Mozambique

In 2002, African Heads of State launched the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP). Its primary goal is agriculture-led economic growth for Africa. This aspiration is encompassed in the 2003 Maputo Declaration commitment by African governments to invest 10% of national budgets in agriculture.

This would be a significant increase on the current average of 4.5% and of critical importance to small-scale farmers in Mozambique, where about 3.2 million farmers with less than 2 hectares of land each contribute 95 percent of the value of the agricultural sector but are excluded from policy making processes affecting their livelihoods.

ACORD in Mozambique is empowering farmers to actively participate in decision making processes affecting their food security, advocating for pro-poor, HIV/AIDS and gender sensitive food sovereignty and agricultural policies with local and national administrations.

 Ongoing projects

Women from Magude small-scale farmers' association display tomatoes freshly harvested from the irrigation scheme. Photo by Nashon/ACORD

ACORD has been working in Mozambique since 1989 implementing various poverty alleviation and natural resource management programmes. ACORD aims to strengthen the livelihoods of marginalised communities and their capacity to advocate for their rights and achieve food sovereignty. To this end ACORD is implementing a combination of practical and advocacy activities

 >> To address the immediate needs of farming communities, ACORD is establishing food barns and demonstration farms in food insecure locations. These communities select their Community Food Barn Committees (CFBC) to lead and manage construction and management of the barns. The barns provide rental services to their community's farmers (at least 50% are women) and retain 10% of the drought persistent seeds harvested, for seed banking

>> To increase the capacity of communities to engage in policy formulation processes, ACORD facilitates a combination of policy analysis, training (on participatory development, policy literacy, land and food rights, advocacy, civil society dialogue), alliance building, knowledge sharing and advocacy at the local and national levels.

>> To promote linkages to high quality HIV/AIDS related services to enable themselves and communities to reduce the impact of the pandemic on agricultural production.

Where we work

ACORD works in two of the poorest provinces in Mozambique, Niassa in the North of the country and Inhambane on the South Coast.


View ACORD in Mozambique in a larger map

Communities in Mozambique tell their stories

In Sanga district in the extreme North of Mozambique ACORD is helping communities to overcome food insecurity by enhancing food production and storage. In the first half of 2010 four community food barns were constructed in food insecure locations. Communities volunteered land for construction and labour for brick-making and these food barns are now being used to store crops as well as a market place for the sale of surplus production.

Mr. Said Mbwana Massogo, a farmer in Matcheje recounts: "Yes, we need to increase our production, but our priority need is proper storage. Elephants easily destroy our traditional barns and destroy our harvest. Now with this cement constructed barn the elephants will not manage to destroy them and our harvest will be safe. We have suffered for so long and now this is a sure end to our suffering."

Read more about the Community Food Barns Project here.

Our partners in Mozambique

ROSA (National Network of Organisations Working on Food Sovereignty) is ACORD's main partner in civil society mobilisation and advocacy. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and ACORD have been working with the communities in Sanga District, Niassa Province on projects involving natural resource management. ACORD in Mozambique receives valuable support from DFID, Oxfam Hong Kong, Jersey Overseas Aid and Millennium Challenge Account Mozambique.

 Photos, videos and publications


Attaining to vulnerability to HIV and AIDS in food insecure settings in sub-Saharan Africa. A synthesis report of Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi and Mozambique.

english


ARV community knowledge, awareness, accessibility & the policy environment. A compendium report of Tanzania, Mozambique and Burkina Faso.
english  |  français  |  português


Moamba Farmers Association
View photo slideshow




Photos of ACORD's work in Mozambique can be sent upon request. Contact us by e-mail

 How you can support communities in Mozambique

Financial donations and in-kind support to ACORD's Mozambique Area Programme go a long way in providing support to farmers and CSOs in food insecure locations in Mozambique addressing their immediate needs as well as long term development challenges. These act as crucial capacity building factors for successful implementation of our projects. Commitments and ownership by communities themselves to sustain their own facilities ensures that our programmes have a lasting impact on their livelihoods and their development.

Make a donation now! For more information on our work in please sign up to our newsletter, visit your nearest ACORD office or call us.

  • mozambique
  • CAADP

    Africa can feed itself so what’s going wrong? Watch the video and learn more about CAADP, the continental roadmap to sustainable agriculture
    Read more on ACORD's work in Agriculture and food security.

    Contact us in Mozambique

    You are welcome to contact the ACORD programme in Mozambique:

    •  by email