Mennonite Central Committee Canada is supporting Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action with a four-year agriculture and livelihoods project in 28 villages belonging to Kota and Pali Block, District in Chhattisgarh State, India.
Food insecurity in these areas is very high due to low agriculture production caused by poorly eroded soil, poor agriculture practices, and changing rainfall patterns due to climate change. There are also few other alternative income-earning opportunities and access to government programs is limited due to the villages’ rural locations. This project aims to strengthen food security systems in these villages by providing training on alternative agriculture techniques focused on boosting soil fertility and preserving moisture, diversifying income sources by providing training on improved livestock management as well as enhancing the value of forest produce available to the communities.
The project will also work to improve gender relations and seek to empower women. Traditionally women are responsible for the majority of household and farming tasks yet are often more at risk of being food insecure due to often receiving the least and last food in the household. Specifically, the project will work with men and women to highlight women’s role in the household, breakdown harmful gender discriminations and practices, and encourage households to develop plans to share household and agriculture tasks.
Project activities aim to benefit 953 households (4,304 individuals) over the four years.