A HarvestPlus partnership in Zambia is supporting refugees and their host communities with humanitarian supplies of vitamin A-enriched orange sweet potato (OSP) and the means to grow it themselves for improved food and nutrition security. Smallholder farmers in the refugee settlements will also benefit from the opportunity to sell their OSP vines on the market, providing an important livelihood boost.
The collaboration between HarvestPlus, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Sylva Foods Solutions Limited and other partners started in November 2021 as part of an 18-month Government of Canada-funded “Integrated Food Systems” project that is providing urgent food, nutrition, and livelihood support to vulnerable communities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
