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iDE improves the living standard of people in Mozambique by extending agricultural services to the most rural households.
Farm Business Advisors connect small-scale farmers in remote areas with peers and markets. (Photo by David Graham/iDE)
Farm business advisors are change agents who dispense information about best practices in technology, fertilizers, pest management, and post-harvest storage through training sessions and demonstrations, as well as sell direct services, such as crop spraying.
Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with over 65 percent of its population earning less than $2 a day. Most of the population is engaged in agriculture, but agriculture makes up only 29 percent of the country’s GDP, due to the majority of farming activities being poor, subsistence-level crop and livestock raising. Combined with one of the worst literacy rates in Africa and one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infections, Mozambique’s population is ready for real change.
(Photo David Graham/iDE)
The common perception in Mozambique is that it is more important to educate a boy than a girl. This leads to more early marriages (over half of girls are married by age 18), resulting in fewer opportunities for girls and women, who are expected to perform more of the domestic work than men.
By focusing on women as customers and entrepreneurs, iDE strengthens their participation in rural value chains and increases their access to technology, know-how, finance, and markets.
Learn more about iDE’s commitment to Gender Equity.
Malnutrition in Mozambique is high (43 percent of children under five) due to a lack of diversity in diets, poor breastfeeding practices, high levels of disease, and a high rate of teenage pregnancy. Particularly of concern are chronic deficiencies in Vitamin A and iron for children under five.
iDE empowers farmers to grow different, more nutritious crops, so that people have a more varied diet, fueling them with the energy and mental ability they need to be successful.
Learn more about iDE’s commitment to Nutrition.
Flooding from excessive rains and cyclones is a recurrent problem, resulting in damage to infrastructure and agricultural production. Disaster conditions compound acute food shortages, leading to the sale of productive assets such as working livestock.
iDE enhances farmers’ yields through access to technology, products, and knowledge, enabling them to sell affordable, nutritious food to local communities.
Learn more about iDE's commitment to Food Security.
With its long coastline, over 22 million people (85 percent of the population) in Mozambique live in coastal areas that are threatened by sea-level rise and climate extremes. In the last decades, severe climate hazards including droughts, floods, and cyclones have resulted in several disaster conditions.
iDE helps people in rural areas build their resilience to climate extremes like floods and drought through the use of climate-smart agricultural technologies and practices.
Learn more about iDE’s commitment to Smart Technologies.
iDE is implementing its FBA model in Mozambique to promote resource-smart technologies such as drip systems, pumps, and post-harvest storage. We identify, train, and provide support to village-based agents who can bring high-quality agricultural products to small-scale farmers. iDE has established Agribusiness Service Centers to support these agents with market links to suppliers and buyers, building their business acumen and encouraging their development as entrepreneurs.
Learn more about iDE’s global Agriculture strategy.
Because farmers, advisors, and dealers are often not eligible for credit from Mozambican finance institutions, iDE created a “revolving fund,” which facilitates in-kind loans for inputs, equipment, and services (with a processing fee of up to 15 percent to cover costs and logistics). iDE collaborates with clients to demonstrate the return on investment for applications to use funds from the revolving fund. In 2016, iDE became a partner with microfinance institution Kiva, to provide another option besides the revolving fund for farmers to access credit. We are continually investigating other unique loan products that work for small-commercial farmers to grow their businesses.
Learn more about iDE’s global Access to Finance strategy.
Av. Mao Tse Tung, 796, R/c
Maputo, Mozambique
Phone: +258 21494631
Fax: +258 21494632
E-mail: Mozambique@ideglobal.org
