Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has officially launched the second phase of the Markets and Seeds Access Project (MASAP II), building on the strong foundation of its first phase to strengthen food security and rural livelihoods. With a budget of USD 10 million for the period 2025–2029, MASAP II will scale up proven strategies that put farmers, especially women and youth at the heart of a more resilient agricultural future.
The new phase aims to directly benefit 60,000 smallholder households, approximately 300,000 people, with a core commitment that at least 60 percent of participants are women. This builds on the project’s outstanding record of inclusion, as women represented 78 percent of participants during Phase 1.
In Zimbabwe, MASAP will extend its footprint beyond Tsholotsho and Mudzi districts to include two additional districts, which will be identified in close consultation with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
The scale-up is rooted in measurable successes from Phase 1, which ran from 2021 to 2025. During that period, more than 31,000 smallholder farmers were connected to 30 new market actors, improving access to inputs and opportunities for crops like sorghum, millet, cowpea, and groundnuts. Farmers reported dramatically improved access to quality seed, with 81 percent of Zimbabwean and 91 percent of Zambian farmers confirming better availability of certified small-grain and legume seeds.
MASAP also supported important policy reforms, including updates to the Seed Act, adoption of the regional Seed Harmonisation Protocol, and the legal recognition of farmer-owned seed varieties. These achievements underscore the project’s role as a catalyst for both household resilience and national policy reform.
Building on this momentum, Phase 2 will expand support beyond sorghum, millets, cowpea and groundnuts to include additional climate-resilient crops such as Bambara nuts, helping to diversify diets and markets. It will also embed sustainable practices such as agroecology and promote index-based crop insurance to help farmers withstand climate shocks like droughts and erratic rainfall, which are increasingly common across Southern Africa.
The project will further strengthen access to financial services and products for farmers, processors, seed companies, and other value-chain actors, while also linking smallholder producers to processors, millers, and markets to create stronger, more inclusive value chains.
Speaking at the launch event in Harare, Mr. Stefano Berti, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland, emphasised the central role of seed systems in resilience, “At the heart of a resilient agriculture sector is a simple, powerful thing: a quality seed, placed in the hands of a farmer. With Phase 2 of MASAP, we are scaling up success, strengthening seed systems and deepening inclusion to build livelihoods that are both sustainable and resilient,” he said.
Dr. Dumisani Kutywayo, Chief Director in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, welcomed the programme’s alignment with national priorities, “MASAP II complements our government’s efforts to climate-proof agriculture and achieve food security. By promoting drought-tolerant crops and improved access to finance, the programme directly supports our policies for empowering smallholder farmers,” he noted.
MASAP II is implemented by a consortium led by NIRAS in partnership with the Community Technology Development Organisation (CTDO) and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). NIRAS is leading on the implementation in Zambia and CTDO is responsible for implementation in Zimbabwe. This partnership brings together local knowledge, international expertise, and policy engagement to transform the small-grain and legume sectors into enduring sources of food, income, and climate resilience. By placing farmers at the centre and fostering inclusive, climate-smart systems, MASAP II is set to help shape a future where rural communities in Zimbabwe and Zambia can thrive despite the growing challenges of climate change and economic uncertainty.
