AgroVida: Strengthening Food Systems in Cabo Delgado

Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, is a region grappling with agricultural challenges due to poor soil quality, frequent climate extremes, and socio-economic instability. Local communities face difficulties in maintaining productive and sustainable farming practices, which is further compounded by limited access to quality inputs, market information, and financial services. This situation is exacerbated by the impact of conflict, which threatens food security and the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and fishers in the region.

AgroVida project overview

AgroVida aims to address these critical issues by fostering sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices among small-scale food producers (SSFPs) and agri-MSMEs. The project will create 480 Producers Clubs to promote collective action, learning, and market access. These clubs will serve as a platform for innovative community-led and market-driven extension services, training 24,500 SSFPs in regenerative farming practices, and ensuring access to quality inputs and financial services. The project will also establish community-based savings groups to empower SSFPs economically, particularly focusing on women and youth.

The primary goal of AgroVida is to double the productivity and income of small-scale food producers while enhancing the resilience of farming systems in Cabo Delgado. The solution involves grouping farmers into Producers Clubs, providing them with training on regenerative farming practices, facilitating access to quality inputs and financial services, and improving market linkages. The project integrates digital tools to enhance information dissemination and support decision-making among farmers, ensuring sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural practices.

AgroVida is funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) and implemented by a consortium led by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), in collaboration with ADPP, Gapi, Associação h2n, SmartFarming BV, and ThirdWay Partners (TWP).

SmartFarming supports the project with digitalization solutions

SmartFarming BV,plays a pivotal role in the digitalization aspect of AgroVida. The company is responsible for developing and implementing digital tools that facilitate knowledge sharing, data collection, and market information dissemination among farmers.

SmartFarming aims to empower project beneficiaries with the information and tools necessary to adopt sustainable farming practices, improve their productivity, and enhance their market access. Through these efforts, SmartFarming contributes to the overarching goal of AgroVida to create a resilient and productive agricultural sector in Cabo Delgado. SmartFarming’s solutions include:

a) Digital Toolkits: Providing web and mobile applications with features such as visual and voice training, weather and market updates via SMS, and mobile surveys to gather farmers’ needs.

b) Training and capacity building: Conducting mobile internet skills training for technicians, trainers and key influencers within the community to ensure effective use of digital tools.

c) Data digitalization: Supporting the digitalization of data collection process at the farm level, including member books and M&E data. This helps to improve efficiency and accuracy in monitoring project impacts.