Improving Resilience in Food Security
For Small Holder Farmers in Zambia and Zimbabwe
About MASAP
MASAP’s Impact
Through its dedicated efforts, MASAP has made significant strides in empowering communities and transforming agricultural practices, with tangible outcomes:
• 23,936 Persons with Better Employment: MASAP’s interventions have led to improved employment opportunities, uplifting individuals and families across Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• 5,563 Smallholder Farmers (SHFs) with Increased Incomes: By enhancing access to markets and supporting seed production, MASAP has enabled thousands of smallholder farmers to achieve greater financial stability.
MASAP’s Outcomes
• 28,314 SHFs Reached: MASAP has successfully reached a wide network of smallholder farmers, extending its support to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience.
• 23,936 SHFs with Access to Markets: Access to markets is vital for smallholder farmers’ economic success, and MASAP has facilitated market linkages for thousands of farmers.
• 5,195 SHFs Engaged in Seed Production: By engaging smallholder farmers in seed production activities, MASAP has strengthened seed systems and enhanced farmers’ self-reliance.
• 5 Multi-Stakeholder Policy Engagement Platforms: MASAP fosters dialogue between project stakeholders and policymakers, facilitating evidence-based exchanges to drive policy changes.
The Outputs
• 7 Farmer Associations Strengthened: MASAP’s support has bolstered farmer associations, empowering them to provide essential services to their peers.
• 23,936 SHFs Increased Access to Certified Seed: Access to high-quality seeds is critical for agricultural productivity, and MASAP has ensured that thousands of farmers have access to certified seeds of supported small grains and legumes.
• 100% Women Empowered as Leaders: Strengthened farmer groups under MASAP have ensured gender inclusivity, with women empowered as leaders in all supported associations.
• Over 23,000 SHFs More Resilient to Climate Change: MASAP’s interventions have equipped farmers with resilience-building strategies, enabling them to better cope with the adverse effects of climate change.
• 1 Public-Private Partnership Established: MASAP has facilitated a partnership in essential goods and services (EGS) production and marketing, fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors.
• 20 Business Models and Value Chain Mechanisms Supported: MASAP’s support for business models and value chain mechanisms has promoted innovation and sustainable economic growth.
MASAP's Societal Impact
In essence, MASAP plays a pivotal role in driving systemic changes and improving policies related to agriculture and food security. It ensures that these policies adequately support the needs and interests of sectors involved in small grains and legumes, with a particular emphasis on inclusivity for gender and youth. Moreover, MASAP aims to strengthen value chains, ultimately leading to enhanced livelihoods for smallholder farmers (SHFs), improved food security, and increased adaptability to market demands.
MASAP Components and Specific Outcomes
Component 1: Adoption and utilisation of small grains and legume seeds by smallholder farmers.
Outcome 1: Sustainable Farmer groups and associations provide services that lead to smallholder farmers – in particular women and youth- having higher and diversified incomes resulting from the adoption and utilisation of small grains and legume seeds and sales of these commodities.
Component 2: Private Sector Engagement.
Outcome 2: Sustainable and predictable availability of EGS, access to affordable quality seeds of small grain and legume and related services by smallholder farmers through increased engagement of the private sector (market establishment and/or improvement).
Component 3: Policy engagement and action learning research
Outcome 3: Gender and youth responsive enabling policy environment supportive of small grains and legumes sectors’ needs and interests developed.
Target Groups
MASAP expects to reach approximately 94 000 SHFs (direct and indirect beneficiaries) and 5300 seed producers (direct beneficiaries) through the establishment of seed farmer groups or associations and support to emerging second-tier seed companies with a 60% and 40% increased women and youth participation respectively.
The primary target group for phase 1 receiving direct support from the project are smallholder farmers seed and commodity producers in the target districts of Sioma, Chipata, Mudzi and Tsholotsho as well as farmer groups, associations, researchers, Agro-processors, breeders, and policymakers. MASAP primary beneficiaries are further grouped according to levels of intervention ranging from the micro level (SHFs) to the macro level (policymakers).
The secondary target group indirectly benefitting from MASAP investments are family members of SHFs and the wider society. Overall MASAP aims to improve livelihoods and resilience among thousands of SHFs in Zambia and Zimbabwe. MASAP facilitates systemic change and aims that agricultural, seeds and food security policies support small grains and legumes sectors’ needs and interests, and that they are gender and youth-responsive. Furthermore, MASAP aims to establish a stronger value chain thereby improving SHF livelihoods, food security and response to market demands.
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