Food security and commercialization in a gender perspective – Zambezia, Mozambique

Zambezia is one of the poorest provinces in Mozambique and Southern Africa: its population counts almost exclusively on agriculture production to ensure its own food security, which very often remains at risk, due to the utilization of rudimental production techniques and to the lack of adequate infrastructures.
Those deficiencies have been further deepened by climate changes, that had strong consequences on crop yields, as well as on transport routes and water supply tools.

 
The intervention “Sustainable resilience strenghtening in the communities in Mocubela and Pebane districts – Zambézia”, realized with support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, commits itself to act on population reaction capacities against each one of the abovementioned critical elements. We’ll enhance the conditions of production and conservation of agricultural products in the area, and promote their commercialization, by improving transport and water supply infrastructures.

 
Barns and wells will be provided, producers and resource management authorities will be educated and about 30 km of routes in the region will be improved, with the construction of a strategic bridge, allowing better communication in the region and enhancing both production and commercial processes. In a long term perspectives, we will work to strengthen institutions and civil society’s capacities in the management of climate emergencies.
In this sense, awareness rising campaigns will proceed, with a special focus on economic, social and political women empowerment. Women, in fact, have a fundamental development role in the area and they represent an active part in the agricultural production and resource management processes.