The US government, through the Agency for International Development (USAID), announced this Wednesday, 30 August, the expansion of the “agricultural portfolio” of projects supported in Mozambique, to the value of 170 million dollars.
According to a USAID press release, these new investments are aimed at “promoting inclusive economic growth and strengthening food systems in the provinces of Nampula and Zambézia”.
“Although more than two-thirds of the Mozambican population is engaged in agriculture, it is subject to frequent and recurring shocks and stresses due to climatic events, chronic and catastrophic health emergencies, natural disasters, as well as violent extremism and civil unrest, which results in high levels of poverty, malnutrition and food insecurity,” the US agency explained.
According to USAID, this new portfolio of programmes to be funded by the US government “harnesses the potential of the Mozambican agricultural sector to build resilience to these challenges by improving seed quality, encouraging private sector investment in agriculture, financing young entrepreneurs to create jobs and providing families with nutrient-rich food”.
The new portfolio is part of the US government’s Feed the Future (FtF) global hunger and food security initiative.
“Mozambique was designated as a Feed the Future priority country by US President Joseph Biden at the G20 meetings in July 2022. Investments under the FtF will be coordinated in close collaboration with Mozambique’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to align with national objectives on agriculture, climate and industry,” the source explained.
For his part, the US ambassador in Maputo, Peter Vrooman, pointed out that these funds “will go towards innovative agricultural programmes that benefit women, young people and vulnerable communities in the central and northern provinces of Mozambique”, to bring farmers “new technologies, practices and services that will increase productivity and rural incomes, improve nutrition and food security and build the private agribusiness sector”.
For Peter Vrooman, this portfolio consists of several new projects, including “Feed the Future Mozambique Integrated Resilience in Nutrition and Agriculture (FtF RESINA)”, to support farmers and communities “in the quest for more health, more food and higher incomes”, namely through “climate-smart techniques to improve seed quality, the use of drought-resistant crops and incorporates good agricultural practices that lead to increased productivity”.
The portfolio also includes “Feed the Future Mozambique Promoting Innovative and Resilient Agricultural Market Systems (FtF PREMIER)”, implemented by TechnoServe and which “encourages responsible private sector investment, improves access to finance, risk mitigation management and expands employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, particularly for young people and women”.
In addition, there is also “Feed the Future Mozambique Resilient Coastal Communities (FtF RCC)”, implemented by International Development Enterprises, focused on the coastal areas of Zambézia and Nampula, providing for the creation of “a significant number of jobs and sustainable economic opportunities for young people and women through entrepreneurship programmes and supported internships”.
The “Resilient Food Security Activity (RFSA)”, to be implemented by Save the Children, is another of the programmes and will make it possible to distribute “nutrient-rich commodities to households in need during the rainy season, when food diversity is markedly lower”, focusing on “the nutritional needs of mothers, children and girls”.
“This portfolio also includes funds allocated to help alleviate the adverse impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has increased the price of food and fertiliser. Support for agricultural programming is an essential component of the US government’s broader assistance in Mozambique. In close collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Mozambique, the US Government provides more than 800 million dollars in annual grants for health, economic development, civil society support and humanitarian response,” said the US embassy.
