In a collaborative effort to enhance nutrition-sensitive agriculture in Liberia, the Women in Agriculture for Sustainable Development (WASUDEV) and Food Fluency recently organized a series of workshops for women smallholder farmers in Bong County. The workshops aimed to improve agricultural practices and optimize dietary habits within local communities.

Workshop Curriculum and Objectives

The training curriculum was a joint effort by Food Fluency and WASUDEV, with significant input from local stakeholders. The Founder of Food Fluency, Michelle Gilman, emphasized that the pilot project aimed to create a program that helps WASUDEV women farmers utilize their produce more effectively, taking into account cultural and bioregional factors. Hawa Dunor-Varney, Founder of WASUDEV, highlighted the organization’s ongoing work with women smallholder farmers to boost agricultural production, promote economic and social development, and enhance food security in Bong, Margibi, and Montserrado counties.

Addressing Chronic Malnutrition

The Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Survey (CFSNS, 2018) reports that chronic malnutrition affects approximately 35.5% of children under five in Liberia. This issue is primarily due to inadequate diet diversity, poor feeding practices, poor sanitation, and illness. Chronic food insecurity, linked to poverty, unsustainable livelihoods, low agricultural production, land constraints, and gender inequalities, further exacerbates the situation. The workshops aimed to address these challenges by equipping women with the knowledge and skills to improve their dietary practices and overall food security.

Stakeholder Involvement

Before launching the workshops, WASUDEV held a validation meeting with key stakeholders to review and refine the training curriculum. The meeting included representatives from the University of Liberia, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Action Against Hunger, Agri Tech, and West Point Women Health and Development Organization. This collaboration ensured that the curriculum was comprehensive and relevant to the local context.

Support and Funding

The pilot phase of the Food Fluency workshops was supported by the Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange Grant, provided by the U.S. Department of State through IREX, and donations from a crowdfunding campaign. The grant facilitates collaboration between Fellowship Alumni in Sub-Saharan Africa and U.S. professionals, fostering strategic partnerships and professional connections.

These workshops are a significant step towards empowering women farmers in Liberia, promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and addressing chronic malnutrition in the region.