Services in the SDC Markets and Seeds Access Project (MASAP) in Zambia and Zimbabwe during Inception phase July -November 2021
The overall goal of the MASAP project is to improve resilience in food security of smallholder households (especially women and youth) by increasing adoption and utilisation of improved open and self-pollinated varieties of small grains (sorghum and millets) and legumes (cowpeas and groundnuts). This will be made possible through strengthening the seed and commodity value chains in Zambia and Zimbabwe. The project’s broad three outcomes include:
(1) sustainable community owned enterprises and associations provide services that lead to smallholder farmers – in particular women and youth – having higher and diversified incomes resulting from adoption, utilisation and sales of small grain and legume seeds and commodities;
(2) sustainable and predictable availability of Early Generation Seeds (EGS), access to affordable quality seeds of small grain and legume and related services by smallholder farmers through increased engagement of the private sector;
(3) national agricultural and food security policies, as well as private sector plans, supportive of small grains and legumes sectors’ needs and interests, and that are gender and youth responsive, are developed and implemented.
The main purpose of the MASAP inception phase, between 20th July-30th November 2021, is to develop a credible and feasible ProDoc that clearly defines the project objectives and targets and how the project will be implemented to reach these. The MASAP Core Team members will contribute to the development of a comprehensive document that establishes the basis for SDC´s invest and it is from the data in the ProDoc logframe that the MASAP achievements will be measured.
The tender for implementing the SDC funded Markets and Seed Access Project (MASAP) was awarded to NIRAS A/S in Denmark. Their sub-contractors are Community Technology Development Organisation (based in Zimbabwe) and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) based in Switzerland. Svalöf Consulting is contracted by NIRAS A/S as sub-consultant for the services of the Project Manager.