Redeeming the Harvest : Action for Agriculture,Food and Nutrition Security by OAIC

OAIC

Redeeming the Harvest Action for Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Security

Calling Forth a Bountiful Harvest Every generation is judged by how well it responded to a key problem threatening its very survival and the continuity of its civilization. For many in Africa, it may well be that this challenge has to do with food security and adequate nutrition for the majority of the continents citizens. Never before has the reality of a continent whose majority is starving and suffers under-nourishment in the midst of so much promise been starker than it is today. Much of Sub-Sahara Africa is confronted daily with a seemingly intractable reality of hunger and famine for millions of its people. Hunger on this scale is a multifaceted problem, caused by many complex factors working in concert. As Christians, we are called to live out our lives in witness to this complex reality. To paraphrase the famous words of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to seek today adequate and nutritious food for millions of families, men, women and children in our midst. As Christ himself would do when confronted with a multitude of hungry faithful, we are challenged to scramble together the limited resources available and return a bountiful harvest. At the OAIC, we are struck by the supreme irony of the situation of many of our African people, with so much hunger and poverty in the midst of much promise. In many ways the ingredients that would make a bountiful harvest and food for all of us is there and in plenty. Africa has some of the best land, climate and water for agriculture. Africa is also blessed with a great human capital that in previous and present civilizations have domesticated a great variety of crops and animals and developed intricate crop and animal sciences to feed themselves, their children and their future. By comparison, what is needed to turn the situation in African agriculture, food and nutrition security is easily within reach. It is truly ironic that what causes famine and hunger in much of Africa, is not the absence of base resources, but whether, how and for whom our institutions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including markets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; work; the state of our infrastructure, our failure to invest in agricultural systems and food affordability; our failure to correct injustices that custom, market and politics place on women; a growing fascination with unrequited consumption not connected with own production; and the rise to dominance of an economic doctrine that lays emphasis on

growth but is blind to human well being and the health of the planet.

At the OAIC we have determined to face this challenge frontally, with this framework and programme of action on Agriculture, food and nutritional security. We have christened this- Redeeming the Harvest. Redeeming the harvest is motivated by a strong belief that a bountiful harvest is possible for the majority of Africa's small holder farmers and that with the right institutions this should translate into plenty of nutritious food for all.

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Since the early 1990's, the OAIC has been engaged in efforts to improve the livelihoods of small holder farmers through our work on livelihoods. Out of this work we have learnt that investing in local organizations is critical to building the capacity of communities to face up to negative local and national conditions. Capacities created or strengthened at this level have a direct impact upon households. We have also come to recognize the primacy of autonomous local agency in solving numerous problems confronting local communities. Our experience in promoting this kind of agency in small holder agriculture is instructive. In Redeeming the Harvest, we present a process born out of numerous interactions with farmers, member churches, and development actors. Working together with our partners, the United Church of Canada, the United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Bread for the World USA, recently organized a consultation on the future of food and nutrition security and attended by members and participants from 18 countries. Participants during this consultation were pleasantly surprised by the promise of small holder agriculture as demonstrated by participating smallholder farmers themselves. At this conference participants renewed their resolve to tackle the twin issues of growing African smallholder agriculture and Africa's food and nutrition security. At the core of Redeeming the Harvest are the local congregation, farmer and community organizations working to effect desired change. Member churches, OAIC national chapters and regional formations as well as the international office and our partners have a critical catalyst role in taking forward key actions under Redeeming the Harvest. Through Redeeming the Harvest, we aim to engage up to 30,000 congregations and community organizations. Assuming each congregation or community organization can reach on average 250 smallholder farmers, we aim to impact about 7.5 million households.

Most Rev. Dr Daniel Okoh, Christ Holy Church, Nigeria International Chairman Organization of African Instituted Churches OAIC

Rev. Nicta Lubaale, General Secretary Organization of African Instituted Churches OAIC

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In summary Redeeming the Harvest has seven key components.The first, Better Farmers- has a key focus on strengthening farmer organizations, securing farmer access to critical farm inputs, re-ordering agricultural extension services, stemming harvest losses and making farmers better entrepreneurs. The second, Climate Resiliency and the Planet, aims to help farmers become more knowledgeable and better responsive to the debilitating effect of negative climate events on their livelihoods. It also aims to help smallholder farmers take up a proactive role in adopting farm practices that mitigate global warming. The third pillar,A more central role for Women and Young People, aims to address current and historical gender and generational injustices in small holder agriculture by mainstreaming the participation of and benefits accruing to young people and women in small holder farming and African agricultural sectors. A fourth pillar, Connecting Farming with Better Nutrition, addresses the neglect of nutrition in small holder farming and the attendant under nutrition of millions of small holder households. It aims to establish stronger linkages between smallholder farming and better household nutrition through measures such as greater diversification of food crops. It also aims to make a stronger connection between small holder farming and nutritional outcomes of vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant and lactating women as well as the aged and other vulnerable groups. A fifth pillar, Scaling Up Social Protection, aims to enhance the connections between formal and informal social security arrangements with small holder farming with a view to enhancing the social security of Africa's small holder farm communities. A sixth pillar,Voice, aims to equip farmers to engage local and global communities especially within the contexts of new debates and actions on national policies, budgets, regional integration, trade and the post 2015 development agenda. The final component, Making Sure, is directed inwardly at the OAIC, her national and international representation, her members, congregations and linked communities. It articulates the role and need for a transformational mission, a remodeling of our pastoral work and building the capacity of leadership, congregations, and community organizations to engage the practical and prophetic task of ensuring that (all) their members and associated communities are well fed and nourished.

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Better Farmers

A key contributor to food insecurity is the crisis in small holder farming. Small holder farms are responsible for feeding 80% of Africa's population, especially the poor in the rural and urban areas. Small holder farming is however in crisis resulting from decades of neglect by governments, poor technology and research utilization, poor infrastructure, weak and unpredictable prices, and extreme weather events, among others. It is imperative that we come to the aid of small holder farmers in their efforts to become better at what they do.We can do this through:

Strengthening farmer organizations One way of redressing this crisis is through strengthening farmer organizations at local, national and regional levels. Farmer organizations can effectively engage government and other actors in research, technology, financing, etc. Farmer organizations are important to enhancing farm productivity.Typically, farmer organizations seek out and promote adoption of new knowledge and skills in crop and animal husbandry, negotiate with formal market institutions for inputs and engage in collective quality control, value addition and marketing. Farmer organizations are also critical in promoting resiliency to negative climate events.

Securing farmer access to critical farm inputs Too often African farmers use technology that is inadequate, have no assurance on the quality of their seed, lack access to appropriate finance and have little technical or other support from the state or market to enable them realize their best markets. It is important that African farmers are enabled to get full access for all resources that are critical to uplifting productivity. Evidence from Uganda and Kenya suggest that farmers realize only a third of yields achieved by agricultural research stations with similar inputs.

Reengineering Agricultural Extension Services State support for agriculture is critical to improving small holder farm productivity. One such key support is extension services. Agricultural extension services experienced a phenomenal collapse with the structural adjustment policy of three decades ago and have been in decline ever since! In the meanwhile the population of small holder farmers and the challenge to get even more from small holder farms has risen exponentially. Agricultural extension itself is also in need of redefinition so that it can fit with and supply to new realities of crop and animal value chains and farm enterprises. A new set of farmers comprising mostly of women and young people also present a new challenge to agricultural extension which in the past tended to exclude them. 5

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Stemming Harvests Losses

How to get there

Farmers lose about 30% of their produce on the farm during and after the harvest due to poor harvesting and storage.These losses are painful and a huge drawback in the fight against hunger and under-nourishment.A great part of this loss is attributable to lack of appropriate structures for storage at household, community and market levels. Farmers continue to rely on traditional structures and technologies to dry and store food leading to significant wastage. Given that the lost harvest was likely designated as a food reserve for the family or for sale in local and national markets, the loss has significant outcomes for family, community and national nutrition and food security as well as safety. It will be necessary to engage farmers, local and national governments as well as other stakeholders to address the twin issues of infrastructure and technologies for post-harvest storage food and cash crops. An appropriate solution will result in better nutrition and incomes for farmers as they can store their produce longer without compromising quality and sell it at better prices later.

Making Farmer's Better Entrepreneurs

African farmers are by and large entrepreneurial with many combining farm level activities with off-farm enterprise. Majority of these enterprises are however informal and tragically not geared to take strategic advantage of markets and product value chains. While farmers may be entrepreneurial, many hardly view the farm and farming as an enterprise! As such, even where farmers are aware of inefficiencies in the market, such as the proliferation of brokers and middle men, too often they fail to organize in the interest of their farm enterprises for the purpose of engaging and correcting these markets. This failure results in sub-optimal returns as value is lost to off farm actors, manipulation and market inefficiencies.

It is important that farmers engage the market, its institutions and organizations as economic actors in their own cause.Where farmers take up farm activity as a business whether individually or as coactors through such strategies as cooperatives, they realize better yields and a higher return. Enterprising and organized farmers bargain better for critical inputs such as seed, fertilizer and finance and are also likely to seek and use information on market conditions to their best advantage. In a context where much state policy is driven by the need to improve the macro and sector specific business environment, enterprising and well organized farmers have much to gain by engaging state and government to improve the business environment for small holder farming.

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Our work with farmer's groups is founded on the belief that change is best achieved and sustained through collective action at community level.We therefore work to catalyze the creativity and resourcefulness of community level actors. We also recognize the autonomy of community level actors and work with them in the context of their own agency and mission.

Moving Best Practice to Scale

How to get there

Where evidence of working interventions related to food and nutritional security exist, it will be important to document them seek ways to scale up those that have the best promise. It is also important to engage local educational institutions- such as a primary and secondary school so that they become centers of excellence in crop and animal husbandry suited to local situations.

Community level transformation catalysts Community level change agents play a critical role of catalyzing change at community and national levels. Young farmers and graduates at diploma and degree level from local agricultural colleges make excellent candidates for community level change catalysts.These young agriculturalists are likely to bring skills in the use of the Internet to access information needed by farmers.

Establishing model farms

Model farms on land owned by poor households can provide powerful examples for how to improve production and thus food security. Model farms can be vehicles for the uptake of knowhow to improve crop and animal husbandry. Model farms can also be established on land owned by community institutions such as churches or public land provided by government institutions. Ideally, model farms should be established through the action of farmer organizations working together in contradistinction to the enterprise of a single member.

Reshaping farmer organizations Farmer organizations such as cooperatives, not-for-profit and for profit companies form excellent vehicles to secure small holder farmer strategic engagement in the larger value chain. Farmer organizations also make excellent vehicles to engage an asset based strategy for improving small holder productivity, storage, processing and produce marketing. Farmer organizations may also link up with research organizations so as to assure access to knowledge and quality re-usable seed stock. 7

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Training on Enterprise, Leadership and Management In order to better navigate their way up and down value chains and markets, farmers need strategic skills in entrepreneurship, leadership and strategic management. Many countries already have significant and long established curricula and experience in business support training for micro and small scale enterprises. Unfortunately in the majority of countries, farm level activity has up to now not been viewed as either a micro or small scale enterprise. The result is that farm enterprises have hardly benefited from this business training. At the same time, few of these curricula and programmes have been prepared for specific farm enterprises, crop or livestock sub-sectors. This new training would most likely be offered within the context of meeting the specific needs of farm enterprises, model farms, farmer organizations and companies. The training should also be part of the renewed agricultural extension service.

Investing in ICT and Access to information Promoting farmer access to information especially from research institutions and critical actors in the market as well as developing farmer competency to analyse and apply the information are critical to farmers' decision making and informed participation in a complex environment. This can be achieved through several ways such as installing appropriate ICT infrastructure in farmer organizations, developing mobile phone applications for use by farmers and establishing direct linkages and regular exchange with research and market institutions. The decentralization and diffusion of technical and tertiary education currently underway in many countries will also provide valuable opportunities for technical advice and collaboration between farmers and specialist institutions.

Ensuring new investments in infrastructure and services This shall be realized through building capacity of farmers, farmers' organizations and companies to demand for new investments and services to agriculture, livestock (including pastoralism).

Enhancing the role of farmer organizations in the sector value chains and marketing This shall be achieved through promoting a strategy for the establishment of farmer organizations such as cooperatives and companies and securing their capacity to engage in production and other strategic activities along a sector value chain.

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Climate Resilience and Planet

As a result of negative change in climate, African farmers already experience significant climate variability and extreme climate more frequently than would be the case.These negative events have severe adverse effects on crop production and livelihoods.They are also the trigger to much hunger and famine in Africa as communities and states find that they are ill equipped for them. Perhaps more than any other grouping African farmers face the most severe test in adapting to negative change in climate.

African agriculture relies heavily on ecosystem resources making these resources critical assets to the survival of agricultural communities. It is important that global agreements and their implementation mechanisms set up in response to climate change recognize this sensitivity of African agriculture to negative climate events. Subsequently such compacts and their implementation must be founded on the notion of justice and be capable of supporting African farmers as they seek to adapt to more hostile and unpredictable climate. At the reverse end, African farmers have a duty of care for the environment and in particular to mitigate the factors that lead up to these negative climate events. Abuse of ecosystem resources through inappropriate crop and animal husbandry and other practices such as the clearing of tree cover and reclaiming wetlands can lead to serious land degradation. Declining yields in turn lead to new cycles of abuse of the ecosystem. While African farming accounts for a negligible amount of gasses responsible for global warming, increased activity in agriculture in the future would lead to a corresponding rise in the contribution to these gasses. There is also much economic and social benefit from adopting technologies that are climate friendly.

Local Action Plans for Mitigation and Adaptation The vast majority of African farmers are far from the debates on climate mitigation and adaptation. An important action is to establish and promote the way farmers understand climate change and its impact.This can be done through working with communities to analyse the changes in weather; enabling farmers' groups to document and share the changes they have been experiencing; Identifying the vulnerabilities the farmers experience due to climate variability and the impact on their communities; and working to establish local adaptation mechanisms that farmers can use to manage the impact of climate change.

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How to get there

It is possible to go a step further to draw action plans and generate commitments to adaptation. In the action plans-farmers will identify what they can do and also isolate what is for the public institutions. From these plans, farmers can determine appropriate issues to take up with public institutions locally and at national levels to further their interests in relation to climate.

Filling the Knowledge and Information gaps It is also possible to work with local and national specialists to provide technical information on climate change and in a manner understandable to smallholder farmers. Information on climate events should also enable farmers to make informed decisions on when and which crops to plant at any season.

Integrating Farming with Planet Husbandry It is also important that farmers acquire the knowledge and practice of using their farming activities to take better care of natural resources and the planet. This requires a clear understanding by smallholder farmers of the sustainable use of natural resources and the well being of current and future generations. Model farms and farmer organizations should specifically set out to achieve this goal of securing food and nutrition while aiding natural resource and environmental regeneration. Practices that are planet friendly include better soil conservation, increasing on farm tree cover, and water conservation and soil regeneration.

Working with Local Public Officials Much work is happening at national levels to provide country level responses to climate change.The church and local community or farmer organizations can work with government officers to provide the public policy framework for adaptation and mitigation and how the policies relate to the realities of local smallholder farmers.This practical way of handling the process enables the farmers to understand the gaps between policy and implementation. The involvement of government officers in the process of explaining the policy framework will be useful in establishing accountability relationships between public servants and farmers.

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A more central role for women and young people A primary factor for the low performance of African agriculture and persistent food insecurity is the marginal position of women and young people (especially young women) in the agriculture and food security value chain. While women are represented throughout the value chain, they are absent or under represented in the high order strategic roles in these chains. Women, for instance, provide nearly 80% of farm labour yet own less than 10% of the land and cannot make critical decisions on the provision of inputs, crop or animal husbandry and post-harvest management. In many instances, women cannot even sell excess produce to meet their own cash requirements. Women also suffer from technologies, institutions and entire crop sectors that have inherent gender bias in favour of males. Many cash crop sub sectors such as tea, coffee, maize and sugar cane have been institutionalized with males in strategic control and accruing most of the benefits. Africa's young people, again especially young women, also face indescribable odds getting into farming. This is largely because the critical assets- land, the cash crops, and finances- needed are in the hands of older males.The older males only relinquish control of these assets in extreme old age and this largely to younger males. This leaves many of Africa's youth to squat on the land by providing labour and skills in exchange for some negotiated access and control. Africa cannot resolve the food security challenge without confronting this gender and generational inequality and injustice. Africa's food and nutritional insecurity is made worse by the fact that its farmers are aging. If not for any other reason, Africa desperately needs to bring in younger blood in its farming systems. It is also important to expose the existing gender inequalities in agriculture by emphasizing the true nature of the Kingdom of God, where men and women are equal, and where all live in dignity and are entitled to life in its fullness. Through this effort, the underlying causes responsible for women's exclusion from strategic decision making and equitable benefits in society shall come to the fore and thus easy to engage. In this effort, we are also guided by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ with its promise for transformation and empowerment for the weak in our midst. 11

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How to get there

In the past, the OAIC has used the Bible and participatory methods to bring to the surface the gender inequalities surrounding access and control of productive resources. Issuing from this analysis, the congregation or community groups can; · Embrace theological action (for churches) to transform values in relation to gender inequalities

Target the households that are at the margins due to gender inequalities-seed, technology, information and training.

Aid family level visioning and planning processes that secure equitable roles and benefits for women and girls at household levels

Locate mobilization and training in women's and other organizations in which women have a voice.

Engage religious and cultural institutions on the role and place of women in agriculture and food security

Carry out advocacy for more women extension workers

Ensure that extension services, technology and crop sectors cater specifically to women's needs and realities

Initiate strategic actions geared at enabling more women acquire critical assets especially land. Place women farmers and women's organization's at the centre of the community level actions and coalitions

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Connecting farming with better nutrition

The advent and dominance of cash crops and staple food crops in combination with other factors such as small farm sizes has led to neglect of other food crops. In the resulting situation, household food security has been restricted to the amount of grain food staffs, maize especially, available to the household for food. Since maize, rice and wheat, for instance, are also major cash crops, households tend to focus on producing these crops. As a result families experience deficiencies in other food crops needed for adequate nutrition. As a result millions of Africa's children face under-nourishment with severe consequences for their development and later life. This situation obtains largely because farming has not been adequately linked to nutritional outcomes for families and the marginal role of nutrition education in public health.

It is imperative that we establish a firm and enduring linkage between farming and household nutrition. Possible actions for this at local and national levels include: Ÿ Carrying out an assessment at household levels to establish the types of crop households plant for food;

what they use for food; the nutritional value of various food crops and the nutritional gaps for the various age groups. While the analysis shall focus on all household members, specific focus should be put on children and pregnant mothers because their extra vulnerabilities in case of undernourishment. Ÿ Taking measures at farm and household levels to diversify the food crops and animal

husbandry. Ÿ Seeking out families with high levels of undernourishment paying

particular attention to children, pregnant women and the aged Ÿ Providing information, food and technical support to

community groups and families affected by with undernourishment Ÿ Carrying out campaigns, in support of better nutrition

of pregnant and lactating mothers and children in the 1,000 days bracket Ÿ Integrate nutrition education in church

programmes at congregation level Ÿ Support farmer and other community

organizations to bring nutrition education and support to households Ÿ Develop a friendly community charter

that holds community and public institutions accountable for nutrition especially of children and mothers. Church congregations, religious leaders and community elders who hold the convictions should participate in giving leadership to this process.

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Scaling up Social Protection Often, even with the best of effort, what can go wrong does. Moreover, many people who would not have a secure income, or means to one, will often miss out even in seasons of abundance. It is important that investments in agriculture and food security are accompanied with better and scaled up social security systems that reach out to those who on account of multiple deprivations such as old age, illness or lack of assets and gainful employment will lose out of this abundance. It is important that more and more public resources are set aside for the purpose of protecting those who are vulnerable. It is also important that funds and programmes initiated for this purpose work well, are truly accessible by those who need them and are not wasted through bureaucratic processes. Local and national economic systems should be organized such that they work to minimize or eliminate vulnerability. This latter should include deliberate tax and other economic measures to increase agricultural productivity and the availability and affordability of food. Often, even with the best of effort, what can go wrong does. Moreover, many people who would not have a secure income, or means to one, will often miss out even in seasons of abundance. It is important that investments in agriculture and food security are accompanied with better and scaled up social security systems that reach out to those who on account of multiple deprivations such as old age, illness or lack of assets and gainful employment will lose out of this abundance. It is important that more and more public resources are set aside for the purpose of protecting those who are vulnerable. It is also important that funds and programmes initiated for this purpose work well, are truly accessible by those who need them and are not wasted through bureaucratic processes. Local and national economic systems should be organized such that they work to minimize or eliminate vulnerability. This latter 14

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How to get there

should include deliberate tax and other economic measures to increase agricultural productivity and the availability and affordability of food.

Within the context of the new economic, political and social arrangements, it is important that the discourse of social protection moves beyond a discourse on aid to recognition of the right to social protection for those who need it.

At the local level it is important for community members, community and public institutions to appreciate and recognize vulnerability and the role of social, economic and political processes in aiding or reducing it. From this understanding community members, community and public institutions should aim to install and advocate for adequate social protection as well as economic, social and political arrangements that work to eliminate vulnerability including exposure to negative climate events.

Possible actions at local and national levels that are likely to enhance social protection for food security and in the context of local farming systems include: · Linking increases in local food production with the care of children, the elderly, sick, orphans and other vulnerable persons · Embracing actions that promote the acquisition of land, businesses and other critical assets for the vulnerable · Strategically linking local realities with national and local government social protection programmes · Taking up community level advocacy for social protection · Continue to direct investment social protection into agriculture and small business. · Set up community level coalitions with competence to isolate situations and cases which require the intervention of public institutions and to effectively demand for the intervention of these institutions. · Speak up and demand for the improvement and scaling up of existing social protection programmes such as cash transfers, bursary funds and waivers. · Strengthen traditional social protection to take into account and better respond to changing political, economic, environmental and social conditions

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Voice-Equipping farmers to engage local and global communities Too often people or organizations speaking for farmers are not themselves farmers or their representatives. Often times critical decisions are taken about farming without substantive participation by farmers! It is important to equip and grow the capacity of farmers to speak on their own behalf, to articulate, argue and even legislate on issues critical to agriculture. Farmers' organizations have an unexploited potential to voice the issues affecting farmers and as vehicles for farmer participation in the design and delivery of public policies in agriculture and sectors that touch on food security. Farmer voice is much needed and will be important to efforts to get food security and better nutrition firmly on the post 2015 development agenda. The Millennium Development Goals framework has demonstrated to all that setting clear goals and benchmarks to overcome poverty works for the poor. Unfortunately, many faith communities have only engaged the MDG framework midway in their work to hold governments and society to account on poverty. It is imperative that the Church and especially member churches of the OAIC take the early opportunity to participate in shaping the post 2015 development agenda and ensuring it its full implementation.

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How to get there

1. Mobilize and rally church leaders to take concrete actions to place food and nutrition at the centre of church ministry and witness. 2. Develop actionable plans against chronic hunger and under-nourishment at national and regional levels and use these plans as the basis for speaking out and engaging and partnering with state and non- state actors and stakeholders to push for favourable agriculture and nutrition policies 3. Organize and work collaboratively to ensure that the government and country meets development goals in relation to food and nutrition. 4. Track national and sub-national budgets, policies and legislation in relation to food and nutrition. 5. Strengthen the churches prophetic voice to engage different stakeholders especially governments on policy development and implementation both at national and sub-national level 6. Rally and secure the voice of congregations and farmers around the post 2015 development agenda

Making Sure

Redeeming the Harvest is motivated by our conviction about the place and agency of our faith in responding to a seemingly intractable reality of hunger and under-nourishment for millions of Africans. It is inescapable that we question how to live out our faith in the face of such harsh and complex realities. It is also inescapable that we bring to question our concept and practice of Mission, the theologies and values at the heart of what we do as Church, Christian communities and movements of African Instituted Churches. As Church, it will be important that we transform the pastoral duty of care and sharing so that truly no one should be hungry or under nourished where food and adequate nutrition is within reach. Infusing mission with a holistic concept of justice and genuine love for the neighbour is basic to our response. The church congregation is important for this transformation because of its linkage and proximity to families, community organizations and community leaders. In this mission, the pulpit and various ministries of the church at the congregation become critical agencies for mobilization and communication, for practical action to improve production and nutrition at household levels and as the bedrock for engaging local and national states in relation to food, nutrition and agricultural services.

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It is also necessary that we link our pastoral work with our prophetic calling. In doing so, we shall seek to engage our congregations, our immediate communities and our national church structures to take full appreciation of the underlying factors responsible for the hunger and under-nourishment in our midst. The strength of conviction and energy arising from this new consciousness, shall be crucial as we shape up a dialogue on these realities with institutions of society such as family, economics, and politics at local, national and supra national levels. As a practical measure, it is important to build the capacity of local church leaders as well as women and young people to engage in better farming through meetings, workshops and youth clubs; to give sermons and speak out on the status of farming, food security and nutrition in the community as well as start farmer associations at congregation and community levels. It is our conviction that the Church is called to engage on the issues of hunger directly, as part of its ministry to community. We entreat member churches to reflect critically on the demands that widespread hunger and under-nourishment places on their mission and to work collaboratively strengthen the capacity of local community organizations to provide services in agriculture and nutrition.

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The OAIC National and International Offices At the OAIC, we recognize that the following will be critical to the success of the process: · An engaged, committed and clear leadership ·

A clear theological engagement that motivates unconditional support and action against chronic hunger and under-nourishment. This will enable the member churches to act within the context of ministry and thus provide agency, own resourfulness and sustainability to the actions needed.

A shared understanding and engagement on the underlying causes of hunger, under-nourishment and their impacts that leads to a shared vision for a hunger free society.

A thorough going commitment to the participation of women and young people as critical actors rather than as simply the marginalised and vulnerable.

A long-term view with periodical reviews with an effective learning and action framework-that gives support, facilitates timely reporting and accountability, and enables learning among the various actors.

A networking mechanism which will facilitate the synergy of farmers' voices at the local, national, sub-national, regional and global levels.

Build the functional and staff competency needed at the secretariat, regional and national chapters

Participate in regional and global coalitions and advocacy processes

Work better with partners in the north and south to engage the policies of rich and emerging economies

Facilitate south-south cross learning

Build an international and national level multi-disciplinary resource team

Credits: Editorial: Nicta Lubaale, Billington Mwangi Gituto Photo: OAIC Production: Billington Mwangi Gituto The printing of this publication has been made possible with the kind contribution of

Christ Holy Church International, a member of the OAIC.

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OAIC

Organization of African Instituted Churches

The Organization of African Instituted Churches Junction of Riara/King'ara roads P.O. Box 21736-00505, Nairobi Tel +254-20-2416446 / +254-728-606613 email: livelihoods@oaic.org, www.oaic.org