate  the  effects  of 
soaring food prices in Liberia where UNDP is the managing agent. Key areas of focus of the 
programme  are  to:  promote  a  rapid  and  sustained  increase  in  food  production;  provide  a 
safety  net  to  mitigate  negative  impacts  on  special  vulnerable  groups;  establish  and 
strengthen farmer groups and build the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture. 

In Terms of agreed areas of intervention, UNDP’s role areas are as follows: 

•  Establishment of storage warehouses and primary agro processing infrastructure at 

the farm level 

•  Construction of market facilities 
•  Rehabilitation of rural access roads for increased access of farmers and produce to 

markets 

•  Assistance in organization of local structures to manage the infrastructure. 
•  Ensuring  equal  access  for  men  and  women  to  interventions  delivered  under  the 

Project 

To date, UNDP, in collaboration with the other participating UN Agencies and government 
partners  has  undertaken  a  series  of  needs  assessment  missions  to  locations  of  warehouses 
and  markets  in  the  counties  with  a  view  to  determine  the  need  for  additional  markets  and 
farms.  There  are  ongoing  discussions  with  UNOPS,  the  principal  institution  charged  to 
rehabilitate  the  secondary  farm  to  market  roads  as  well  as  the  construction  of  additional 
access roads leading to them.  

State of Play 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

 As stated before, there is an ongoing Joint Assessment mission comprising of UNDP, FAO, 
WFP and representatives of line government ministries to Lofa, Bong and Nimba counties to 
determine  project  activities  for  intervention  under  the  Project.  The  Project  is  expected  to 
focus on secondary access roads to already existing markets and food storage warehouses as 
well as additional drying floors and market warehouses.  

Issues 

Some  of  the  problems  encountered  include  difficulties  in  organizing  communities  into 
management structures that will manage the facilities. It has also been a challenge to secure 
titles  to  the  land  provided  for  the  structures,  which  is  s  precondition  for  construction  of 
public structures by UNDP. 

UNDP  has  been  working  with  local  authorities  to  secure  title  deeds  in  the  name  of 
Community  groups  who  will  then  be  encouraged  to  take  ownership  of  the  facilities  right 
from  the  inception.  The  exercise  has  been  largely  successful  in  that  almost  all  land  title 
deeds have been secured and probated. 

UNDP  will  continue  to  sensitize  the  local  communities  to  take  responsibility  for  the 
facilities and make use of them when they are completed. 

Financial follow up 

 UNDP received a first tranche payment from EU of USD1.2 million and that is what is now 
being programmed to include the structures and microfinance activities in the southeast of 
Liberia. 

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23.    LIBERIA 

World Food Programme (WFP) 

Project 

The project seeks to mitigate the effects of soaring food prices in Liberia in the short-term, 
while  being  mindful  of  the  medium  to  long-term  nature  of  the  impact  of  the  food  crisis. 
Specifically, the utilization of food assistance is supporting the rehabilitation of productive 
agricultural infrastructure for increased food production while also alleviating the impact of 
the food crisis on smallholder food deficit households. Furthermore, the project enhances the 
capacity of the Government of Liberia in food security monitoring and nutrition surveillance 
systems. 

State of Play 

During the first six months of implementation, progress was made in the following areas: 

Capacity development in food security monitoring and market information systems 

In the area of capacity building of the Government in food security monitoring and nutrition 
surveillance,  WFP  supported  the  Liberia  Institute  for  Statistics  and  Geo-Information 
Services (LISGIS) to develop the Liberia Market Information System. In July 2009, WFP in 
collaboration  with  LISGIS  trained  a  total  of  27  enumerators  including  staff  from  the 
Ministry  of  Agriculture  (MoA),  and  LISGIS  in  market  information  data  collection  and 
analysis.  The  Liberia  Market  Information  System  (LMIS)  was  rolled-out  in  August  2009, 
and  the  first  round  of  market  data  collection  across  10  key  markets  was  completed  in 
September 2009. Data has been analyzed and the first monthly market bulletin was finalized 
in  early  October  2009  awaiting  endorsement  by  the  Minister  of  Agriculture.  Utilizing 
statistics from the Liberia Market Information System, WFP is currently working with MoA 
in  developing  a  paper  for  action  towards  mitigating  price  future  shocks.  MoA  will  be 
presenting  the  paper  at  the  FAO  sponsored  regional  consultation  forum  on  Food  Security 
Preparedness planned for October 27 -28th 2009 in Monrovia. 

In  addition,  WFP  in  collaboration  with  FAO,  UNICEF,  LISGIS  and  MoA,  conducted 
training  on  food  security  monitoring  and  nutrition  surveillance  during  the  first  week  of 
October  2009.  A  total  of  26  people  including  government  officials  from  the  Ministries  of 
Agriculture and Health, as well as LISGIS participated in the workshop. Training manuals 
developed  by  the  WFP  Vulnerability  Assessment  and  Mapping  (VAM)  Unit  were  used  as 
the basis to standardize lectures during the workshop. The training exercise was followed by 
data  collection  for  the  first  bi-annual  household  food  security  monitoring  and  nutrition 
surveillance  from  October  20th  to  30th  2009.  All  the  26  persons  trained  participated  in  the 
data collection activities at sentinel sites located across all the counties in Liberia. The data 
collection exercise is coordinated by LISGIS in coordination with MoA. Analysis and report 
development is expected to be completed by mid November 2009. All the 26 persons trained 
participated in the data collection activities at sentinel sites located across all the counties in 
Liberia. The data collection exercise is coordinated by LISGIS in coordination with MOA. 
Analysis and report development is expected to be completed by mid November 2009. 

Rehabilitation  of  swamplands  and  small-scale  irrigation  facilities  through  food/cash  for 
work assistance 

Joint assessment of swamplands and small-scale irrigation structures involving MoA, FAO 
and WFP was carried out in Bong, Lofa, and Nimba counties from 7 to 14 September, 2009. 
Fifteen farmer organizations/communities were identified by the joint mission to participate 
in the first phase of food/cash for work based rehabilitation assistance. The assessment team 

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was lead by the Assistant Minister of Agriculture responsible for extension and research.  

The consultant Agricultural Engineer assigned by FAO, together with the MoA’s land and 
water development specialist started technical feasibility studies on October 15, 2009. The 
consultant has also finalized the training plan for the staff of MoA, WFP, NGO partners and 
the  beneficiary  communities.  The  first  phase  of  training will  be  held  between  October  22, 
2009  and  November  10,  2009.  Also,  WFP  and  MoA  carried  out  sensitization  visits  to  the 
project  areas,  targeting  the  local  authorities  and  the  beneficiary  communities  on  the 
procedures  for  selection  of  project  beneficiaries.  Actual  rehabilitation  work  on  the 
swamps/irrigation facilities will begin in the second week of November 2009. 

Scaling-up of school gardens 

A  total  of  110  primary  schools  that  will  benefit  from  this  assistance  have  been  identified 
through a joint WFP, FAO and MoA mission. In September 2009, planning workshops were 
organized for members of the parent-teachers-associations (PTA) of the target schools. The 
PTAs have in turn mobilized the local authorities to provide land and organize community 
work for establishing the school gardens. Garden establishment will start in November 2009, 
after distribution of inputs and tools by FAO. 

Overall participatory/consultative process  

The  project  activities  have  been  conducted  in  close  collaboration  with  the  government 
counterparts,  especially  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture,  partner  UN  agencies  (FAO,  UNDP, 
UNICEF and UNOPS) and the donor (Through the EU Delegation in Liberia, and the EU 
Food  Security  Officer 
overall 
participatory/consultative  process  has  been  quite  successful  in  the  first  six  months,  and  it 
formed the basis for effective planning and smooth implementation of the various activities.  

in  Freetown,  Sierra  Leone).  The 

based 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

Project coordination  

During  the  period  under  review,  six  Technical  Working  Group  meetings  chaired  by  MoA 
were  held  on  monthly  basis  for  joint  planning  of  activities,  and  to  keep  all  the  partners 
updated on implementation issues and progress, and to ensure that maximum coordination is 
maintained. Progress on each project activity was reported at all  the  monthly coordination 
meetings, and feedbacks from the Technical Working Group were used for proper follow-up 
actions. 

At  the  sub-national  level,  WFP  has  been  closely  working  with  the  county  authorities  to 
identify projects, select beneficiary communities, and to address land tenure issues under the 
swampland  rehabilitation  component.  Also,  sensitization  and  participatory  planning 
meetings  were  held  with  the  beneficiary  communities  and  local  government  authorities  in 
July  and  August  2009.  Through  these  meetings,  the  roles  and  responsibilities  of  the 
participating  communities  in  project  implementation,  as  well,  targeting  mechanism  was 
again  clarified.  Project  sites  have  already  been  selected  and  technical  assessment  of  the 
target swamplands has begun. 

The project has been operating on multiple streams of partnerships involving FAO, UNDP, 
UNICEF and WFP. Activities of all the four agencies are designed to be directly linked with 
each  other  for  maximum  impact.  Within  the  framework  of  the  partnership  with  FAO,  the 
latter has since October 1, 2009 assigned an international consultant (Agricultural Engineer) 
to  conduct  feasibility  studies  and  training  of  participants  and  communities  that  are 
participating in the WFP food/cash for work based swamp rehabilitation activities.  

Strategic Steering Committee  

There are two main channels established for coordination, consultation, and participation of 
the  EU  Delegation  with  regards  to  project  implementation  and  decision  making.  First,  the 
Steering Committee (SC) meetings of the Joint Programme on Food Security and Nutrition 

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provide a forum for Government of Liberia, UN, and EU Delegation to make decisions on 
strategic  direction  and  implementation  issues.  The  second  channel  is  through  consultation 
with technical specialists of the EU Delegation and through joint missions to project areas.   

The first Steering Committee meeting planned for early June 2009, was not held due change 
of  the  Minister  of  Agriculture  –  who  chairs  the  meetings.  Another  meeting  took  place  in 
early November 2009.  

The four UN agencies (FAO, UNDP, UNICEF, and WFP), all implementing projects under 
the  EU  Food  Facility,  are  in  the  process  of  finalizing  the  Visibility  Strategy  as  a  basis  of 
their work. The document is meant to ensure a set of minimum visibility requirements that 
are  met  by  the  various  UN  entities  involved  in  the  project.  Every  visibility  action  should 
mainly  be  focused  on  the  achievements  and  impact  of  the  Food  Security  and  Nutrition 
interventions on the target populations.  

Delay  in  the  project  approval  beyond  the  planned  start  date,  and  in  the  international  food 
procurement processes arising because of the lead time constraints in the case of Liberia and 
a  lack  of  regional  and  local  food  purchases  affected  the  project  implementation  schedule. 
Constraints  were  also  experienced  in  the  recruitment  of  local  project  staff  due  to  limited 
availability of persons with the requisite professional qualifications and work experience. 

Visibility 

Issues 

Financial follow 
up 

The total budget for the first year (May 2009-April 2010), amounting to € 1.49 million, has 
been committed. 

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24.    MADAGASCAR 

Project 

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) 

 The progress to date with implementation in Madagascar is as follows : 

• 

•  Agreements:  IFAD/EU  signed  on  19  June  2009,  IFAD/Ministry  of  Agriculture 

signed on 30th July 2009 (retroactivity up to 1st may 2009)  
all projects are implementing their part : good planning and delivery for PPRR and 
AROPA.  Slower  start  for  Ad2M  and  PROSPERER.  Commitments  so  far  at 
500 00 €.  The  5 th  project  (BVLac)  is  mostly  irrigation  infrastructure  and  has 
committed for 2.5 millions € of public works already on going.  
•  Total commitment as of September stood at an amount of €3 million. 
•  First technical monitoring mission was implemented in August. First full (fiduciary 
and technical) supervision was planned to be implemented in December 2009.  
•  Another project from the Ministry BVPI requested support from PARECAM.  
•  FAO/IFAD agreement was delayed. 
•  The  visibility  framework  is  under  preparation  and  under  discussion  with  the  EU 
Delegation.  However,  due  to  political  turmoil  and  donor  pressure  on  the  de  facto 
government it will not be fully implemented in the next few months.  

  State of Play 

 Due  to  the  political  crisis,  coordination  mechanisms  in  the  country  between  donor 
community  and  the  de  facto  government  were  limited.  Still  the  UN  initiated  rounds  of 
consultations  with  all  donors  (bilateral,  multilateral,  etc…)  and  technical  clusters  were 
agreed  and  established  (including  agriculture  and  food  security).  The  food  facility  will 
benefit a steering committee. The steering committee planned to meet by mid-November. 

Coordination  & 
Alignment  

Issues  

See above under 6 

 Financial 
up  

follow 

Commitment as of 30 September 2009 stood at €3 million at project level 

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UNICEF: Strategic Response to Nutrition Crisis in Mali  

25.    MALI 

Project 

The project aims to respond rapidly & directly to mitigate the negative effects of high food 
prices.    More  specifically,  the  project  will  contribute  to  the  sustainable  reduction  of  acute 
malnutrition and mortality of the most vulnerable populations, in particular children under 
five and pregnant and lactating women that are negatively affected by high food prices.  

The impact will be obtained through the scaling up of a comprehensive package of proven 
cost  effective  nutrition  interventions  (management  of  acute  malnutrition,  Vitamin  A 
supplementation and deworming, promotion of life saving feeding and child care practices – 
breastfeeding,  complementary  feeding,  …-,  );  the  strengthening  of  evidence  base  for 
nutrition (SMART nutrition survey, regular nutrition trend analysis, Landscape Analysis for 
nutrition,  …);  and  advocacy  for  long  term  political  commitment  for  nutrition  (mainstream 
nutrition in long term development plans with separate budget lines for nutrition, effective 
multisectoral coordination, …). 

The  project  targets  30.000  severely  malnourished  children,  2.5  million  infants,  young 
children women and adolescent girls and 500.000 decision makers at all levels.  The Food 
Facility  grant  is  a  unique  opportunity  to  bring  quickly  in  a  sustainable  manner  life  saving 
cost effective nutrition interventions at scale.  The agreement was signed on 15th May with a 
starting date of 1st April 2009 for 24 months. 

State of Play 

Activities existing prior to the Food Facility are progressively being scaled up and sustained 
including  management  of  severe  acute  malnutrition,  Vitamin  A  supplementation  and 
deworming  and  communication  for  behaviour  change  on  infant,  young  child,  adolescent 
girls and women’s feeding practices. 

During the fist half of 2009, the total number of severely malnourished children doubled to 
over 6.000, compared to the same period in 2008.  A further increase during the second half 
of  2009  is  expected  with  admission  of  over  10.000  children  anticipated.    Preliminary 
findings  of  socio-cultural  participatory  research  helped  to  identify  channels  for  the 
promotion  of  appropriate  feeding  and  other  life  saving  care  practices.    Further  in-depth 
analysis  of  the  results  will  be  made  available  to  better  understand  these  attitudes  and 
practices  and  adapt  communication  for  behaviour  change  strategies  in  order  to  ensure  an 
increased impact of activities.  Meanwhile, a 2-year mass media campaign for the promotion 
of  four  life  saving  behaviours  will  start  in  November  2009  beginning  with  a  focus  on 
promoting optimal breastfeeding.  

introduce 

Based  on  the  work  done  in  2008  and  the  first  half  of  2009  to  harmonize  nutrition  survey 
methodologies  and 
(SMART- 
Standardised  Monitoring  of  Relief  and  Transition),  the  2009  national  Multiple  Cluster 
Indicator Survey (MICS) will include for the first time SMART elements for the estimation 
of  malnutrition  rates  and  revised  indicators  for  Infant  and  Young  Child  Feeding  Practices 
(IYCF). Preliminary results are expected to be available early 2010.  

internationally 

recommended 

standards 

In addition, new activities are being initiated focused primarily on advocacy and based on 
the  advocacy  plan  that  was  elaborated:  advocacy  material,  preparatory  meetings  for  the 
national forum in February, and press visits. 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

Since  the  launch  of  the  project,  coordination  is  progressively  improving  and  includes 
sectoral  coordination  of  nutrition  stakeholders  and  inter-sectoral  coordination  with 
ministries  and  donors  (in  addition  to  the  donor  food  security  working  group,  nutrition  is 
becoming  more  visible  in  the  sectoral  working  groups  for  health  and  statistics).  
The Terms of References of these different donor working groups are based on Accra and 
Paris Declarations. 

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Issues 

Main  problems  identified  so  far  are  being  addressed  through  improved  coordination  and 
technical  assistance.    Standardisation  of  monitoring  and  implementation  of  activities  will 
facilitate the regular availability of good quality data. 

Financial follow 
up 

On track; amount requisitioned: 674 791.04 USD  

Additional  requisitions  are  expected  over  the  coming  weeks.    A  total  amount  of 
approximately  1  million  USD  will  be  spent  before  the  end  of  2009  and  an  estimated  1.5 
million will be requisitioned by the end of 2009. 

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26.     MOZAMBIQUE 

 International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) 

The  goal  of  the  EU  support  is  to  promote  and  protect  food  and  livelihood  security  of 
vulnerable households affected by volatile food prices; and the purpose of the EU support is 
to  enhance  agriculture  and  fisheries  production  and  productivity  through  better  access  to 
financial services, technical support and markets. 

To  achieve  this  goal,  an  EU  contribution  of  Euro  4.76  million  will  be  given  to  upscale 
selected existing activities in three out of the four ongoing IFAD-financed programmes and 
projects - PPABAS, PAFIR and PROMER. These activities have been selected because they 
are in line with the geographical and thematic priorities of PAPA: they will be focused in 
priority  districts  and  on  priority  production  types  including  maize,  rice,  wheat,  cassava, 
potatoes, oils and fish production; and they will focus on strengthening priority sub-sectors 
by making investments throughout the whole value-chain, namely in the areas of production, 
post-harvest storage, processing and marketing for domestic and international markets. 

The  European  Commission-International  Fund  for  Agricultural  Development  (IFAD) 
Contribution Agreement  was  signed  on 17  August.  Signature  of  the  IFAD-Government  of 
Mozambique Financing Agreement is still pending at 30 October, although it is expected to 
be  finalised  by  15  November  maximum,  after  which  funds  can  be  transferred  to 
Mozambique. Meanwhile, a simple manual of procedures for the use of EU funds has been 
elaborated and agreed with the recipient projects. The three projects are also finalising the 
detailed work plan and budget for the first period of implementation (up to Dec 2010). 

Project 

State of Play 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

A Steering Committee with representatives of IFAD, the European Commission and GoM 
the  Government  of  Mozambique  will  be  created  to  approve  the  annual  work  plan  and 
overview implementation of  the EU-funded activities 

Issues 

None  

Financial follow 
up 

No disbursement so far pending signature of Financing Agreement and approval of annual 
work plan and budget. 

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27.    MOZAMBIQUE 

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 

Project 

 Boosting agricultural production and market linkages for small-holder farmers to 
counter soaring food prices  

Budget 

Total budget €7 266 654 (USD10 134 803) 

Brief Description 

To  tap  into  the  country’s  agricultural  potential,  farmers  need  sustained  access  to  inputs. 
However, the demand for quality seed in Mozambique far outstrips the country’s ability to 
produce it, resulting in shortages and a heavy reliance on seed imports. 

FAO  launched  a  two-year  project  in  May  2009  to  step  up  seed  production,  strengthen 
national seed services and provide input support to smallholder farmers.  

The  project,  in  line  with  the  government’s  Food  Production Action  Plan,  aims  to  improve 
the food security and livelihood status of 30 000 Mozambican farmers living in poor rural 
communities.  

FAO is assisting in providing tools, fertilizers, pesticides and a training package to around 
200 farmers’ associations to help jumpstart local production of maize, rice, wheat, soy bean 
and sunflower seeds.  

The project seeks to link farmers’ associations up with private seed companies to market the 
seeds. Plans are in the making to install a seed processing plant – owned and operated by a 
farmers’ association company – which would enable farmers to clean, grade, calibrate, dry 
and package the seeds for commercial use.  

Support  is  being  given  to  rehabilitating  and  equipping  seed  testing  laboratories  in  five 
provinces in an effort to boost quality control capacity at national and provincial level. To 
offset  high  input  prices,  around  25 000 smallholder  farmers  are  expected  to  receive  a  50 
percent  input  subsidy,  which  will  also  include  access  to  the  types  of  improved  seed 
produced by the farmers associations. 

•  The  project  document  has  been  signed  by  the  Government  on  24 July 2009  in  the 
presence  of  the  EU  Head  of  Delegation  in  Maputo.  Provincial  Directorates  of 
Agriculture,  NGOs  and  Private  Sector  partners  in  Nampula,  Tete,  Manica,  Sofala 
,Zambezia and Gaza provinces met and informed about the project. 

•  The Project Management Team is complete and operational. 
•  The Procurement Plan is complete. Procurement is ongoing at headquarters for fertilizers, 

vehicles and motorcycles. 

•  The project Steering Committee (PSC) with participation of the Minister of Agriculture 

is postponed to after the election period ending on 28 October.  

•  A  total  of  USD330 000  has  been  committed  through  9  Letters  of  Agreement  (LoAs) 
dually  signed  by  FAOR  and  7  Provincial  Agriculture  Directorates  of  Nampula, 
Zambézia,  Tete,  Manica,  Sofala,  Gaza  and  Maputo;  1  LoA  with  the  National  Research 
Institute  and  1  LoA  with  a  Service  Provider  -  International  Fertiliser  Development 
Center (IFDC).  

•  Criteria  for  beneficiary  selection  have  been  established  with  stakeholders  including  the 

EU Delegation. 

•  Distribution of inputs to beneficiaries: foreseen for the next planting season. A meeting 
was  held  with  Private  Input  Suppliers  from  all  targeted  provinces  on  24 September  to 
discuss  about  their  capacity  to  participate  in  the  Voucher  component  of  the  project. 
Another meeting was held on 2 October with the 4 fertilizer importers in the country that 
will supply the agricultural input wholesalers. 

State of Play 

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Coordination & 

Alignment 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners. 

The  EUFF  initiatives  are  within  the  framework  of  the  Government’s  Food  Production 
Action  Plan  2008-2011,  directly  controlled  by  a  Task  Force  of  the  Council  of  Ministries. 
The  Plan  concentrates  on  increasing  staple  food  production  (maize,  rice,  wheat,  cassava, 
potato, sunflower, cotton, soyabeans, poultry and fish), food processing and food marketing; 
scaling-up  the  provision  of  agricultural  inputs;  expanding  areas  under  irrigation;  and 
enhancing  the  introduction  and  adoption  of  improved  agricultural  technologies.  The  Plan 
foresees  an  investment  of  USD  590  million,  of  which  USD  436  million  will  be  publicly 
funded.  

Following  the  EU  Food  Facility  support  to  Mozambique,  ,USAID,  through  a  service 
provider  contracted  by  FAO,  the  International  Fertiliser  Development  Centre  (IFDC) 
contributed  to  the  expansion  of  the  Agricultural  Input  Voucher  programme  to  cover  more 
provinces in supplying improved packages of agricultural inputs. 

The  Food  Security  Cluster  composed  of  UN  agencies,  the  government  and  national  and 
International  NGOs  is  informed  about  the  interventions  and  is  prepared  to  collaborate  on 
activities  when  needed.  The  EUFF  activities  has  brought  coordination  of  food  security 
interventions  in  7  provinces  of  Mozambique  namely  Nampula,  Tete,  Zambézia,  Manica, 
Sofala,  Gaza  and  Maputo  and  all  the  provincial  and  district  agricultural  offices  have 
welcomed  the  initiatives  that  are  complementing  the Government  Food  Production  Action 
Plan initiatives.   

The  EUFF  project  has  brought  together  food  value  chain  actors  from  the  government 
departments,  NGOs,  private  sector  and  other  donors  all  promoting  food  and  livelihood 
security.  The  National  Agricultural  Research  Institute  is  supporting  the  supply  of  quality 
basic seed whist the Seed Control Department of the Ministry of Agriculture is supporting 
seed quality control whilst the extension Department is promoting the provision of improved 
technical  packages  for  optimum  production.  A  total  of  23  Agricultural  Input  Wholesalers 
have agreed to supply agricultural inputs to the project activities and 7 seed companies are 
involved  in  seed  production.  Over  25.000  households  will  have  their  food  and  livelihood 
security protected through the sustainable value chains created. 

Issues 

General  Presidential  elections,  National  Parliamentary  as  well  as  Provincial  Parliamentary 
elections  will  be  held  at  the  same  time  on  the  28th  of  October  2009.  The  Government 
structures  at  national  and  local  levels  have  been  focused  on  the  political  campaign 
(September/October)  and  it  therefore  has  been  a  challenge  to  avoid  political  rallies  and 
awareness activities. In this context, beneficiary selection has also been challenging.  

Financial follow-
up 

Total delivery €882 8802 (USD1 231 353) 

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28.    NEPAL 

Food and Agriculture Organisation 

Project 

Support to mitigate the negative effects of high food prices on local rural populations 
in ten districts in the Eastern, Central Mid-Western and Far-Western regions of Nepal 

Budget 

Total budget €8 065 282 (USD11 327 643) 

Brief Description 

This two-year project, launched in June 2009, aims to provide quality inputs to small-scale 
farmers  and  technical  training  to  farmers’  group  in  Nepal  in  an  effort  to  boost  crop 
production and make vulnerable families more food secure.  

The  project  originally  planned  to  target  200  944  rural  households  located  in  ten  districts. 
During the inception phase, the target beneficiaries have been adjusted in consultation with 
the EC, WFP and local parters in order to enhance the composition of the agricultural input 
packages as required by the diversified agro-ecological areas in Nepal. The project will now 
target  over  92  000  households:  81  850  households  will  be  concentrated  in  the  seven  mid-
hills and Therai districts also assisted by WFP under EU Food Facility while the remaining 
10 580 households will be concentrated in the three additional, sparsely populated high hills 
districts assisted by FAO.  

The revision will also allow FAO to better match its project activities with those of the UN 
World Food Programme (WFP) under the EU Food Facility fund. WFP is currently targeting 
an estimated 47 000 households in the seven common districts with cash-for-work activities 
to restore rural infrastructure, while FAO is focusing on boosting production and improving 
livelihoods. The additional households to be assisted by FAO in these seven districts will all 
be concentrated in Priority 1 areas  

The beneficiary households in the targeted districts will receive input packages containing 
high quality cereal, pulse, potato and vegetable seeds. Fertilizers will also be distributed to 
farmers  in  selected  districts  along  with  technical  training  to  ensure  proper  usage.  The 
composition of input packages will be adapted to the various districts according to the local 
planting conditions and needs. 

Funds from the project will go towards promoting improved farming practices. Through the 
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC), FAO is working to develop an extensive 
training  and  capacity  building  programme  to  support  farmers  in  applying  techniques  that 
preserve soil fertility and water resources. Attention is being given to strengthening MoAC 
extension  services  to  improve  agricultural  practices  and  farmer  productivity  at  the  village 
level.  

The WFP,  FAO  and other  stakeholders  are  also  supporting  the government  in designing  a 
comprehensive food security and nutrition information and monitoring system. 

•  The  recruitment  of  the  Project  team  is  ongoing.    International  Project  Planning 
consultant,  International  Monitoring  and  Baseline  Specialist  and  procurement  mission 
fielded 6 weeks prior to signature of agreement.  National Posts advertised and selection 
underway.  

•  The Procurement Plan has been completed, but will be further refined. Input distribution 
in  the  districts  of  Baitadi  and  Bajhang  for  2009  was  cancelled  due  to  late  government 
endorsement of the project. 

•  A request was sent on 7 September to MoAC for appointment of project focal person and 

establishment of The Project Steering Committee (PSC).  

•  Selection of implementing partners: a request for proposals will be issued for the spring 
2010 distribution. One implementing partner will be selected to carry out baseline survey 
in autumn 2009.  

State of Play 

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Coordination & 

Alignment 

•  Criteria  for  beneficiary  selection:  Target  Districts  identified,  beneficiary  selection  to 

commence pending signature of Letters of Agreement with implementing partners. 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners  

•  The project communication/visibility plan has been developed. 

     FAO  is  leading  the  Agriculture  Sub-group within  the  Food  Security  Cluster  chaired  by 
WFP.  This  forum  brings  together  all  stakeholders  and  partners  concerned  with  the 
chronic  food  insecurity  situation  in  Nepal  and  translates  joint  planning  into  strategic 
actions. The preparation of the FAO-EU Food Facility funded project has benefitted from 
this  coordination  forum  to  allow  synergies  with  WFP’s  and  other  partners’  efforts. 
Specifically, the joint WFP/FAO EUFF initiative aims to build government capacity by 
institutionalizing 
the  Nepal  Food  Security  Monitoring  System  (NekSAP).  The 
strengthened  NekSAP  is  expected  to  contribute  to  better  food  security  monitoring  and 
targeting for all food security interventions in Nepal.  To this end, FAO is fielding senior 
technical  expertise  to  join  the  Government  of  Nepal/WFP/FAO  joint  mission  for  the 
NekSAP  in  November  2009.  The  mission  will  assess  the  existing  NekSAP,  suggest 
improvements  and  propose  an  action  plan  on  how  to  transfer  and  institutionalize  this 
system to the Government of Nepal with possible linkages to other relevant information 
systems.  Nutrition  elements  will  also  be  integrated  in  the  system  within  the  overall 
context of food security. 

Issues 

     Sustainability  of  the  joint  EUFF  initiative  is  a  key  issue  of  concern  for  FAO  and  its 
partners  which  is  being  addressed  through  an  extensive  training  and  capacity  building 
component  under  the  EUFF.    It  has  been  proposed  to  adopt  the  Farmer  Field  School 
approach already piloted with success in Nepal. 

Financial 
up  

follow-

Total delivery €100 241 (USD140 779) 

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Project 

29.     NEPAL 

World Food Programme (WFP) 

•  WFP Nepal  is  responsible for  three  components under  the  EU  Food Facility–  the 
productive  safety  net  and  national  food  security  monitoring  components.  The 
project  is  implemented  in  coordination  with  FAO  and  the  Government  of  Nepal. 
FAO is responsible for two additional results. 

•  Under result 1, approximately 250.000 beneficiaries in seven districts in Nepal are 
expected  to  benefit  from  improved  agricultural  infrastructure  and  market  access 
through seasonal and productive safety net mechanisms employing a food/cash for 
assets modality. Communities will benefit from the creation of basic infrastructure 
such as rural roads, mule trails, small irrigation and drinking water systems, ponds 
and  water  harvest  tanks,  micro-hydro  schemes  and  storage  facilities.  WFP-
supported  farmer  field  schools  will  enhance  cereal  crop  production  and  reduce 
post-harvest losses by building local knowledge and capacity. 

•  Under results 2 and 3, WFP will transfer its food security monitoring and analysis 
capacity  to  the  GoN  and  expand  and  strengthen  the  district  food  security 
monitoring conducted by its district food security networks. Result 3 defines a joint 
WFP/FAO mission on how this could be best achieved. 

 Result 1 – Productive safety net mechanism 

•  Out of  the 8,036  mt  of  food proposed  to be  purchased from  the  EU  contribution, 
WFP Nepal is in the process of procuring 6,771 mt of rice and pulses for food for 
assets activities as of September. Ninety percent of the tonnage under procurement 
has been awarded to local Nepali suppliers. Ten percent of the commodities (643 
mt of yellow split peas) are being procured from international sources.  

•  US$100.000 (€ 70.000) approximately of cash has been programmed for cash for 

assets activities that will support nearly 95.000 people. 

•  Five  partners  have  been  selected  to  implement  EC-  funded  activities  in  seven 

districts. 

District 

Kailali 

Implementing Partner 

Mercy Corps  

State of Play 

Bajhang 

World Education 

Darchula 

World Education  

Doti 

Baitadi 

               SEBAC  

Mercy Corps 

Sindhuli  

DEPROSC  

Udayapur  

MDI  

•  Under food for assets activities, the implementing partners have been identified by 
calling  for  proposals  through  an  open  bidding  process.  The  partners  have  been 
selected based on their presence in the proposed districts, capacity for targeting and 
social  mobilization,  type  of  projects  in  terms  of  the  EU  and  WFP  priority  areas, 
logistical and monitoring capacity, and human resource capacity. 

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•  Basic social mobilization and targeting activities have already commenced, while a 
more  detailed survey of project  schemes  is  expected  to occur  in  late  October  and 
early November. The selected partners have conducted preparatory work to identify 
the  most  vulnerable  communities  within  the  WFP  prioritized  VDCs,  collected 
information  on  composition  of  communities,  conducted 
initial  awareness 
campaigns about the project and provided detailed cost estimates. 

•  EU funds for cash transfer activities in Kailali and Baitadi are part of an ongoing 
activity, wherein $100.000 utilized from the EU Food Facility funds is already in 
the process of disbursement. 

Result 2 and 3 - Establishment of effective national food security monitoring capacity 

•  A joint Handbook and Training Manual on district-based food security monitoring 
has been produced in Nepali by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and 
WFP. 

•  District  Food  Security  Networks  established  in  51  districts.  Plan  developed  to 

establish these networks in all 75 districts within the next 8 months. 

•  Successfully completed pilot training for building food security analysis capacity at 

the district level in Makwanpur district. 

•  Production of first EU-supported food security bulletin (no. 24) and market watch 

(no. 17). 

•  Google  group  set  up  for  dissemination  of  food  security  information.  Current 
membership is 451 people from a range of national and international organizations 
both 
is: 
outside 
http://groups.google.com/group/NeKSAP?hl=en 

Nepal. 

within 

Link 

and 

•  A joint  GoN/FAO/WFP  mission  is  confirmed  for 26 October until  13  November. 
The  mission  will  be  led  by  the  GoN.  Senior  FAO  and  WFP  staff  will  participate 
from  Rome,  Bangkok  and  Kathmandu.  A  detailed  mission  ToR  and  schedule  has 
been prepared.  

Results and indicators 

Result 1 – Productive safety net mechanism 

•  A  baseline  survey  was  conducted  in  2007,  followed  by  a  programme  impact 
assessment in 2008. Both studies include the log frame indicators. The field survey 
for  the  2009  programme  impact  assessment  has  just  been  completed  and  data  is 
currently being analyzed. The final report will be available by the end of 2009 and 
will  provide  updated  information  on  current  coping  strategies,  food  consumption 
patterns, food sufficiency and asset utilization by programme beneficiaries. 

•  Based on the initial target in the EU proposal, approximately 250.000 beneficiaries 
would benefit from improved agricultural infrastructure and market access through 
seasonal  and  productive  safety  net  mechanisms  employing  a  food/cash  for  assets 
modality. However, after more detailed analysis by WFP and partners in the seven 
districts,  the  target  figure  has  been  revised  to  303.000  people.  The  higher 
beneficiary figure is based on updated details about the population size in targeted 
communities following the initial proposal. 

•  Plans  are  also  being  consolidated  to  determine  the  quantity  of  infrastructure  and 
community assets to be created and/or rehabilitated, to measure the actual number 
at the end of the project cycles, and to determine the percentage of user committees 
with  a  maintenance  budget  for  community  assets  created.  The  number  of  people 
has also increased as a result of the winter drought. The EU funds will cover part of 
the  total  needs  in  the  seven  districts  (approximately  60  percent  of  the  budget 
required) up to June 2010.  

Result 2 and 3 - Establishment of effective national food security monitoring capacity 

•  First  EU  supported  food  security  bulletin  and  Market  Watch  have  been  prepared. 
Second bulletin as well as the Market Watch are scheduled for October 2009. 
•  Media  has  picked  up  on  the  work  of  the  district  food  security  networks  e.g. 

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Kantipur news of 13 and 14 September on food crisis in Bajura. 

•  Food  security  district  networks  set up  in 51 districts  and  the   networks  have prepared 

food security phase maps for each district with accompanying analysis. 

•  Pilot training completed in Makwanpur district. 
•  Government of Nepal /WFP/FAO mission set-up and experts identified. 
• 

In  consultation  with  FAO,  WFP  has  outlined  the  roles  and  responsibilities  for  each 
agency  and  the  mode  of  assistance.  The  document  also  includes  reference  to  the 
steering committee, which would meet at least twice annually to: 1) provide a strategic 
direction  for  overall  implementation  and  monitoring  of  the  project,  2)  coordinate 
activities with government and humanitarian actors to achieve synergies and avoid gaps 
with  similar/related  interventions,  and  3)  review  overall  progress  made  in  the 
implementation  of  project  activities  to  ensure  conformity  to  the  objectives  and  plans 
approved under the Agreement with the European Commission . 

•  A  steering  committee  comprising  of  the  EU  Delegation,  line  ministries  of  the 
Government of Nepal, FAO and WFP is expected to convene by the end of October. 
•  An EU delegation field mission will take place from 10 October until 13 October to the 

remote mountain and hill districts of Humla, Kalikot and Surkhet. 

•  WFP  is  working  closely  with  the  European  Commission  and  FAO  to  create  a  strong 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

Visibility 

• 

joint visibility plan that will reach both local and international media.  
In terms of local visibility, WFP has already incorporated the EU logo in its Nepal Food 
Security Monitoring information products such as the monthly Market Watch report and 
Food Security Bulletin. 

Issues 

 No major issues to report at this stage.  

Of  the  total  contribution  of    €9.007,992,  the  following  has  been  programmed  as  per  the 
proposal: 

-- €7,960,992: Result 1 

-- €1,047.000: Results 2 and 3 

Financial follow 
up 

As end of October, €5.5 million had been committed, representing 63% of the year 1 budget 
for the period May 2009 – April 2010. 

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Project 

Food  and  Agriculture  Organisation:  Strengthen  the  productivity  of  small  farmers 
associations 

30.    NICARAGUA 

Budget 

Total budget €2 957 566 (USD4 153 884) 

Brief Description 

Several  factors  have  hamstrung  agricultural  productivity  in  Nicaragua,  including  farmers’ 
limited access to quality inputs and credit, inadequate infrastructure and marketing services 
and unpredictable weather.  

This  two-year project,  launched  in  June  2009,  aims  to  strengthen  the  productivity  of  local 
farmers’ associations and to make food more readily available to households.  

FAO is helping the Nicaraguan government to distribute certified seeds and fertilizers to 5 
500 small-scale farming families to boost their production of maize, beans and rice – staples 
in the Nicaraguan diet.  

Many  small  farmers  in  Nicaragua  lack  the  resources  to  invest  in  proper  storage  facilities, 
thus running the risk of losing their grain and food to spoilage. To reduce these losses, the 
project is working to distribute metallic silos, create storage centres and share best practices 
for improving farmers’ individual and collective storage capacity.  

Farmers  are  to  receive  training  in  production,  processing  and  marketing  to  help  improve 
income prospects, while workshops on such topics as drafting business and marketing plans 
and learning value-added processing techniques are also envisaged.  

FAO  is  working  closely  with  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture,  Livestock  and  Forestry 
(MAGFOR),  the  Nicaraguan  Institute  for  Agricultural  and  Livestock  Technology  (INTA) 
and Nicaraguan agricultural and farmers’ organizations to carry out this project. 

Coordination & 

Coordination has mainly been with Government. 

Alignment 

State of Play 

•  The  Project  Management  Team  is  being  finalized.  Activities  in  preparation  for  the 

provision of technical assistance are on-going. 

•  The  Procurement  Plan  has  been  developed  and  tenders  for  maize  and  bean  seed  and 

fertilizers have been issued locally.  

•  Project  management  and  coordination  arrangements  have  been  made  and  the  Project 

Steering Committee has met.  
Implementing partners were selected during the project’s formulation phase.  

• 
•  Criteria for the specific beneficiary selection are being finalized. Farmers’ organizations 

and cooperatives were selected during the project’s formulation phase.  

•  Some  changes  have  been  required  due  to  “El  Niño”,  MAGFOR  guidelines  indicated 
that  efforts  and  resources  should  be  concentrated  in  the  Apante  (Nov-  Jan)  season  in 
areas with better rain forecast. Therefore, project has shifted its planting activities from 
September to November. 

•  Seeds and fertilizers for the present planning season are ready for distribution; the next 

distribution is planned for May.  

•  Monitoring  and  assessment  arrangements 

revision  and 
development  of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation 
with the EC Delegation and other partners  

(including 

logframe 

•  The project communication/visibility plan was developed. 

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Issues 

EUFF  project  in  Nicaragua,  has  provided  the  opportunity  to  clarify  the  recently  adopted 
position  of  the  Nicaraguan  Government  in  the  issue  of  selection  of  organizations  working 
with  the  project.  Central  government  guidelines  indicate  that  projects  have  to  work  more 
closely  with  government  institutions  that  can  provide  services  to  beneficiaries  in  order  to 
contribute to strengthening institutional capacities. 

Financial follow-
up 

Total delivery €37 158 (USD52 184) 

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31.    NIGER 

Project 

                    Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 

Budget 

Total budget (EUR) €2 970 441 (USD4 171 968) 

Brief Description 

This two-year project, launched in June 2009, aims to help the government of Niger improve 
the food security and livelihoods of rural farmers hit hard by the food price crisis.  

Funds are being used to boost the productivity of rain-fed crops (millet and sorghum) and 
irrigated market gardens throughout the country.  

Small  farmers’  inability  to  access  quality  inputs  –  certified  seeds  and  fertilizers  –  has 
hampered production in Niger. To reverse this trend, work is being done to strengthen the 
existing  network  of  cooperative  input  shops  and  to  create  new  ones  so  that  56  000 
smallholder farmers have improved access to quality seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural 
products and tools. This is building on an existing FAO input project.  

Funds are also being used to improve the technical and organizational capacity of farmers’ 
groups  and  managers  and  to  strengthen  farmers’  ability  to  produce  and  market  improved 
seeds. Exchanges and trainings on innovations in agriculture are being organised to facilitate 
information sharing and technology transfer among the farmers.  

The project is promoting the use of inventory credit to help safeguard produce and improve 
the incomes and lines of credit of around 10 000 small farmers. To this end, FAO is helping 
to build 100 new warehouses and repair 50 existing ones.  

The overall project is in line with the government’s strategies on poverty reduction and rural 
development.  

State of Play 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

•  The  Project  Management  Team 

is  complete  and  operational.  The  Emergency 
Coordination  Unit  in  Niger  is  managing  the  project  together  with  the  project 
renforcement  des  boutiques  d’intrants 
le 
“Intensification  de 
cooperatives” (IARBIC).  

l’agriculture  par 

•  The Procurement Plan is complete. Almost all procurement will be done locally for 2009. 
•  The  Project  Steering  Committee  (PSC)  has  been  established  and  the  first  meeting  was 

held on 13 October 2009 and chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture. 

•  The  selection  of  implementing  partners  is  still  ongoing.  Call  for  proposals  are  being 

finalized. 

•  The beneficiary selection criteria have been defined and agreed with the EU Delegation. 

Selection of beneficiaries has started. 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners  

•  The project communication/visibility plan has been developed.  

The EUFF project is at the core of a network of agencies in Niger involved in agricultural 
development  and  closely  coordinates  with  the  IARBIC  project,  the  FAO  Emergency 
Coordination  Unit,  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture,  the  farmer  organizations  and  the  micro 
finance  institutions  (in  particular  the  « Association  Nationale  des  professionnels  de  la 
microfinance »).  All  these  stakeholders  are represented  in the  Project  Steering  Committee. 
The first meeting of the PSC included the participation of other development agencies, such 
as the Belgian Cooperation and the World Bank which is leading Programme 3 of the Rural 
Development Strategy. 

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Issues 

No major issues/challenges reported.  

Financial follow-
up 

Total delivery €20 927 (USD29 390) 

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Example of different format in first boxes, compared to previous and following fiches 

 Project  

 State of Play  

32.    PAKISTAN  

World Food Programme 

This  project  aims  to  improve  farming  productivity  and  to  reach  over  eighty  thousand 
households in 14 districts who are suffering due to the increase in food and fuel prices.   

Through  this  project,  WFP  and  FAO  are  jointly  implementing  activities  to  improve 
agriculture  lands,  increase  yields  and  share  new  farming  methods  with  the  farmers. 
Participants will receive seeds, fertilizer and technical support.  Participants will also receive 
100kg of wheat for up to a four month period. 

WFP Pakistan procured locally the first tranche of 9.000 mt of wheat against the first year 
requirements  of  13,400  mt.  The  first  distributions  should  take  place  in  November,  which 
coincides  with  the  distribution  of  seeds  and  other  inputs  by  FAO  with  the  start  of  wheat 
sowing season.       

WFP  and  FAO  have  selected  jointly  five  implementing  partners  through  a  competitive 
process  out  of  82  partners  who  had  responded  to  the  call  for  expression  of  interest.  After 
several  rounds  of  discussions  and  detailed  meetings  with  the  short-listed  partners  the 
budgets  were  approved  and  now  the  field-level  agreements  with  each  partner  have  been 
signed.  WFP  has  prepared  guidelines  for  the  implementation  modalities  of  EU  funded 
programme and implementing partners’ staff members are being trained. 

Steering  committees  both  at  Federal  and  Provincial  levels  have  been  set-up  with 
representatives  from  the  Government,  EU  Delegation,  WFP,  FAO  and  implementing 
partners.  

WFP Pakistan is maintaining close liaison with the EU delegation on all operational matters 
and some differences on targeting of districts have been amicably resolved. WFP has also 
shared its work plan with the EU delegation. A detailed monitoring plan for the project is 
being prepared and will be shared with the EU delegation shortly. 

Coordination  & 
Alignment  

WFP and FAO have jointly agreed on the selection criteria of benefactress in consultation 
with EU delegation. The implementing partners are undertaking assessments and are in the 
process  of  finalizing  the  selection  of  beneficiaries  based  on  agreed  criteria.  WFP  has 
introduced beneficiaries’ registration and wheat distribution cards which will be retained by 
the  beneficiaries  and  will  be  mandatory  for  them  to  produce  at  the  time  of  wheat 
distribution. 

WFP  is  using  donor  marked  bags  for  wheat  distribution.  FAO  and  WFP  have  jointly 
prepared visibility  material. Promotional material such as pens, writing pads, folders, caps 
and  T-shirts  have  been  prepared.  Banners  will  be  prominently  displayed  at  the  food 
distribution  points.  Media/  donor  visits  are  planned  during  and  after  the  distribution. 
Promotional videos will be made. 

WFP’s office in Islamabad, Pakistan was attacked by a suicide bomber on 5 October 2009. 
Five staff were killed in the attack and many more wounded. WFP’s office was completely 
destroyed. Operations were temporarily moved to the WFP Country Director’s house and a 
warehouse until a new office is up and running. WFP is continuing operations as usual to the 
extent possible.   

Visibility 

Issues  

 Financial 
up  

follow 

40%  of  the  first  year  budget,  April  2009  to  March  2010,  has  been  programmed  (€  3.1 
million  out  of  8.4  million).  Financial  commitments  amount  to  €  1.9  million  euro, 
representing 23% of the first year budget. 

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33.    PAKISTAN 

 Project  

                      Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 

Budget 

Total budget €8 065 282 (USD11 327 643) 

Brief Description 

This  26-month  project,  launched  in  May  2009,  aims  to  help  the  government  of  Pakistan 
restore the food security of vulnerable households in the food-deficient areas of North West 
Frontier Province, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. 

The  project  seeks  to  enable  at  least  166  700  farming  families  (reaching  over  one  million 
people)  to  grow  enough  staple  foods  –  wheat,  rice,  vegetables  and  other  crops  –  to  meet 
household food needs.  

FAO  is  providing  farmers  with  free  quality  inputs,  including  high-yielding  and  locally 
appropriate seed varieties and fertilizers, in time for the planting season.  

Irrigation  is  crucial  to  agricultural  activities  in  the  targeted  areas,  yet  several  irrigation 
schemes have fallen into disrepair due to neglect and natural disasters. The project aims to 
rehabilitate  150  small-scale  community-managed  irrigation  schemes  and  200  rainwater 
harvesting structures. It also aims to provide 100 farmers’ associations with seed and grain 
storage facilities and agricultural tools and machinery.  

To  enhance  sustainability,  FAO  hopes  to  train  around  37  500  smallholder  farmers  in  the 
efficient use of irrigation, crop production, the proper maintenance and use of agricultural 
tools and machinery and post-harvest management. This is being done through Farmer Field 
Schools.  

The project, which is in line with the government’s ongoing national programme for food 
security, is being implemented jointly by FAO and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). 
WFP  will  provide  food-for-work  assistance  to  approximately  83  000  households  living  in 
the most food vulnerable areas. 

•  The project was signed by Government on 7 July 2009. 
•  The  Project  Management  Team  is  complete  and  operational;  Peshawar  office  reopens, 

Quetta office remains closed. 

•  The Procurement Plan is complete. Procurement mission scheduled for 22 November for 
4  weeks  in  relation  to  Kharif  2010  seeds  and  fertilizer,  machinery/tools  and  irrigation 
supplies procurement actions. Concurrent seed specialist mission also planned to ensure 
linkages for seed procurement. 

•  Project Steering Committee (PSC) scheduled to meet for first time on 5 November.  
•  Selection  of  Implementing  Partners  for  implementation  of  preparatory  LoAs  for  water 
harvesting  and  irrigation  works  underway,  as  well  as  ongoing  assessment  of  existing 
Rabi 2009 implementation partners 

•  Criteria  for beneficiary  selection  have  been  established  with  stakeholders  including  the 

EU Delegation.. 

•  Distribution  of  inputs  to  beneficiaries:  Benchmark  surveys  (at  UC  level)  analysed  and 
report  submitted.  Baseline  surveys  being  finalised  and  due  to  be  analysed  during 
November. WFP has begun distributing food related inputs to selected beneficiaries, and 
expect to complete distribution by the end of the month. 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners  

•  The  project  inauguration  ceremony  at  Chakwal  planned  for  3 November 2009,  senior 

GoP officials invited. 

•  Communication/visibility  national  plan  developed.  Video  footage  prepared  to  feed  into 

State of Play 

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EUFF event during World Food Summit (13 – 17 November 2009). 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

The project was presented at the Agriculture Cluster meeting in September 2009, outlining 
project implementation and monitoring mechanisms. 

The EU FF Project Manager attends the regular Agriculture Cluster meeting in Islamabad to 
ensure the project connects with existing and planned coordination mechanisms. 

The  project  coordination  structure  is  being  established  and  operationalized.  Federal  and 
Provincial  level  committees,  with  wide  stakeholder  participation,  aim  to  monitor  project 
orientation  and  approach  in  the  overall  context  of  food  security  and  food  vulnerability; 
identify  cross-cutting 
issues,  build  synergies  and  share  experience  of  similar 
projects/programmes. 

Issues 

The deteriorating security situation is resulting in curtailing of project staff movement at the 
local level, on and off closure of offices (especially Peshawar and Quetta), and restriction on 
scope of international missions (i.e. inability to undertake field trips). Ensuring continuity of 
activities has been through use of Implementing Partners (NGOs) and realignment of TORs 
of international consultants. 

The  provision  of  adequate  safety  and  security  for  national  and  international  project  staff 
across  the  country  has  been  addressed  by  ensuring  full  MOSS  compliance  for  offices  and 
vehicles, including purchase of B6/VR6 armoured vehicle and strict adherence to UNDSS 
measures. 

Financial 
up  

follow-

Total delivery €2 508 779 (USD3 498 994) 

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Same …  

Project 

International Fund for Agricultural Organisation (IFAD) 

34.    PHILIPPINES 

The  Rapid  Food  Production  Enhancement  Programme  (RaFPEP)  will  support  the 
Government  of  the  Philippines’  (GOP)  2009-2013  Rice  Self-Sufficiency  Plan  (RSSP), 
which  represents  an  effort  to  regain  self-sufficiency  in  rice  production  and  respond  to  the 
food crisis that emerged in 2008.   

It has two major sub-programmes, the Rapid Seed Supply Financing Project (RaSSFiP) and 
the Irrigated Rice Production Enhancement Project (IRPEP). The RaSSFiP will focus on the 
acquisition and distribution of certified seeds in 2009-2010, while the IRPEP will work on 
improving  the  productivity  and  production  of  irrigated  paddies  in  selected  communal 
irrigation  systems  in  focus  RSSP  provinces  in  2010-2015.  RaSSFiP  will  directly  benefit 
around 1,116,319 households (or 5.6 million people) of poor paddy farmers in rice-growing 
areas  in  the  country.  Out  of  these  some  6,477  farm  families  (or  32.000  people)  will  also 
benefit from IRPEP. 

The programme cost is US$42.24 million over seven years. It will be financed by an IFAD 
loan  of  US$15.90  million  (about  37.7  per  cent  of  the  programme  cost);  European 
Commission grant of USD 13.15 million equivalent (31.1%); financier to be identified for 
US$0.5 million (1.2 per cent); a FAO technical assistance grant of US$0.50 million (1.2 per 
cent);  a  Government  contribution  of  US$9.82  million  (23.3  per  cent);  contributions  from 
local  government  units  of  US$1.97  million  (4.7  per  cent);  and  an  in-kind  beneficiary 
contribution of US$0.40 million (0.9 per cent). 

 The RaFPEP financing agreement was signed by the GOP and IFAD on 2 September 2009, 
The required documents for the effectiveness of the financing agreement were submitted by 
the  GOP  through  the  Department  of  Finance  (DoF)  to  IFAD  on  3  November  2009.  It  is 
expected  that  RaFPEP  will  be  declared  effective  within  November  2009.As  early  as  July 
2009, the Department of Agriculture (DA), the lead programme agency, started mobilizing 
and  organizing  resources  for  implementation  start-up.    As  of  early  November  2009,  the 
following accomplishment are registered: 

State of Play 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Completed  the  requirements  for  effectiveness  of  the  RAFPEP  Financing 
Agreement – The four conditions for effectiveness as stated in Article 4, section 7.01 of 
the  Financing  agreement  were  complied  by  the  DA.  The  required  documents  were 
submitted  to  the  Department  of  Finance  for  endorsement  to  IFAD.  IFAD  started 
reviewing this documents and shall decide by mid-November at the latest; 

Established  project  structures  –  The  Project  Coordination  Office  (PCO)  was 
established on 23 July 2009, and the National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) on 30 
September 2009; 

Orientation  of  key  programme  implementers  –  The  PCO  staff  conducted  the 
following:  (i) programme  briefing  to  regional  rice  coordinators  in  August  2009;  and 
(ii) technical  briefing  to  the  National  Food  Authority  (NFA)  regional  and  provincial 
quality control officers about seed production and certification in August 2009; 

Preparation of the July 2009- June 2010 AWPB and Communication/Visibility 
Plan-  The  programme 
its  programme  year  1  AWP&B  and 
Communication/Visibility  Plan  so  that  they  can  be  submitted  to,  and  approved  by,  the 
NPSC not later than 24 November 2009; 

finalizing 

is 

Procurement of the Certified Inbred Seeds – The DA has released to the NFA 
the  amount  of  PHP 659,631,097.00  (approximately  USD 13.89  million)  for  the 
procurement of certified inbred seeds in July and August 2009. In September 2009, the 
NFA advertised the bid for provision of certified inbred seeds in the national papers. The 
procurement is therefore ongoing now. 

• 

Promotion  of  RaFPEP  in  IFAD’s  Third  Knowledge  and  Learning  Market 
(KLM3) on 20-21 October 2009– Through the KLM3, which is a national gathering of 

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IFAD  projects  and  partners  in  the  Philippines  held  in  Metro  Manila,  information  about 
RaFPEP  was  publicised  through  an  institutional  booth  and  pamphlets  and  discussions 
with stakeholders; 

• 

Special  auditing  arrangements  for  RaFPEP:  On  19  October,  IFAD  and  the 
independent Commission on Audits signed the terms of reference for a special financial 
and management auditing of the RaSSFiP so that all the seed distribution activities from 
April/May  2009  to  the  end  of  2010  will  be  properly  accounted  for.  This  special 
assignment is over and above the audit that the Government of the Philippines agreed to 
undertake in the Financing Agreement for RaFPEP as negotiated and signed. 

 The RaFPEP is a response to the GOP’s Rice Self-Sufficiency Programme which is aligned 
with  the  agricultural  sector  priorities  in  the  Medium  Term  Philippines  Development  Plan. 
The  Programme  is  implemented  by  the  GOP  through  the  DA  and  its  attached  agencies 
(NFA,  NIA,  BPI)  using  the  country’s  procurement  system  to  the  extent  that  these  are 
consistent  with  IFAD’s  procurement  guidelines  and  the  country’s  public  financial 
management system. The Programme’s financial and management audit shall be carried out 
by the GOP’s Commission on Audit (COA).There has so far not been any coordination with 
the activities of any other EC funded food facility project in the country, and IFAD is not 
aware of the starting of any of these activities. 

There are two major issues the project faces:  

(a)  Delay in the procurement of certified in-bred seeds;  
(b)  Major damages to seed production areas in Luzon island due to tropical storm 

Ketsana (local name Ondoy) and typhoon Parma (Pepeng).  

Coordination & 
Alignment 

Issues 

The  bidding  process  of  Republic  Act  (RA)  9184,  otherwise  known  as  Government 
Procurement Reform Act, is too elaborate that seeds may not be procured on time. To fast 
track the procurement of seeds, NFA will decentralize the procurement process through their 
regional Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) using the “alternative mode” as prescribed in 
RA 9184. 

Because  of  typhoons  Ketsana  and  Parma  which  hit  Regions  2,  3  and  4b,  all  regions  that 
provide  most  of  the  paddy  seeds  of  the  country  in  normal  circumstances,  there  may  be 
shortage in the supply of certified inbred seeds. As an alternative, NFA shall source seeds 
from the Visayas and Mindanao.   

 RaFPEP  has  not  yet  withdrawn  any  funds  from  the  IFAD  loan  account  and  EU  grant 
account since the related financing agreement has not yet been declared effective. However, 
from the national budget appropriation the DA has released the following advances: 

(a)  PhP 659,631,079.00 (US$ 13.92 million) to NFA for the procurement of certified 

inbred seeds; 

(b)   PhP 1,500.000.00 (US$ 32.000) for the establishment of the PCO office in Manila; 
(c)  PhP 352,500.00(7,400) for conduct of technical briefing; 
(d)  PhP 274,975 (US$ 5,800) for the conduct of meetings, consultations, and 

promotion. 

Financial follow 
up 

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35.    PHILIPPINES 

World Food Programme (WFP) 

This project had a start date of 1 September 2009 and continues for 24 months. It aims to 
expand the food-for-assets activities in support of productive safety net activities in conflict-
affected areas of Mindanao and to establish VAM capacity at national level. 

Project 

State of Play 

Activities  include  food  for  work  for  agricultural  infrastructure  rehabilitation  and  peace 
advocacy,  literacy  and  alternate  livelihood  skills  training  and  support  to  Govt  VAM 
capacity. 

Procurement 

•  Following discussions with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of 
Social  Welfare  and  Development  (DSWD),  the  agreement  was  to  procure  rice 
locally  from  National  Food  Authority  (NFA)  on  the  condition  that  it  is  costs 
effective  to  do  so.  NFA  is  government  owned  and  was  created  in  1972  with  the 
mission of promoting the integrated growth and development of the grains industry 
covering  rice,  corn,  etc.,  The  price  of  rice  is  subsidized  by  the  government  and 
therefore at a lower cost than other suppliers.  

•  However due to the ongoing response to the typhoon disasters WFP/Govt will need 
to review this arrangement since WFP has already procured rice from NFA for the 
response in Luzon (the region most hard-hit by the recent flooding).. 
In the meantime WFP is going through the regional procurement for approximately 
2.000mt  of  rice  regionally  and  beans  and  expect  that  rice  will  arrive  starting 
December 2009. 

• 

Distribution 

•  WFP  need  approximately  3  months  to  costs  effective  procure  commodities 
regionally  and  have  them  delivered  in Mindanao.  Since  the  project was  approved 
effective September 2009, commodities are not available for distributions and the 
focus is more on planning and community ‘mobilization’ activities. 

Other activities 

•  WFP, working with other stakeholders is; 

 finalization of project guidelines, 

o 
o  Work-norms 
o  Measurements 
o  Target areas, including review of selected Barangay development plans 
o  Recruitment;  an  international  consultant  has  been  recruited  and  will  be 

working on the project starting 01 November 2009. 

Discussions are ongoing with the Government, FAO, the European Commission and other 
UN agencies to set up a steering committee both at national and Mindanao level.  However, 
some follow-up meetings were postponed following the natural disasters which hit northern 
Luzon. 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

WFP  met  with  the  European  Commission  consultant  in  Manila.  WFP  field  staff  are  also 
liaising with local authorities to explore partnerships. 

There are ongoing discussions with FAO and IFAD in terms of linkages taking into account 
the  geographical  focus  and  timing  of  the  project.  FAO  is  largely  expected  to  provide 
technical support for this project in case their existing and or planned activities are outside 

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Mindanao. 

DSWD  (WFP’s  government  counterpart)  have  indicated  that  they  are  keen  to  actively 
participate in the monitoring of project implementation. 

Visibility 

WFP is finalising the visibility plan with the EU Delegation. All commodities will clearly be 
marked with EU logos. There will be media opportunities during arrival of commodities and 
distributions. 

Issues 

The  major  challenge  has  been  the  natural  disasters  which  hit  the  Philippines,  in  particular 
northen Luzon, hence refocusing the attention of government and other stakeholders to the 
ongoing response.  

Due  to  the  ongoing  response  for  Typhoon  disasters,  National  Govt  resources  are  now 
stretched which will negatively impact in their ability to provide complementary resources. 
Therefore  WFP  might  have  to  provide  additional  resources  for  procurement  of  some 
implements.  

The programming of the total amount of € 4.1  million for the first year budget (September 
2009-August 2010) is being finalized. 

Financial follow 
up 

The  delay  in  the  early  procurement  of  food  commodities  was  due  to  a  request  by  the 
Secretary  of  Agriculture  for  the  explain  CO  to  purchase  locally  from  the  National  Food 
Authority  (NFA).    Due  to  the  increasing  need  of  rice  by  NFA  following  the  devastating 
effects  of  the  successive  Typhoons,  WFP  has  just  been  advised  by  the  DSWD  to  procure 
from the region. 

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Same 

Project 

36.    SENEGAL 

World Food Programme (WFP) 

The  EU  Food  Facility  in  Senegal  aims  at  preserving  Senegalese  households  from 
vulnerability and food insecurity. The EU Food Facility will reinforce activities conducted 
under  the  current  WFP  Protracted  Relief  and  Recovery  Operation  (PRRO  2008/2010), 
which was revised in 2008 to better respond to the impact of high food prices on vulnerable 
populations  in  Senegal.  Among  the  main  activities  within  the  PRRO,  three  were  retained 
under the Food Facility: Food For Nutrition Awareness (FFNA), Food for Assets (FFA) and 
Cash  Voucher.  The  objectives  are  to  improve  nutritional  status  among  vulnerable  groups 
particularly  women  and  children,  reinforce  agricultural  production,  preserve  natural 
resources and facilitate access to food by vulnerable households.  

During the first six months of implementation, 8.000 metric tons (mt) of food commodities 
have been purchased and the procurement of 3,065 mt is in process. So far, 6,251 mt of food 
have  been  distributed  to  844.000  beneficiaries  through  FFA  and  FFNA  activities.  WFP 
partners  have  received  appropriate  material  and  equipment  to  implement  the  planned 
activities  in  an  effective  manner.  Cooperating  partners,  national  counterparts  and  local 
management committees have been properly sensitized and trained on project objectives and 
food management.  

State of Play 

For the FFA and FFNA activities, targeting is undertaken geographically based on various 
assessments conducted by WFP and its partners in collaboration with the government. The 
results  of  these  assessments  helped  WFP  and  its  partners  to  determine  the  level  of 
vulnerability  as  well  as  the  level  of  intervention  required  in  the  targeted  areas.  Based  on 
these  results,  the  actual  targeted  beneficiaries  in  food  insecure  areas  are  receiving  the 
commodities as planned. 

The  set-up  and  planning  of  Cash  Voucher  activities  are  being  finalized  and  the  first  Cash 
Voucher distributions are planned to take place in January 2010. Thus, partner agreements 
are being finalized, finance institutions selected and appropriate human resources recruited, 
in order to ensure effective program implementation and monitoring. The targeting criteria 
and  methodology  have  been  developed  in  collaboration  with  partners.  Contracts  with 
implementing  partners  on  targeting  activities  are  currently  being  finalized.  Targeting 
activities are supposed to start in November after the validation by Steering committee.    

Coordination with the delegation: The EC delegation has been consulted at the stages of the 
drafting of agreements, programme design, and elaboration of the visibility strategy. Several 
joint EU-WFP field missions are planned between October and November 2009.         

Steering committee update 

•  FFNA:  The  steering  committee  for  managing  the  PRN  is  constituted  under  CLM 
(Cellule de Lutte contre la Malnutrition) attached to the Prime Minister’s Office. 
Located  at  the  central  level  it  is  composed  of  different  technical  ministries  and 
other  national  agencies  involved  in  nutrition  such  as  the  Ministry  of  Family, 
Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Ministry of Health, Ministry 
of  Education,  and  Ministry  of  Hydraulic,  the  Food  Technology  Institute,  NGOs, 
Research institutions and Communities’ representatives.  WFP is discussing with 
CLM  the  possibility  of  convening  a  meeting  of  the  technical  partners  related  to 
nutrition,  who  will  review  the  FFNA  component  of  the  EU  Food  Facility  and 
propose the way forward. 

•  FFA: At the central level, WFP is working with the MoA to put in place a steering 
committee. The committee will be chaired by the MoA and will be constituted of 
the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Family, the European Commission, 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

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FAO, WFP and NGO partners.  

•  Cash Voucher: WFP will work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Family 
and  National  Solidarity  under  its  Poverty  Reduction  Programme  (P.R.P).  A 
steering committee was formed in order to ensure that the pilot project is coherent 
with  ongoing  cash-based  programmes 
implemented  by  other 
stakeholders  and  to  benefit  from  experiences  as  well  as  lessons  learnt  and  good 
practices  from  other  cash-based  programmes.  This  steering  committee  will  be 
composed  of  Ministry  of  Family,  Ministry  of  Trade,  the  European  Commission, 
implementing  NGOs  and  other  organisations  currently  working  in  the  field  of 
cash-based  interventions  such  as  CLM,  the  World  Bank  and  UNICEF.  The  first 
meeting of the steering committee was held at WFP offices on 29 October 2009. 

in  Senegal 

The  EU  Food  Facility  launching  ceremony  and  press  conference  was  held  on  6  October 
2009.  Over  15  local,  national  and  international  press  agencies  were  represented  at  the 
ceremony.  Interviews,  TV  and  radio  reports,  as  well  as  press  articles,  have  also  been 
published  in  the  different  media.  Several  visibility  materials,  e.g.  banners,  press  kits, 
leaflets, commemorative plaques, were created.  

Visibility 

Information packs on the project to be distributed to the journalists at information meetings, 
field  visits  and  other  events  have  been  created.  Distribution  of  these  started  during  the 
launch press conference. In addition, a press release was circulated and the country director 
performed  a  variety  of  interviews  to  raise  awareness  and  understanding  regarding  the 
project’s activities.  

Draft visibility strategies for all three components have been sheared and discussed with the 
EU Delegation. 

Delay in food delivery to some FFA and FFNA beneficiary locations due to the late signing 
of  the  agreement  between  the  European  Commission  and  WFP.  In  order  to  accelerate  the 
process  of  food  delivery,  WFP  Senegal  requested  an  advance  from  the  WFP  Working 
Capital  Financing;  food  was  also  delivered  from  existing  in-house  stocks.  However,  this 
required  re-bagging  which  caused  further  delays  as  new  bags  had  to  be  printed  with  EU 
markings. 

Issues 

Certain areas and distributions sites are inaccessible due to heavy rainfalls as of July have 
hampered the access to certain areas.  

Financial follow 
up 

 The total budget for the first year (May 2009-April 2010), amounting to € 3.6 million, has 
been committed. 

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Project 

37.    SIERRA LEONE 

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO): Support to the Implementation of the 
“National Agriculture Response Programme” (NARP) 

Budget 

Total budget €10 263 748 (USD14 314 850) 

Brief Description 

This two-year project, launched in May 2009, is designed to help the Government of Sierra 
Leone  boost  small  farmers’  productivity  and  improve  their  access  to  agricultural  support 
services (input markets, post-harvest conditioning, extension services and technical advice) 
and rural markets.  

Funds  are  being  used  to  support  the  development  of  105  agricultural  business  centres 
(ABCs), which will be owned and managed by existing farmer-based organisations.  

On average, each centre will deliver services to around 400 smallholder farmers, including 
micro-credit, the sale of inputs, the rental of labour-saving equipment, the storage of seeds 
and  food  to  reduce  post-harvest  losses  and  the  transport  of  harvests  to  markets.  These 
activities aim to improve the food security status of 42 000 households.  

The project contributes to the National Agricultural Response Programme (NARP), drafted 
by  the  government’s  Ministry  of  Agriculture,  Forestry  and  Food  Security  in  close 
collaboration with  FAO,  the World  Food Programme,  the  African Development  Bank  and 
the International Fund for Agricultural Development in response to the food price crisis.  

The  project’s  activities  are  also  building  on  ongoing  community  programmes  in  the 
government’s national food security programme, “Operation Feed the Nation”. 

The  FAO-implemented  project  is  to  be  rolled  out  in  seven  districts  where  ongoing  NARP 
projects are not providing a full package for Agricultural Business Centre (ABC) start-ups. 
Managers,  shopkeepers  and  equipment  operators  are  also  to  be  trained  at  regional  sites. 
Support will be given to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security throughout 
the  country  to  help  it  assist  and  monitor  the  entire  network  of  195  agricultural  business 
centres. 

•  The Project Management Team: International Emergency Coordinator reported on duty 
on 11 August. Interviews currently going on for National consultants and District teams 
being identified by Government. Start up of recruitment of national staff was slow, but 
interviews  have  been  conducted  and  the  regional  officers  have  already  been  identified 
and will all be on board by Oct-Nov. MAFFS counterparts are also being identified (but 
the capacity [numbers] on ground is limited). 

•  The  Procurement  Plan  is  complete.  Procurement  of  major  equipment  and  machinery 
(both  locally  and  internationally)  has  been  initiated  and  already  some  machinery  has 
arrived in the country. 

•  The  first  meeting  of  the  Project  Steering  Committee  was  held  during  the  2nd  week  of 

October. 

•  Implementing partners: Discussions have initiated with potential implementing partners 
who  will  facilitate  business  training  and  other  capacity  building  support  services  to 
ABCs, Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) and district networks. The results of the on-
going  data  collection  on  FBOs  will  provide  specific  LOA  activities  to  be  undertaken. 
Identification of the potential sites for ABC establishment within areas where the FBOs 
are located is currently going on. 

•  Criteria  for  beneficiary  selection:  an  exercise  to  conduct  detailed  profiles  for  all  the 
Farmer  Field  Schools/  Farmer-based  Organizations  in  the  operational  areas  has  been 
finalized.  

State of Play 

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•  Support is provided to Agricultural Business Centres. No free distribution of inputs. The 
support  will  be  provided  as  a  package  including  training,  machine  procurement, 
installation,  maintenance  and  capacity  for  farmers  to  meet  the  costs  of  maintaining  the 
centre resources. 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EC 
Delegation and other partners. A pre-project baseline is currently underway covering 390 
FBOs  in  the  country  as  part  of  start  up  activities  to  establish  baseline  benchmarks  for 
most project indicators.  

•  A dual purpose workshop took place 6-8 October for: i. logframe harmonization and ii. 
communication  &  visibility.  All  partners:    the  European  Commission,  FAO,  WFP  and 
MAFFS were present, including a mission from HQ (TCIS and TCEO). FAO Liberia is 
also joined to facilitate sharing of lessons learned. 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

In  Sierra  Leone,  the  EUFF  is  implemented  within  the  overall  context  of  the  Small  Holder 
Commercialization  Scheme  (SHCS),  which  brings 
together  partners,  donors  and 
Government  departments  that  work  on  small  holder  commercialization  programmes  in 
Sierra Leone.  The EUFF project is the secretariat to the SHCS.  

The project contributes to the National Agricultural Response Programme (NARP) and also 
builds  on  ongoing  community  programmes  in  the  government’s  national  food  security 
programme, “Operation Feed the Nation”. 

The EUFF is coordinating, together with the EU Delegation and MAFFS, the development 
of  a  common  communication  and  visibility  strategy  that  harmonizes  the  different 
communication  messages  that  are  geared  towards  reducing  dependency  and  creating 
opportunities for increased household food production and value addition.  

Issues 

The  process  of  identification  of  FBOs  and  sites  for  ABCs  requires  increased  presence  of 
MAFFS staff in the field to facilitate community dialogue. However because of the limited 
capacity  of  MAFFS  there  is  some  delay  in  concluding  this  important  activity.    To  resolve 
this problem a request has been made to the MAFFS Director of Extension to second more 
field staff to the project. Also intensified training is being carried out to ensure good quality 
staff are prepared to support project implementation.  

Financial follow-
up 

Total delivery €1 330 201 (USD1 855 232) 

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38.    SIERRA LEONE 

Project 

World Food Programme (WFP) 

The  project  seeks  to  mitigate  the  short-term  impact  of  rising  food  prices  on  consumption 
levels  and  nutritional  status  among  food  insecure  households  in  rural  communities.  The 
project will also contribute to enhancing long-term recovery prospects of vulnerable people 
who  suffered  as  a  result  of  the  war  and  the  long-term  presence  of  refugees  from 
neighbouring countries.  

Expected  outcome  of  the  project  is  increased  ability  to  meet  food  needs  within  targeted 
households through rehabilitation of productive assets, training of small holder farmers and 
linking farmers to markets.  

The implementation of the agreement started in June 2009, after the agreement was signed 
on 26 May 2009. So, far, WFP has programmed around 40% of the EU Food Facility funds 
and procured food items accordingly. The arrival of the first food commodities is expected 
in October. The following food commodities are being procured: 

International purchase 

2300 MT of cereals from Turkey 

460 MT of pulses from Denmark 

Local purchase 

State of Play 

150 MT of fortified vegetable oil is being procured locally. This is the first time WFP does 
local procurement of vegetable oil in Sierra Leone.  

No distribution has taken place in the period as food has not arrived. 

A series of bilateral and joint planning and coordination meetings have been held between 
MAFFS, FAO and WFP. A technical coordination committee at central level has been set up 
for coordination of the EU food facility implementation. 

Planning of new projects under the EU food facility framework is going on between WFP 
country office and sub-offices and existing implementing NGO-partners and new potential 
partners including GTZ. Targeting and planning of new projects will prioritize food insecure 
communities  and  farmer-based  organizations  selected  by  FAO/MAFFS  for  the  set-up  of 
Agricultural Business Centers.  

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Contact with the EC delegation 

Meetings have been held to plan for the workshop on harmonization of the log frames and 
communication/visibility plan. The workshop will be held 6-8 October, with the purpose of 
1) developing an over-arching food security sector logical framework that the food security 
programmes and projects of government and development partners should be aligned with, 
and  2)  developing  a  communications  and  visibility  strategy  to  promote  shared  vision, 
strategy, consistency, recognition and mutual accountability. This workshop will include all 
UN  and  NGO  contractual  partners  under  the  EU  food  facility  and  food  security  thematic 
programmes in Sierra Leone 

Coordination & 
Alignment 

Food Facility Steering committee 

It has been agreed to let the existing national coordinating body, the National Agricultural 
Response  Programme  (NARP)  Committee  be  the  steering  committee  for  the  EU  Food 
Facility.  The  NARP  committee  is  chaired  by  MAFFS,  and  has  representation  from  FAO, 
WFP, the EC, and other donors. 

WFP Sierra Leone’s visibility/communication plan will be developed based on the common 
framework which will be developed during the workshop 6-8 October to be held by the EU 
Delegation  and  MAFFS.  The  third  day  of  the  workshop  will  be  devoted  to  developing  a 
common  framework  for  communication  and  visibility  plan  among  all  agencies  with 
contracts  under  the  EU  Food  Facility  or  the  food  security  thematic  programme  in  Sierra 
Leone. Based on the common framework each agency will develop its own, specific plan.  

There  has  been  a  delay  beyond  the  three  months  deadline  of  development  of  a 
communication and visibility plan. This is mainly caused by the summer season when staffs 
of the various agencies have been out of the office, and the EU Delegation is in agreement 
of  an  extension  of  this  deadline.  The  European  Commission  with  MAFFS  are  holding  a 
workshop  on  harmonization  of 
joint 
communication/visibility platform for all EU’s contractual partners on food security projects 
form 6 to 8 October. 

and  development  of 

frames 

log 

a 

Visibility 

Issues 

Financial follow 
up 

40  %  of  the  Food  Facility  funds  have  been  programmed  and  2,910  metric  tons  of  mixed 
food commodities are being purchased. In terms of financial commitments, Sierra Leone has 
so far committed 25% (€ 982,115) of the planned budget for year 1 of the Food Facility. 

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Project 

39.    SOMALIA 

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO): Integrated support for rural livelihood in 
Somalia 

Budget 

Total budget €9 975 934 (USD14 011 143) 

Brief Description 

This two-year project, launched in June 2009, aims to boost the food security and incomes 
of impoverished Somalis struggling to cope with high food prices and debt. The project is 
getting  under  way  in  the  densely-populated  Lower  Shabelle  and  Juba  regions  and  is 
designed to benefit around  

78 100 households.  

The  objectives  are  three-fold:  enhance  agricultural  production  and  productivity  of  small 
farmers;  improve  market  access  for  agriculture  products;  and  increase  incomes  and 
employment opportunities for the country’s rural and urban poor.  

Around  60  000  farming  households  are  expected  to  receive  cash  crop  seeds  (sesame)  and 
quality  maize  and  sorghum  seeds,  accompanied  by  farming  tools  and  fertilizers,  to  help 
boost yields. They will also receive training on improved farming techniques.  

FAO-Somalia will work to ensure seed quality control through regular testing and sampling.  

Much of the country’s infrastructure is in ruins after years of conflict, neglect and drought. 
By rehabilitating canals and roads, the project hopes to increase the amount of land under 
irrigation, thereby boosting agricultural productivity.  

Better roads will also make it easier for farmers to get their produce to markets. To cut down 
on post-harvest losses, farmers will receive training on improved harvesting, transport and 
storage practices.  

The rehabilitation of roads and small irrigation canals will be done partly through cash-for-
work activities, giving poor food-insecure households (about 13 000 people) much needed 
income.  

FAO is working closely with a well-established network of local and international NGOs to 
carry out the project, which is in line with the framework of the United Nations Transitional 
Plan  (UNTP)  for  Somalia.  This  is  a  plan  used  by  the  UN  to  implement  peace-keeping 
initiatives  and  capacity-building  activities  while  facilitating  longer-term  development  in 
transition countries.  

•  The Project Management Team: The recruitment of the International Project Manager is 

being finalized.  

•  The  Procurement  Plan  is  complete.  All  items  (sesame  seeds,  vegetable  kits,  leaflets, 
bags) for the first round of activities have been delivered to recipient organizations. Tools 
to implement cash for work under the second round of activities are being procured. 

•  The  Project  Steering  Committee:  the  first  meeting  with  the  Minister  of  Livestock  and 
acting  Minister of Agriculture  took  place  on  7 October 2009.  The  first  meeting  of  the 
Steering  Committee  should  take  place  once  the  Minister  of  Agriculture  has  been 
officially appointed which is expected in mid/end November 2009. 

•  Selection of implementing partners: an expression of interest was launched for a second 
round  of  project  activities  (cash  for  work)  to  support  floods  mitigation  intervention  in 
Middle  and  Lower  Shabelle.  4  Letters  of  Agreement  are  expected  to  be  signed  within 
next 10 days. 

State of Play 

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•  Criteria for beneficiary selection: for the first round of activities the project will reach at 
least 35 000 beneficiaries. For the second round 6 000 beneficiaries are expected. Criteria 
have  been  developed  in  consultation  with  the  EU  Delegation  and  taking  account  of 
information available from the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU). 
•  Distribution of inputs: first distribution of inputs (sesame, vegetable kits, tools) is taking 
place.  3 500 people  for  cash  for  work  activities;  1  000/1  200  micro/small  farmers  for 
rehabilitation  of 
for 
vegetable  kits  distribution;  25 000 small/medium  farmers  for  sesame  distribution; 
approximately 13 000 medium sized farms will benefit from the rehabilitation of 5.5. km 
of  primary  canal.  There  may  be  some  overlapping  of  beneficiaries  from  clans 
rehabilitation and sesame distribution or beneficiaries of cash for work activities, sesame 
distribution and canal rehabilitation.  

tertiary  canals;  3 500 poor farmers/women/bantu  minorities 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners  

•  The project visibility/communication plan has been developed. 

The  EU  Food  Facility  is  entrenched  in  the  emergency  coordination  mechanism  as  FAO 
chairs  the  Agriculture  and  Livelihoods  Cluster  for  Somalia  of  the  Inter  Agency  Standing 
Committee  (IASC).  In  addition,  the  project  will  benefit  from  the  sectoral  system  of 
coordination of the Somali Support Secretariat (SSS). In fact the Project Management Unit 
(PMU) will participate in the Sector Committee for Food security and Rural Development 
.The  coordination  meetings  are  particularly  relevant  in  order  to  utilize  principles  and 
standards of implementation that are shared by all development partners operating under the 
SSS coordination umbrella.  

The project is in line with the framework of the United Nation Transitional Plan (UNTP) for 
Somalia.  FAO  is  leading  UNTP  Outcome  5  (Vulnerable  and  marginalized  groups  have 
improved sustainable food security and economic opportunity). The project objectives and 
achievement will be incorporated in the next revision of the UN Transitional Plan foreseen 
to take place before the end of the 2009. 

Project activities have been oriented to support and reinforce achievement of FAO on-going 
rehabilitation  and  recovery  interventions  as  well  as  emergency  response  initiatives  funded 
by the European Commission, World Bank and the Sweden Government. 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

Issues 

The  most  challenging  aspect  is  represented  by  the  need  to  interact  with  the  existing 
Government  (TFG)  and  the  existing  insurgent  extremists  in  control  of  all  the  Regions 
targeted  by  the  intervention.  The  utilization  of  local  NGO’s  as  recipient  partners  in  some 
strategic  areas  should  allow  negotiating  access  at  field  level  while  engaging  TFG 
representatives at macro level (Minister of Agriculture is part of the Steering Committee). 

Financial follow-
up 

Total delivery €248 690 (USD349 260) 

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Project 

40.    SRI LANKA 

Food  and  Agriculture  Organisation:  Enhancing  food  security  among  the  most 
vulnerable farm families 

Budget 

Total budget €5 127 252 (USD7 201 197) 

Brief Description 

Some 20 000 families in Sri Lanka’s conflict-scarred districts of Batticaloa and Trincomalee 
are  expected  to  receive  support  in  clearing  their  farmland  and  rehabilitating  small-scale 
irrigation tanks and channels so they can begin growing crops again.  

Farmers  will  receive  much-needed  inputs  including  improved  seed  varieties  for  rice  –  an 
important staple. They will also receive seeds for other field crops and vegetable gardens, as 
well as appropriate fertilizers, fencing materials and agriculture tools.  

Around  5  000  families  will  receive  fruit  trees  while  another  2  000  families  will  receive 
chickens in an effort to diversify production and boost families’ nutritional intake.  

Funds will be used to develop and strengthen farmers’ organizations to help them improve 
their cooperative decision making and business and marketing skills.  

Farmers  will  also  benefit  from  the  reinforcement  of  the  national  agricultural  extension 
trainings  will  focus  on 
system 
environmentally-friendly  farming  techniques,  conservation  agriculture,  pest  control,  post-
harvest loss reduction, food-processing, marketing and sound nutritional practices.  

technical  assistance  and 

training.  These 

through 

State of Play 

While 20 000 families will benefit directly, the project is also expected to improve the food 
security  of  some  100  000  rural  families  through  the  increased  availability  of  locally-
produced food.  

FAO  will  work  closely  with  the  Sri  Lankan  Ministry  of  Agricultural  Development  and 
Agrarian  Services,  non-governmental  organisations,  UN  agencies  and  community-based 
organizations  to  implement  this  project,  which  is  in  line  with  the  government’s  broader 
strategy on food and nutrition security.  

•  The project was signed by the Government on 30 September. 
•  The Project Management Team is in the process of being recruited.   
•  The Procurement Plan is being finalized.   
•  The Project Steering Committee is under discussion with the EC Delegation. 
•  Implementing partners are in the process of being identified.  
•  Selection  of  beneficiaries  will  be  revised  upon  inception  mission  in  coordination  with 
Ministry of Agriculture. Simultaneously discussion is on-going with the EU delegation at 
Country level. 

•  Distribution of inputs to beneficiaries will take place during the 2010 planting seasons: 

Jala starting in April and Maha in September.  

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners  

•  The communication/visibility project plan has been developed. 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

The project is still at a very initial stage and has not so far contributed to any coordination 
mechanisms.  However, it is anticipated that it would participate in the Food Security and 
Agriculture cluster led by FAO, which is the main coordination mechanism for food security 
activities. 

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Issues 

Though  it  is  not  a  major  problem,  the  EU  Delegation  to  Sri  Lanka  and  the  Maldives 
considers  that  this  project  is  included  in  the  EU-ACAP  (European  Union  Assistance  to 
Conflict Affected Populations) which addresses the rehabilitation and reintegration needs of 
the communities in the North and East of the country. The reason for this is that this project 
proposes similar activities to the other ones, although the final objective is different.  While 
it is clearly understood that this project has to coordinate activities with the other ones, FAO 
is concerned to ensure that the focus remains on the EU Food Facility objective of achieving 
food security. 

Financial follow-
up 

No expenditure to date 

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41.    TOGO 

Project 

                   Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 

Budget 

Total budget €2 498 823 (USD3 509 583) 

Brief Description 

This 18-month project, launched in June 2009, aims to help the Togolese government scale 
up  food  production  by  improving  the  supply  of  quality  inputs  and  technical  assistance  to 
vulnerable farming families. These interventions are expected to improve the food security 
of around 160 000 people.  

Through  this  project,  15  000  small  cereal-growing  farmers  are  receiving  improved  seed 
varieties, fertilizers and insecticides for the 2009 and 2010 cropping seasons. Boosting the 
production  of  maize,  sorghum  and  rice  will  help  bolster  the  country’s  cereal  supplies  and 
lessen its dependence on expensive imports.  

Around 5 000 farmers are receiving inputs to grow market gardens during the off-season to 
improve their incomes and food and nutrition security.  

To ensure small farmers in Togo have access to certified seeds in the long run, the project is 
working  to put  in  place  an  efficient  seed production  and distribution  system.  Farmers  will 
also benefit from follow-up and technical supervision.  

The  project  aims  to  create  conditions  that  will  encourage  greater  competitiveness  in  grain 
production in the country.  

FAO is working closely with Togo’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and 
various  national  and  international  NGOs  to  implement  this  project,  which  is  in  line  with 
national food security and poverty reduction strategies.  

•  The project was signed by the Government on 25 August.  
•  The Project Management Team is complete.  
•  The Procurement Plan is complete. 
•  Selection of implementing partners: negotiations underway at field level. 
•  Criteria for beneficiary selection still to be identified. 
•  Distribution of inputs to beneficiaries still to be identified. 
•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EC 
Delegation and other partners. 

•  The project communication/visibility plan has been developed. 

State of Plan 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

The  explain  EUFF  project  is  working  with  the  “Institut  Togolais  de  Recherche 
Agronomique”  for  the    production  of  seeds  and  quality  control  and  with  the  private 
company  INADES-Formation  for  capacity  building  and  assistance  to  farmers  in 
marketing. In this way, the EUFF project is providing a model for future public-private 
sector partnership in the agricultural sector.  

Issues 

No issues reported. 

Financial follow-
up 

Total delivery €210 823 (USD295 322) 

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Project 

42.    ZAMBIA 

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO): Farmer Input Support Response Initiative 
(FISRI) to rising prices of agricultural commodities in Zambia 

Budget 

Total budget €7 472 053 (USD10 494 456) 

Brief Description 

In  order  to  safeguard  against  future  price  shocks  and  ensure  food  security,  the  Zambian 
government is working to enhance the productivity and production of its agricultural sector.  

One way of achieving this goal is by ensuring that the country’s smallholder farmers – who 
produce roughly 80 percent of the nation’s food requirement – engage in environmentally-
sound and sustainable farming practices, such as conservation agriculture. 

Conservation agriculture involves three main principles for hand-based and draught animal 
powered cropping systems. These include: minimal soil disturbance; keeping soil covered, 
as much as possible, with crop residues, other organic materials or a specially grown cover 
crop; and rotating crops, including legumes.  

In  June  2009,  FAO  launched  a  two-year  project  to  help  the  Zambian  government  boost 
small  farmers’  food  production  through  improved  access  to  agricultural  inputs  and  the 
promotion of conservation agriculture principles.  

Funds  are  being  used  to  support  Zambia’s  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Cooperatives 
(MACO) in implementing this project. 

Improved  cropping  practices  will  not  only  help  to  increase  a  farm’s  productivity  and 
profitability, but also help minimize exposure to soil erosion.  

The MACO extension system, which will be strengthened through specialized trainings, will 
train  3920  smallholder  farmers  in  conservation  agriculture  during  the  project’s  first  year. 
Farmers  will  receive  an  input  package  to  enable  them  to  implement  the  training  they 
received.  

During  the  project’s  second  year,  the  original  group  of  farmers  will  each  train  15  farmers 
from  their  respective  regions  (about  58  800  people),  who  in  turn  will  receive  an  input 
subsidy  from  the  project  enabling  them  to  practice  conservation  agriculture  on  their  own 
farms. 

•  The Project Management Team is almost complete. A seed expert will be engaged by end 

November. 

•  Project Steering Committee has been established under the leadership of the Director of 

Field Services in Ministry of Agriculture and has met twice. 

•  The  inception  workshop  took  place  from  24  to  25 September 2009.  The  project  launch 

was covered by the National media.  

•  Agro dealers taking part in the programme were visited and briefed by the project staff. 
•  Implementing partners have been selected and Letters of Agreement are being prepared. 
•  Input trade fairs are in their penultimate week in the lowland districts of the country. 54 
of the intended 67 fairs have been conducted in the 10 districts so far. An interim data 
analysis  (undertaken  halfway  through  the  fairs)  indicated  that    10,650  farmers  (48%  of 
whom are women) had obtained: 

o  354 tonnes of seed (99t maize, 16t peas, 51 t bean, 28t wheat, 1t sorghum, 158t 
potatoes  and  1t  vegetable  seed)  have  been  accessed  by  (48%  of  who  are 
female).  

o  5,237  mega  litres  of  liquid  organic  and 75 tonnes of  inorganic fertiliser  have 

State of Play 

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been purchased.  

o  5,862  pieces  of  agricultural  hardware  (tools  and  plough  parts)  have  been 

purchased. 

•  Procurement of basic seed production inputs is underway to produce basic maize, bean 

and sorghum seed from 4 ha of land. 

•  Criteria for beneficiary selection have been established with stakeholders including the 

EU Delegation. 

•  Monitoring  and  assessment  arrangements 

revision  and 
development  of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation 
with the EU Delegation and other partners  
•  Project visibility/communication plan developed. 

(including 

logframe 

Coordination & 

Alignment 

Contacts have been established with some of the NGOs that will receive funds from the EU 
Food Facility to work in concert, especially for 2010/2011 season when the NGOs will have 
their funding from the EU.  

One  of  these  NGOs  will  be  co-opted  into  the  Project  Steering  Committee  to  ensure  that 
synergies are promoted. This will be done as soon as the NGOs have been clearly identified 
by the European Commission.  

Further,  the  project will  invite  a  wide  range  of  stakeholders  (NGO  –  beneficiary  and non-
beneficiaries  of  the  EU  Food  Facility,  Govt,  farmer  representatives,  Project  Steering 
Committee members, research organisations & UN agencies) to a review meeting at the end 
of  the  season  to  jointly  assess  the  impact  of  the  project  and  promote  synergies  with  other 
interventions. 

Issues 

No issues reported.  

Financial follow-
up 

Total delivery €317 129 (USD445 376) 

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 Project  

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO): Agricultural Input Assistance to 
Vulnerable Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe and the Co-ordination and Monitoring 
of Agricultural Emergency Interventions 

43.    ZIMBABWE 

Budget 

Total budget €15 185 378 (USD21 179 047) 

Brief Description 

This  18-month  project,  launched  in  May  2009,  aims  to  provide  agricultural  inputs  to 
Zimbabwe’s small-scale communal farmers to help them boost their cereal production and 
livelihood prospects. 

Some  176  000  vulnerable  rural  farmers  –  about  10-15  percent  of  the  country’s  communal 
farmers  –are  expected  to  receive  seeds  and  fertilizer  packs  in  October  and  November  this 
year, in time for the planting season.  

Through extension services, farmers will be trained in the timely planting of crops, proper 
spacing and weeding techniques and application of fertilizers.  

By cultivating 0.5 hectares of land, each household is expected to produce between 300-600 
kg of cereal grain, which is the equivalent of about five to ten months of food for a family of 
six.  

FAO  will  continue  to  play  a  coordinating  role  among  other  stakeholders  engaged  in 
agricultural relief projects in Zimbabwe to ensure a harmonized approach and effective use 
of resources. 

FAO  will  also  scale  up  monitoring  activities  to  provide  crop  status  and  crop  estimate 
information in order to gain a better understanding of the country’s food security situation. 

State of Play 

•  The project document was signed by the Government on 1 July 2009. 
•  The Project Management Team is complete and operational.  
•  The Project Steering Committee was established in early July. 
•  The  inception  workshop  was  held  on  8 October.  Implementing  partners  identified,  and 

most LOAs have been signed. 

•  Beneficiary selection and registration have been completed in all the districts, except for 
Chegutu (95% complete). The exercise of verification of selected beneficiaries is taking 
place in almost all the districts. 

•  Distribution  to  beneficiaries  started  on  19 October,  and  should  be  fully  completed  by 

7 November. 

•  Monitoring and assessment arrangements (including logframe revision and development 
of  monitoring  plan)  are  being  finalized  through  extensive  consultation  with  the  EU 
Delegation and other partners  

•  The  communication/visibility  national  plan  has  been  developed.  Short  photography 
inception workshops have been organized for FAO and NGO staff on 9 and 12 October. 
The second session (for IPs) will be done in November. An EU Food Facility Factsheet 
has been produced and shared with headquarters. 

Overall,  about  USD  70  million  have  been  committed  to  support  700.000  households  in 
receiving  input  support  for  the  Zimbabwe  2009/2020  agricultural  campaign.  The  EUFF 
project  has  boosted  FAO’s  role  as  the  Chair  of  the  Agricultural  Coordination  Working 
Group  (ACWG).  The  ACWG  brings  together  key  players  in  the  agriculture  sector  in 
Zimbabwe to share information and plans and learn about new developments. This includes 
Government  representatives,  such  as  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  the  National  Early 
Warning  Unit,  farmers’  unions,  non-governmental  organizations,  United  Nations  (UN) 
agencies, research institutes, private sector and others.  

Coordination & 

Alignment 

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On average, well over 100 people attend these monthly meetings. 

Issues 

No major issues reported. 

Financial follow-
up 

Total delivery €10 634 309 (USD14 831 671) 

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107 

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