FAO’S IMMEDIATE/ ONGOING RESPONSE TO THE ECONOMIC CRISIS IN SRI LANKA

When contacted by the Daily Mirror, FAO Sri Lanka said that serious macroeconomic challenges in the country since the beginning of 2021 have caused unprecedented increase in both headline inflation as well as food inflation. With food inflation reaching 46.6 percent in end-april 2022, access to safe and nutritious food has become a major concern with impacts to food security.

As such the following projects are being done to support livelihoods of people and increase their resilience.

▪ FAO is working to help the vulnerable population including smallholder farmers (crops/livestock), fishers and their families. These initiatives include, provision of inputs, augmenting seed production, and strengthening home gardens and school gardens.

▪ FAO and WFP have initiated a Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM). The CFSAM will be carried out to estimate the extent and severity of crisis-induced food insecurity, existing or expected, in Sri Lanka.

▪ FAO is supporting maize hybrid seed production at commercial scale in Sri Lanka to increase the availability of locally produced high quality hybrid seeds. With funding from the Government of Canada of USD 107 247, FAO is working with the Department of Agriculture to provide technical assistance to produce high quality seeds of chili, big onion and red onion.

▪ Australia through its Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) will provide AUD 2.5 million to FAO and WFP to improve food security. FAO will focus on increasing household incomes and improving nutrition.

▪ With potential funding of USD 150,000 from New Zealand FAO will be working with households with severely malnourished children, for improving their nutritional standards.