FAO Communication for Development Group, SDRE - HIV/AIDS, Agriculture, and Communication

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What are the problems?

Impact of HIV/AIDS on agriculture

• reduction of land area under cultivation
• changes in cropping patterns
• decline in yields and variety of crops
• post-production, food storage and processing are impaired
• impact on extension services
• loss of agricultural knowledge and skills

Impact on household food security

• decline in quantity and quality of food
• decrease of food variety
• loss of culinary/dietary knowledge and skills
• decline in livestock production
• increase in number of mouths to feed (e.g. orphan adoption)

Other problems include:

• breakdown in informal institutions and traditional
• safety mechanisms
• forced migration
• transactional sex
• inability to parent and care for children
• loss of schooling and educational opportunities

Knowledge & information “gaps”

• Culturally and socially appropriate information about transmission and prevention of HIV
• Lack of awareness and knowledge about wider impact of HIV/AIDS on agriculture, food security and people's livelihoods
• Lack of awareness and knowledge about appropriate dietary management for disease resistance
• Lack of knowledge in prevention and mitigation services on offer
• Loss of intergenerational sharing of indigenous technical knowledge

“Technical gaps”

• National prevention and mitigation coping capacity (human resources, funding, support structures)
• HIV/AIDS component in national (communication) policies and systems
• Communication skills, methodologies and strategies in support of HIV prevention and AIDS mitigation efforts
• Monitoring and evaluating communication interventions and impacts

What can communication do?

Communication can play an essential role in prevention and mitigation efforts. It can be used to:

• encourage the support of decision and policy makers
• create enabling non-discriminatory and accepting environment to efficiently carry out prevention and mitigation efforts
• promote multi-level participation and mobilisation
• build trustful partnerships through communication, networking and collaboration
• develop socially and culturally sensitive communication programmes to support prevention and mitigation efforts
• act as “infomediary” between those seeking support and service providers
• act as medium for sharing and recording indigenous technical knowledge

The approach

• Research based
• Multi-sectoral
• Rights-based
• Gender-sensitive
• Participatory (engaging the people most affected)
• Culturally and socially appropriate
• Multi-media

National communication plan: a 9 step process

1. Defining the research gaps
2. Undertaking qualitative and quantitative research
3. Linking research findings to communication planning
4. Developing a national communication plan
5. Developing a series of action plans
6. Producing multi-media communication materials
7. Conducting field training
8. Implementing sustainable field activities
9. Monitoring, evaluating and re-directing

The Way Forward:

multi-sectoral partnerships

• Ministry of Agriculture, Education, Transport, Fisheries, etc.
• Local and national governments
• National and international NGOS, CBOs, AIDS Support
• Organisations and religious institutions
• Specialised agencies (FAO, UNAIDS, UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF, ILO,etc.)
• Formal and informal rural networks
• PLWHA and others concerned individuals
• The private sector

Some lessons learned

• Begin by listening to rural people, taking into account their perceptions, needs, knowledge, experiences, cultures, traditions, gender and age
• Focus on communication as a social process
• Participatory approaches are essential for strategic targeted communication activities to address specific audience needs
• Multi-media approaches help to integrate channels and messages, improve understanding and strengthen impact