New projects to safeguard Miombo forest, boost food security in Mozambique & Zimbabwe

Sub : Env

Sec: Protected Area

Context:

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) signed agreements on July 31, 2024, in Maputo (Mozambique) for projects protecting the miombo forest and facilitating trade between Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Funded by Italy, these projects are valued at over $8 million under the Mattei Plan for Africa.
Aimed at promoting sustainable development, food security, improved livelihoods, and resilience against environmental and economic challenges.

Integrated Transboundary Sustainable Management of Miombo Forests:

Focuses on protecting, restoring, and sustainably using the Miombo forest shared by Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Provides essential resources like firewood, food, and water to millions in rural areas.
Directly benefits 5,000 families, promoting gender equality and youth participation.
Aligns with the 2022 Protocol and Maputo Declaration on sustainable Miombo woodlands management.

Zim-Moza Agriculture Value Chain & Trade Development Project (Zim-Moza ATDP):

Aims to develop agricultural value chains and trade between Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Focuses on market access, production practices, and cross-border collaboration.
Target crops like citrus, pineapple, banana, coffee, macadamia, maize, and various horticultural products.
Addresses trade barriers, supports value addition, and enhances competitiveness in local and international markets.

Project Impacts and Significance:

Supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and improves rural community livelihoods.
The Miombo woodland covers 2.7 million square kilometres in southern Africa, vital for maintaining the Greater Zambezi River basin.
Promotes sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and community-based management practices.

Miombo woodland:

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.

Source: DTE