Promoting Food and Nutrition Security in Rakhine State

Project description

Project title: Food and Nutrition Security in Rakhine State
Commissioned by: European Union (EU), Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)​​​​​​​
Country: Myanmar
Overall term: 2016 to 2023

A man emptying a basket full of fish.

Context

Rakhine State is among the least developed regions of Myanmar with high rates of poverty.

Food and nutrition insecurity continues to be a major challenge for vulnerable people in rural areas. Malnutrition is most prevalent amongst women and children and the child mortality rate is high. The main causes include an unbalanced diet, poor hygiene practices and limited access to basic health care services. Poor income opportunities, difficult access to markets, frequent natural disasters and political unrest prevent improvements in food and nutrition security.

Malnutrition in the early childhood permanently inflicts the cognitive performance and thereby educational attainment, adult earnings, chronic morbidity, and leads to premature mortality. Improving the nutritional status of adolescent girls, women and young children is vital to ensuring development. Better nutrition leads to improved intellectual capacity, economic productivity, and reduced health risks.

A woman watering a vegetable patch.

Objective

Nutrition and hygiene practices in selected regions of Rakhine State are improved, especially amongst women and small children. Greater use is made of sustainable aquaculture, which helps foster food security and secure livelihoods.

Approach

To reduce malnutrition the project uses an interdisciplinary and multi-level approach. The project implements targeted measures in the field of nutrition and diet-related health care, agriculture, sustainable aquaculture as well as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

The project is further elaborating synergies between the interlinked areas.

  • Drinking water supplies (wells instead of drinking water ponds) are being improved to free up sites for fish breeding.
  • The project increases the availability of aquatic proteins to promote the nutrition status of young children (1000 days approach).
  • The project is helping to expand food production know-how and improve links in the value chain, thereby strengthening people’s income situation.

The implementation is done jointly with national and international project partners: Consortium of Dutch NGOs (CDN-ZOA), WaterAid, Action Contre la Faim (ACF) Myanmar Health Assistant Association (MHAA) and Action for Green Earth (AGE) among others.

Last update: January 2022

Women and children learning more about a well-balanced diet.

Additional information