FAO Representative, Hernani Coelho da Silva, handing over the graduation certificate to the facilitator of Wiwanana Orera FFS

17 October 2022, Nametil Sede (Nampula) – "There are foods that give us strength, as if they were our foundation [foundation foods] and there are those that give us the energy we need to work [energy giving foods]. Some help us grow well [bodybuilding foods] and some others protect our bodies from diseases [protective foods]." Pointing to each one of the food groups, separated into wooden boxes, Rosalina Raísse made her presentation with the confidence of one who knows what she is talking about. At Natere Farmer Field School (FFS), of which she has been a facilitator since its creation in 2021, Rosalina and other women have had introductory sessions on nutrition education.

Her FFS is one of more than 700 FFS supported by PROMOVE Agribiz, which is co-financed by the European Union (EU), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and is co-implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, FAO, the Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) of the World Bank and the National Sustainable Development Fund (FNDS).

Rosalina was speaking at the nutrition education fair, held Monday (17.10.) in Nametil Sede as part of the central ceremony of the World Food Day, celebrated together with the Day of Rural Women, and the launch of the nutrition education campaign of Mozambique's First Lady, Isaura Nyusi.

World Food Day is celebrated annually on October 16 and marks the creation of FAO. This day aims at promoting reflection on the food situation worldwide. Taking advantage of his participation in the celebration of the date in Mogovolas District, Nampula Province, FAO Representative in Mozambique, Hernani Coelho da Silva, attended, two days earlier, on Saturday (15.10.), the graduation of the first 9 FFSs under PROMOVE Agribiz, after three years of programme implementation.

"Our goal," Coelho da Silva said at the event, "is to increase agricultural knowledge and productivity as well as crop diversification on the farms and boost the value chains of smallholders' products in order to contribute to food and nutritional security as well as poverty reduction in rural areas both in a substantial and a sustainable way."

PROMOVE Agribiz-supported FFS go through a training period of 4 to 5 production cycles. At the end of this period, they are evaluated and, if they show satisfactory results, they obtain the status of graduated FFS. After graduation, the groups move on to a market-oriented approach through the Agribusiness School. Throughout this period and until their graduation, the FFS receive input kits from FAO, consisting of certified seeds and fertilizers, to cover the groups' production needs.

So at the same event, which was held at Cava Cava FFS in Nametil Sede, Rosalina was among the facilitators and presidents of the 24 FFS that received inputs for the coming agricultural season. "The FFS [approach] benefits us smallholders because there we learn a lot about our farms. We used to sow in an uncontrolled way, but now we know how to sow each crop and how to contribute to the rapid growth of that crop." Upon receiving her input kit, Rosalina added that, "with the knowledge of good agricultural practices, we end up improving our lives: not only do we eat more and better, but we are also able to reserve seeds for the following season and sell a part of our production." Just last year, the farmer continued, she produced 1ha of sesame. "With the money from the sale, my husband bought a motorcycle, which helps us a lot in transporting the produce."

From Cava Cava, FAO Representative proceeded to Wiwanana Orera FFS, together with partners from GIZ, the Mozambique Almond Institute (IAM) and the District Service of Economic Activities (SDAE) of Mogovolas, who accompanied him on his field visit.

Máximo Ochoa, FFS Specialist at FAO, was optimistic about the future of the farmer groups: "We now hope to increase the motivation of the groups to achieve other types of goals, more related to entrepreneurship and business." Through the FFS methodology, the programme has laid the foundations of production, followed now by the elevation to the level of commercialization of agricultural production. Since this is such a significant event for FAO, Ochoa continued, the presence of some of our partners is crucial: "We intend to further strengthen our collaboration so that our partners, too, support the farmer groups to achieve these goals."

Wiwanana Orera, another FFS graduated on Saturday, is one of PROMOVE Agribiz farmer groups studying integrated cashew management (ICM), in particular, the management of pests and diseases of cashew trees. The objective in these FFS is to disseminate techniques and methods to increase the production and productivity of cashew trees in cashew production areas.

PROMOVE Agribiz aims precisely at contributing to an increase in smallholders´ food security and resilience, creating jobs and a basis for inclusive economic growth, while stimulating rural competitiveness in the provinces of Nampula and Zambézia. It is one of a set of programmes financed by the European Development Fund (EDF) as part of a comprehensive approach to rural development in both provinces.