New partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD) : increased support for a more equitable, secure and sustainable horticultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa

COLEAD is pleased to announce new funding from the French Development Agency (AFD) to provide sustainable support to the horticultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa. This three-year project builds on the efforts of previous phases of the Fit for Market programme and aims to reduce poverty while improving food and nutrition security in the region.

Supporting agripreneurs

The specific objective of the project is to support smallholder farmers, farmer groups and small and medium enterprises to maintain and improve their access to national, regional and international horticultural markets. This will be achieved by equipping them with the skills, practices and safe and sustainable technologies needed to take advantage of new business opportunities.

Three strategic pillars to maximise impact

The project is structured around three expected outcomes, each translated into concrete and targeted activities:

1. 1. Strengthening the capacity of horticultural operators : development projects will be co-designed with operators based on a support request mechanism and implemented through training, coaching, technical assistance and dissemination of updated resources on market requirements (SPS standards, environmental and social criteria, etc.).
   2. Support for professional organisations : producer organisations and support structures will also benefit from tailor-made development projects aimed at strengthening their role as technical and strategic intermediaries and improving their capacity to provide services in line with market developments.
   3. A participatory analysis will help to identify and prioritise the main barriers to exporting to the European Union : market intelligence activities will complement these efforts and provide valuable insights to support the dialogue between public authorities and private sector representatives.

Geographical coverage targeted

This funding is exclusively dedicated to countries in sub-Saharan Africa, responding to a large number of requests for additional support already received through programmes such as FFM+. The final selection of countries to benefit from this new initiative will be confirmed at the start of the implementation phase.

This new partnership with AFD is a great opportunity to consolidate the achievements of COLEAD and its partners in building a horticulture sector that is more inclusive, competitive and resilient to climate and economic challenges. We are excited to once again combine technical expertise and long-term vision to support agricultural value chains in Africa.

This activity is supported by the Trade Capacity Building Program (TCBP), implemented by COLEAD, with financial support from the French Republic through the French Development Agency (AFD). This communication has been produced with the financial support of AFD. Its content is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the position of AFD.