The Secretary of State for Land and Environment, Gustavo Dgedge, on Wednesday (16) in Maputo, emphasized the need for Mozambique to adopt agricultural development strategies that incorporate biodiversity conservation, while being sensitive to local realities, according to the Mozambican Information Agency.
Speaking at the final conference of the FARSYMABI project, under the theme “A production systems approach to integrating biodiversity into the agriculture sector – linking national and local levels”, the secretary reiterated the government’s commitment to the sustainable management of natural resources.
“The Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, and Fisheries will continue to ensure that biodiversity conservation contributes to community development and well-being,” he said, adding that it is necessary to strengthen participatory land management, promote regional cooperation, and mobilize financial and technical resources to support local communities.
Gustavo Dgedge acknowledged that the expansion of agricultural land remains one of the main threats to biodiversity in the country, worsened by the lack of alternative income sources. “Poverty and food insecurity pose additional challenges, as many solutions clash with the cultural practices and values of communities,” he stated.
To address these challenges, the FARSYMABI project conducted studies in two distinct areas (Mount Namúli and the Chipanje Chetu Community Conservation Area), concluding that Mozambique lacks a tailored strategy for integrating biodiversity into agricultural and rural development, one that is adapted to local contexts.
“Biodiversity conservation is important, but on its own, it does not solve the poverty problem. Conservation revenues must be seen as a complement, not a substitute, for the public investment needed to provide essential services to the population,” the Secretary of State concluded.
Meanwhile, FARSYMABI project coordinator Máriam Abbas argued that the current biodiversity policy framework in Mozambique is too generalist and fails to account for the country’s ecological and socioeconomic diversity.
“Our country is heterogeneous. A single nationwide approach does not meet the specific needs of each region,” she said. According to Abbas, regions with high agricultural productivity still face hunger, due to population density and pressure on natural resources.
The FARSYMABI project proposes the adoption of local strategies based on sociologically homogeneous regions, with shared characteristics such as vegetation type, population density, level of agricultural occupation, or malnutrition rates.
“We were able to design two local strategies, but ideally, the country should develop regional plans for all areas with similar characteristics. This would make interventions more effective and sustainable,” Máriam Abbas stated.
The project is coordinated by the Observatory of Rural Environment (OMR), in partnership with the Institute of Agronomy at the University of Lisbon, Eduardo Mondlane University, and Lúrio University, with funding from the French Development Agency.
Source: DE
