International Development Grant

Urban Food Security and HIV/AIDS

Project Number: CA-3-S063441001

Status: Closed

Country/Region: Unknown

Regional Focus:

South of Sahara 100%

Maximum Contribution: $2,640,310.00

Start Date: December 10, 2006

End Date: March 31, 2014

Duration: 7.3 years

Project Description

The project goal is to enable at least 12 countries in Southern Africa to enhance food security for the urban poor particularly for HIV/AIDS affected groups with a focus on women and children. The principal local partner is the University of Cape Town and its African Centre for Cities. The project builds the capacities of regional national and municipal institutions to design local solutions for reducing vulnerability to food insecurity. In order to do so the project: (1) provides training for academics government officials and members of civil society; (2) supports applied baseline research and vulnerability assessments in the area of urban food systems; (3) contributes to food security policy and advocacy efforts promoting responsiveness to the needs of the urban poor; and (4) builds community support for better food security for the urban poor by involving community groups.

Progress & Results Achieved

Results achieved as of March 2013 include: (i) establishing a program in Urban Food Security at the University of Cape Town (with 600 undergraduate 70 Masters and 45 Ph.D. students); (ii) disseminating policy research on the causes and effects of urban food insecurity based on household surveys done in 11 Southern African cities; (iii) holding four regional policy conferences on urban food insecurity; (iv) training 147 municipal officials from 11 cities to respond more effectively to the complex challenges of food insecurity and its link to HIV/AIDS; (v) training 35 non-governmental and community-based organizations to improve their ability to mitigate food insecurity at the community level; and (vi) preparing radio dramas and a ten-part documentary radio series on urban food for broadcast on community radio stations. These results are helping to increase the knowledge base in Southern Africa on the extent and causes of urban food security. The results are also contributing to greater North-South and South-South cooperation in addressing the growing problem of urban food security in African cities.

Key Information

Executing Agency:
Queen's University

Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada

Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br

Last Modified:
September 19, 2025

Development Classifications

DAC Sector:

Higher education 40%
Advanced technical and managerial training 30%
Social mitigation of HIV/AIDS 10%
Urban development and management 10%
Food aid/food security programs 10%

Aid Type: Project-type interventions

Collaboration: Bilateral

Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation

Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP

Policy Markers
Level 1 Gender equality
Level 1 Participatory development and good governance
Level 1 Urban issues
Major Funding (>$1M)
Budget Breakdown
2006-04-01 to 2007-03-31 $2,640,310 CAD
Geographic Information
000";Budget Type:Original;Start Date:2007-04-01;End Date:2008-03-31;Value Date:2006-12-10;Value:"$400
Project Number: CA-3-S063441001