Institutes capacitated to transform agriculture in Mozambique

Over the past 4 years MSM and its consortium partners worked on a project in Mozambique with a focus on promoting smart new technologies to increase and improve the agricultural production and to motivate young people and farmers in the region of Chimoio in the Manica province. The project partners were the Instituto Superior Politécnico de Manica (ISPM), Instituto de investigação Agrária de Moçambique (IIAM) and Instituto Médio Técnico-Profissional Agrário de Chimoio (IAC).

The project’s main impact has been on strengthening the collaboration among these three organisations. Their staff has been interacting during the trainings and there is a common agenda for activities and joint proposals, including applied research to improve agricultural production. The achievements of the project include among others:

• The establishment of a common agenda among the partners and an important agreement with the private sector represented by the Provincial Business Council of Manica, which is a private organisation gathering businesses and entrepreneurs in the region. The objective of this agreement is to facilitate the partnering in areas of innovation and green technology, resulting in a virtual centre on innovation and green technologies. This collaboration will include education and training, applied research and consultancy projects, assisting businesses with new technologies, all in the field of innovation for green technologies, renewable energy and syntrophic agriculture. The common interest is there to continue coordinating and collaborating with a common agenda for research, technology transfer, business incubation, training and fund raising.
• Strengthened knowledge and skills of staff through training activities in technical aspects (greenhouses management, crop management, CSA technology, water management, soil management, regenerative agriculture, IPM, etc.) and also in methodologies. The project also carried out assessments on quality assurance measures and developed a curriculum according to the current and future needs of the region.
• A study visit from representatives from the three institutes to The Netherlands, where it was possible to get insights into the Dutch partners which included Higher Education institutes and private organisations working in agriculture and technical solutions for better production. It included a dialogue and inspirational experiences and good practices that can be replicated in Mozambique.
• Capacitated institutions by investments in equipment and training according to the needs of each institute. ISPM received an academic radio station which is used for outreach and extension services. Staff has been trained in its use and in methods to plan and produce educational content. The radio reaches all districts of Manica province, and two districts in Sofala province. This means that more than 500 000 people are reached directly. This is very important in the region and a tool to reach out to vulnerable groups in the population, such as girls and young women who are not in the education system.
• The establishment (and repair) of three fully equipped greenhouses, with the required training to manage them and use them for research and teaching.
• The possibility to implement online (blended) education in the equipped classrooms and the three institutions have proper and equipped greenhouses for training, research and production. The training also helped improving the partners capacity to offer advisory services to farmers and private companies in the area.
• A better approach towards applied research to encourage innovation in agricultural practices and strategies to disseminate this among students and local farmers.
• A new developed career, talent and inclusion track for the institutions. The three institutions developed their own plans to implement a career development track improving the soft skills of students and facilitating their chances in the labour market.
• Improved gender awareness through a series of events and trainings. In February 2023, there was a special seminar organized on the topic of “Gender Perspective”. Over 100 participants composed of NGOs, Students, Professors, and various Government representatives of the region were present for this event. A debate was opened for all participants on the challenges that they are facing in this domain, the work that has been done and the action plans that are required to continue creating awareness about this perspective. All the ideas were taken up by the Provincial Director of “Women, Children and Social Welfare”, and discussed in parliament.
• Development of a baseline study by Dutch and Mozambican partners to have a clear monitor and evaluation plan for further monitoring on the impact of the project over the years.

The project has made significant progress in promoting smart new technologies to improve agricultural production in Mozambique. The project has also helped to strengthen collaboration among key organizations in the region, and has created opportunities for young people and farmers to learn about and adopt new technologies.

The project is expected to continue to have a positive impact on the agricultural sector in Mozambique in the years to come.

We like to thank all parties involved who have closely collaborated and worked hard to make this institutional collaboration project in Mozambique a success!

Orange Knowledge Programme
This project is part of the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) which is funded by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by Nuffic. For more information click here.

MSM's Expert Centre on Emerging Economies

This institutional collaboration project is part of MSM's Expert Centre on Emerging Economies. The department is an expert centre on local economic development in emerging and developing markets.​ We capacitate managers and professionals from government, private sector, NGOs, and post-secondary education in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Latin America. We offer consultancy and customized training programs, and we manage complex projects in key sectors, e.g. water, agriculture and health. For more information click here.

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