As Northen Mozambique continues to face impacts of insecurity and displacement, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in close collaboration with the Government of Mozambique, is scaling up agricultural support to protect food production, strengthen self-reliance, and ease pressure to host communities in Nampula province.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) had the honour of participating in the Workshop on Value Chain Analysis in the Fisheries Sector in Mozambique, held from 8 to 9 December 2025 in Maputo.

In the rural heart of Catandica, where Manica’s valleys hold both promise and precariousness, farming is more than a livelihood; it is a lifeline. For years, depleted soil fertility, erratic rainfall and thin market links kept many smallholders one bad season away from crisis. Today, those same fields are becoming classrooms—and communities are becoming support systems—through a simple, powerful idea: learn, test and grow together.

Mozambique is taking promising steps to build a vibrant and competitive coffee sector—one of the most structured and influential agricultural value chains worldwide. Coffee stands today as the world’s second-most traded commodity after oil and the most consumed beverage after water.

Coffee is one of the most traded commodities and most consumed beverages in the world, providing livelihoods for an estimated 25 million farmers, 80 percent of whom are smallholders. With global demand continuing to rise, many countries are revitalizing their coffee sectors as engines for rural development, job creation, and export diversification.

In the coastal communities of Mozambique, freediving holds the potential to create new livelihood opportunities that extend beyond traditional fishing. As members of fishing communities develop their confidence, safety skills, and underwater proficiency, they are better equipped to engage in a growing range of economic activities, particularly in eco-tourism and other marine-based initiatives.

In Bunga Sede, a quiet community in Guro District, the rhythm of life follows the seasons. The landscape is marked by towering baobabs, narrow footpaths, and traditional round houses built from clay and thatch — a setting where families have farmed for generations. Among them is Linda Castigo Phei, born in 1984, a mother of six whose life has been shaped by the land. Her eldest child is 22; her youngest, just six. All of them have grown up watching their parents work the soil from dawn to dusk.

Smallholder farmers are the foundation of Mozambique’s agrifood systems. They cultivate most of the crops that feed families and sustain local markets. Yet many continue to face widespread constraints, including limited access to improved agricultural practices, financial services, and reliable markets. These challenges keep production low and incomes unstable, making it difficult for rural households to move beyond subsistence-based livelihoods.

The well-being of communities that depend on the fisheries sector extends far beyond the act of fishing itself. This sector encompasses a wide range of activities that strengthen livelihoods and enhance the quality of life for millions. In Mozambique, where two-thirds of the population lives along its 2 800 km coastline, one in five households relies on fishing for income and food security.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subregional Office for Southern Africa will host the 19th Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meeting in Sandton, South Africa, from 3 November 2025.

The Sustainable Fisheries Co-management (SFC) project continues to make significant progress in Vilankulo, Mozambique, where local fishing communities are taking ownership of fisheries management through strengthened co-management agreements.

A new FAO country brief, Policymaking for agrifood systems transformation in Mozambique, highlights how the country is advancing towards a more resilient, inclusive, and people-centered approach to agrifood systems. 

Mozambique joined the global celebration of World Food Day with activities across several provinces. The day also honoured the International Day of Rural Women and FAO’s 80th anniversary, spotlighting the vital role of rural women in advancing healthier diets and resilient agrifood systems.

The Government of Mozambique, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and the European Union (EU), today launched the second phase of the Support to the Operationalization of the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (STOSAR II) project.

The Third Regional Stakeholders Workshop for Southern Africa of the GEF-7 Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Program (DSL-IP) concluded today in Maputo with renewed commitments to accelerate action on sustainable land management, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in the Miombo-Mopane ecoregion.

In the framework of the Third Regional Stakeholders Workshop for Southern Africa of the Global Environment Facility's (GEF-7) Sustainable Forest Management Impact Program on Dryland Sustainable Landscapes (DSL-IP), the first Technical Steering Committee (TSC) meeting of the Project Transboundary Integrated Sustainable Management of the Miombo Woodlands between Mozambique and Zimbabwe  was held at the Gloria Hotel in Maputo.

As part of the Third Regional Stakeholders Workshop for Southern Africa of the GEF-7 Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Program (DSL-IP), participants spent the second day in the field, witnessing first-hand how Mozambique is promoting efforts to protect biodiversity, restore degraded lands and strengthen community resilience.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Government of Mozambique, the African Forest Forum (AFF) and development partners, opened today the Third Regional Stakeholders Workshop for Southern Africa of the Sustainable Forest Management Impact Program on Dryland Sustainable Landscapes, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).  

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in partnership with the Government of Mozambique and with financial support from the Government of Norway, today launched the Fisheries Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) Project in Mozambique.