Smallholder in his field in Kimbedi (Pool Department). ©WFP/Jules MANGUENGUE
Between 18 and 23 February 2024, the World Food Programme (WFP) conducted the first scope mission for the project ‘Enhancing Family Farmers’ Access to Local Markets in the Republic of Congo through South-South Cooperation‘, funded by the India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation (IBSA Fund). The team visited Bouenza and Pool, two of the three target Departments, and discussed with local authorities and technical services, school inspectors and directors, as well as smallholders to better understand their current activities, challenges and opportunities in linking the local smallholder production with the school feeding programme.
The team presented the new project to the stakeholders and gathered initial information on the current situation at local level (gaps, needs, opportunities) from the government and smallholders working in the vegetable and fish farming sectors. “This new project to enhance the capacity and local production of the smallholders to link to the school feeding programme is very welcome in our urban commune”, stated Gaston Mampassi Mayor of of Mindouli (Bouenza).
Smallholder in his field in Kimbedi (Pool Department). ©WFP/Jules MANGUENGUE
The mission also visited the “Cantines Ya Buala” schools which offer students school meals based on local production thanks to WFP cash-based transfers and talked to the directors to gather initial impressions and become familiar with the programme. During the mission, the team facilitated a workshop on the value chain of cassava leaves in the district of Mouyondzi (Bouenza) as a starting point for assessing the product’s potential for inclusion in school meals and identifying areas for improvement. A total of 42 participants representing different actors of the value chain, from the production to the consumer side, took part in this workshop.
Exchanges with communities in the Madingou’s school (Bouenza Department). ©WFP/Jules MANGUENGUE
The initial findings of this mission aim to support the team to develop the criteria to identify the districts where the project will be implemented in the three target Departments of the project. The overall objective of the project “Enhancing Family Farmers’ Access to Local Markets in the Republic of Congo through South-South Cooperation” is to help improve the food security and nutrition of smallholder producers, in particular women and school-age children, by strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Ministry of Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education and Literacy to develop a school feeding programme based on local production and family farming, and to promote links with food purchases on local markets. The project was officially launched on 18 December 2023 during the Steering Committee meeting with representatives from the governments of the Republic of Congo and Brazil.