Family Farming Program

The report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) laid bare the harsh reality, revealing that a staggering 63% of Nigeria’s population is ensnared by multidimensional poverty. This multifaceted issue is more prominent in rural areas, where a shocking 72% of the population grapples with inadequate access to nutritious food, leading to alarming levels of food insecurity that threaten the well-being of the most vulnerable among us.

Lagos is densely populated and only produces 3% of the food it needs. Through our Family Farming program we promote food security and sustainable livelihoods by identifying households in need for long-term nutrition and livelihood support especially women and youth.

Our Family Farming program focuses on farming vegetables, snails and poultry. Individuals, particularly women, are screened for inclusion into the program, including by assessing whether the space in their urban dwelling can accommodate livestock and vegetable farming. The household is given seeds for edible crops (Celosia amaranth and Corchorus) as well as chickens and snails, both common to the local diet, to start small livestock farming operations. Families are given training, soil, feed, and containers in their starter kit. Currently 84 of beneficiaries now have their own well-established farms.

The Objectives of the Family Farming Program Include:

1. To reduce the prevalence of poverty amidst women.
2. To empower women to be self-reliant and promote gender equality.
3. To build on the locally available resources and capacities to improve women in agriculture
4. Encourage women farmers to interconnect traditional, local knowledge with innovative ideas to yield better harvest.

VISION: In alignment with the UN Decade of Family Farming, the LFBI Family Farming Program’s Vision is to:
• Enhance the local community’s knowledge on agriculture through urban farming programs that educate, inform and raise people’s awareness on how food system works
• Create alternatives to food sources and make access to fresh and healthy food easy and affordable.
• Increase community interaction between producers and consumers of food.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Goal 1: To protect and expand the economic capacity of women through family farming. Objectives:

1. To reduce the prevalence of poverty amidst women.
2. To empower women to be self-reliant and promote gender equality.

Goal 2: To develop on the essential contribution of women to agriculture. Objectives:

1. To build on the locally available resources and capacities to improve women in agriculture
2. Encourage women farmers to interconnect traditional, local knowledge with innovative ideas to yield better harvest.

TARGET BENEFICIARIES

1. Vulnerable Women in underserved communities
2. Widows
3. Youths

 SPECIFICATION AND SPECIALIZATION OF THE PROGRAMME

 FOR PARTNERSHIP ON OUR FAMILY FARMING PROGRAM, SEE BELOW THE COST TO SETUP FOR A BENEFICIARY

RETURN ON INVESTMENTThe family farming program has a social return on investment of 9.7% on every $1. This means for every $1 invested in one beneficiary in the program, there is a return of $0.097 on social and economic gains. As a result, every $100 investment will yield a $9.7 dollar profit.MONITORING AND EVALUATIONWe have designed the following indicators to assess the Family Farming program activities and also measure the effectiveness of the program.

• Process Indicators
• The total number of beneficiaries enrolled : This includes number of people recruited during the scouting process, number of participants that attended the training program, number of people that were actually set up and number of active participants in the program as well as the number of people that will be certified at the end of the program
• Number of training sessions held with the participants
• Increased participation of women in the family farming program

2. Outcome Indicators

• Increase in revenue generation: This includes farmers reported total household income from sales of their farm products. After the training, the beneficiaries are expected to have the knowledge on how to convert inputs, resources and materials given to them to quality outputs. The yield gotten from their agro ventures will be assessed and evaluated. The beneficiaries are also expected to have the lowest mortality rate as possible in their livestock business as well as to successfully manage a mini vegetable farm without setbacks.
• Perceived well-being and improved food security: Days and months that participants experienced insufficient food in the past year shall be noted and recorded and compared with the successive year.
• Testimonials of the Beneficiaries: Visuals (pictures, videos) of the beneficiaries and their produce as well as testimonials will be recorded at intervals during the monitoring and evaluation exercises.
• Replicability and Scalability: Beneficiaries who have been certified and discharged from the program are expected to be able to stand on their own and continue to expand the venture and even scale higher, while we continue to provide advisory and consultative support where necessary.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION1. Must I have a background in agriculture before I can be a volunteer in the family farming program?
It is not a requirement to have a background in agriculture but it is an added advantage when interacting with beneficiaries.2. Will volunteering in family farming add to my volunteer hours?
Yes – Volunteering for the family farming program adds to a total of 4 volunteering hours per attendance.3. Does the food bank get a percentage of the produce from the beneficiary enrolled in the program?
The foodbank does not receive a percentage as all profits from the produce sold they belong solely to our beneficiaries4. Are the beneficiaries going to pay for the training?
Beneficiaries of the program do not pay for training or materials that will be given to them. Training is free and all materials will be supplied by the food bank to the beneficiaries.5. Can I donate agricultural materials instead of monetary donation?
Yes, all donations which include monetary donations and agricultural inputs are accepted by the foodbank.6. After completion of training, can a beneficiary consult the food bank about their established farm?
Yes, we give advice to beneficiaries that have established their farm after the program.7. Is the family farming program of Lagos food bank initiative a government program?
No. The Family farming program is NOT a Government program. However, there is a partnership with Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, as they provide training facilitators and agriculture.

Partnership