NCBA food security programme awarded $14 million

A co-operative International programme that will boost long-term food security in Mozambique was awarded a five-year $14 million contract by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A co-operative International programme that will boost long-term food security in Mozambique was awarded a five-year $14 million contract by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The project, part of the National Co-operative Business Association’s (NCBA) CLUSA programme, is designed to boost agriculture production by 20 per cent in the country’s Central and Northern provinces of Zambezia, Tete, and Manica.

The programme will train 54,000 farmers and 50 emerging commercial farmers in proven Conservation Agriculture (CA) techniques, a green approach to sustained farming, and nutrition, benefitting more than 140,000 individuals.

“CLUSA International’s commitment to programmatic excellence is evident in the success of our projects worldwide. This award is a testament to the success of our team’s excellent leadership in creating long-term food security throughout the region,” stated Mike Beall, president of NCBA.

“We are excited to be partnering once again with the Norwegian government to assist vulnerable populations,” said Wilson Beebe, Chair of NCBA’s board of directors. “CLUSA maintains a long institutional commitment to the success of the farmers in Mozambique.” Also partnering with CLUSA International on this five-year project are Tillers International and the Conservation Farming Unit (CFU).

These environmentally friendly techniques of farming promote strong resilience of the nutrients in the land being farmed. Once adopted by farmers, these techniques will increase current yields, which will increase incomes, improve soil fertility and ensure sustainability.

The five-year implementation period will ensure a greater inculcation of the benefits that can be realized by adopting this technology.

“CLUSA’s holistic approach combines the benefits of Conservation Agriculture with a strong focus on organising and strengthening smallholder farmers,” says Amy Coughenour, vice-president for international development at NCBA. “By helping farmers organise, they have a stronger voice and more control over their destinies.”

An important aspect of this project is the integration of women in training and capacity building. A full 50% of targeted farmers will be women, who will benefit from the training in literacy and numeracy and assistance in land title acquisition and ownership.

Since 1995, CLUSA International’s on-going agriculture, food security, and market development activities have benefitted over 100,000 small producers in five provinces in Northern and Central Mozambique.

Photo by Tom Rulken.

In this article


Join the Conversation