Page 11 - Expanding Social Protection (ESP) Programme - Newsletter

FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION

How Social Protection

Programmes Impact Food

Security and Nutrition

ood Security and
Nutrition (FSN)
encompasses critical
issues that impact
F various aspects of one’s
well-being, health and overall
development. Government,
through Social Protection
initiatives, is sensitive in addressing
and positively impacting the
nutritional status and food security
of the nation’s vulnerable persons.
With support from the United
Nations World Food Programme
(WFP), the Ministry of Gender,
Labour and Social Development
conducted a review of the existing
social protection programmes
for food security and nutrition Reports indicate
sensitivity and their impact on that the Senior
maternal and child nutrition Citizens Grant
outcomes. The review was focused has led to
on the West Nile region of Uganda, improved food
production and
with three (3) social protection nutrition
programmes as entry points,
namely; SAGE, NUSAF 3 and DRDIP.
The FSN study indicated
remarkable food security outcomes
in the lives of beneficiaries with
minimal gaps in the programmes’
response to FSN. During the
study, Qualitative methods were
used to evaluate the sensitivity of
SP programmes to FSN. Further Security and Nutrition to their complex issues influenced by a
research indicated that the right beneficiaries through the direct myriad of factors, including; socio-
to food security and nutrition income support initiatives. And so, economic, environmental and
is essential for the realisation the FSN study recommended that cultural factors. However, through
of legal and civil rights as well Government considers increasing the Social Protection programmes
as for enhancing access to the size of grants especially for in place, some of these issues have
government services, health and SAGE and Labour Intensive Public been mitigated thereby providing
social protection (Pangaribowo Works programmes under DRDIP relief to the vulnerable persons
et al., 2013). The Social protection and NUSAF 3, in order to match the susceptible to food insecurity and
Programmes therefore play a current economic situation. nutrition deficiencies.
pivotal role in delivering on Food Food security and nutrition are

MARCH - JUNE 2025 / ESP PROGRAMME NEWSLETTER 11