FAO supports youth and women to establish agri-preneurial projects through ‘Nabta’
After the outstanding success in encouraging more than 250 young people and women to establish small agri-businesses that contribute to the improvement of agriculture towards a better production, and create employment opportunities for a better living, FAO in the Syrian Arab Republic is re-launching its agri-preneurship programme ‘Nabta’ to assist those with bright ideas engage in effective businesses.
“A healthy entrepreneurial environment is key for establishing resilience in emerging agricultural markets,” says Alfredo Impiglia, FAO Chief Technical Advisor of the UK Aid (FCDO)-funded
Building Local Resilience in Syria (BLRS) project: “‘Nabta’, which is the Arabic word for ‘seedling’, is FAO’s extended arm of support to young and aspiring agri-preneurs to keep them interested in agriculture and strengthen their capabilities to inject innovative and profitable ideas into the Syrian market,”.
Alfredo adds: “Nabta is perfectly aligned with the FAO strategic framework seeking to support the 2030 Agenda through the transformation to more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, better environment and better lives, leaving no one behind.”
The programme will be implemented under the BLRS project, with funding from UK Aid in Aleppo, Hama and Homs governorates, where 1 500 participants will undertake the initial business ideation training, and in Rural Damascus with the support of the Adaptation Fund (AF) to exclusively support 70 women in the initial round of training as well.
FAO Nabta programme will build on the expertise of a large team of ‘Nabta’ trainers who were accredited by the Organization in previous ‘Nabta’ cycles. The trainers will cascade their business and management knowledge in the agricultural landscape to the 1 570 participants across Syria who will participate in the business ideation training phase.
The 480 most outstanding participants in the first phase will be then selected based on a carefully designed set of criteria to proceed to the business development phase, from which a maximum of 160 viable agri-business proposals will be approved to receive a business grant and mentorship from the BLRS project; and up to 10 proposals will be supported in a similar way by the Adaptation Fund. The support will ensure that the selected entrepreneurs will successfully establish and nurture their newly founded agricultural enterprises.