Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

The people of Moldova, in particular the most vulnerable, have access to enhanced livelihood opportunities, decent work and productive employment, generated by sustainable, inclusive and equitable economic growth; and benefit from enhanced environmental governance, energy security, sustainable management of natural resources, and climate and disaster resilient development.

Expected results

1: At least 7,000 farmers (30% women farmers and/or including 15% young people) are able to plant for the spring and autumn seasons (2 production seasons).

2: Small farmers apply climate-smart agriculture and other innovative techniques to increase resilience to climate change, including resilient crop production, conservative agriculture, and integrated plant protection.

3: 1,000 (200 women and young people) small agricultural producers have better access to markets and income generating activities with sustainable and green methods.

4: 10 smallholder farms and 20 households derive their energy supply from energy-efficient technologies (biomass boilers in greenhouses, photovoltaic, among others).

Target group / Beneficiaries

The interventions target in particular the vulnerable rural population, households with three or more children, women-headed households and rural women in general:

- 7,000 small farmers (30% women farmers and/or women owned farms and 15% young people)

- 1,000 rural population (including young-people, households with three children and more, women-headed households and rural women in general) to benefit from capacity building

- 10 women headed smallholder farms and 20 women- initiators of economic activities within the households to benefit from energy-efficient technologies

Activities

The contribution will help mitigate the socioeconomic impact of the war in Ukraine by 1) supporting small farmers with agricultural inputs through seeds and seedlings of cereals, vegetables and other early maturing crops (e.g., corn, sunflower, peas, spring barley, sugar beet, and soybean), feed and fodders for animals; and 2) building small farmers' (particularly women-headed farms') capacity to apply climate-resilient energy-efficient technologies.

Context

In Moldova, 30% of imports are from Russia and Ukraine. As a result of the war, a sharp rise in prices has been attested; due to the disruption of the supply chain, structural changes affect the market.

The limited access to agriculture inputs is affecting the food security situation in Moldova through an expected decrease in yield (50% less compared to the previous year) of the main products such as corn, wheat and sunflower as well as of some vegetables included in the basket for the population food security. Moreover, the high price of the food products impacts on the access of the most vulnerable population to basic food products.

In Moldova, households consisting of five and more persons face a poverty risk that is 2.2 times higher than for households consisting of one person, according to the statistics published by the National Bureau of Statistics in 2020.

The rural population is exposed to a bigger poverty risk than the urban population. Since a significant part of the rural population is engaged in subsistence agricultural activities, the risk of falling below the poverty line currently is even higher taking into consideration the energy and security crisis and climate-related extreme events.

Rural population is increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts, especially women and women-led households, who are not able to ensure water, food and energy supply for their families. Moreover, rural poor have limited knowledge regarding the sustainable and environment-friendly agricultural and forestry practices that would increase the adaptation and resilience capacities of communities and ecosystems.