Organization and Project Introduction

 Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers Coordinating Organization (SAFWCO),a non-government, not-for-profit socio economic development organization, started its development journey from a small initiative, launched in 1986. Concerned about depleting sources of livelihood and employment, increasing poverty and social deprivation in rural Sindh and propelled by its own vision of sustainable, equitable and just society, Safwco initiated a process of social mobilization in district Sanghar initially. It was registered under Society act 1860 in 1992.

SAFWCO with financial assistance of Oxfam Novib initiated the Advocacy on Food Security Project in Thatta, Matiari and Sanghar districts. Aim of the project is to increase food security of poor people including small farmers living in disaster prone areas of Sindh through contribution in policy and structural changes.

Project Intervention Logic:

•500 small formers get fair price for their wheat crop on sustainable basis through policy and advocacy initiatives in flood affected districts of Thatta, Matiari and Sanghar.

•Increase access of small farmers in flood affected districts of Thatta, Matiari and Sanghar in Sindh province to quality and affordable agriculture input.

•The provincial governments of Sindh made functional/rehabilitated the damaged irrigation and protection infrastructure in districts Thatta, Matiari and Sanghar.

•The food departments of Sindh government gave a preferential status for wheat purchase from small farmers/producers having less than 7.5 metric tons wheat (which is less than 75 bags) to sell.

•The farmers associations mainly formed under the EC food facility project are organized around fair wheat pricing, holding the government departments accountable and making the wheat procurement process transparent.

•Raise awareness of small farmers about efficient credit source and documentation process.

•Increase allocation of funds by the provincial governments to increase and improve storage space for wheat.

•Regulating pesticides and fertilizers framework is functional and agriculture department regularly collect samples for checking adulteration and prosecuting the guilty.

•Raise awareness for soil and water testing.

•Farmers are willing to use new and innovative technical inputs.

•Aware and organized civil society monitoring the process of rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure at the community level.

•Civil society holding irrigation departments at provincial and district levels accountable regarding major irrigation and protection infrastructure rehabilitation works through technical reviews.

•increase knowledge and understanding of Oxfam Novib and its partners; and generation of public debate about the problems of farmers affected by river bank erosion and their compensation.