An important National Initiative with Health, Nutrition, and Development Benefits

Recently, the Seeds Development Branch at the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) announced that around 161,000 chicks had been distributed to poultry farmers nationwide. Through the initiative, which is part of the MoA’s broader national efforts to ensure access to nutritious food for all and everywhere, 203 farmers were recipients with 78,000 chickens allocated to farmers in the Central Region, over 55,000 in the Southern Region, more than 31,000 in the Anseba Region, over 14,000 in the Northern Red Sea Region, and approximately 1,200 in the Gash Barka Region.

In addition to being a great bit of general news, the recent announcement by the Seeds Development Branch offers a useful opportunity to look closer at the national distribution of chicks and implications associated with development.

A longstanding national initiative

To date, through the MoA’s national poultry distribution initiatives, approximately 50 million chicks have been distributed to households nationwide. Importantly, the distribution of chicks is just one small part of a broader system of different agriculture, health, finance, and social support packages that can also include cash transfers, donations of materials, equipment or tools, and other resources, and enrolment in educational workshops, seminars, or technical training programs.

Critically, the individuals and households that receive chicks are able to access technical information and general support – often free of charge or for a low, nominal cost – in order to strengthen their management skills and improve housing, breeding, feeding, and raising practices. Collectively, these support mechanisms, led by the MoA (with the close cooperation of other national ministries and various international development partners) can help drive forward significant increases in productivity and promote positive, sustainable long-term outcomes. Moreover, access to and support with vaccinations for chicks is also made available (again free of charge), thus helping to prevent diseases and reduce the mortality of chickens.

An array of development related implications

What also makes the MoA’s distribution of chicks significant is that it supports an array of positive socio-economic, health, and gender-related outcomes for individuals and households. All of these are part and parcel of Eritrea’s long-term development aims and also form a substantive part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (The SDGs, which are a global set of goals for all countries low-, middle-, and high-income to meet by 2030, cover a wide range of development-related matters, such as education, health, gender equality, poverty, and the environment.)

For instance, as with other small livestock, chickens have comparatively low time, investment, care, and management costs or necessities and require relatively few inputs. Ultimately, they can provide a supplementary (or increased) source of income for rural households and low income individuals with only limited resources, such as land and capital. (Chickens are also advantageous in that they tend to generate quick and frequent returns for owners, while the size of any potential economic loss in the event of predation, theft or disease among the animals is less than with other livestock.) As a result, the longstanding poultry distribution initiatives in place across Eritrea can help in addressing poverty, one of the country’s leading areas of focus (and which is the foundation for SDG 1, which aims to end poverty in all its forms everywhere).

In addition, Eritrea’s nationwide distribution initiative aims to reach women and poor or vulnerable individuals or families – which remain central target groups for national development and support schemes. In the process, not only are these groups provided valuable opportunities for increased incomes, they are also able to exercise greater agency, have expanded decision making capacity, and be more socio-economically empowered. Overall, the poultry distribution scheme is also a means to help address some of Eritrea’s core development priorities, including advancing gender equality and supporting women with equal rights to economic resources, as well as reducing inequality.

It is worth noting here that by focusing on rural populations, Eritrea’s poultry distribution scheme further serves as a powerful embodiment of the key principles of social justice and “leave no one behind”, which are foundational pillars of Eritrea’s development and nation-building vision.

Throughout history, discussions of development or developing countries have tended to overwhelmingly focus on national capitals or urban areas, while attention has been frequently restricted to large, flashy infrastructure projects. At the same time, rural areas and populations have been overlooked or marginalized, despite the fact that they are an integral part of our societies, and possess great potential to significantly contribute to national economies. By extending targeted support and assistance to these populations, Eritrea’s poultry distribution scheme is helping to ensure that more people across the country have an opportunity to realize their potential and contribute to the nation’s progress.

Furthermore, the poultry distribution program, along with the increased incomes that it helps to generate for the beneficiaries has also been playing a positive role in promoting wellness and improving overall health, as well as moving Eritrea forward in its aims to eradicate hunger and achieve food and nutrition security.

Specifically, this is being realized through improving nutrition, diversifying limited or restricted diets, and increasing intake. Although the recommended intake of calories per day depends on several factors, such as sex, physical activity, etc., calories are essential for health and survival. Meanwhile, chicken and eggs, which become integrated in regular diets through the poultry distribution scheme, are highly nutritious and excellent sources of quality protein. Proteins are the building blocks of life and important for growth, repair, and development, while eggs also provide essential fatty acids, choline, vitamins A and B12, selenium, and other critical nutrients.