By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

EAST LANSING, Mich. — A team of Michigan State University researchers were recently awarded a $7.9 million grant to improve agriculture and food security in Mozambique, Africa.

The four-year grant, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, was awarded to MSU and the University of Florida. The initiative employs trilateral cooperation, which involves collaboration between two donor countries helping one beneficiary country – in this case, the U.S. and Brazil assisting Mozambique – said Steven Hanson, chair of the MSU Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics.

Brazil has a rapidly developing agricultural economy with climate and soil conditions similar to those in Mozambique, and both nations share the common language of Portuguese.

“This is a new approach. It is a different kind of partnership,” Hanson said. “MSU has a long history of working in Mozambique. We bring that experience to the table. It is interesting to have partners in Brazil who are doing work in technological development in climates, soils and ecosystems that are similar to those in Mozambique. “MSU’s long-term work in Africa, along with our depth of experience in assessing the impact of major, multiyear projects, brings a level of expertise that helps ensure the project’s success.”

David Tschirley, a professor of international development in the MSU Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Economics, has been working in Mozambique for more than 20 years. During that time, he said Mozambique has transformed in many ways with much of it occurring in urban areas. Through this initiative, the research team will focus on positively impacting farmers in rural areas, too.

The project, which launched earlier this spring, has two primary components. The first is to improve productivity and marketing of fresh produce in southern Mozambique. Currently, about 80 percent of the area’s fresh produce comes from South Africa, since farmers in Mozambique have poor access to good seed and limited education about how to improve their production methods, according to Tschirley. “We will be focusing very much on small, poor farmers in Mozambique. The reality is that they have enough education and resources that they can learn to respond to some of the new technologies. A challenge is to help them use technology and learn how to compete better in the markets,” he said.

Tschirley said conditions are ideal for growing crops such as tomatoes, leafy green vegetables, onions, cabbage, potatoes and others.
Second, the initiative will create a school-feeding pilot program, which will rely on local farmers to supply much of the food to schools. In return, the farmers will receive training and access to technology to support the new market. The long-term goal will be to expand this program nationwide.

Tschirley said MSU will provide research and guidance for the design of investments in Mozambique’s horticultural system and analyze the impact of the school-feeding program on participating children, their families and farmers supplying the schools. “Over the last several years, school feeding programs all over the world have come to be seen as a cost-effective and visible way of improving nutritional and educational outcomes for children,” Tschirley said. “A key is to not just use international food aid, but instead to use homegrown school feeding and procuring products locally.

“It provides an opportunity to turn children into extension agents for their families, in terms of learning about nutrition and good eating habits.”
Located on the southeastern coast of Africa with a population of about 23 million, Mozambique remains one of the world’s poorest nations, with malnutrition being a widespread problem. Major food crops include corn, cassava, beans, peanuts and sorghum. Vegetable production is also expanding rapidly.