Division "Agriculture, Fisheries and Food" Page 1 HIV/AIDS & Agricultural and Rural Development - some comments - Presentation at the VI Annual Donor Meeting,

Division "Agriculture, Fisheries and Food" Page 1

HIV/AIDS & Agricultural and Rural Development- some comments -

Presentation

at the

VI Annual Donor Meeting,

9 –11 May, 2006,

IFAD (WCAD), Rome

by

Klaus Pilgram

GTZ, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Division


Mainstreaming of Mitigation of HIV/AIDS-Impacts means a sector determining

(i) how the spread of HIV is caused or contributed to by the resp. sector;

(ii) how the epidemic is likely to affect sector goals, objectives and programs;

(i) where the sector has a comparative advantage to respond – to limit the spread of HIV and to mitigate the impact of the epidemic.


1. Impact of HIV/AIDS on Agriculture/RD 1.1. Impact on the Human and Financial Resources of the Sector:

Increased absenteeism Increased health care and benefit expenses for affected staff and their

dependents Increased mortality rates Increase burial and funeral costsLow morale among staff members Increased labour turnover, loss of skilled workers and expertise

Increase in training, recruitment, and retraining costs

Disruption of service delivery, decrease of the extension workers/farmers ratio and extension coverage

Overall decline in productivity


1.2. Impact on the Sector’s “Target Population” The long-term impact of HIV/AIDS is most severe on subsistence

farmers and their households through: Decline in household income due to decrease in labour productivity Increase in medical and funeral expenses Erosion of household assets base (through depletion of savings &

forced disposal of productive household assets e.g. land, livestock) Increase in dependency ratioStretching of traditional social safety mechanismsLoss of social capital, i.e. socio-cultural norms, like kinship duties and

responsibilitiesDecline in smallholder crop and livestock production & and loss in

variety of crops grown Loss of knowledge of indigenous and other farming and marketing skills

and practices, and their inter-generational transfer


HIV/AIDS infected persons need up to 50% more protein and up to 15 % more energy.

If nutritional status is good (micronutrients + Vitamine A)

> Chance of infection might be reduced > Death might be delayed Resistance to opportunistic diseases is

improved.


0

20

40

60

O N D J F M A M J J A S

Months

Labo

ur R

equi

rem

ent Storage

Harvest

Tending

Weeding

Planting

Ploughing


Impact on commercial farming :

Loss of man-hours due to illness and absenteeismIncrease in mortality rates Reduction of acreage under cultivationLoss of specialised skills and practicesIncrease in recruitment and retraining costsOverall decline in productivity


1.3. RD/Agriculture programmes can exacerbate the spread of HIV:

By improving road and market infrastructure in rural areas, which intensifies social and economic interactions between communities

By stimulating migration (e.g. seasonal labour on plantations, marketing of produce,...)

By promoting farming methods which increase gender imbalances By contributing to the monetarisation of rural economy, which may

increase the opportunities for commercial sexBy introducing poverty alleviation schemes which do not favour

womenBy encouraging cultural practices which dis-empower womenBy establishing rural cottage and agro-processing industries which

enhance the disposable income of men


In countries with prevalence rates of 10% among adults,

the growth of national income is reduced by up to one third!


But...

Agricultural & Rural Development

can also make a substantial contribution

to the Response to HIV/AIDS !....


2. Rationale for Mainstreaming

The magnitude of the epidemic.The severity and scope of its impact, touching all sectors of

societies.The inadequacy of solely health sector-based responses have

clearly demonstrated the need for a cross-sectoral mobilisation and collaboration against the pandemic.

What does one understand by mainstreaming?


MMainstreaming HIV/AIDS is the processainstreaming HIV/AIDS is the process

by which an institution (organization, program, by which an institution (organization, program, project) systematically and adequately project) systematically and adequately

incorporates HIV/AIDS-related issues into its incorporates HIV/AIDS-related issues into its

mandate and mandate and corecore activities. activities.

UNAIDS: mainstreaming is a process that enables development actors to address the causes and effects of HIV and AIDS as they relate to their mandate in an effective and sustained manner, both through their usual work and through their workplace, in order to contribute to the response in the areas of prevention, care, treatment, support, vulnerability reduction and impact alleviation


3. Levels of Mainstreaming:Global/regional policies and agencies:

- HIPC Initiative, UNGASS, NEPAD,...

- FAO, GTZ, IFAD,... National policies and institutions:

- Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, National Development Plan,...

- Multi-sectoral coordinating bodies (National AIDS Commissions)

Sectoral level:

- Public, non-for profit, and business sectors

- Sectoral plans (e.g. Health, Education, Agriculture,…)Sub-national level:

- Regional/District development plans, ...

- CSOs, projects,...


UNAIDS Country Reports 2004 from 73 Countries

AIDS strategies integrated into Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers or other national development plans (PRSP/NDP (48))

66%

Mainstreaming AIDS into non-health sectors :

Has not started…………………………………………………………………… 3%

Has started but there are no results yet............................. 40%Has been integrated into sectoral plans but not implemented yet......................................... 26%Has been integrated into sectoral plans and is beingimplemented ….. 27%

Mainstreaming AIDS into local development plans:

Has not started………………………………………………………. 10%Has started but there are no results yet… …………… 51%Has been integrated into plans but not implemented

yet……………………………………………………………. ………..23%Has been integrated into plans and is being

implemented……………………………………………………….. 12%


4. Way Forward:

• Seize the momentum to systematize mainstreaming

processes:

Making the money work = Scaling up the Response

= Making multi-sectorality work = Making development

work

• Move beyond discourse & semantics by (i) focusing on a few generic principles

(ii) defining actual outcomes within each specific & evolving context(iii) demonstrating results

• Need to strengthen the supply-side: adequate and

coordinated technical support


5.1. Some interventions in the agricultural sector:

Training on HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS related communication skills for dept‘s employees (particularly extension and environmental officers)

Review transfer policy for extension officers Analysis of existing farm structures and production systems in

the different Agro-Ecological-Zones with regard to Household income, farm labour requirements, etc.

Develop scenarios for different farm size groups, production systems and nutrition (food security)

Include research regarding less labour intensive production in existing programmes (crop rotation, livestock systems, perennial cropping systems, etc.)

Link the promotion of food gardens (healthy nutrition) and HIV/AIDS awareness

Support HBC organisations and communities (affected households) in the establishment of food gardens


5.2 Some interventions in relation to NRM:

The acquistion of household energy is often very labour- / time-intensive and provides a considerable challenge to many households. Energy-saving stoves and / or small woodlots can considerably reduce the labour requirement for these daily tasks

Agro-forestry systems can provide an alternative source of income (fruits, fuelwood, fodder) and do not require high labour inputs

Participatory management of protected area can offer income opportunities through part-time jobs and / or handicraft production (home-based activties)


5.3. Sector, district and local responses:

Identify priority sectors: health, education, services for women and youth, labour, justice, agriculture, rural development, transport, uniformed services, mining, infrastructure,…

Identify thematic entry points - such as staff absenteeism, mobile populations, food security, gender and young people, school drop-outs, …

Identify entry points in existing planning processes

Focal persons should be backed up by hierarchy and supported by adequate technical support and budgets

Incremental approach: strategies, work plans and budgets can be modest at first and be expanded at every planning cycle


6. Monitoring and Evaluation

− Particularly important because of the essential learning and incremental nature of mainstreaming at all levels

− Indicators will cover process as well as outcome (AIDS-specific and sector-specific) indicators

− To be integrated gradually into routine planning and M&E systems (while improving them…)


Possible Indicators:

• Extension officers provide appropriate advice and address the issue of HIV/AIDS in a culturally acceptable manner

• Home gardens provide the basis for an improved diet and medicinal plants to strengthen the immune system

• Home-Based-Care and other SH-organisations provide adequate support to infected / affected households and orphans


7. What ‘Mainstreaming’ is NOT:

It is NOT simply providing support for a Health Ministry’s programme.

It is NOT trying to take over specialist health-related functions.

It is NOT changing core functions and responsi-bilities (instead it is viewing them from a different perspective).

It is NOT business as usual….


Remember :

HIV/AIDS Is Everybody’s Business


Merci beaucoup !

Thank you very much !

Documents

Division "Agriculture, Fisheries and Food" Page 1 HIV/AIDS & Agricultural and Rural Development - some comments - Presentation at the VI Annual Donor Meeting,