Nutrition & Food Security
ADO envisions a world where all children are healthy and well-nourished. Good health and nutrition empower children, families and communities, enabling them to thrive.
ADO's Nutrition & Food Security Programs
The Agricultural Development Organization (ADO) is deeply committed to addressing the critical issues of nutrition and food security in communities around the world. ADO’s programs in this area focus on improving access to nutritious food, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and empowering communities to achieve food security. The organization employs a range of activities and strategies to achieve its objectives in the realm of nutrition and food security.
Approximately 6.7 million people across Somalia are expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) between October and December 2022. This includes 2.2 million people who are expected to be in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and at least 300,000 people in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). Furthermore, Famine (IPC Phase 5) is projected among rural residents in Baidoa and Burhakaba districts and displaced people in Baidoa town of Bay region in southern Somalia, where malnutrition and mortality levels are already at alarming levels.
ADO’s nutrition and food security programs are designed to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition in vulnerable communities. The organization implements a variety of initiatives to support sustainable food production, improve nutritional outcomes, and strengthen food systems:
- Agricultural Training and Capacity Building: ADO provides training and capacity-building programs to smallholder farmers and agricultural communities. These initiatives focus on enhancing agricultural productivity, promoting sustainable farming techniques, and increasing the resilience of farming systems to climate change and other challenges.
- Nutrition Education and Awareness: ADO recognizes the importance of nutrition education in combatting malnutrition. The organization develops and implements educational programs to raise awareness about proper nutrition, healthy eating habits, and the importance of diverse diets, particularly for women and children.
- Improving Food Access and Distribution: ADO works to improve access to food for vulnerable populations. This includes initiatives to strengthen local food supply chains, support small-scale food producers, and ensure that communities have reliable access to nutritious and affordable food sources.
- Community-Based Food Production Initiatives: ADO supports community-driven initiatives aimed at promoting local food production through community gardens, small-scale farming projects, and the establishment of sustainable food systems within communities.
ADO promotes livelihood diversification and income generation sources by applying (FAAB) Farm as a Business approach to ensure the economic status of small-scale farmers. Producing nutritious and diversified food crops enabled the farming household to adopt agricultural practices earning a sustainable income and increasing under-nutrition status in families as they have access to nourishing and diversified foods in their local markets. ADO provided all agricultural technologies and means of production that made farmers more resilient to adverse impacts of climate variability.
ADO provides smallholder farmers and agro-pastoralists with training and extension in business skills with agricultural practices while strengthening farmer organizational capacity by:
- Promoting and supporting the creation of a sustainable agricultural environment and promoting the concept of ‘Farming as a Business.’ (FAAB)
- Boosting community socio- economic development
- Connecting smallholders to input suppliers, financial services, and the business market
Stimulating the use of innovative technologies and mechanization tools and services
ADO emphasizes the integration of farming systems and crop diversification methods to encourage farmers to grow the maximum amount of crops from their farms. This will avoid market failures and expand access to the consumption of nutritionally diversified foods that contributes to the boost of health in children and mothers. The program introduced the establishment of small irrigated farms (drip irrigation systems) for rural farmer cooperatives – particularly women groups. This project provided all the production mechanisms and technical support they needed. Farmers adapted to generating more nutritious crops including legumes, fruits, and vegetable crops, supplying local markets as well as Hargeisa and Odwayne markets. Recipients benefited from the ‘FAAB’ approach and have increased their household income, the rural families are well-adapted to the consumption of nutritionally diversified crops, improving food and nutrition security.
Strategies
ADO’s nutrition and food security initiatives are guided by strategic approaches that emphasize sustainability, community engagement, and long-term impact:
- Integrated Approaches: ADO adopts integrated approaches that address the interconnected nature of nutrition, agriculture, and food security. By considering the various factors that contribute to food insecurity and malnutrition, the organization develops holistic strategies that have a more comprehensive impact.
- Sustainable Agriculture Practices: ADO prioritizes sustainable agricultural practices that promote environmental conservation, biodiversity, and resilience to climate change. The organization encourages the adoption of agroecological methods that contribute to sustainable food production while minimizing environmental harm.
- Empowerment and Participation: ADO actively engages with local communities, involving them in decision-making processes and empowering them to take ownership of their food security and nutritional well-being. By promoting community participation, the organization ensures that interventions are contextually relevant and sustainable.
- Partnerships and Collaboration: ADO collaborates with governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, and local partners to leverage resources and expertise for maximum impact. These partnerships enable ADO to extend the reach of its programs and create synergies to address complex issues in nutrition and food security.
- Data-Driven Interventions: ADO's programs are informed by data and evidence-based research. The organization conducts needs assessments, monitors progress, and evaluates the impact of its interventions to continuously refine and improve its approaches to addressing nutrition and food security challenges.
Impact and Achievements
About Us
The Agricultural Development Organization in Somaliland is a dynamic and dedicated organization working towards the improvement and advancement of agriculture in the region. We are committed to enhancing agricultural practices, promoting food security, and fostering economic growth in Somaliland.