Despite the efforts made by the government and development partners to improve the agricultural sector, the contiguous economic and climate shocks of recent years have contributed negatively to the regression of these efforts. This project addresses the environmental, socio-economic, and institutional barriers to increased food availability.  The overall goal of the project is to contribute to sustained livelihood systems and food security through climate-smart agriculture that promotes biodiversity in agroecosystems in Micheweni Districts. This can be achieved by strengthening national social safety nets for sustainable management of natural resources and resilient livelihoods and by promoting production through agroecology, Conservation Agriculture (CA), or regenerative agriculture. 

Context of intervention

The high levels of poverty, food and nutritional insecurity, and chronic malnutrition reflect deficiencies in food systems that are associated, among several factors, with low agricultural yields, weak capacity to process and store products, as well as weak connections between production and consumption centers. The project aims to build community resilience acquiring knowledge about climate-smart agriculture principles and using replicable agroecological techniques. Through this project several aims will be achieved like the increase in food production and the availability and diversification of livelihood options. Therefore, the project must carry out a multi-pronged approach. 

Focus of this project will be household, community, local authorities’ sensitization and trainings to ensure the continuation of assets maintenance, tree planting, creating water harvesting and community ownership after the one-year intervention. 

Geographical location

The Micheweni District in Tanzania is an area where agriculture, fishing, seaweed and quarrying farming, beekeeping and stone breaking are the main source of livelihood. However, the area faces challenges such as food loss and waste, low crop productivity, and climate change. 

Activities

  • Community Consultation, setting up Community Committees and identifying the priority assets
  • Mobilization, sensitization and registration of beneficiaries
  • Develop the capacities of recently sedentary former pastoralists in conservation agriculture/agroecology and innovative techniques  
  • Assets creation activities, such as compost making, Natural pesticides production, Construction of hand-washing stations, Cleaning/removal of material blocking access route, Reforestation, Rainwater harvest 
  • For each community or group, agricultural fields/vegetable gardens will be created as school fields, where crops will be grown using ecosystem-improving techniques  
  • Develop cash transfer at community level that enhance ecosystem services, adopt sustainable land management practices or innovate alternative livelihood options 
  • Monitoring, reporting and Complaints and Feedback Mechanisms