Eswatini

Project overview

Agriculture and food systems in Eswatini are dominated by smallholder farming, characterized by low productivity and a strong reliance on maize production combined with livestock systems. Agriculture remains the main source of livelihoods for rural communities, with a large share of the rural population depending directly on farming and livestock for food security and income. Commercial agriculture is more limited and is mainly focused on export-oriented sugarcane production.

Eswatini is a net importer of maize, livestock products, and other food commodities, reflecting structural challenges in its domestic food production systems. At the same time, increasing demand for food, particularly livestock products, has placed additional pressure on land, water and natural resources.

Current food systems are associated with land degradation, biodiversity loss, ecosystem pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Unsustainable practices, including overgrazing, monocropping, and inefficient water use, have contributed to the degradation of productive landscapes. Climate change is intensifying these challenges through more frequent droughts, floods and temperature extremes, further undermining food security, nutrition and rural livelihoods.

The project supports Eswatini’s commitment to a different development pathway by promoting nature-positive, resilient and pollution-reduced food systems. It aims to strengthen environmental sustainability while improving food and nutrition security and livelihoods through integrated, landscape-based approaches aligned with national priorities.

Read More on the Catalyzing transformation to sustainable food systems in Eswatini

Our approach

The project supports food systems transformation by addressing both on-the-ground production practices and the enabling conditions that shape markets, finance, policies and livelihoods.

At the production level, the project supports more sustainable and climate-resilient maize-based cropping systems and improved livestock and rangeland management, including better soil and water management, integrated crop–livestock practices, and reduced land degradation. These interventions aim to restore ecosystem services, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve productivity and resilience in smallholder farming systems.

Complementary actions focus on strengthening food system governance and institutional coordination, improving access to sustainable finance and investment, and enhancing value chains to support environmentally responsible production. Knowledge generation, innovation, and capacity building are central to the approach, enabling farmers, institutions and value-chain actors to adopt and scale up sustainable practices.
The project places strong emphasis on gender equality and youth inclusion, ensuring that women and young people can actively participate in and benefit from food systems transformation.

Project Sites

The project focuses on three priority landscapes:

• Ngwempisi (Ntondozi and Luzweleni communities)
• Malolotja (Luvinjelweni and Mvembili communities)
• Lubombo (Ndzangu and Mhlumeni communities)

These landscapes were selected based on their ecological importance, vulnerability to land degradation, and potential to demonstrate scalable solutions for sustainable food systems transformation across Eswatini.