LocationsFinanced by the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) in Mauritius, the project aims to provide women with a source of income while contributing to the local community's food security via sustainable farming practices.
Women’s Contribution to Food Security: FAM-Unie Foundation Launches the “Sustainable Agriculture for Food Security and Livelihood” project funded by the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme
February 12, 2024
The event was also marked by the inauguration of an organic garden created in December in 2023 by the women members of the foundation.
UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles/ Jean-Yan Norbert
The FAM-Unie Foundation officially launched its flagship "Sustainable agriculture for food security and livelihood” project on February 8th 2024. Financed by the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) in Mauritius, the project aims to provide women with a source of income while contributing to the local community's food security via sustainable farming practices. The event was also marked by the inauguration of an organic garden created in December in 2023 by the women members of the foundation.
Chantal Espitalier-Noël, co-founder of the FAM-Unie Foundation, emphasized during the launch that "this project marks a crucial step in our commitment to women's autonomy and food security. We are proud to be supported by the UNDP and GEF-SGP, demonstrating the relevance and impact of our approach. We will continue to work with determination to provide women with the necessary tools to thrive while contributing to a safer and more equitable food future for all."
Attending the launch of the UNDP-GEF SGP-funded project, Steven Obeegadoo, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, and Minister of Tourism, hailed this initiative as "an extremely valuable project in line with four priority areas of the government, namely poverty alleviation, better integration of women into society, entrepreneurship, and food security."
Pamela Bapoo-Dundoo the National Coordinator of the GEF Small Grants Programme implemented by UNDP highlighted the collaboration between the Socio-Economic Development Unit of UNDP and the UNDP SGP in supporting Fam Unie Foundation. She stressed on the fact that ''this project follows a Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment that was carried out by the Mauritius Red Cross Society in 2020, where the 4 priority areas to be addressed were food security, drugs, cyclones and flooding''.
The agroecological project "Sustainable agriculture for food security and livelihood" provides women from the region of Résidence La Cure with comprehensive training on sustainable agricultural practices, covering harvesting, sales, and local food sourcing. The inauguration of the organic garden, represents a significant milestone for food security and strengthening the active participation of women in socio-economic activities. Over the past few months, four women have participated in training provided by the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI) on organic farming techniques. During the inauguration, guests had the opportunity to discover the fruits and vegetables grown by the women of the foundation: guavas, passion fruits, bananas, breadfruit, leafy greens, coriander, parsley, green saffron, dragon fruit, and eggplant among others. On average, 500 plants grown in the organic garden will be harvested per month, with 40% destined for local distribution and 60% for sale.