ENHANCING PRO-SMALLHOLDER FARMERS POLICIES ON AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES, BIODIVERSITY RESTORATION, AND MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD.

Duration: July-2023 to date

Background of the project

The Civic Social Protection Foundation (CSP) is currently executing a project that  “Enhancing Pro-Smallholder Farmers Policies on Agroforestry Practices, Biodiversity Restoration, and Management for Sustainable Livelihood” funded by Vi Agroforestry organization. It is a three-years initiative (2023 – 2025), covering six districts in three regions which are Kagera (Karagwe DC), Mara region (Butiama DC, Tarime DC, Serengeti DC, Bunda DC ) and Dodoma (Kondoa DC). The CSP is responsible for implementing the policy advocacy component of the program, with the aim of improving smallholder farmers’ family food and nutrition security, sustainable livelihoods, gender equality, resilience while enhancing biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.

The intervention is sought to enable citizens to collectively engage in holding the states accountable at local, regional, national, and international levels regarding promotion, funding, and implementation of agroforestry policies and strategies by the government as well as enhancing political will to drive evidence-based policy changes for the betterment of smallholder farmers’ families. The Key targeted groups for this intervention are the partner organizations (farmer-led NGOs), government officials and policymakers from the local and national levels. Others are youth, women, high-level political champions and key players. By involving the above stakeholders, it generates influence in policy change for improved smallholder farmers’ family food and nutrition security, sustainable livelihoods, gender equality, and resilience while enhancing biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.

The project uses various approaches such as; capacity building to key partners on policy, budget and policy analysis and advocacy, creation and strengthening of local and national platforms; media engagement, strategic meetings and discussions with government ministries and departments, Others include  production of policy briefs and fact sheets on budget allocation and delivery of interventions related to agroforestry practices and biodiversity conservation at national and local levels to promote principles of agroforestry and sustainable agriculture.

Students from Pauline Geukul secondary school planting tree seedlings around the school compound during the tree planting campaign launched by Civic Social Protection Foundation when marking the 40 years for Vi Agroforestry opertation in East Africa.

A Social Accountability Monitoring (SAM) facilitator who is also a CSP Executive Director representing the topic on SAM in the context of climate financing during the Vi Agroforestry symposium in November 2023.