Income-Generating Activities - Action Against Hunger

Field handbook • Scientific and Technical Department
APPENDIX 5: SUMMARY OF THE ACF-F FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY FOR
ACEH 2005
1. Introduction
Immediate recovery of sustainable livelihoods is not possible and large sections of
populations will remain dependent on external aid in the mid- and longer-term. Food
aid will continue to be an important need (with or without ACF involvement), but it
must be ensured that it will not (i) be used as a political tool to control the populations,
(ii) lead to dependency, (iii) result in food and labour market price and wage distortions
20 , or/and (iv) create disincentives to food producers and traders. At the same
time, sustainable recovery will be promoted wherever and whenever possible, without
creating future vulnerabilities 21 , and encouraging an early return. ACF will use an
integrated FS and Watsan (Water and Sanitation) approach to accompany the affected
populations to their chosen resettlement sites (host communities, return to affected
lands/villages), without creating incentives for people to settle in areas contrary to
their preference. The risk of humanitarian aid being used as a pull factor, particularly
in the barracks, will be monitored closely. Hence, ACF will concentrate its aid outside
the barracks in the first phase 22 .
The affected populations are well educated, the soil is fertile, and the economy
was well monetized and organised before the tsunami. These offer good grounds for
recovery. A participatory, bottom-up approach is hence a must, in order to capitalise
the existing know-how and to promote a quick recovery, adapted to the local context.
The emphasis will be put in recovering the economy, not in creating new activities.
Coordination with other key actors and follow up of implemented projects and results
(e.g. reconstruction of roads) is crucial in order to avoid duplication and to benefit
from lessons-learnt. Additionally, the final results of ACF FS activities may be
linked with other projects (e.g. marketing of fish is dependent on access to trade networks).
The overall objective of ACF food security activities in Aceh is to:
Improve the basic living conditions of populations affected by the tsunami or/and
the earthquake.
The project purposes are to
Address the immediate food needs of the affected populations.
20
Aceh province is a rice surplus production area.
21
Sustainability and impact on environment are key issues in the rehabilitation/recovery, e.g. over-fishing was common
in Aceh prior to the tsunami and a return to the same unsustainable situation must be avoided.
22
Food aid will be distributed to all population, including those who have moved to the barracks.
INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES: A KEY CONCEPT IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURTIY
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