Smallholder Sustainability Upscaling Programme - Phase II

Context

Smallholder farmers in developing countries represent a substantial portion of the global agricultural workforce which is estimated at around 1 billion people. This represents more than a quarter of all the people in employment in the world of which around 475 million are households involved in small-scale farming. By supporting smallholder farmers, development initiatives can address the root causes of poverty, create substantial impacts on local and national economies, and promote environmental conservation and resilience against climate change. 

Despite their significant contributions, smallholder farmers face numerous challenges that hinder their productivity and overall well-being. There is a need to promote more sustainable, nutrition-sensitive and environmentally friendly agricultural practices that also better include women.

Objectives

The Smallholder Sustainability Upscaling Programme (SSNUP) aims to improve the livelihoods of smallholder households within sustainable agrifood systems, by strengthening their resilience, income and productivity through a systemic agricultural value chain development approach promoting socially, economically and environmentally sustainable practices, from agroecological production to nutritious food consumption. 

Beneficiaries

The project targets smallholder households, agricultural value chain actors and investors in agriculture. Smallholder households will benefit from improved productivity, income, and resilience. Agricultural value chain actors will receive support to provide solutions to smallholder farmers and facilitate their growth. Investors in agriculture will benefit from technical assistance and investment de-risking mechanisms.

Target geographical area

The programme covers developing countries with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa and the United Nation’s Least Developed Countries.

Stakeholders

The programme is implemented with various stakeholders including local service providers, impact investors, and knowledge management partners. Key partners include the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness Programme (CASA), the TechnoServe Coalition for Smallholder Sourcing, ACELI Africa, and FASA.