Family farmers in Africa benefit from public procurement

The Purchase from Africans for Africa programme (PAA Africa) is an innovative partnership spanning five African countries and is  providing important lessons on how governments can procure food for public institutions, such as schools, directly from small-scale family farmers. PAA Africa helps promote local agricultural production while also improving livelihoods and nutrition.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization - FAO, PAA Africa is implemented by Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger and Senegal and was inspired by Brazilian Zero Hunger initiative achievements in fighting hunger and poverty.  Under the technical leadership and expertise from FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP), farmers are helped achieve sustainable gains in agricultural productivity, as well as improve their harvesting and post-harvest techniques,  including the construction of silos - leading to better quality produce and less loss and waste.

Financial support for the work comes from the Brazilian government and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID).
Now entering its third year, the PAA Africa programme shows, in developing countries that the purchasing of produce from family-farmers, often among the most marginalised groups  can contribute towards government efforts to combat rural poverty.

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(FAO/Ob)