Mozambique

The main focus for SCC support in Southern Africa has been to promote sustainable agricultural production and food security. A key issue is increased participation of small-scale farmers’, so that they are able to access appropriate technology and knowledge, inputs and remunerative producer markets, as well as establish a strong voice in policy and institution building processes. Therefore, the strategy has been to strengthen the institutional capacity of farmers’ own organisations, which comprise the bulk of SCC partners in the region.

In 2002, SCC entered an agreement with the provincial farmers union in Manica, UCAMA (União Provincial dos Camponeses de Manica). Due to increasing organisational difficulties at province level, however, SCC decided in early 2006 to switch support from UCAMA directly to one of its member organisations – the district farmers’ union in Baraue. SCCs support to UDAC consists of capacity building, including training in how to negotiate for better prices and to reduce marketing costs when farmers sell as an organised group. The project promotes the formation of commodity associations, thus enhancing democratic participation and decision making.

In 2003, SCC decided to tender for a development programme in the Niassa province. Niassa is one of the poorest and most isolated provinces in Mozambique. Poor peopl