Kerry and Concern Worldwide partnership bolsters sustainable food production and climate-smart agriculture

31 May 2021 --- Kerry’s partnership with Irish humanitarian organization Concern Worldwide has had a “significant” positive impact on the Niger region, including supporting farmers to grow more nutritious and sustainable food and learning climate-smart agriculture techniques.

The Realigning Agriculture to Nutrition (RAIN) program focuses on improving food and nutrition security while enhancing the livelihoods of the most vulnerable households in Tahoua, a region south of Niger.

Catherine Keogh, chief corporate affairs and brand officer of Kerry Group tells NutritionInsight more about the responsibility industry has in helping the Niger region.

“The impacts of climate change, the accelerating loss of biodiversity and widening social and economic inequality are just some of the factors that need to be urgently addressed to ensure the well-being of current and future generations.”

“Access to healthy food and good nutrition remains difficult for too many people, with the pandemic and climate change making it even more challenging,” Keogh says.

“We are proud to see the positive impact of this program, enabling farmers and communities to grow more nutritionally diverse food and build more sustainable livelihoods.”

In Niger, approximately 500 farmers have been trained over the last year resulting in improvements to the region, including increased food production and improved health and nutrition practices, and clean water access.

Over 9.5 million people are affected by extreme poverty in Niger. As the country is highly dependent on agriculture, even minor climate shocks directly affect the livelihood of thousands of households.

Sustaining the environment and livelihoods
RAIN equips farmers with tools and knowledge about sustainable farming. The farmers are trained in climate-smart agriculture techniques. These techniques include knowledge on water conservation and improving soil protection.

Crop yields have improved, with the average yield of millet in 2020 reaching 796 kg per hectare compared to 568 kg in 2019. Therefore, farmers could sell their millet harvest to a local flour mill, generating a source of revenue.The partnership has improved Niger livelihoods as 98.6% of RAIN households have now adopted at least one new conservation agriculture technique.

Additionally, two community tree nurseries supported the cultivation of fruit and forest trees, with over 15,000 local trees preserved and nurtured and a further 2,600 planted in 2020.

The project has also increased access to clean and potable water, which is now available to 39 percent of homes in the villages where RAIN operates. This is up from 9 percent before the initiative began.

Jean Patrick Masquelier, Concern Worldwide’s program director in Niger, says: “Three years into our four-year program, we’re seeing the incredibly positive impact of RAIN.”

“Some 20,000 kg of vegetables were produced by 7,000 people in 2020 through our market garden activities, with the average number of different crops per household increasing from 1.5 in 2018 to 4.9 in 2020, greatly improving people’s diets and nutritional diversity.”

“Solar-powered irrigation systems have been installed in these sites, providing a reliable source of water for vegetable production. The legacy of RAIN is to leave communities with the ability to sustain the achievements made, well after the project ends.”

Humanitarian endeavors
Previously, Kerry improved the supply of safe, sustainable milk for children and communities in Burundi’s Gitega area.

Similarly, Acacia gum manufacturer Alland & Robert established a company foundation to support communities in Sub-Saharan Africa and preserve the African environment.

“The RAIN project is an example of Kerry’s ‘Better for Society’ social impact program in action, which seeks to help improve the health and nutrition of people in need,” Catherine Keogh says.

Concern Worldwide has been working in Niger for the past 18 years, implementing humanitarian and development programs to provide basic needs while also strengthening local communities’ resilience. Kerry Group’s partnership with Concern Worldwide in Niger builds on the success of the previously funded RAIN project in Zambia, which concluded in 2015.

By Nicole Kerr