Sostenus Wilherm
What started as a food security intervention has grown into a network of thriving community farms producing tonnes of vegetables and thousands of eggs, with some projects now supplying schools, clinics and vulnerable households across Namibia.
The success of the Brazil-funded Integrated Food Systems Projects was highlighted on Thursday in Windhoek when the Government of Brazil announced a further US$120 000 (about N$1.97 million) contribution to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to sustain the initiative.
The programme, implemented by the Namibian government with WFP’s technical support since 2021, operates in Ohangwena, Kunene, Hardap, Omaheke and Otjozondjupa regions and is expected to benefit more than 1 000 people.
The projects combine vegetable production, poultry farming and skills training to improve household food security and supporting school feeding programmes, health facilities and community nutrition initiatives.
National Planning Commission Director General Ambassador Kaire Mbuende said the programme is proving that communities previously dependent on food aid can become food producers.
“The results speak for themselves. Communities that once received food are now producing it. This is what we mean when we speak of moving from relief to resilience,” Mbuende said.
The Olukula Integrated Food Systems Project in Ohangwena Region has emerged as one of the programme’s biggest success stories.
Community members harvested more than five tonnes of vegetables and produced over 65 000 eggs, a performance that earned the project recognition as the country’s Emerging Producer of the Year first runner-up in 2024.
In Stampriet, Hardap Region, the project produced more than 3.3 tonnes of vegetables and eggs, with produce regularly supplied to the local school feeding programme.
The Epako project in Omaheke Region harvested 489 kilograms of vegetables, while fewer children relied on the local soup kitchen as food availability in the community improved.
At the Waiting Mothers’ Home in Opuwo, community gardens produced 88 kilograms of fresh vegetables, providing nutritious food for expectant mothers receiving healthcare services.
Beyond production, the programme has focused on equipping farmers with business skills.
More than 300 smallholder farmers have benefited from the initiative, while over 100 farmers received training in financial management, value addition and market access to improve the commercial viability of their farming activities.
The gardens also supply fresh produce to soup kitchens serving pregnant and breastfeeding women, tuberculosis patients and people living with HIV, strengthening nutrition support for vulnerable groups.
Mbuende said the funding supports Namibia’s own development priorities rather than imposing external programmes.
“It does not arrive as a project imposed from outside. It arrives in support of priorities that Namibia has set for herself,” he said.
He described Brazil’s support as an example of South-South cooperation, where developing countries share practical solutions based on common experiences.
“Brazil does not lecture us from a distance. Brazil shares with us the lessons of its own journey, from school feeding linked to family farming to public procurement from smallholder producers. These are lessons between equals.”
WFP Namibia head of office James King’ori said the achievements recorded across the project sites demonstrate the impact of partnerships that place government leadership and communities at the centre of development.
“The contribution we celebrate today is more than an investment in programmes; it is an investment in people, in resilience and in a future where no one is left behind,” King’ori said.
He said the projects have strengthened livelihoods, improved nutrition and expanded local food production, while making communities more resilient to climate-related shocks.
Brazil’s Ambassador to Namibia, Pedro de Castro da Cunha e Menezes, said the programme is designed to create long-term food security by helping communities become self-reliant.
“Our goal is not simply to provide resources, but to support people in becoming self-reliant through stronger agriculture, better nutrition and opportunities that create lasting food security for future generations,” he said.
He stated that Brazil has contributed more than US$2 million in funding and in-kind assistance to Namibia’s food security programmes since 2019.
