Intervida reminds us that one of every four people facing hunger in the developing world live in sub-Saharan Africa
Madrid (27/03/2008). Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, in which 72% of the population lives on less than 0.70 euros a day. Deep in the heart of sub-Saharan Africa, Mali significant climactic problems which weaken its agriculture in rural areas. This productivity must be improved in order to improve the nutritional state of its citizen and avoid that the country revert to the large-scale importation of food, thus increasing its external dependence. Through this program, the population can obtain enough food autonomy to be able to overcome its situation of food insecurity, through interventions aimed at increasing the quantity of food which they produce.
These circumstances lead the country to a state of food insecurity in which 28% of the Malian people are malnourished, a situation which is especially alarming among children. 33% of children under 5 years old are underweight for their age, and 38% are below-average in height.
The Millennium Development Goals include the aim to reduce the number of malnourished people in the world by half, as compared with 1990, which is estimated as more than 850 million people. Of these, 820 million live in developing countries, and of these, 25% live in sub-Saharan Africa.
In light of this situation, INTERVIDA Mali has implemented a food security program in six rural communities in Bako, located on the left bank of the Niger River. The goals of the program are various: to fight against soil deterioration, one of the main causes of the lack of food; improve agricultural productions, placing special emphasis on the cultivation of fonio; and increase the economic resources of the beneficiaries through the creation of added value in their traditional production.
Through this project, INTERVIDA supports the farming cooperatives (agricultural farmers and livestock breeders) and women who produce shea butter. This program received technical support from the IRS (Institute of Rural Studies) and CIRAD (Agricultural Research for Developing Countries).
In the last few years, the growing number of exploitations on the banks of the Niger River has not been able to guarantee alimentary self-sufficiency of the population. These exploitations are complicated by reduce soil fertility, since the soil is not properly renewed, and are thus saturated. With demographic growth in the area, land is increasingly scarce and many people must find other solutions to increase their land’s fertility.
In this context, INTERVIDA looks to the cultivation of fonio, a grain whose production does not require excessively fertile soil and which adapts well to the severe climactic conditions of the area.
Another solution for improving soil fertility is to integrate the livestock into agricultural practices; this consists in taking advantage of animal waste to increase the amount of organic matter produced to be able to fertilize more crops. An intensive livestock system would also enable greater production of organic matter to enrich the land and contribute to increased productivity.
In the context of this soil fertility crisis in the area, the production of fertilizer is one of the safest solutions to remedy the reduced grain crop production. Currently, the most rudimentary fertilizer is used, domestic garbage, but through this project, INTERVIDA wants to help the community improve the techniques for producing this fertilizer in order to make this more effective.
On the other hand, through the improved production of shea butter, INTERVIDA aims to improve food security in the Bako area, since the sale of this product, which is in high demand both nationally and internationally, can guarantee economic resources which help access better nutrition, since the purchasing of products in local markets helps diversify diets.
About FUNDACIÓN INTERVIDA
FUNDACIÓN INTERVIDA is a nonpartisan, nondenominational and completely independent development NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Its objective is to contribute to sustainable human development towards improving the living conditions of the most disadvantaged communities around the world. Currently, INTERVIDA is active in various countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia, offering its support to nearly five million people.
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