Corredor Seco Food Security Project (ACS-PROSASUR)

About the Project

More than half of Hondurans live below the national poverty line of US$2.30 a day, with 46% living in extreme poverty below US$1.81 a day. About half of the population is rural and accounts for 70% of the country’s poverty. 72% percent of agricultural families are dedicated to subsistence agriculture on small plots of land and the agriculture sector generates 38% of all employment and the majority of rural employment, yet the country is highly dependent on imports for its food needs. It is estimated that one in four children is undernourished and stunted. Agriculture productivity is low and vulnerable to external risks. And, Honduras has consistently been identified as one of the countries most affected by climate change, with more than 60 instances of extreme weather events over the past two decades. 

ACS-PROSASUR enhances the food and nutrition security of vulnerable households in select geographical locations in the Corredor Seco (dry corridor) of Honduras’s western and southern areas, where rural poverty is concentrated. The project increases household availability of quality food and incomes of poor rural residents as a basis for improving nutrition and reducing child stunting. The project also supports community child health and nutrition by focusing on access to diverse and quality foods, improved nutrition-related behavior, child growth monitoring, and improved hygiene at the household level. Activities include designing financially viable business plans and incremental food security plans to support small-scale rural producer organizations and small enterprises. This includes carrying out technical assistance, training, and extension services to increase food and agricultural production; introducing high-value crops, processing, and post-harvest processes; and expanding non-farm revenue generation and market links through on- and off-farm jobs. Investments to ensure food security for the production of high-value crops are based on climate-smart initiatives intended to promote sustainability and adaptation.