AGRICULTURE-4-NUTRITION

CONFERENCEGhana, Accra July 21-25

Dr Joyce Chitja- Acting Academic Leader

Presented by

Richard Jack Kajombo

Overview of the

Presentation• Background of ACFS

• Agriculture & Nutrition

• Food Security Dimensions

• The Agency Enhancing Approach

• Projects & Partners

Background

...

• UKZN ACFS chosen as CoE in Dec 2006

• 1st set of MoU’s between UKZN and the

constituent members of CoE signed 2012

• These are: Chancellor College, Bunda College,

University of Namibia, University of Zimbabwe

and Sokoine University.

• Current Curriculum: PGDiploma, Masters and

PhD programs

• Research focuses on all dimensions of food

security

Agriculture and NutritionRationale for strong links between Agriculture

and Nutrition

• Malnutrition is both a cause and consequence of

poverty leading to poor societal and economic

development.

• Poor nutrition affects all aspects of health and

development, some irreversibly.

• Good understanding of food systems that deliver

adequate food baskets of good nutritional status

would provide programmatic and policy

directions for appropriate, sustainable and

nutrition sensitive agricultural planning.

Rationale cont… • Previous Food Security (FS)focus in

African through CAADP has been mostly

on improving food availability.

• Food and Nutrition Security is now a

central theme in policy and programmes

internationally.

• CAADP’s refocus on FS based on its 2014

review is on illuminating the nutrition in the

food security agenda. RSA (Food and

Nutrition Security Policy)

A Multi-Sectoral Approach

• Due to the complexity of improving Food

Security, a Multi-Sectoral Approach in

Food and Nutrition Security that involves

Agriculture, Nutrition, Water, Education,

Health etc)

Food Security-Dimensions• Availability- physical existence of food based on own

production and national food availability (Concerns: Food

diversification and nutritional adequacy)

• Access- enough resources to obtain food depends on

production inputs, water , income and prices (concerns:

access to nutrition sensitive agricultural planning through

extension services and income)

• Stability of Supply nutritious food supply on household

level remains constant (Concerns: Macro environment

e.g infrastructure, political environment)

• Utilisation & Diet Diversity the body’s physiological

ability to utilise food and is affected by health, sanitation

and water.

Water• Safe water- (linked to utilisation)

• In RSA, water related illnesses

cause of death among children

less than 14 years old

• Agricultural planning for leafy

greens, tubers and legumes etc)

• Food Preparation

• Hygiene & Education/skills on

water safety

Agency Enhancing Approach• Agency – set of concepts around people

centred development that allows people to

take actions to meet their needs, manage

risks and make progress towards

achieving their aspirations (Bennett 2002)

• Focuses on capacity development and

empowerment

• Multi-sectoral participation( e.g a need for

social scientists)

• A proposal is under review for this

proposed work.

Some Projects & Partners• Water Research Commission (Livelihoods ,

agriculture and gender-Limpopo)

• Traditional Leafy Vegetable (NRF)

• Crop Storage (University Fund)

• Poverty and Food Security-DAFF

• Nutrition, Water and Agriculture (proposed, in

review).

The End

Thank you for your attention!!!!!!