MAFAP programme and Mozambique ministries deepen collaboration on policy support
High-level meetings introduce FAO’s Policy Optimization Tool (PolOpT) in Maputo.
Front row: Ekta Joshi, Economist for the FAO Agrifood Economics and Policy Division (ESA); Cláudia Pereira, Assistant FAO Representative in Mozambique; Marco V Sánchez, Deputy Director, ESA Division and Officer-in-Charge of the MAFAP programme; and Nilza Paunde, National Director of Planning and Policies at the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP) together with officials from MAAP and the Ministry for Planning and Development (MPD).
The Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) programme recently carried out a mission to Mozambique to explore new avenues for collaboration with the government and development partners. The visit showcased how FAO’s Policy Optimization Tool (PolOpT) can bring greater coherence and evidence-based decision-making to national policy planning, helping align agrifood transformation and environmental goals.
At the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries
The week began with a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP) with the National Directorate of Planning and Policies and the National Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, together with the National Directorate of Economic Policies and Development from the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD).
The discussions centred around the preliminary results on Mozambique from PolOpT. The findings show how the tool can support agrifood policy coherence and investment to bring benefits for Mozambicans in terms of agrifood sector growth, more off-farm jobs, less rural poverty, more affordable healthy diets. The tool can now show how these benefits can be gained all the while reducing Co2 emissions from agrifood production and freeing up land for reforestation.
The FAO team also presented PolOpT-based "rankings" of commodities with the highest potential, alongside a typology approach to help Mozambique target investments where opportunities are greatest. The team also showcased how the MAFAP programme, working in synergy with the FAO Flexible Voluntary Contribution project in Mozambique, “Making it right: Greening agricultural policies”, can help Mozambique prioritize investment across territories where the greatest opportunities lie to accelerate agrifood transformation.
From right to left: Cláudia Pereira, Marco V. Sánchez, José Luis Fernández Filgueiras; Acubar Batista: Permanent Secretary (MAAP); Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, Imede Falume, National Director (MAAP), two representatives from MAAP and Alberto di Grazia, FAO Mozambique.
Also at MAAP headquarters, Acubar Batista, Permanent Secretary, received the FAO delegation to discuss the ministry’s priorities and opportunities for collaboration. The meeting concluded with an agreement to prepare a joint work plan that will apply PolOpT to guide investment prioritization, especially in the context of the upcoming new Plano Nacional de Investimento no Sector Agrário (PNISA III) or Third National Investment Plan for the Agrarian Sector in English.
Acubar Batista, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, environment and fisheries shakes hands with Marco v. Sánchez.
At the Ministry of Planning and Development
A high-level meeting was also held with H.E. Salim Cripton Valá, Minister of Planning and Development (MPD), accompanied by his team of advisors. The dialogue focused on understanding MDP priorities and how FAO, through the MAFAP programme, can support policy and investment prioritization for national planning, in particular the preparation for the upcoming Third PNISA. The Minister welcomed FAO’s technical support and assigned MPD focal points to work alongside the MAFAP programme.
Marco V. Sánchez, next to Salim Cripton Valá, Minister of Planning and Development (MPD) and Cláudia Pereira
THE MAFAP TEAM WITH THE PERMANENT SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, Salim Cripton Valá.
With the FAO Representation in Mozambique
The MAFAP team met with the FAO Representative in Mozambique, José Luis Fernández Filgueiras, to prepare for the ministry meetings and to debrief on the latest developments of MAFAP activities in Mozambique on agrifood policy and investment optimization for government spending on food and agriculture and on future investments to prioritize the commodities that bring the biggest benefits.
The MAFAP team with the FAO Representative in Mozambique, José Luis Fernández Filgueiras (second from left) and with Cláudia Pereira, assistant fao representative in Mozambique (second from right).
With the Word Bank
The FAO team met with the World Bank technical team in Mozambique to present PolOpT and explore collaboration opportunities to strengthen evidence-based agricultural policymaking.
The World Bank expressed strong interest in integrating PolOpT and FAO’s value chain typology approach into its upcoming Country Partnership Framework and the Compact for Mozambique, under the AgriConnect Initiative, which aims to promote innovation, job creation, and food security.
Ekta Joshi presenting at the World Bank office in maputo.
LinkedIn posts
- With the National Director of Planning and Policies, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries
- With the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries
- With the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Planning and Development
- Visit the FAO Representation in Mozambique website
- Follow FAO Mozambique on X
Contact
Meizal Popat Policy Analyst & Focal Point in Mozambique [email protected]