©FAO/Fábio De Sousa
#05 ISSUE
AGRICULTURE
WORKING
GROUP (AWG)
NEWSLETTER |
M AY 2 0 2 3
©Ibo Foundation
MAY 2023 | #05 ISSUE
A G R I C U LT U R E W O R K I N G G R O U P ( A W G ) N E W S L E T T E R
Key highlights:
T
he Agriculture Working Group (AWG) meeting took
place on 30 May 2023. Paula Coelho, Field Coordinator,
and Salito Alexandre, Agriculture Technician, from the Ibo
Foundation, presented “The Ibo Foundation, lessons learned
from 4 years of implementing agricultural projects in Ibo district, Cabo Delgado province”. The meeting was co-chaired
by the government through the Provincial Directorate of
Agriculture and Fisheries (DPAP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
P. 2
•
The over-reliance of communities on social protection
programs can easily result in high levels of dependency.
•
Ibo Island has the potential for increased horticulture
production, however, there is a need for marketing opportunities to avoid food waste.
•
Agriculture livelihood activities should promote the
conservation and responsible use of natural resources.
•
Producer cooperatives are important for achieving
women’s empowerment through promoting women’s
access to resources and services.
•
Ensuring women have access to markets and technologies is essential.
A G R I C U LT U R E W O R K I N G G R O U P ( A W G ) N E W S L E T T E R
MAY 2023 | #05 ISSUE
The Ibo Foundation,
lessons learned from 4 years
of implementing agricultural
projects in Ibo district,
Cabo Delgado province
Context and challenges
W
hile there are opportunities for growth and sustainable development in Ibo district, several challenges have been identified that need to be addressed,
including social, structural, economic, educational and
perception issues.
The communities in Ibo district are grappling with various
social challenges, including high infant mortality rates,
low life expectancy, and frequent outbreaks of diseases
such as cholera. These challenges are further compounded by structural and logistical obstacles that hinder access to healthcare, education, and other essential services.
Economically, the majority of community members live
in a precarious hand-to-mouth existence, heavily reliant
on the informal and subsistence economy. This situation
is exacerbated by the soaring cost of living, low wages, and
unequal distribution of resources.
Moreover, northern Mozambique remains unstable, despite some containment of the armed conflict, with climate-induced crisis continuing to pose a threat.
An overreliance on welfare programs and hand-outs has
resulted in a concerning level of dependency among certain producers. They tend to produce crops or engage in
agricultural activities only when they receive supplies and
inputs as donations.
P. 3
©Ibo Foundation
SO CIO-CULTURAL
AG RIC ULTURE AND LIVE L I HO O D S
LOW LE V E L OF E DU C AT I ON OF T H E LOC A L P OP U LAT I ON
In the past, the communities in Ibo relied on fishing as
their main source of income and depended on the mainland for food supplies. Today, the district produces and
consumes a variety of crops including maize, groundnuts,
vegetables, tubers (cassava and sweet potatoes), and beans, generating income for families.
The education level in Ibo district remains low (people
who are illiterate). This has often been the reason for the
slow uptake of technologies or poor interpretation of
project ideas.
The Ibo Foundation supported small producers on the
island through agricultural input distribution, monitoring, and technical assistance. It showcased the island’s
horticultural potential during the 2020/2021 harvest.
Unfortunately, the surplus production of the 2021 harvest,
approximately 1 ton, mainly tomatoes, was wasted due to
overproduction and lack of market.
The following year, a cooperative was formed to market the
products to other islands, offering diversified production,
training, and financing for agricultural product preservation.
Weak adherence to courses or technical training for the
beneficiaries or population has been a major constraint
for the organizations as they only participate in training
when there is a benefit in return.
The district has no plan for adult education or inclusion in
the National Education System and the literacy rate prevails low. The adult population has a fear of participating
in the courses or training.
E NV I R ONM E NT
After Cyclone Kenneth, a portion of the population adopted environmentally sustainable practices, while others
continued with environmentally harmful practices like
uncontrolled burning for field preparation. Some producers lack technical assistance and training in sustainable
agriculture, resorting to chemical insecticides due to pest
resistance to local plant-based solutions.
©Ibo Foundation
These agricultural practices can lead to water scarcity and
contamination, with wells running dry in the dry season
and becoming increasingly saline as tides rise. These challenges highlight the need for widespread education and
support in adopting sustainable farming methods to mitigate environmental impact.
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MAY 2023 | #05 ISSUE
A G R I C U LT U R E W O R K I N G G R O U P ( A W G ) N E W S L E T T E R
CO N FLICT AMONG LIVE S TO CK KE E P E RS AN D FARME RS
T I M E LI NE
There is a conflict between cattle, goat, sheep, and vegetable
producers, especially during the vegetable production season and the dry season. The animals invade and destroy
crops in the fields and the producers are not compensated.
Before 2017: Small machambas/farming areas with subsistence agriculture. Insufficient production to
supply the family unit.
Sustainable agriculture in Ibo
G OA L S
2017:
Ibo Foundations Nursery Project is approved.
2018:
Sustainable agricultural program begins. First
arrival of internally displaced people on Ibo.
2019:
Cyclone Kenneth. Suspension of activities.
2020:
COVID-19 and armed conflict. Attacks in the
districts of Ibo and Quissanga.
Late 2020:
Resumption of the nursery and beginning of
work with community producers.
2021:
First harvest exceeds market needs. Additional
income for producers. Professionalisation of
the sector. First sales of Ibo-raised chickens.
2022:
Construction of greenhouses for annual crops.
Irrigation systems. Installation of 50 beehives.
Creation of the producers’ cooperative.
2023:
Agroforestry systems.
1. Reduce food insecurity in Ibo district.
2. Consolidate the agricultural and livestock sector as a
sustainable economic activity.
3. Minimize the environmental impact of farming.
The expected impacts of the programme implemented
by the Ibo Foundation are to improve the food and nutrition security of the community and increase incomes
while conserving and promoting the responsible use of
natural resources.
©Ibo Foundation
Key interventions within the project include improvements of the nursery run by the Ibo Foundation, support
to farmers to restore their livelihoods, as well as the creation of producer cooperatives.
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MAY 2023 | #05 ISSUE
A G R I C U LT U R E W O R K I N G G R O U P ( A W G ) N E W S L E T T E R
©Ibo Foundation
MAY 2023 | #05 ISSUE
A G R I C U LT U R E W O R K I N G G R O U P ( A W G ) N E W S L E T T E R
The Ibo Foundation’s Nursery School
The Nursery School opened its doors in 2017 as a space
reserved for agricultural training: experimenting with
new crops, natural fertilizers, and production techniques,
then replicating them in Ibo’s farming areas. Examples of
training include sustainable agriculture, plant cultivation,
chicken raising, agroforestry systems, entrepreneurship,
beekeeping, and environmental ethics.
The Nursery School has resulted in improved access to
food and the promotion of self-employment through training in agriculture. This includes the establishment of sustainable production systems that can be implemented by
smallholder farmers, with the overall objective to improve
agriculture productivity.
P. 6
Other activities
•
Demonstration field results in the botanical garden
and farmers’ fields.
•
Test fields.
•
Production of compost, biofertilisers/insecticides, including the possibility of finding other forms of natural pest control using other plant species or even the
production of predator species such as ladybirds.
•
Support to the community and home gardens.
Agricultural business
Local farmer’s needs
After Cyclone Kenneth in 2019, Ibo Foundation increased its
efforts to boost the agricultural sector. Along with the provision of inputs and farming tools, producers received technical
training in agriculture and business management which included support with the construction of greenhouses, and irrigation investment business financing through microcredits.
Within the scope of ongoing interventions, there are
several local farmers’ needs that have been identified.
These needs include training, technical support with
longer-term follow-up to ensure the sustainability of
the interventions, provision of materials for farming,
financial support - including investment in water management and irrigation - improving the allocation
process of farming areas (machambas), and support to
women producers.
Specific activities included the breeding and selling of
small stock as well as the production of vegetables, fruits
and honey for sale.
FIGURE 1
P. 7
2021 statistics. Note: at least 50 percent of beneficiaries are women
MAY 2023 | #05 ISSUE
A G R I C U LT U R E W O R K I N G G R O U P ( A W G ) N E W S L E T T E R
©FAO/Celso Matavele
MAY 2023 | #05 ISSUE
A G R I C U LT U R E W O R K I N G G R O U P ( A W G ) N E W S L E T T E R
Producers’ cooperative
Since its founding in 2022, the producers’ cooperative has
brought together 18 local producers’ associations. The associations market vegetables, fruits, coffee, chickens, and
other basic products. Since their creation, they have increased their monthly income and have been able to allocate part of the profits to savings and then distribute them
among their members.
The foundation, together with the local community, has
identified the need to support the producers’ cooperatives.
Producers’ cooperatives require support with infrastructure set up and investment capacity development. The translated impact would include increased availability and
P. 8
diversification of food in the district, smallholder farmers
with the capacity to increase production with an additional focus on income generation, economic empowerment
of women, improved production systems as well as ensuring environmental sustainability and conservation of
water sources.
For more information on the interventions by Ibo Foundation: https://fundacionibo.org/
Contact
Ibo Foundation, Carrer Mayor de Can Caralleu, 10,
08017 Barcelona. 932 80 21 80. info@fundacionibo.org
MAY 2023 | #05 ISSUE
A G R I C U LT U R E W O R K I N G G R O U P ( A W G ) N E W S L E T T E R
AWG meeting attendance
T
©Ibo Foundation
he meeting participants included representatives from
the government (DPAD), FAO, the Food Security and
Livelihoods Cluster, national and international nongovernmental organizations (Alliance for Green Revolution
in Africa, Netherlands Development Organisation, TechnoServe, and the Ibo Foundation), and the International
Committee of the Red Cross, with a total of 29 participants.
List of acronyms
AWG
Agriculture Working Group
DPAP
Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries
FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
P. 9
Contact:
FAO Agriculture Working Group
Email: AWG-Mozambique@fao.org