Tackling poverty and hunger through supporting sustainable agriculture livelihoods

Abdulkareem, 25 years old, lives with his family in Alwadi district of Marib governorate. Abdulkareem has four brothers and eight sisters; some of whom are married and have children. For decades, Abdulkareem’ s family depended on farming as their main source of income where his 80 years old father Mohsen owned many farmlands.

Alwadi district is known for its arable lands. The majority of its residents work in farming. Yet the conflict, together with the ensuing economic recession, has limited their access to seeds and cultivation supplies, forcing them to abandon their farms. “This war stole our most precious things; our calm life, relatives, and livelihoods,” says Mohsen sadly. “We are so overwhelmed and have had enough of suffering.”

“I’ve been working in farming for my whole life,” says Abdulkareem. “It’s a job that I inherited from my ancestors. In the past, we used to grow different crops of vegetables and grains and sell them in cities. Recently, my father was taken ill with a critical medical condition, and we had to sell most of our farmlands to pay for his treatment. We couldn’t even cultivate our remaining land because of the fighting and a lack of seeds and fuel,” he adds.

Yemen faces drops in agricultural productivity, resulting in heightened food insecurity and malnutrition, which will have long-lasting and irreversible effects on the development process and future generations.  Most Yemeni farmers cannot access the agricultural inputs they need to successfully cultivate. Price inflations and fuel shortages hinder farmers’ access to much-needed services such as irrigation, transportation, and electricity. Access to quality seeds, supply chains, and markets have been further disturbed by instability and movement constraints.

CARE works to enhance agriculture-based livelihoods in Marib’s Alwadi district through provision of improved seeds. Fortunately for Abdulkareem, he was one of 600 farmers who received a package of the maize, pepper, arugula, okra and tomato seeds to boost both their crops and incomes.

“I’m so eager to reap the benefits of the improved seeds and the consultations that CARE’s  agricultural extension agents provided for us,” says Abdulkareem enthusiastically. “Cultivating our land using the knowledge we gained and the improved seeds will increase the crops we produce so we can consume some and sell the rest to generate income. I plan to save some of our income to rehabilitate our house and to marry.”

“My father and I agreed to store the seeds of the current harvest and use them again in the upcoming seasons,” says Abdulkareem. “I hope that CARE continues to support farmers and to provide them with fertilizers that will improve the quality of our crops,” he concludes.