Results - Alliance Sufosec

Interim balance sheet 2023

Successes in the fight against hunger

Interim balance, October 16, 2023, World Food Day

The joint program of the Sufosec Alliance includes a continuous, systematic review of the impact of the projects. On the occasion of World Food Day on October 16, 2023, the Sufosec Alliance has now presented an initial interim assessment. It is encouragingly positive: Despite global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war and climate change, the alliance can demonstrate its first measurable successes.

Read the entire report in german

Read the media release of October 16, 2023 in german

First successes

Food security

The alliance program is having a positive impact: at 32 surveyed locations in 18 program countries, food insecurity fell from 72% at the start of the program to 65% in 2022.

Agroecology

The introduction of agroecological farming methods in the Sufosec program areas to achieve a sustainable, equitable and healthy food system is promising and has been proven to contribute to better food security: Since the start of the program, a total of 91,000 households have introduced at least one sustainable farming method. In 2022, the households surveyed used an average of nine different agroecological farming methods. There has also been a significant increase in households that combine agriculture and livestock farming.

Empowerment

Sustainable improvements in food security are only possible if we succeed in empowering disadvantaged people and communities. Since the start of the program, the Alliance has empowered and strengthened over 500,000 people to improve their situation independently. Over 100,000 women and men from particularly disadvantaged groups have organized themselves to stand up for their rights and participate in relevant development processes.

Equality

The Alliance is making great efforts to promote gender equality, as it is proving to be an important key to overcoming hunger. The average proportion of women in management positions at 213 partner organizations increased from 44% in 2021 to 48% in 2022

Need for action

With development goal no. 2 (SDG 2 – Zero Hunger), the UN’s “Agenda 2030” for sustainable development aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition. We still have seven years to achieve the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda. However, the interim results are alarming; hunger has been on the rise again since 2015: according to the Global Hunger Index, 735 million people are undernourished today. The numerous current crises have undone many of the achievements made in the fight against poverty in recent years. Today, 42% of households worldwide are unable to afford a healthy and nutritious diet. Hunger is both a cause and a consequence of poverty. Households caught in this vicious circle lack the health, education and income they need to lift themselves out of poverty. In order to make an effective contribution to achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, resources must be pooled and cooperation in alliances and networks must be intensified. This is in line with the mission of the Sufosec Alliance to bring about positive change for disadvantaged people and communities, following the motto “leave no one behind”.

GOALS

The joint international Sufosec 2021-2024 programme comprises the programmes of the six Alliance organizations and their approximately 250 partner organizations in 34 countries. Under the overarching goal of securing local livelihoods through agroecological transformation and strengthened communities, the four-year program pursued five concrete main objectives that contribute to the achievement of around nine development goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Effect -
Results and examples
2021 - 2022

In the first two years of the programme, almost a thousand employees of the Alliance organizations and their partner organizations took part in a total of 32 joint learning events on the topics of agroecology, local ownership, Triple Nexus, gender equality/PSEAH and others. In individual countries such as Chad, Colombia, Madagascar, Kenya and the Central American region, the Alliance has identified program synergies that are now to be harnessed. Thanks to a joint monitoring and evaluation system, it can be stated after two years that food insecurity in the program area has been reduced despite the global crises, and that 91,000 smallholder households are using new agroecological methods as part of the program and thus contributing to more resilient local food systems. These successes must be rated even higher when you consider how global conditions have deteriorated at the same time: COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine war, accelerated climate change, etc.

By applying a nexus strategy (linking development cooperation with acute emergency aid), the Alliance has reached more than one million people affected by disasters and conflicts with humanitarian aid, particularly in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Myanmar and the Philippines. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alliance organizations have incorporated medical, public health and socio-economic measures into their programs to protect vulnerable groups, prevent the spread of infection and mitigate the impact of lockdowns. The first concrete results were achieved and documented in the Alliance’s five defined target areas in the first two years up to the end of 2022.

Main goal - No hunger

According to an initial analysis, food insecurity in 32 selected areas of the Sufosec program has decreased on average from 72% in 2021 to 65% in 2022. Nevertheless, many of the project areas surveyed are still confronted with extreme food insecurity. The analysis shows that Sufosec works in the areas most affected by food insecurity worldwide – and that the COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily worsened people’s access to food and seeds. Sufosec is observing promising trends in its agroecology projects: a study ((link/source)) carried out in collaboration with the Center for Development and Environment at the University of Bern, Switzerland, demonstrates the positive correlation between the use of agroecological farming methods and food security in the Sufosec project areas studied: households using several agroecological methods were 22% less likely to be affected by food insecurity. Since 2021, the Sufosec Alliance has made significant investments in promoting agroecology: Since then, 91000 households have introduced at least one new sustainable farming method. The average number of agroecological methods used per household has risen from 5 to 9 methods within two years.

Selected successes of Allianz

In Kenya and Tanzania, Fastenaktion and SWISSAID have succeeded in significantly improving the ability of smallholder households to produce their own food. Various approaches have been used to increase agroecological productivity, including knowledge transfer, farmer networks, demonstration farms, smartphone apps, high-quality seeds and marketing and business initiatives.
Vivamos Mejor ‘s 13-year commitment in Brazil shows that the year-round availability of water contributes to increased food production and improved resilience to climate shocks, which in turn leads to higher household incomes.
In Madagascar, Aqua Alimenta supports training centers for farmers in peri-urban areas in the field of agroecology. It is noted that a large number of farmers apply the permaculture practices they have learned despite adverse conditions.
Thanks to the introduction of agroecological methods and backyard food production, Fastenaktion and its partner organizations have been able to improve access to healthy food for vulnerable target groups in the Philippines.
In Nicaragua, SWISSAID has examined the impact of the agroecological transformation in 21 farms more closely: they are on the road to success with the introduction of agroecological principles.
In Mali, VSF-Suisse launched a project to strengthen the local milk value chain. With success: production and processing have been significantly improved.

Goal - No poverty

Since the start of the program, around one million people have received improved access to basic services (clean water, sanitation, hygiene and education), natural resources (water, land and forest) and economic resources, and the same number have been reached with humanitarian aid.

Selected successes of Allianz

In Senegal, the “Calebasse de Solidarité” concept supported by Fastenaktion – a community-based savings and credit system for disadvantaged people – has developed into a nationwide movement and network that is now recognized and co-financed by the government.
In Burkina Faso and South Sudan, Fastenaktion and VSF-Suisse have demonstrably improved the livelihoods of small farmers through integrated approaches to agriculture and livestock farming, while at the same time contributing to the sustainable management of forests and land.
In the area of youth development, Vivamos Mejor presented an impact study among at-risk youth in Colombia, which received an award from NADEL/ETH. The situation of the young people was significantly improved through a combined approach of job placement, psychosocial support and soft skills training.

Goal - Strengthened communities

With the aim of promoting the participation and inclusion of disadvantaged people and communities, Since the start of the program, Allianz has 500,000 people empowered and strengthened to improve their situation. to improve independently. Over 100,000 Women and men from particularly disadvantaged Groups have organized themselves to fight for their rights. and to participate in relevant development processes In the inclusion of women in decision-making processes have been analyzed at the level of the 250 Sufosec partner organizations make good progress achieved: The average proportion of women in management positions has risen from 44% in 2021 to 48 % in the year 2022.

Selected successes of Allianz

- In Colombia, SWISSAID works with the partner organization Alianza por la Agrobiodiversidad. With positive results: the organization has recorded successes in political dialogue, for example on the recognition of locally produced seeds.

In Zambia and Tanzania, the Skat Foundation ‘s partners have achieved considerable success in vocational training, particularly with a SMART approach to strengthening water, sanitation and hygiene.

Goal - Effective partnerships

Since the start of the programme, Sufosec has strengthened the organizational development of the Alliance’s partner organizations in the Global South and facilitated joint learning. At the end of 2022, 86% of the 250 partner organizations surveyed stated that they had improved their organization and effectiveness. Significant progress was also made with regard to the compliance policy of the partner organizations. To promote the exchange of knowledge, Sufosec has held 32 learning events with more than 1,000 participants over the past two years. In addition, there is a continuous exchange of experiences in various thematic learning groups.

Selected successes of Allianz

A conflict analysis conducted on the triple nexus / conflict sensitivity (CSPM) between arable farmers and cattle breeders in Chad has shown that the dispute over natural resources is mainly due to the government’s failed decentralization policy.
Human Rights-Based Approach: A learning group used a joint project of Fastenaktion and VSF-Suisse to assert the rights of small farmers as a learning field and for training.
Gender equality: An audit in 2021 showed that women are well represented at the various levels of the alliance, but that significant improvements are still needed at grassroots level in many program countries. Allianz is staying on top of the issue.

Goal - Sensitization

According to one estimate, the Alliance organizations have reached around 5.5 million people within two years through awareness-raising measures. The “Sufosec Global Food and Nutrition Report” published in 2022 was the Alliance’s first joint awareness-raising initiative to draw attention to the rising rates of hunger and malnutrition. The report shows how the organizations of the Alliance and its partner organizations want to contribute to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular the “Zero Hunger” goal (SDG 2). It also includes the Alliance’s baseline food security survey of 14,000 households in selected areas of the joint Sufosec program.

Outlook on our own behalf

Thanks to joint learning processes, Sufosec and its global network of partner organizations have developed into a knowledge hub, particularly in the core thematic areas of agroecology, local ownership, Triple Nexus and gender equality. With a lean and decentralized structure and a good balance between locally managed individual programs on the one hand and common standards on the other, the alliance is operationally agile and efficient. Of particular importance were the joint systems and processes for results-oriented monitoring, evaluation and learning, as well as for joint financial management and controlling. The cooperation has proven itself at all levels and will continue to pay off. At two strategy workshops at the end of 2022, the alliance organizations agreed early on to enter a second programme phase together. Joint learning, program synergies and joint services are to be intensified in the next phase. Based on the joint learning processes and a critical appraisal of previous cooperation, the participating organizations developed a joint programmatic vision and renewed their understanding of partnership and cooperation. The future program is the result of this joint development process. The program document is currently being prepared and will be submitted to the SDC by the end of the year. Following the interim review, we are entering the second joint programme phase with motivation to help ensure that people in the countries of the South can realize their right to food.