Project on food security, women’s nutrition launched

April 06, 2016 - 11:35

Thousands of poor women and children in the three northern provinces of Lào Cai, Lai Châu and Hà Giang will benefit from a project launched today in Hà Nội.

Agriculture extension staff introduces potatoes planting skill for ethnic and minority people in Dào San Commune, Phong Thổ District of the northern Lai Châu Province. — Photo baolaichau.vn
Viet Nam News -

HÀ NỘI (VNS) — Thousands of poor women and children in the three northern provinces of Lào Cai, Lai Châu and Hà Giang will benefit from a project launched yesterday in Hà Nội.

The 28-month project will be implemented by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) and the Ryerson University of Canada with the fund of 1.1 million Canadian dollars (US$838,000) from the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF).

The project will promote food security by increasing the availability of fortified complementary foods for children and providing a higher and more stable source of income for small-scale women farmers. It is expected to benefit 15,000 malnourished children and 1,500 poor mothers in the three provinces.

It will contribute to the building of a more sustainable food system by promoting appropriate post-harvest handling and agro-ecological practices among small-scale farmers. It will also launch an integrated food security analysis into public policy and programming at the NIN and other government institutions in Việt Nam.

Lào Cai, Lai Châu and Hà Giang are three mountainous provinces with high poverty levels due to their inability to trade and poor traffic infrastructure.

Malnutrition also was high in the areas, especially stunting rates, which was 35.2 per cent in Lào Cai, 36.7 per cent in Lai Châu and 35.2 per cent in Hà Giang, according to NIN’s statistics.  — VNS

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