Goat Aid: A Bottom-Up Approach to Food Security
The Goat Aid project, implemented in the Babati district of northern Tanzania, serves as an excellent example of a bottom-up approach to improving food security. This area, where 90% of the population lives in villages and depends on agriculture for their livelihood, was the focus of a UK-based charity's efforts between 1999 and 2006.
The project involved importing Toggenburg goats at a cost of £400 each, with the aim of improving household nutrition and income for villagers. This initiative demonstrates the impact of goat aid in Tanzania on local communities.
Highlight: The Goat Aid project in Babati district aimed to improve household nutrition and income by introducing Toggenburg goats to local communities.
Advantages of the Goat Aid project included:
- Ability to buy food
- Payment of medical expenses and school fees
- Building and repairing houses
- Buying land
- Improving crop farming
- Increasing flock size
- Repairing goat houses
However, the project also had some disadvantages, primarily the need for the initial investment to be paid back.
Vocabulary: Toggenburg goats are a Swiss dairy goat breed known for their high milk production.
The page also mentions other important concepts related to food security in Tanzania:
- Commercial and subsistence farming
- Global Hunger Index
- Environmental concerns such as pollution from boat fuel
- Ester Boserup's theory on agricultural intensification
Definition: The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels.