Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

The Strategic Alliance involving private, public, European and Moldovan stakeholders aims at the establishment of an efficient value chain in the area of organic agriculture, with a special focus on organic sunflower seeds in Moldova according to European and international standards.

Expected results

(1) Total farm land of 10.000 ha are converted to organic owned by the farmers and able to produce organic sunflower according to international and EU standards (EU directive on organic production).

(2) Organic sunflower processing facility with a capacity of 4000 MT per year is up and running and in addition a storage capacity is set up with 2000 m²

(3) The total production of organic sunflower expected to reach 20.000 tons/year at the end of the project

(4) At least 30 indirect jobs are created through the project

(5) Local farmers have solid understanding of the organic sunflower agriculture, its feasibility and environmental impact

(6) Local farmers are supplying organic sunflower on a regular basis in consistent and steadily increasing quantities.

(7) Public awareness of consumers for locally grown organic sunflower increases and locally produced organic goods are locally consumed

(8) Contribution towards the reduction of poverty in rural areas of Moldova through at least 20% smallholders included in the value chain.

(9) Establishment of an efficient market for organic sunflower in Moldova with multiple stakeholders involved

Target group / Beneficiaries

The conventional farming sector is targeted in the project across the whole country in order to start the conversion process of approx. 10,000 ha of farmland towards organic farming. 20% of reached farmers shall be smallholders. 100 local farmers will be directly trained (train-the-trainers) in order to convert their farmland for organic sunflower seed production, with in total 300 workers (20% of which are women) are trained on organic farming. 1 storage facility, 1 processing facility, a research institution to raise awareness and collect data on cost-benefits of organic compared to conventional farming, as well as two public institutions and 1 NGO, will directly benefit from the intervention. In particular policy advice as to make Moldovan organic sunflower export ready according to EU standards, will be given and farmers incentivized to produce organically. It is expected that 50 farmers will convert at a later stage once the benefits of organic farming have been demonstrated. 30 jobs will be created through the project. An organic sunflower processing facility with a capacity of 4000 MT per year is up and running and in addition a storage capacity is set up with 2000 m².

Activities

To achieve the objective, the following measures will be taken:

- Mobilize conventional farmers for organic production and farming and raise awareness on the opportunities, standards for conversion, and inform and launch certification process;

- Start conversion process to organic farming with extensive training and consulting for farmers and stakeholders

- Strengthen farmer capacity to produce organic to guarantee access to market

- Improve access to organic through structural measures with public institutions from the organic sector, thereby creating market linkages and marketing opportunities

- Prepare research and additional organic sunflower and spelt seeds, fertilizer and protection registration

Context

The project aims at launching a bottom up reform in the sunflower sector so as to delimitate the organic sunflower production from the conventional one and then build it up into a new sector. The organic sunflower in Moldova has great potential of growth (based on the exponential growth of conventional sunflower production and exports).