Training Course on Food Security and Agriculture

Course Overview

The Global Food Security Strategy calls for expanding work in improving nutrition and resilience. This course underscores Perk Group’s focus on food security development and incorporates the participant’s vision for food security and agriculture development.  Through this training, participants will be able to address challenges through building a common understanding of their priorities, challenges and key issues in agriculture and food security.  Participants will explore current thinking that can be applied to new and existing strategies which will assist them in designing interventions that achieve greater and more targeted results.

The course will examine adaptation in theory and in practice, through a focus on four sectors that are critically important for climate-resilient development in Africa: Water Security, Agriculture and Food Security, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services.

The Course will cover two broad spectrums

Agriculture and Food Security

We’ll start off looking at the nature of agriculture across regions in Africa and the current situation of food security. Eradicating poverty through creating food security is a key sustainable development goal. We will analyse food security in terms of availability, access and utilisation - and how each of these aspects can be affected by climate change. I’ll be providing some information about the projected impacts of climate change on agriculture before moving onto look at adaptive strategies. The cases this week offer a rich variety of contextual examples from smart agriculture in Mauritius to changes being made by Namibian livestock farmers.

Climate, Vulnerability and Development

This section will introduce the key concepts around climate adaptation and agriculture that this course in based on exploring the relationship between social and economic development in parts of Africa. We will look at the anticipated changes in the future climate of the region and how this could impact on Agriculture.

Course Duration: 5 days

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Food Security and Agriculture

• Overview of the Global Food Security Strategy
• Pillars of Food Security: Availability, Access, Utilization, and Stability
• Current State of Food Security in Africa
• Challenges in Agriculture and Food Security
• Group Activity: Identifying Local Priorities and Challenges

Module 2: Agriculture and Food Security in Africa

• Regional Diversity in Agricultural Practices
• Food Security and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Climate Change and Food Security:
  • Impacts on Availability, Access, and Utilization
  • Case Study 1: Smart Agriculture in Mauritius
  • Case Study 2: Adaptive Strategies by Namibian Livestock Farmers
• Interactive Session: Designing Adaptive Strategies

Module 3: Climate, Vulnerability, and Development

• Key Concepts: Climate Adaptation and Agriculture
• The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Development and Agriculture
• Anticipated Climate Changes in Africa and Agricultural Impacts
• Building Resilience in Food Systems:
  • Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices
  • Role of Local Communities and Indigenous Knowledge
• Group Work: Developing Climate-Resilient Agricultural Models

Module 4: Water Security, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services

• Importance of Water Security in Agriculture
• Role of Ecosystem Services in Food Security
• Integrating Sustainable Ecosystem Management into Agricultural Practices
• Practical Session: Mapping Ecosystem Services for Agricultural Use

Module 5: Strategies and Interventions for Food Security

• Developing Effective Food Security Strategies:
  • Policy Frameworks and Program Interventions
• Monitoring and Evaluating Food Security Initiatives
• Group Presentations: Proposed Interventions for Local Contexts
• Final Reflections and Course Wrap-Up

Note: This outline provides a general structure for the training. The specific content, activities, and duration of each session may be adjusted based on the target audience, learning objectives, and available time.