(c) FAO, 2022

An official signing ceremony was held at the Office of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Madagascar between Embassy Counselor Antonie L. Kraemer and FAO Representative Mbuli Charles Boliko

Antananarivo, 29 November 2022. An investment worth 16 million NOK (crowns), or 1.6 million euros or about 7,027,000,000 Ariary will be placed in favor of 12,800 agricultural producers, of whom at least 60 percent are women, or 2,560 households, in the Amboasary Atsimo, Ampanihy, Tsihombe and Betioky Atsimo Districts. In addition to these 12,800 direct project participants, approximately 150,000 other agricultural producers will benefit from this project through the possibility of accessing improved and adapted seeds, as well as improved agricultural techniques. 

A rich history of collaboration in Madagascar

FAO and Norway have always had a strong partnership based on shared global values, goals and commitments. This cooperation is oriented towards food security through the eradication of poverty and hunger, including technical development interventions and emergency agricultural assistance and rehabilitation. Norway's generous contributions to most areas of FAO's work have enabled the Organization to achieve successful results covering forestry, fisheries, the right to food, climate-smart agriculture, and food loss and waste.

Long-time partners also in Madagascar, Norway and the FAO are today signing the sixth project to be implemented in this country. Since 1988, Norway has supported Madagascar through FAO technical cooperation within the establishment of a food information and rapid alert system, a fertilizer program, two locust control campaigns (that of 1997 and that of 2013), and the control and prevention from avian influenza.

A timely project

This mutual trust between Norway and FAO is renewed through this project, which comes to fruition after nine months of preparation, and whose signing of the agreement coincides with the preview of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) latest results.

Indeed, these results strongly encourage the continuation of the journey towards strengthening the family farmers resilience to the impacts of natural hazards and climate change in the Grand Sud of Madagascar. During and after the project, family farmers will have better access to products, practices and services that improve livelihoods and resilience to natural disasters and climate change.

The project will improve the resilience and food security of smallholder farmers in southern Madagascar through climate-adapted farming methods and training in climate-smart agriculture, as well as alternative sources of income. Activities will improve availability of and access to quality seeds and planting material ; reduce risk of crop losses due to natural disasters and crop pests and diseases ; improve nutritional status of women and children ; and diversify income sources for family farmers.

The initiative will also strengthen national strategies for food security and food systems, which are already in place but have yet to be implemented.

The project aims to put in place long-term solutions to ensure local resilience and development, through the use of drought-resistant local seed types and improved agricultural techniques. In the long term, smallholder farmers (women and men) should improve their resilience to climate change and other external shocks, and have enhanced food and nutrition security.

This partnership contributes significantly to transition initiatives towards more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable food systems.