NUTRITION AND DIETETICS

FOOD AVAILABILITY

PRESENTED BY MAHUKU I

OBJECTIVES

By the end of the lesson students should be able to:

1. Define food availability, multisectoral approach, cultural practices and community participation.
2. Outline the measures of ensuring and enhancing food availability in the country.

Definition of terms
Food availability is defined as sufficient quantities of food of appropriate quality, supplied through
domestic production or imports, including food aid.

Multisectoral approach means concerning or involving more than one sector.

Cultural practices refer to manifestation of a culture in regard to traditional and customary practices of
a particular ethnic group.

Community participation is a process by which a community mobilizes its resources, initiates and takes
responsibility for its own development activities for the overall improvement of its health status.

MULTISECTORAL APPROACHES

Various stakeholders contribute in the availability of food in the country. The high and persistent
malnutrition levels suggest that improvement in the dietary needs of the population should be one of
the objectives of the agricultural and food security policies.

Stakeholders and interest groups in the food system

Government Ministries
Lands, Agriculture & Rural Resettlement
Role : final say on agriculture policy

Finance and Economic Development

Power derives from total control of treasury allocations. Pull Budgetary and treasury strings that
determine allocation of expenditure.

Local Government and National Housing

Civil protection, coordinates government social protection programs, drought relief and emergencies.
Coordinates and oversees all local government administration and leadership. Controls the distribution
of social protection and relief resources. Has direct control and influence over local government
administration through District Administrators and local traditional leadership. Has direct influence on
local government and traditional leadership. Use of social protection and relief resources for buying
patronage and support.

Public Service, Labour & Social Welfare

Maintaining welfare and implementation of social safety nets and welfare programs. Access and
distribution of social protection programmes. Has influence in determining social welfare goods.

Food and Nutrition Council

Development and monitoring of policies, strategies and programmes for addressing food and nutrition
security. An inter-ministerial policy making body. However, influence currently limited due to
institutional arrangement problems, limited independent technical capacities, and inadequate
resources. It depends on goodwill of the constituent members.Its role is fairly respected

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Water Development, Rural Resources and
Resettlement
The Committee monitors the general performance of the executive (government) and undertakes
specific
investigations for information of Parliament.

Farmers:
Large-scale commercial farmers
Significant producers of export crops (tobacco, horticulture)

Small-scale commercial farmers

Immediate, short-term and long-term sustainability of household livelihood

Communal Lands Farmers Immediate, short-term and long-term

Sustainability of household livelihood. A1 and A2 farmers fall in this group.

Local rural leaders:

Traditional leaders
Point of access to rural folk

Agribusiness
GMB
Acquisition (from local and external sources), storage and distribution of grain to ensure national food
security; has power to distribute grain to millers, consumers, politicians

AGRIBANK
Conduit for transfer of financial resources to influential people

NGO: (Local and International)

Christian Care, World Vision, Care International, Africare, World Lutheran Federation, ORAP, Plan,
International, Catholic Relief, Save Children UK, Save Children USA
Advancing food security and social wellbeing of communities. Economically empowering local
communities. Securing and maintaining funding from sponsors. Access to financial resources Influencing
and mobilizing local communities for their own development. Influencing international community on
local development and governance issues thus determining flow of resources. Access and distribution of
resources, well connected internationally, and well informed and respected for their work.

International Donors
(Development partners):
USAID, DFID, GTZ, NORAD, AUSAID, Canada CIDA
Promoting poverty reduction at community levels through efficient and effective use of donor resources
Derived from having resources to finance development programmes which is seen as being in support of
government efforts. Ability to influence resource flow and international opinion.

CULTURAL PRACTICES (COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION)

Community participation is a process by which a community mobilizes its resources, initiates and takes
responsibility for its own development activities for the overall improvement of its health status. In a
community food should be available at an individual , household and national or global level.

Community projects such as food for work, zunderamambo project, nutritional gardens

Producing own food for consumption through farming

Availability of clean and safe water supply