Building food-secure communities through climate-smart farming, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, stronger value chains, and safer food systems Food security is fundamental to healthy and resilient communities. For many rural households, however, low agricultural productivity, climate variability, limited access to finance and markets, post-harvest losses, and food safety risks continue to undermine livelihoods and nutrition. This pillar takes an integrated approach that connects agricultural productivity, nutrition, livelihoods, climate resilience, and food safety. We work with farmers particularly women and vulnerable households to promote practical, sustainable farming systems that improve yields while protecting soil, biodiversity, and community health.
Our 2036 Ambition
By 2036, OHRI will work to:
- Train 3,000 farmers in Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), with at least 65% adopting recommended practices.
- Establish 100 agricultural demonstration plots by 2032 to showcase practical climate-smart farming techniques.
- Achieve a 40% yield improvement among participating farmers through improved production and post-harvest practices.
- Establish 75 home gardening groups by 2034, with a target of 90% of groups maintaining productive gardens.
- Train 30,000 women in biofortified crop production, with at least 60% adopting promoted crops and practices.
- Distribute 50,000 orange-fleshed sweet potato vines to promote access to nutrient-dense crops.
- Establish 50 farmer cooperatives and strengthen their ability to access markets.
- Link 30 farmer cooperatives to markets by 2034.
- Facilitate N50 million in agricultural credit for supported farmers by 2036.
- Train 5,000 farmers in aflatoxin prevention and safe post-harvest handling.
- Establish 30 community food-testing hubs for aflatoxin and pesticide screening.
- Establish community-level GM crop monitoring systems in 50 communities.
These targets are specified in OHRI’s Strategic Plan under the four priority areas of climate-smart farming, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, food value-chain strengthening, and food safety/biosafety monitoring.
What We Will Do
1. Climate-Smart Agriculture
OHRI will equip farmers with practical knowledge and skills to adapt to changing climate conditions while improving productivity.
Training will cover areas such as drought-resilient crop varieties, conservation tillage, agroforestry, composting, integrated pest management, improved post-harvest handling, and climate-resilient production practices.
Farmer field schools and demonstration plots will provide opportunities for farmers to see, test, and adapt improved practices under local conditions.
2. Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture
Agriculture should not only produce more food—it should produce more nutritious food.
OHRI will support home gardening groups and promote nutrient-dense and biofortified crops, with a strong focus on women who play central roles in household food production and nutrition.
Through training, demonstration, improved planting materials, and community mobilisation, we aim to increase both the availability and consumption of nutritious foods.
3. Strengthening Agricultural Value Chains
Smallholder farmers often face challenges beyond production, including limited access to markets, finance, storage, business skills, and organised buyers.
OHRI will strengthen farmer cooperatives, facilitate market linkages, support agricultural enterprise development, and connect farmers with appropriate financial institutions.
The programme will also help farmers develop business plans and improve financial literacy so that agricultural credit can translate into productive investment and sustainable income.
OHRI’s Strategic Plan targets N50 million in agricultural credit facilitated for supported farmers by 2036.
4. Food Safety & Aflatoxin Control
Food security must also mean safe food.
OHRI will train farmers in aflatoxin prevention, proper drying, safe storage, mould prevention, pesticide safety, and improved post-harvest handling. Community food-testing capacity will be strengthened to support early identification of food safety risks.
The Strategic Plan targets 5,000 farmers trained, 30 community food-testing hubs established, and 5,000 samples tested through these systems by 2036.
5. Sustainable Land & Natural Resource Management
OHRI will integrate sustainable land management into agricultural programming, encouraging practices that protect soil fertility, reduce erosion, conserve water, and strengthen resilience to climate shocks.
This approach connects directly with OHRI’s ecosystem protection and climate resilience work, ensuring that agricultural development does not come at the expense of the natural resources on which communities depend.
Our Expected Impact by 2036
3,000 farmers trained in Climate-Smart Agriculture
65% adoption of promoted CSA practices
100 demonstration plots established
40% yield improvement among participating farmers
75 productive home gardening groups
30,000 women trained in biofortified crop production
50,000 orange-fleshed sweet potato vines distributed
50 farmer cooperatives established
30 cooperatives linked to markets
N50 million in agricultural credit facilitated
5,000 farmers trained in aflatoxin prevention
30 community food-testing hubs established
50 communities with GM crop monitoring capacity
Proposed Pillar 6 Fundraising Target: US$1.6 Million
This is a proposed fundraising target for Pillar 6 for programme development and donor engagement. It is not a separate pillar budget stated in OHRI’s Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan’s overall ten-year resource requirement for the organisation is US$9.8 million.
Investment Areas
- Climate-Smart Agriculture
- Farmer Field Schools & Demonstration Plots
- Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture
- Women-Focused Agricultural Development
- Farmer Cooperatives & Market Linkages
- Agricultural Finance & Enterprise Development
- Food Safety & Aflatoxin Control
- Community Food Testing
- Sustainable Land Management
- Agricultural Research, Monitoring & Learning
Grow Food. Strengthen Livelihoods. Build Resilience.
Investing in sustainable agriculture means investing in healthier families, stronger livelihoods, resilient ecosystems, and communities better prepared for climate and economic shocks.
Support OHRI to build food-secure communities where farmers can produce more, earn more, eat better, and protect the resources that sustain future generations.