This document summarizes a proposed project to empower vulnerable households in Idleb Governorate, Syria through intercropping agriculture. The project would support 1,000 households in Kafr Takharim and Armanaz sub-districts over 6 months with a budget of 113,815 euros. It aims to improve food security and incomes by having olive farmers intercrop legumes to improve soil fertility while reducing costs, and partnering each IDP household with a host household to share land and improve relations. Training would be provided on intercropping techniques and agreements formalized between partner households. Inputs like seeds and fertilizer would be distributed to beneficiaries.

1. Empowering Most Vulnerable Households
through Intercropping Agriculture Technique in
Olive Groves
Idleb Governorate

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What is Intercropping?
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Intercropping agriculture system, is a multiple cropping practice
involving growing two or more crops.
The most common goal of intercropping is to produce a greater yield on
a given piece of land by making use of resources that would otherwise
not be utilized by a single crop.

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Project Summary
Governorate District Sub-District Number of HH
Idleb Harim Kafr Takharim 600
Idleb Harim Armanaz 400
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• Sector: FSL
• Duration: 6 Months
• Budget: 113,815.00 Euros
• Total Beneficiaries: 1,000 HH
Locations

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Geographic Location
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Profile of Location
• The sub-district of Kafr Takharim and Armanaz is
300,000 host community members and 75,000 IDP
community members.
• The location is relatively stable, thus it is relatively
safe and led to high IDP numbers
• Controlled by opposition forces and strong presence
of local councils
• 65 % of population dependent on olive groves for
their livelihood, directory or indirectly.
• During the conflict, agricultural activities crippled
and partially neglected
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6. Coordination with Local Council
• Local councils are elected locally,
each year by people residing in
location
• Local council expresses the civil
authority
• Project team has established good
relationswith LCs in Armanaz and
Kafar Takharim.
• MoU has been singed with LC, also
Paper of Authorization.

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Problems
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• One of the key livelihood activities native to the local population of Idleb, olive
tree agriculture activities, has been negatively affected by the current crisis.
• Olive farmers have been unable to return to their agricultural activities due to
the extremely high costs of agriculture practices (tillage , pruning, harvesting
….etc.)
• As olive activities have not been conducted thus far, thousands of hectares of
land in the targeted areas are not being used, thereby affected the agricultural
environment, soil as well as health of the trees.
• These communities (Arboreal zones) are often left at a disadvantage in the
humanitarian response.
• The relations between Host families and IDPs and their acceptance of each
other.
• As noted in the HNO for 2016, the main needs include the crippled labour
markets and extremely limited income earning opportunities.

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Proposed Solutions
• Support the activities of olive farmer, by cultivation of Leguminous crops.
Support Income Support Olive farm activities (labor, harvesting,
pruning, etc.)
More Olive farms practices lowering costs of production.
• Improve soil fertility through provision of natural nitrogen resulted from
Nitrogen nodules of roots of legume plants. Intercropping also reduces
erosion.
…in order to increase quality and quantity of olive tree production. (Organic
product).
• Partnership between one Host HH and one IDP to share the land, can
possibly improve relations between two parties.
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Impacts
• Legumes Roots Good Q&Q of
Olives
• Encourage
products
processing
‫إحسان‬‫والتنمية‬ ‫لإلغاثة‬
Ihsan for relief & Development

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Key Inputs
• The host olive farmer will receive assistance
sufficient for the planting of 3 dunums of chickpeas
(12 KG of seeds per dunum) and 30 KG of NPK
fertilizer (10 KG per dunum)
• The IDP farmer will receive assistance sufficient for
the planting of 1 dunum of beans (8 KG of seeds per
dunum) and 10 KG of NPK fertilizer.
• Both IDP and host HH will receive support
supplementary irrigation.
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11. Beneficiary Selection
• 1000 HH: 500 Olive farmers 500
IDPs, who live in the location.
• Our Team in Syria, will explain to
the LCs in each town the process
of selection to ensure the
coordination of LC in targeting
most vulnerable HH.
• Women HH always have
preference to be chosen.
• BNFs will be involved in the
implementation stage and
evaluation process.
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ADVs Applying
ScoringFiltering
Verification Selecting

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Risks and Difficulties
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Risks Mitigation Measures
Sensitivity for the time Advance preparation
Drought supplementary irrigation
Constant movement of families Reserve names
IDPs without lands Partnership between IDPs and Host HH
Receptivity of the project to local
stakeholders
MoU with LC on the provision of technical
training for BNFs about the concept of
intercropping
Constant changing of market prices. Contract terms

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Log_frame
Project Activities Project Outputs Project Outcomes
Selection of beneficiaries
according to beneficiary
criteria
inputs are distributed to most
vulnerable households for access
to food and income generation
Improved access to
resilience initiatives for
IDPs
Training of farmers Training for farmers on best
intercropping techniques (both
host farmers and IDP HH)
Improved technical
capacity for
intercropping activities
Agreements complete
between host HH and IDP
HH
agreements between host HH
household and IDPs are signed
Improved host-IDP
relations amongst local
communities
Distribution of kits
BNFs have received inputs to
cultivate )list of Receipts)
Increase income
generating
opportunities for most
vulnerable HH
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M&E
• M&E activities will include:
– Verification of the beneficiaries
– Baseline survey
– Monitoring all activities
– Endline survey
– Evaluation & lessons learned
• M&E field staff is two officers, working on two smart phones
to collect data via KoBo Toolbox platform, reports of M&E
will be send after finishing each activity.
• There will be a complaint box in the field office, the
complaints will be send weekly, processed and after that
return answers back to the applicant.
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Sustainability
The Trainings will be the key, as following points:
• Explain relevance and use of proposed agricultural technique so as to
encourage adaption by local farmers
• Transfer the new technique to other farmers in near areas. (leaders of
farmers)
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Lessons Learned in Program Design Phase
• Ensuring that we take into consideration the role of
sustainability in the project and its impact
• Respect environmental principles when we are going
to design a project (soil fertility, organic , erosion,
irrigation).
• Flexibility in the number of final BNFs. Therefore,
being flexible with amount we purchase.
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17. Thank you