The "Integrated Resilient Food Security Programme for Lesotho" is a USD 20 million public-sector project spanning seven years, jointly implemented by FAO and UNDP with oversight from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning. Designed to combat severe structural food insecurity and climate vulnerabilities driven by frequent dry spells, erratic rainfall, and land degradation, the project targets 70% of the country's total population (benefiting 360,000 direct and 1.44 million indirect beneficiaries). It focuses on four core components: sustainable land management, water resources management (including gravity-supported irrigation and harvesting), alternative diversified livelihoods, and enhanced climate information and early warning systems. By integrating these measures, the initiative aims to boost agricultural productivity, build long-term climate resilience, and strengthen institutional capabilities across national ministries.
Project overview
Investment opportunity
Investment types sought
Project status
Development stage
Pre-feasibility
Additional project information
- Lead agency
- Ministry of Finance and Development Planning
Expected impact
Economic & development benefits
- The project delivers substantial economic and development benefits by addressing structural food insecurity, high malnutrition, and extreme poverty in Lesotho
- It targets an estimated 360,000 direct beneficiaries and 1,440,000 indirect beneficiaries, reaching approximately 70% of the country’s total population
- Key economic benefits include enhanced agricultural productivity and food security through sustainable land management, climate-resilient water harvesting, and gravity-supported irrigation
- Furthermore, the project diversifies rural incomes by promoting alternative livelihoods such as aquaculture, beekeeping, orchards, hydroponics, and micro-processing
- It also incorporates capacity building for youth, women, and marginalised groups to foster inclusive economic development and reduce vulnerability to economic shocks
Climate & resilience benefits
- The project delivers critical short- and long-term climate resilience benefits by tackling Lesotho's escalating exposure to droughts, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather
- In the short term, the installation of automatic weather stations, expanded forecasting capabilities, and timely dissemination of advisories will improve early warning systems, enabling vulnerable smallholders to better manage shifting planting seasons
- Over the long term, sustainable land management practices—such as gully stabilisation, stone lines, conservation agriculture, and large-scale tree planting—will reverse severe environmental degradation, protect fragile ecosystems, and restore soil health
- Furthermore, developing climate-resilient water harvesting and irrigation infrastructure secures stable water supplies for agriculture, directly mitigating the structural risks of climate volatility and safeguarding food and water security for 70% of the population
Contact
Contact team
For more information about this project, please contact the Commonwealth Investment Platform team.