Projects

Markets and Seeds Access Project (MASAP)

01.07.2025 - 30.06.2029

This project contributes to improved resilient livelihoods of smallholder farmers by supporting climate-resilient crop value chains. It promotes private sector engagement, enhanced market systems, and supportive policies for small grains and legumes. Implemented by NIRAS with the Community Technology Development Organisation and the Swiss-based Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, the project will expand in Zimbabwe while exiting Zambia after two agricultural seasons to ensure a responsible phase-out.

Futuro Microbank

15.05.2024 - 31.12.2027

The microfinance institution Futuro Mcb, SA currently provides financial services (loans, savings, insurance) to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) mainly in and around Nampula city. Switzerland will continue to support Futuro with a grant for technical assistance that will help the bank to expand its impact by providing financial services to more low-income entrepreneurs in more regions in Northern Mozambique, thus allowing them to enhance their income and create more jobs.

Scaling Up Youth Employment in Agriculture Initiative

01.05.2024 - 30.04.2028

In Zambia and Zimbabwe, due to a mismatch between the skills they have and those in demand, youth cannot access or create economic opportunities and overlook those available. The project builds skills and matches youth with firms, markets and finance to create more and better (self)-employment in agri-food, renewable energy and emerging sectors, contributing to Swiss priorities on human and economic development and climate change. This is a contribution implemented by SNV.

Seed and Knowledge Initiative

01.03.2023 - 28.02.2027

This initiative will address food insecurity and environmental degradation by promoting crop diversification and environment-friendly approaches. It is implemented by a partnership of 15 community-based organizations and their regional partners. The emphasis of the final phase of Swiss funding is on advocacy and movement building, while expanding the number of smallholder farmers, including women and youth, who practice and spread agro-ecology and farmer-led seed systems.

Promoting Sustainable Agricultural Market Systems (PROMAS)

16.01.2023 - 31.12.2027

Agriculture is the main source of income for 70% of the population and is an important means to improve people’s livelihood. The sector suffers from low productivity and an unfavourable business environment. Thanks to better functioning markets and capacity building, smallholder farmers will improve their income and resilience through enhanced productivity, improved access to markets, climate adaptation, financial services and private sector development in northern Mozambique.

Multi-Methods Data Collection Mandate to Monitor the Swiss Cooperation Programme Zimbabwe Zambia 2023-2026

01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026

The purpose of this mandate is to support data collection for the monitoring and evaluation of Swiss supported projects in Zambia and Zimbabwe. The annual data collection and analysis will capture the perceptions of SDC project target groups around supported interventions in health service delivery, social protection, youth employment, agriculture, and good governance. This will help to see the trend or change of the different indicators of the Cooperation Programme.

Rural Resilience in Southern Africa / R4 Initiative

01.07.2021 - 30.11.2025

The R4 Rural Resilience Initiative for Southern Africa enables smallholder farmers’ adaptation to climate risk through improved resource management, insurance, livelihoods diversification, microcredit and savings. Through R4, Switzerland has become a credible and trusted partner in resilience building and its learnings have fed into policy dialogue. The emphasis of this final phase is on strengthening government and private sector, as well as the gender approach.

MASAP - Markets and Seeds Access Project

01.08.2020 - 30.11.2025

This initiative promotes the utilization of quality seeds of drought tolerant small grains and legumes through support to farmers’ organisations and enterprises, private sector engagement and evidence-based advocacy. 94’000 smallholders will benefit from increased market participation, higher incomes, and consumption of nutritious diets. It is implemented by NIRAS with the Community Technology Development Organisation and the Swiss-based Research Institute of Organic Agriculture.