The SPONSOR A BREEDER initiative is part of the AFRICA HAND PROJECT, launched in Mozambique by CEFA with the involvement of the Italian Development Cooperation Agency, the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Granarolo and other operators working in the agri-food supply chain as FederUnacoma, Alleanza delle Cooperative and Coopermondo, Fondazione E35 in collaboration with the Consorzio Associazioni con il Mozambico di Trento. A commitment that comes after that of the social dairy installed in Tanzania and chosen as an example of “best practice” for sustainability at Expo 2015.
It is a wonderful story, a story of men, passion, solidarity, cooperation and opportunities.
In 2004 a group of people linked to CEFA il seme della solidarietà Onlus, a humanitarian organization in Bologna, visiting Tanzania feel the terrible problem of child malnutrition. They see children who die, due to a very poor diet based on corn. The only solution in those years was the supply of powdered milk with all the problems deriving from non-drinking water.
Thus, in Njombe in southern Tanzania, begin the Africa Milk Project, to respond to the difficulties that mothers live every day. Launched by CEFA with GRANAROLO SpA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Njombe Breeders Association.
The first step was the spread of breeding of dairy cows and then the construction of a dairy. Today the project is completely autonomous and sustainable. Mothers have pasteurized milk available, farmers have an income that allows children to be sent to schools, the dairy is sustainable, it produces profits and has been working independently for 3 years, without CEFA support.
In 2015, the Africa Milk Project obtains the BEST PRACTICE recognition from EXPO Milano, for being an example in the world for sustainable development in rural areas. CEFA, Granarolo and the territory from which these two realities come couldn’t not pay attention to the responsibility that derives from having received the recognition of Best Practice for sustainable development.
Thus the story continues … we listen to respond to requests from Mozambique, a country in which malnutrition is 40%.
CEFA and Granarolo, involving the territory, the Emilia Romagna Region, the Municipality of Reggio Emilia and various operators working in the milk supply chain, FederUnacoma, Alleanza delle Cooperative and Coopermondo, in collaboration with CAM Consorzio Associazioni con il Mozambico di Trento, responsibly, taking note of the EXPO message to feed the planet, and to realize it, they are committed to realize an Africa Hand Project where many hands, black and white, come together and support themselves to respond to the problem of malnutrition of Mozambique.
Mozambique has a great desire for redemption after a long colonial period and a path to democracy that has seen the country torn by a devastating civil war. Today the situation has stabilized and the population needs to give new life prospects to their families and children, starting from small rural communities and extending this process of growth to the whole of society.
Africa Hand Project is born to transform this desire into concreteness. The goal of the project is to reduce hunger and poverty through the development of the dairy and agricultural sector in Mozambique and improve the nutritional education of the population.
The first step is at the local level, equipping rural communities with livestock and teaching future breeders the techniques to create a sustainable technology for breeding animals, where the production of fodder represents another way to rationally exploit the land converted to agriculture.
The second step is the provision of agricultural means and training to farmers to increase the yield of common and boer beans, diversify crops, and favor market access.
Beira, the second city of Mozambique and an important river port, will become the pulsing center of this project, contributing to the development of a 100% African supply chain that will increase local production and reduce import dependency.
And this will activate a positive economic circuit that will allow families of farmers to have new and important economic resources thanks to which to ensure children the opportunity to go to school, the only real long-term investment for the future of the country. But producing milk is not enough. It is necessary to transform it and sell it in urban centers where the demand for drinking milk, yogurt and cheese is growing.
At the same time, AfricHand Project will also address another problem. In Mozambique, in fact, almost half of the population suffers from chronic malnutrition that begins already during pregnancy and limits development in the first years of life, effectively conditioning the whole existence of new generations.
This is why the project also includes food education for women and children in primary schools, integrating their diet with products coming from local breeding, with a high nutritional profile and able to make the difference.
Why supporting this project?
Cécile Kyenge MEP and ACP-EU Vice-President:
AfricHand Project starts from a need of the local community, it provides a concrete response taking into account the entire agricultural supply chain, it insists on the training of people, on the profitability and sustainability of the project over time. I fell in love with this project because this is true cooperation.
Patrizia Farolini CEFA President:
AfricHand Project in continuity with AfricaMilk Project, awarded at EXPO 2015 as a Best Practice, underlines the commitment and coherence of CEFA to continue feeding the planet by involving the profit and non-profit and the farming communities of the world.
Giampiero Calzolari president of the Granarolo Group:
We started with a new mission: building together with many friends, in Mozambique, a milk supply chain, capable of emancipating the population by offering the local community health, nutrition and work. The hope is that it can start as soon as possible and aggregate new realities.
Simona Caselli Council Member for Agriculture, Hunting and Fishing of the Emilia-Romagna Region
We are Europe’s leading territory for sustainable agriculture, we want to make our experience available to developing countries. We are proud to be able to participate in this project that represents the collaboration between the productive world, the non-profit and the institutions.
Massimo Goldoni, president of FederUnacoma
The Africa Hand Project initiative for Mozambique considers the use of mechanical means as a decisive element for the success of the agri-food chain and is therefore a very concrete and promising approach to cooperation.
