CO-506575 Project Description

The program’s objective is to improve food security and nutrition for 500,000 people by increasing the productivity of 75,000 subsistence farmers and 25,000 small-scale commercial farmers (50% women, 50% youth) while taking into account the environment and biodiversity, and by improving the enabling environment through gender and youth empowerment, private sector development,  access to knowledge, innovation, and digitalization, and strengthened food system governance.
FOOD SYSTEMOUTCOMES. The programis aligned with the objectives of the Netherlands’ policy on Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, specifically with the policy document “Do what we do best”.  The program contributes to the achievement of SDG2.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES.
Outcome 1: Smallholder producers –75,000 subsistence and 25,000 small-scale commercial farmers with increased income and improved climate resilience and 120,000 hectares under sustainable production
Outcome 2: Gender, Youth and Vulnerable People –70,000 women, youth and vulnerable people socially and economically empowered to participate in the agricultural sector on equal terms
Outcome 3: Private Sector development – Entrepreneurial environment of farming systems strengthened in collaboration with 5 large agribusinesses, 15 SMEs and 200 micro-enterprises and integration of 25,000 small-scale commercial farmers
Outcome 4: Knowledge, innovation and digitalization – Continuous knowledge-sharing and innovation developed and implemented
Outcome 5:Food system governance – Enabling environment for system change enhance

Program strategies
Component 1 – Smallholder Producers
Increased understanding by farmers of sustainable and agro-ecological practices
The program will train 100,000 farmers (at least 50% women and 50% youth) in good agricultural practices (GAP) and nature-based solutions (NBS). The program will implement tailor-made approaches for subsistence and small-scale commercial farmers through a training-of-trainer model. The program willimprove the skills of 75,000 subsistence farmers through the training of 4,000 lead subsistence farmers by project staff and extensionists from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER). A total of 25,000 small-scale commercial farmerswill be trained by project extensionists and private sector extensionists from the enterprises, which will be supported under component 3. The extensionists from MADER and the private sector extensionists will be trained and coachedintensively by project extensionists. Although the foundations of GAP, NBS, facilitation skills, financial literacy and farming-as-a-business will be addressed in the training programs for both subsistence and small-scale commercial farmers, tailored curricula will be developed for each group, based on outcomes of the farmer assessments under the FARE approach.
Component 2 – Gender, Youth andVulnerable People
During this concept note preparation phase, the program team has already engaged with several women’s and civil societyorganizations including the Fórum Moçambicano das Mulheres Rurais (FOMMUR), and local organisations active in the Beira Corridor such as Grupo de Mulheres de Partilha de Ideais de Sofala (GMPIS). The proposed approach took into account their important input.
Component 3 – Private sector development
Companies' access to finance
The Program will establish a Challenge Fund of EUR 6.5 million to provide financial and technical support to agri-enterprises and small-scale commercial farmers in the BeiraCorridor. The Challenge Fund will provide grants to 5 large agribusinesses, 15 SMEs and 200 micro-enterprises to further integrate 25,000 small-scale commercial farmers in sustainable, nutrition-sensitive value chains. The Challenge Fund will enable small-scale commercial farmers to apply the knowledge, tools and technologies as promoted by the program, including inputs, financial services, extension advice, aggregation, climate-smart technologies, etc. The Challenge Fund will also enable 20 agri-enterprises and 200 micro-enterprises to increase their turnover (by at least 25%). At least 12,000 jobs will be supported by these agri-enterprises and micro-enterprises, particularly for women and youth.
Component 4 - Knowledge, digitalization and innovation
The program can maximize outcomes through consistent knowledge exchange and the implementation of context-specific new ideas at the farm, landscape and knowledge and research institutes levels.
Component 5 – Food system governance
An enabling policy environment, as well as the quality of public governance and services, are key, directly for farmers as well as for long-term rural transformation.