UGPM’s granaries for food security
A strategy from UGPM for combating food insecurity and promoting local development.
Given the context of food insecurity affecting most of Senegal, UGPM aimed to capitalize on and disseminate the strategy of "granaries for food security" (places used to store cereal harvests) to UGPM member groups, other farmer organizations in Senegal, and beyond.
Context
To address food insecurity, UGPM implemented a strategy in the 2000s to establish food security stocks in villages. The "granary for food security" is a village-based tool for storing and preserving cereals. It is a facility managed and stocked by members of the farmer group (who maintain the site and the stocks).
Objectives
Prevent the Hunger Period : The hunger period refers to the time of year when previous harvests are exhausted and the current year’s crops are not yet available. It generally coincides with the rainy season. For families, granaries provide the necessary time for agricultural work during this period and help them avoid focusing solely on the search for food.
Secure and Rationally Manage Harvests : by preserving seeds and preventing wastage of harvests. The goal is to better utilize the harvests through secure, quality storage, enabling family farms to have food during the hunger period.
Avoid Family Indebtedness : This initiative allows families to avoid relying on loans from usurers (who lend at excessively high interest rates).
Strengthen Solidarity Among Village Residents : Families that produce more than their own needs provide in-kind loans to those who are short of supplies, to be repaid after the harvest. Solidarity grows within the village among both members and non-members of farmer groups.
UGPM’s support to farmer groups
To achieve these objectives, UGPM offers support and assistance to groups wishing to implement this initiative. The support provided includes :
- Training sessions organized by UGPM, for granary management committees on storage tools and techniques.
- Follow-up by zone facilitators, including discussions with farmer groups to mobilize stakeholders and define new strategies.
- Exchange visits organized between farmer groups to mutually improve.
- Funding : UGPM covers 50% of the costs for constructing or renovating the granary.
- UGPM also provides credit funds for the purchase of cereals to strengthen the granaries’ stocks.
→ To learn more about the operation of a granary (its management system, member participation in its activities) and the benefits and challenges encountered, please consult the downloadable capitalization booklet below and in the right column !
