Women plant rice in a wet field.
In rural areas, agriculture is still the only possible economic activity in many countries. © CGIAR

Hunger and malnutrition not only endanger the health of people but pose a significant threat to the overall development of a country. The SDC is committed to ensuring adequate, sufficient and good-quality food for all, taking into account  the entire food value chain: from the fields where food is produced, to storage and processing, markets, trade, transport and up to consumers via diet.

The SDC works worldwide to secure the human right to adequate food. It designs its activities with the aim of giving poorer and disadvantaged population groups, such as smallholder farmers, women and young people, equal access to education, productive resources and markets. The SDC helps them to make productive but sustainable use of natural resources and supports them in dealing with the effects of climate change, with the storage and marketing of their produce and with continuous adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Throughout all these endeavors, the SDC persistently pays special attention to the preservation of the highly endangered biodiversity in each context. It also promotes needs-oriented research and advisory services.

In addition, the SDC encourages innovations all along the food value chain that provide consumers with a healthy and diverse diet by facilitating access to suitable foodstuffs, both in rural and in urban areas.

Sustainable agriculture ensures a healthy diet, preserves biodiversity, and is the basis for securing the human right to adequate food. With this goal in mind, Switzerland engages in international cooperation in the field of food security. The Swiss agriculture sector, with its multifunctional, family-based and environmentally-friendly food production geared to social and regional balance, acts as a role model.

Access to food

Ensuring the right to adequate food for poor and disadvantaged sections of the population by means of fair food systems ('from farm to fork').

Smallholder and family farming

The SDC helps smallholders and family farms to adapt to change and to boost production in a sustainable way. The UN has declared 2014 the International Year of Family Farming.

Land rights

Promoting equitable access to land and natural resources, thereby strengthening the autonomy of rural communities.

Biodiversity

Preserving crop diversity and improving seed systems, by drawing on local knowledge and valuing the conservation of traditional varieties.

Preventing desertification and soil erosion

Protecting and preserving soil fertility.

Food aid

Ensuring that people caught up in conflicts, crises and disasters are provided with basic food supplies and other goods and services.

Documents

Current projects

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Andean Regional Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change (ARIACC)

01.09.2024 - 31.08.2027

ARIACC aims to increase the resilience of Andean Family Agriculture to climate change by improving the implementation of relevant policies, building capacity, leveraging investments, scaling innovative practices and promoting regional and global knowledge exchange. Close multisectoral collaboration will ensure the sustainability and scaling of the initiative. The project builds on longstanding SDC experience in the region and consolidates successful achievements of Phase 1 while sharing them globally.


Tajikistan UNDRR - Strengthening Resilience to Disasters and Climate Change in Tajikistan (SRDCT)

01.09.2024 - 28.02.2026

Tajikistan is highly vulnerable to natural hazards and climate impacts, thus strengthening resilience needed as fundament for sustainable development. The intervention will contribute to (i) sustainable and effective mechanisms and instruments to improve risk governance through the national DRR platform,  (ii) improved risk knowledge through robust loss data collection and recording, and (iii) preparedness measures through support to multi-hazard Early Warning Systems and risk information.   


Assistance multisectorielle pour les populations affectées par les déplacements, Beni & Oicha, Nord Kivu

22.07.2024 - 31.07.2026

Les conflits armés à l’est de la RDC entrainent des déplacements récurrents de population, des violences sur les civils, la perte de moyens d’existence ainsi que des besoins humanitaires importants. Dans la continuité des deux phases antérieures, cette intervention vise à renforcer la résilience des populations affectées par les conflits par une intervention en sécurité alimentaire, moyens de subsistance et eau, hygiène et assainissement, dans 4 zones de santé du territoire de Beni, au Nord Kivu.


Responsible Business Fund Plus (RBF+)

01.07.2024 - 30.06.2028

Myanmar’s post-coup conflict escalation and economic turmoil has led to financial and economic instability and destabilised the agrifood industry. Also, extreme weather and climate change further impact farmers and agricultural processors. The Responsible Business Fund Plus project aims to support agrifood businesses while reducing their environmental impact and thus deepening Switzerland's commitment to private sector engagement and an inclusive green economy.


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.


UNHAS - Accès aux bénéficiaires en Afrique de l’Ouest

01.03.2024 - 31.12.2027

Dans un contexte d’insécurité alimentaire croissante et d’accès humanitaire précaire au Sahel, le service aérien humanitaire des Nations Unies (UNHAS) permet d’accéder aux populations dans le besoin grâce à un transport sûr et rapide de personnes et de biens. La contribution à UNHAS permettra d’atteindre les populations vulnérables dans les régions reculées ou enclavées et d’assurer le suivi des programmes suisses.


Restoring livelihoods and revitalizing rural communities affected by mines and explosive remnants of war

01.03.2024 - 31.12.2027

Humanitarian demining is one of the priorities of Swiss international cooperation program. The Federal Council decided that a total of CHF 100 million will be earmarked for humanitarian demining for 2024-2027. SDC will contribute to the restoration of agricultural livelihood activities in areas severely impacted by the war to reduce the need for external support for rural households, small-scale farmers and local producers in three focal oblasts: Kharkivska, Mykolaivska and Khersonska.


CABI PlantwisePlus

01.01.2024 - 31.12.2027

PlantwisePlus is a global programme that is supporting countries and farmers to predict, prevent and prepare themselves for plant health threats in a changing climate. This will allow farmers to reduce their crop losses and produce more and safer food using agroecological and climate-smart practices that safeguard human health and biodiversity. The programme is implemented by CABI, a leading intergovernmental research and development organization in plant health, with research facilities in Switzerland.


Sudan Conflict Affected-Populations Lifesaving Emergency Response (SCALE)

01.01.2024 - 31.12.2025

The conflict that broke out in Sudan on 15 April 2023 has led to a severe humanitarian crisis. Through the SCALE project, Mercy-Corps (MC) provides vulnerable conflict-affected and displaced individuals with Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) as well as food security and livelihoods support to meet their basic needs and enhance their coping capacities. SCALE adopts a nexus approach, leveraging MCs existing development and peacebuilding programming. Working alongside local partners, the project aims to amplify the voices of conflict-affected women and demonstrate the power of collective influence and action to address priority needs.


Contribution to Livelihood and Food Security Fund (LIFT)

01.01.2024 - 31.12.2028

The military coup in February 2021 and the escalating violence and conflict increased poverty and food insecurity among vulnerable populations, and decreased livelihood opportunities and agricultural production. The LIFT Strategy 2024-2028 tackles Myanmar’s food security and poverty crisis and aims to strengthen the resilience and the livelihoods of poor and vulnerable groups to withstand climate and other shocks. Switzerland adds value through its extensive experience in steering multi-donor funds, thematic expertise and its nexus expertise. 


National Water Resources Management Project in Uzbekistan (NWRM)

01.01.2024 - 31.12.2027

The project supports the water sector reform through the development and operationalization of strategic and regulatory framework based on a full-fledged integrated water resources management approach, embracing all water users and multi-actors’ space aligned with administrative changes. This will allow to achieve climate change resilience, food and water security, increased water productivity and improved livelihoods of the rural population in Uzbekistan.

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