Agriculture and Food (greenhouses) | Tibet

The fight against malnutrition in nomadic communities in Sichuan

Project Brief

The Greenhouse project aims to improve the living conditions, in particular the nutrition status, of semi-nomadic people on the Tibetan plateau in the north-western part of Sichuan province, China. In this area, over three quarter of the rural population lives in extreme poverty with annual incomes averaging USD 117, low life expectancy, stunted growth among children and high degrees of child and maternity mortality.

The project introduces vegetable production to the local communities by providing greenhouses and training community members, and it supports the distribution of the vegetables among the people most in need.

The project reaches about 1600 people, living in seven villages in the district of Sershul.

In undertaking the activities the project works with local communities and local religious authorities and local staff, who are supported and followed by experts in Switzerland.

The annual project budget is about 50’000 CHF.

Detailed project description

Context:

An area affected by malnutrition

In the high valleys of Kham region in eastern Tibet (Sichuan Province), most people are nomadic or semi-nomadic. Livestock constitutes the main basis of subsistence (meat, milk, hides, rope, wool, etc.). Because of the harsh climate, the cultivation of vegetables in the open air is almost impossible. As for imported vegetables, they are not fresh and mostly unaffordable for the people, who themselves are often completely without financial resources. As a result the nutrition of the inhabitants lacks diversity and vitamins., putting extra pressure on their poor living conditions (see Box)

Living conditions in eastern Tibet

Life expectancy                                 50 -  59 years depending on the source
Maternal mortality                                          30 ‰ (source: www.directrelief.org)
Infant mortality                                               92 ‰ (source: Lancet 2004; 364: 1009)
Annual income per capita (rural pop)            117 USD (source: www.cecc.gov)
Population under absolute poverty line         78% (source: www.tchrd.org)

Poor nutrition and vitamin deficiencies have an impact on the health of the entire population (weak immune system, for example), more in particular on children's growth and indirectly on their performance in school.  These constraints are part of the difficult living conditions of many people in Tibet affecting their health and general wellbeing. As an illustration, a nutrition survey conducted among 640 families in the Tibet Autonomous Region (district of Lhasa) in 1990 indicated:. 
● about 40% of women and infants  were anaemic
● 9% of children between 0 and 6 years showed clinical signs of rickets
● General delay in growth of children
● 24% of women showed symptoms of goitre

(Source: Kolsteren P, Atkinson S & K Maskall, Health Journal, 1995, (5): 247.52)

Project objectives and means

The project aims to improve the nutritional diversity and thereby the health by making fresh vegetables available and promote their consumption as a daily food source. To this end, the project provides local communities with greenhouses and supports them in undertaking vegetable production and in managing a distribution of vegetables to the people most in need (children, elderly, single parents). The project also promotes and stimulates the population to consume more vegetables and prepare more balanced diets. 

The greenhouses enable the communities to grow their own vegetables, despite the altitude,. An important share of these vegetables are distributed among the most needy (children, elderly, single parents, etc.) and delivered to surrounding schools as ingredient for children’s school lunch while the surplus is sold to others in the community, bringing benefits to all. The project intends to serve as a model for the population and to encourage similar beneficial and self-sustaining initiatives to improve the nutrition of the local people. 

Project outreach

The project will directly work with the inhabitants (1,600 people) of seven villages in the district of Sershul in eastern Tibet (Sichuan province, China). The villages are Tseboum Soumdo, Junyung, Changma, Dzagyel, Gemang, Jowo and Trelkar.

Project period and budget

The project has been started in 2008 and currently enters its third year, running from July 2011 to June 2012. The estimated costs for undertaking the activities in this period amount to

approximately 50'000 CHF.

Project results achieved so far

Since the start of the project a greenhouse has been constructed in 7 villages, by the end of this year two villages will be added. The greenhouses in Changma and Jowo function very well and produce already a great quantity of different kinds of vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, radishes, potatoes, lettuce and green peppers. The greenhouses in the other villages start producing this year after having received additional equipment such as water pumps to become fully functioning. The first vegetables will be harvested by the end of next month.

The caretakers of all the greenhouses have received 2 training courses in the basics of vegetable production and greenhouse management in order to get them starting. Another training course will be offered in the next months. A local project officer originating from the project area is assigned. This person makes regular visits to the villages to monitor the vegetables production and to support the caretakers in responding to specific constraints. In the following months the officer will also help the local partners to set up a distribution system for the vegetables produced. The project officer will receive training in specific topics in agriculture and project management to ensure an effective support.

Project partners

· Local communities and local authorities and religious leaders who collaborate in the implementation and management of project activities

· Local experts who provide technical services such as training or greenhouse construction

· International experts who give technical advisors: Fédération Vaudoise Cooperation, Lausanne (FEDEVACO), Innovage, Consultants Lausanne (non-profit association of highly qualified retired experts engaging in charitable projects), Mr Jean-Pierre TOSI, agronomist and development co-operation expert

Project Manager
Joep Slaats, ingénieur agronome et consultant international

Conseillers techniques
FEDEVACO (Fédération Vaudoise de Coopération)
Innovage, Conseillers à la carte (Association regroupant des personnes hautement qualifiées, fraîchement retraitées s’engageant dans des projets d’utilité publique)
Jean-Pierre TOSI, agronome et consultant en développement et coopération

Faire un don :
Ce projet vit grâce à des dons. Votre soutien financier permet d’améliorer les conditions de vie des populations himalayennes d’une manière directe et durable.

Par un virement bancaire:
IBAN CH92 0900 0000 1730 4328 9
Etablissement bancaire:
La Poste Suisse 
PostFinance 
Nordring 8 
3030 Berne
N° clearing / Swift Code: POFICHBE