Study Targets Food Security in Timor Leste

Four International Agencies Conduct Baseline Survey Involving Thousands of Residents

30 Oct. 2007, Dili, Timor Leste – Four international agencies havejoined together to conduct essential research into the food securitysituation in Timor Leste. Concern Worldwide, CARE, Oxfam and ChristianChildren's Fund are examining the ability of residents in seven rural districts to access enough food to meet their daily nutritionrequirements and to live active, healthy lives. The study's findings will support the work of the European Union-funded Food SecurityProjects, which will be implemented from 2007 to 2010 by all fouragencies. The projects aim to increase the food security of EastTimorese communities.
The baseline survey began in mid-July and is expected to be completedby the end of 2007. It focuses on 1,200 households in Bobonaro,Liquica, Manatutu, Covalima, Oecussi, Manufahi and Lautem districts.Each agency is responsible for 300 households. The research involves family and community questionnaires that solicit quantitative andqualitative data. The survey gathers details on demographics,literacy, housing and living conditions, asset ownership, food production, diet diversity, income sources and other factors. The objective is to learn more about food accessibility, use of food forsustenance or income generation, consumption patterns, and coping strategies during times of shortage. The four agencies expect to use the information to inform and measure the effectiveness and sustainability of their current projects, to establish indicators totarget vulnerable families, for use in designing future work, and to assist the European Union and the Government of Timor Leste with policy development and planning for food security and rural development.
By working together to produce an accurate picture of the food security situation across seven districts, the agencies will be ableto design future projects that work with the communities to addresstheir needs. The agencies will share the results of monitoring and evaluating the projects and develop best practices to provide sustainable solutions to food insecurity in the future.
"By understanding the current food consumption habits and malnutrition levels of a community, projects could be designed to help produce awider variety of crops with higher yields. This would improvenutrition and provide income from surplus produce," said CARE CountryDirector Diane Francisco.
More than three-quarters of rural East Timorese households depend on subsistence farming for survival. Alternate sources of food areextremely rare or non-existent. The incidence of poverty in TimorLeste continues to be one of the highest in Asia. Some 41 percent ofEast Timorese live below the poverty line and nine out of 10 peoplesuffer food shortages for at least one month every year, according to United Nations reports.
"These statistics underscore the importance of food security in TimorLeste, and the survey's timeliness and relevance," said ConcernCountry Director Clare Danby.

For more information, contact:Concern Assistant Country Director Tapan Barman at +670-7230963CARE's Media Manager Karina Coates at +670-7231711Oxfam's Sustainable Livelihoods and Food Security Coordinator EllenoraLynch at +670-7231939 Christian Children's Fund's Food Security TeamLeader Carlos Basilio at +670-7322105