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Agroecology Promotion Programme APP


Switzerland has been one of the front-runners positioning agroecology globally to support food systems transformation, notably following the aftermath of the UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021. This Agroecology Promotion Programme strengthens this momentum, by supporting the capacitation of, dissemination and implementation by leveraging actors to further embed agroecology within the civil society, policies and markets, globally, in Sub-Sahara Africa and South-East Asia.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Africa
Global
Mekong
Agriculture & food security
Governance
Vocational training
Employment & economic development
Agricultural policy
Food security policy
Agricultural services & market
Agricultural co-operatives & farmers’ organisations
Democratic participation and civil society
Advanced professional training
Agricultural land resources
SME development
01.02.2023 - 30.04.2028
 CHF  9’700’000
The project in brief
Background The past few years have seen increasing severe strains leading to a global crisis in terms of food security and nutrition, in particular in Sub-Sahara Africa and South-East Asia. Under the momentum of the UN Food Systems in 2021, a growing set of actors are positioning agroecology as a compass to support food systems transformation. Further efforts are required to trigger real systemic change, by empowering civil society, informing and influencing policies, and seeing the development of agroecological markets notably by empowering the consumers to demand for more agroecological healthy products – and to connect these developments from the local to the global level.
Objectives Agroecology is broadly promoted as a pathway for food systems transformation to truly sustainable, resilient, localised and healthy food systems, worldwide and in particular in Sub-Sahara Africa and South-East Asia.
Target groups

Direct beneficiaries:

  1. farmers, consumers, women, youth, policy makers, agroecological entrepreneurs, grass-root organisations, directly engaged in the activities
  2. the institutions partnered with, a share of them benefiting from institutional support through core funding to enhance their own business models, added value and sustainability
Medium-term outcomes

Outcome 1 : Civil society stimulates, as organisations, rural populations, women, youth, smallholder farmers, are empowered to act upon, demand, and implement improved food systems through agroecology.

Outcome 2 : Policies progress, as policy-makers and governmental officials recognise the value of agroecology and adopt it as a means / compass to transform their national and regional food systems.

Outcome 3 : Markets develop, as market actors (consumers, producers, small and medium enterprises) gain further knowledge, networking and financial resources to align with agroecological principles and generate appealing and economically sound localised and healthy markets.
Results

Expected results:  

  • Agroecology is formally adopted within the remaining Rio Conventions
  • 2 regional networks are strengthened and regionally anchored, one in Africa and one in Asia, serving a strong member-base for agroecology
  • ASEAN has developed a regional Agroecology Guideline, while the African Union further aligns its continental strategy to the agroecology principles
  • CHF 5 Mio. is provided to support conversion to agroecological practices
  • At least 3 countries have seen the health of their people improve through nutrition-sensitive policies and developed agroecological markets linking producers and consumers


Results from previous phases:  

Results of the Opening Phase :

  • Scoping assessment done to identify needs, gaps and actors in the agroecological space globally, in Sub-Sahara Africa and in South-East Asia
  • Consultations led for the development of each component (Addis/Africa, Siem Reap/Cambodia, virtual/Global), gathering potential partners and SCOs
  • 4 organisational audits and one partner risk dialogue led
Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Project partners Contract partner
International or foreign NGO
  • Other international or foreign NGO North
  • IFOAM Organics International (for the Global Component), Biovision Africa Trust (for the Sub-Sahara Africa Component), and GRET (for the South-East Asia Component)


Coordination with other projects and actors

Coordination and mutual exchanges with existing partners: CGIAR, TPP, icipe, CABI, GFRAS, and the Rome-Based Agencies (FAO, IFAD, WFP).

Coordination and mutual exchanges with existing projects: CROPS4HD (notably in Chad, Niger, Tanzania), RUNRES (notably in Ethiopia, Rwanda), NICE (notably in Kenya, Rwanda), SysCom (notably in Kenya), Nurture (in Cambodia).

Swiss Cooperation Offices which have expressed interest and thematic opportunities (Benin, Mali, Burkina, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Cambodia, Laos)
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    9’700’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    1’606’454 Total project since first phase Swiss budget CHF   200’000
Project phases Phase 1 01.02.2023 - 30.04.2028   (Current phase)
  • Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation AGRICULTURE
    OTHER MULTISECTOR
    EDUCATION
    GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
    AGRICULTURE
    AGRICULTURE
    INDUSTRY
    Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation
    Agricultural policy and administrative management
    Food security policy
    Advanced technical and managerial training
    Democratic participation and civil society
    Agricultural services
    Agricultural co-operatives
    Agricultural land resources
    Agricultural co-operatives
    Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) development
    Cross-cutting topics The project promotes biodiversity.
    The project supports partner organisation improvements as a priority
    The project also supports partner organisation improvements
    Aid Type Mandate without fiduciary fund
    Project and programme contribution
    Project number

    7F11066

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Last update 08.05.2020