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May 2016

Climate Change Adaptation

HOW DOES WFP SUPPORT SMALL FARMERS

IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE

CHANGE?

To support Upper Egypt small

farmers in the face of

climate change, WFP in

collaboration with the

Government of Egypt, is

currently implementing a

project that

1) improves the adaptive

capacity of the southern zone

in the face of anticipated climate-

induced reduction in food production; and 2)

builds institutional capacity at all levels to enable sustainability

and replication throughout the zone. It provides a package

of integrated solutions including:

Improved access to weather forecasts and

recommendations on foreseen extreme weather spells

Diversified income sources through intercropping,

animal production loans and utilization of agricultural

wastes in fodder production

Increased irrigation water management efficiency

Augmented income sources, such as improved post-

harvest practices and small scale food processing

Improved agricultural practices through the introduction

of heat tolerant varieties of crops

Enhanced local and regional capacity for sustainability

The project started in October 2013, is implemented in 14

villages in Assuit, Sohag, Qena, Luxor and Aswan. It is funded

by the Adaptation Fund of the United Nations Fund on Climate

Change and implemented in collaboration with the

Government of Egypt.

WHY WFP BUILDS CLIMATE RESILIENCE ?

Upper Egypt stands to lose up to a minimum of 30 percent

of its food production by 2050 as a result of climate change

impacts including reduced crop and livestock productivity,

increasing crop-water demand and reduced water use

efficiency, and increase in pest and disease infestations.

The socio-economic impacts of this climate change-induced

food insecurity may be significant on the communities of

Southern Egypt. Studies indicate that if temperature

increases by 1.5oC or 3.6oC degrees centigrade, and no

adaptation efforts are undertaken, annual farm revenue

will decrease by approximately USD 580 and USD 1,380 per

acre respectively.

For a household that relies on agriculture for a living (55

percent of the region’s households), this reduction can

represent up to 80 percent of its total income. As a result,

livelihoods of the already economically- stressed

smallholders of the region will be at stake.

Climate impacts will not only affect growers, but also those

involved in raising livestock, post-harvest activities and

products, which are mainly poor women.

In Numbers

Since its start in October 2013, the project has:

Supported 65,000 smallholders adapt to climate

change in 5 governorates

Induced a 30-35% increase in productivity

Increased smallholder’s income by 50-60%

Availed early weather warning and recommenda-

tions to more than 7000 farmers

Highlights The ‘Building Resilient Food Security Systems to

Benefit the Southern Egypt Region’ project start-ed implementation of 750 demonstration fields

for disseminating sorghum cultivation in 14 vil-lages of the region.

Photo: Participant under WFP CCA activities. WFP/Egypt CO

The project has introduced

sorghum to replace

maize

While in 2014 and 2015 heat waves inflicted a 50% loss in maize cultivations, the project

supported 5000 farmers safeguard their livelihoods

through sorghum cultivations that recorded no losses.

17

12

35

2220

41

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Wheat Productivity in Ardab Sorghum Productivity in Ardab Sugar Cane in Tonne

WFP project inflicted increases in productivity

Other Fields WFP Project Assistaed Fields

67%

17%

▪ % Increase in Productivity

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In Numbers

Since 2007, WFP

Assisted over 246,000 beneficiaries in

13 villages through physical asset creation,

community empowerment, skills enhancement, and awareness raising.

Trained more than 850 trainees in business

skills, and in generating income through agriculture and livestock activities.

45% 55%

Participants

Photo: Under FFA activities, villagers are trained on means for improved

crop production. WFP/Egypt CO

May 2016

Food Assistance For Assets (FFA)

Highlights

Procurement of Food rations for a new FFA project to

support Bedouins in Red Sea Governorate started. The project is to support 8,000 beneficiaries create

assets over one year.

WFP is working with the Government of Egypt to for-

mulate new FFA projects in support of newly estab-lished communities under national land reclamation projects

business skills, internal financial and operational controls, and

information technology.

Physical Assets Creation

Food Assistance for Assets approaches are applied towards

establishing physical assets in the community which will improve

beneficiary livelihoods, e.g. construction/rehabilitation of housing

units, one class room schools, health and vet units, water points and

small-scale irrigation systems, feeder roads, women development

centers in addition to community environmental assets such as tree

planting. In 2014 and 2015 WFP established four women

development centers, three water cisterns, and 3 vet units.

Enhancing skills and knowledge to increase income from

agriculture, livestock and supporting services

Communities are trained on vegetables and fruits plantation, pests’

control, food storage and handling, management of nurseries and

food processing at the household level. Access of beneficiaries to

micro-credit is facilitated. Livestock has become an essential

livelihood element for vulnerable communities, and often serves as a

safety net in case of environmental or economic shocks.

Beneficiaries are supported to raise livestock including goats and

possibly also camels.

Beneficiaries gaining essential life skills and awareness to

enable them to improve their livelihoods

Life skills training are offered to community volunteers, such as

literacy, numeracy, communication, participatory approaches as well

as leadership skills. Community volunteers are expected to train

women in their communities. Furthermore, in coordination with the

national health departments, WFP organizes health and nutrition

awareness campaigns.

HOW DO FFA PROJECTS WORK? In return for their involvement in the different asset creation

activities, beneficiaries receive a food ration that secures the family

basic food needs. Food commodities offered include cereals,

vegetable oil and according to availability, dried fruits.

WHY CREATE ASSETS? Bedouin communities are among the most food insecure

in Egypt with significantly low food production and

scarce water resources. They experience harsh seasonal

shortage of food due to drought and sandstorms. The

problems of poverty are further exacerbated among

Bedouins by the inadequacy of basic services. Some

Bedouin communities are located over 50 km away from

the nearest school and health unit, which are poorly

staffed and equipped.

Women are part icularly

vulnerable as they are

settled in the communities

with no access to basic

education or to literacy

programs and the

majority of women have

not been to school.

Women have limited

income sources of their own.

Grazing activities are done by

men, who own the animal heads and who receive the

resulting income.

WHAT DO FFA PROJECTS DO? Under its FFA projects, WFP supports vulnerable groups

in Upper Egypt and Bedouins through activities that can

improve physical and human capital in targeted

populations. Activities include:

Vulnerable Communities Empowerment

Communities are empowered to take part in all stages of

project planning, implementation, follow-up, and

evaluation. Furthermore, training is offered to

representatives of community organizations or

committees on management of self-help initiatives,

Women

are particularly targeted in activities

such as illiteracy

eradication, income generation training

and nutrition

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In Numbers

7,332 mothers have been trained in 8 governorates

14,557 mothers have been assessed

615 participants received awareness sessions

69 field trainers have received Training of Trainers

100% 0%

Participants

The objective of the training is to enable women to

fight poverty and ensure that poor households,

especially those headed by women, have access to

income generating activities.

Photo: Get Ahead ToT in Cairo 2015. WFP/Egypt CO

May 2016

Livelihood for Education

With the support of 239 WFP trained data collectors, including NGO,

government partners, and rural pioneers, 14,557 mothers were

assessed in 8 governorates since September 2015.

“Get Ahead for Women in Enterprise”

The objective of the training is to enable women to design,

implement and manage income/generating activities, including

undertaking simple feasibility studies and marketing techniques,

and to build their entrepreneurial and technical skills. Mother`s

Trainings are conducted based on the International Labour

Organization`s (ILO) patented ‘Get Ahead’ training package. This

training enables mothers to engage in income generating activities

and delivers assistance to manage those activities. This includes

costing and pricing policies and successful business relation

networking. Since October 2015, WFPs partner NGOs delivered 243

trainings to 7,332 mothers in eight governorates.

Get Ahead Training of Trainers (ToT)

WFP trains selected NGOs through a Training of Trainers (ToT) to

enable them to train women to start their income generation

activities. These trainers will in turn implement the Get Ahead

trainings in the targeted villages. In 2015 and 2016, WFP conducted

two Get Ahead ToTs with 69 participants from 8 governorates.

Awareness Meetings and Coaching Sessions

In collaboration with its partner NGOs, WFP conducts awareness

meetings with community leaders and family members with children

at risk. These meetings emphasise the importance of income

generating activities in offering alternatives to child labour and new

opportunities in improving the living standards of households. In

addition, WFP organises coaching sessions with Get Ahead field

trainers in all governorates, to improve their performance.

Coaching Sessions with the field trainers

WFP held several coaching sessions with Get Ahead field trainers in

all governorates. These sessions allows the trainers to improve their

performance and provide them with the training skills to ensure

best practices in delivering the trainings to targeted mothers. This is

particularly valuable in the face of the fact that many mothers are

illiterate.

Livelihood for Education Activities

As of July 2015, WFP in coordination with the Ministry of

Social Solidarity (MoSS), started the provision of training

to households to design, implement and manage income

-generating activities (IGA), revolving microcredit for

women, and apprenticeship programmes. The objective

of the training is to enable women to fight poverty and

ensure that poor households, especially those headed by

women, have access to income generating activities.

That would reduce household reliance on child labour for

income and ultimately encourage school enrolment.

Apart from the trainings, WFP supports 20 percent

identified women with loans to start their own IGAs.

WFPs target is to train 50,000 women and provide

10,000 women with access to loans.

Assessment Strategy

In coordination with the MoSS, WFP designed a tool to

assess the eligibility of mothers to participate in

livelihood for education activities. This tool takes into

account criteria of low income and vulnerability, as well

as additional evidence such as the willingness to start an

IGA, the interest and commitment to attend the “Get

Ahead for Women in Enterprise” trainings.

31

292 388598 614

1318

1672

2419

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May

Number of Mothers who Received 'Get Ahead Training' per Month

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Overview Livelihood Activities Egypt Country Office

For more information visit: Wfp.org/countries/Egypt

or contact: amina.alkorey@wfp.org or lara.atanasijevic@wfp.org