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The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) have signed two agreements for the implementation of projects aimed at protecting the miombo forest and facilitating trade in the border region between Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The agreements were signed on July 31, 2024 in Maputo.
These projects, valued at just over $8 million, will be funded by Italy within the framework of the Mattei Plan for Africa. The initiatives are designed to promote sustainable development and cooperation between Mozambique and Zimbabwe by increasing food security, improving livelihoods, and promoting resilience against environmental and economic challenges.
The first project, Integrated Transboundary Sustainable Management of Miombo Forests, aims to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of the Miombo forest shared by Mozambique and Zimbabwe. This forest is vital for millions of people in rural areas, providing essential resources such as firewood, food, and water.
The project will focus on sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and enhancing community-based management practices. It will directly benefit 5,000 families in selected areas, promoting gender equality and youth participation. This initiative aligns with the Protocol and the Maputo Declaration (2022) on sustainable and integrated management of Miombo woodlands, adopted in August 2022.
The second project, the "Zim-Moza Agriculture Value Chain & Trade Development Project" (Zim-Moza ATDP), is linked to the development of the agricultural value chain and trade between Mozambique and Zimbabwe. By improving market access, enhancing production practices, and fostering cross-border collaboration, the Zim-Moza ATDP aims to boost the economic prospects of smallholder farmers and agribusinesses. Key focus areas include citrus, pineapple, banana, coffee, macadamia, maize, and various horticultural products. The initiative will address barriers to trade, support value addition, and enhance the competitiveness of agricultural products in both local and international markets.
These two projects represent a significant step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and enhancing the livelihoods of rural communities. The Miombo woodland is a vast African dryland forest ecosystem covering close to 2.7 million square kilometres across southern Africa, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Miombo is a biome that includes tropical and subtropical grasslands, bushlands, and savannahs. It also encompasses four bio-regions and is responsible for maintaining the Greater Zambezi, one of the most important transnational river basins.
Teresa Pinto, the representative of the Mozambican Ministry of Land and Environment, said, “These initiatives will allow our country and Zimbabwe to implement coordinated actions and cross-border surveillance to combat the illegal trade in forest resources.”
FAO representative in Mozambique, José Fernandes, noted, “These forests are not just a source of biodiversity, they are a lifeline for millions of people who depend on them for firewood, food, shelter, medicines, and water.” According to Fernandes, the FAO is committed to ensuring that at least 50 per cent of the beneficiaries of these activities are women and 30 per cent are young people. “In doing so, we aim to promote inclusive growth and build resilient communities, capable of thriving despite environmental and economic challenges,” he said.
The Italian ambassador, Gianni Bardini, added that the projects will mobilise resources and guarantee the sustainability of the miombo forest. “The initiatives will strengthen regional integration as well as tackle common challenges, including promoting agriculture and food security, covering close to 5,000 families in selected areas,” he said.