Malawi kicks off a new project to propel development of the banana value chain: One Country One Priority Product
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Malawi through the Ministry of Agriculture kicked off the implementation of a new project to promote the sustainable development of banana as a Special Agricultural Product (SAP) in Malawi, aiming to improve food security, nutrition and livelihoods at scale.
This project, Innovative Approaches for Better Plant Production (FMM/GLO/177/MUL), is under the main programme Climate Change and Agriculture of Flexible Voluntary Contribution (FVC), previously known as Flexible Multi-Partner Mechanism (FMM). It is linked to the Umbrella Programme in support of the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative. The project will be implemented from 01 December 2022 to 31 December 2023 in five countries covering all FAO regions, including Malawi, representing the Africa Region, which promotes banana as a SAP.
The workshop was attended by over 80 participants from across Africa and other countries outside the continent, participating both online and in person. Participants included technical experts, representatives from the research community, private sector and representatives of the Government of Malawi, such as the Senior Deputy Director for Agriculture Research, David Kamangira, who represented the secretary for agriculture as the guest of honour:
“From the presentations, we have seen that banana is a key value chain for Malawi in terms of not only nutrition, but also bringing financial gains,” he commented.
Marking the project kick-off, FAO representative in Malawi, Zhijun Chen, highlighted the Malawi’s banana unique qualities and special characteristics, and that this SAP will contribute to the transformation to more efficient, inclusive resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.
“The project will assist Malawi in initiating the implementation of the OCOP Initiative through the adoption and promotion of innovative approaches for better production and marketing of banana. It aims to promote access to green innovation by farmers and farming communities to optimize agrifood systems, minimize negative impacts of agriculture and climate change, while maximizing income and profits, creating decent job for the youth and women in the rural areas,” he said.
The inception workshop raised OCOP awareness and its importance in supporting small-scale farmers, national priorities, the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at national level. It also provided a platform to inform stakeholders about the project activities and expected outputs, and to develop a detailed implementation plan for the project, calling upon relevant actors to support, participate and promote actively the implementation of FAO country project on OCOP.
Malawi is one of five demonstration countries implementing the Innovative Approaches for Better Plant Production project. In Malawi, the project will assist the country to initiate the implementation of the OCOP through the adoption and promotion of innovative approaches for better banana production and marketing.
Implemented in collaboration with the Government of Malawi through the Ministry of Agriculture, the intended outcomes of this project are strengthened food security, improved daily balanced diets, and increased income of smallholders and family farmers in Malawi.
More about OCOP
OCOP was initially launched by the FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu in September 2021. It focuses on developing SAPs, which have unique qualities and special characteristics associated with geographical locations, farming practices and cultural heritages. They are important examples of underutilized resources that have not received the same attention as more commonly known agricultural products, but which can significantly contribute to ensuring food security and healthy diets, supporting a sustainable bioeconomy and improving farmers’ livelihoods and economic growth, while protecting the environment and biodiversity. Its aim is to address the increasing challenges faced by smallholders and family farmers and to support the achievement of country’s aspirations as articulated in the national vision, Malawi 2063. These objectives also align with the FAO aspirations of achieving the Four Betters - Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, and Better Life – leaving no one behind and ultimately achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) (https://www.fao.org/one-country-one-priority-product/en)
Regional Knowledge Platform on One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) in Africa (https://www.fao.org/one-country-one-priority-product/africa/en)
Supporting Malawi’s banana industry (https://www.fao.org/africa/news/detail-news/en/c/1630377/)
