Enhancing partnerships for agricultural development

Implementing Partners Gather for Annual Review and Planning Meeting

Introduction

Implementing partners of the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) project, also known as MasAgro Africa, recently met in Arusha, Tanzania for the project’s first annual review and planning meeting. The meeting brought together 58 participants from 28 allied organizations involved in coordinating and implementing activities as part of the USAID-funded initiative. The purpose of the meeting was to assess progress towards the targets set at the project’s launch in September 2022 and to plan for stronger implementation in the second year of the project. Similar meetings were also held in Malawi and Zambia during the same month.

USAID’s Perspective

In her opening remarks, Melanie Edwards, the USAID Tanzania Mission Feed the Future Coordinator, expressed excitement about the achievements of in-country partners in the past year. She highlighted the expansion of partner proposals and emphasized the importance of increasing the number of partners involved in the project. Edwards also mentioned that a call for new partner proposals would be issued soon. She eagerly anticipated seeing the planned activities for the project’s second year.

Government Priorities

Abel Mtembenji, speaking on behalf of the Government of Tanzania, outlined the government’s priorities that align with the AID-I initiative. These priorities include increasing productivity, creating decent jobs, enhancing extension services, improving resilience for food security, and expanding market and credit access. Mtembenji encouraged stakeholders to coordinate their efforts with the Tanzanian government to enhance the sustainability of project activities. He also emphasized the importance of notifying the government about initiatives to foster collaboration during implementation. Mtembenji expressed gratitude for the support from USAID, through CIMMYT, and thanked all partners for their contribution to agricultural development in Tanzania.

Showcasing Early Successes

The AID-I initiative aims to assist up to three million African smallholder farmers through various interventions. These interventions include improving soil health and fertilizer management, strengthening local seed systems, connecting farmers to financial products and services, and delivering extension and advisory services. Grace Mwai, the SAS Program Manager, provided an update on the project’s progress. In the past 12 months, AID-I had set up 125 mega-demonstrations for the 2022-2023 season, with 42 of them managed by farmer groups themselves. The project also reached approximately 5.3 million farmers across Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia with agronomic advisory messages through radio and television. Over 9,000 farmers were linked to inputs and outputs markets, and 40% of them were women. Additionally, the project conducted 5,143 seed company demonstrations and harvested and processed 13,000 metric tons of certified maize and legume seed.

Highlighting Achievements

During a structured session based on the World Café method, partners showcased their products through posters and display items like seed packets. This allowed participants to interact and learn about various innovations being scaled under AID-I. More than ten partners displayed their products, and all participants had the opportunity to visit other tables and share information about their seed production and the number of farmers they could reach during the season.

Planning for the Future

On the second day of the meeting, partners organized themselves into three small groups based on the three pillars of AID-I: Seed Systems, Agriculture Advisories, and Market Linkages. These groups discussed forthcoming activities and identified areas for improvement in the coming season. The meeting concluded with discussions on financial reporting, establishing and nurturing collaborations, and leveraging technology for improved project outcomes. Peter Setimela, the Legume and Seed Systems Specialist under AID-I, emphasized the importance of timely proposal submission for the second year during his closing remarks.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.

2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists, and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets, and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.
   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.a: Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance, and natural resources, in accordance with national laws.

4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services.

5. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

6. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

7. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.16: Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: cimmyt.org

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