In the Great Lakes region agriculture offers best oppor-tunities for spurring economic growth for 5 million rural households and to lift them out of poverty. The sector however has been heavily affected by conflicts and is yet to recover from poor rural infrastructure and weak market linkages. Dominated up to 80% by subsistence farming, agriculture productivity is far below the poten-tial and constrained by low soil fertility, land degrada-tion, and post-harvest losses. In addition increasing population pressure diminishes the amount of land amount available per household. The farmers have lim-ited access to services, they lack the means to invest in their farms as well as the capacities for market integration. 20-40% of these households are chronically food insecure, malnourished and trapped in poverty. Government plans do recognize the role of agriculture as driver of economic growth and poverty reduction as well as its importance in achieving food security. The policies aim at agricultural intensification along with agricultural sector development, job creations and mar-ket integration.

Farmer households increase agriculture productivity and income. Agribusinesses create additional employment in the Great Lakes Region.

Emerging smallholders (=farmers that can accept reasonable risk, show an advanced level of technical knowledge and better receptivity to improved technology and tend to market their production surplus; 0.5–2 ha). This group of farmers is expected to have a pilot and training function in farmer groups covering additional smallholders (women and men) of< 0.5 ha too. Additional target group addressed through SDC support mainly: Women and men farmers with limited market access. Beneficiaries reached directly through agribusiness cluster approach such as owners of SMEs, service providers and business support services and indi-rectly through mega-clusters such as workers & day laborers, women and men farmers with less than 0.5 ha of land that learn from the demonstration effect, and consumer of better and cheaper food.

Principaux résultats antérieurs:  

CATALIST-1 (2006-2012; not SDC supported) 250,000 farmers have substantially increased their crop production and ISFM (Integrated Soil Fertility Manage-ment) has proven to be a viable method to increase agricultural productivity. Project-affiliated farmers have been able to increase investments in their own well-being as well as in their farms. The program’s focus on storage and credit has increased the economic resil-ience of these farmers. Through value chain develop-ment, strong agribusinesses have been created. Les-sons showed that for real impact, it will be important to have a clear outreach strategy, which combines out-sourcing in terms of achieving sustained capacities, out-scaling and institutionalization. CATALIST-2 will build on these experiences and further develop an outreach strategy focusing on the promo-tion of local agribusiness clusters and regional integra-tion. It will integrate new approaches paying attention to the high level of female farmers and farmers with limited markets access.

Phase 1 01.08.2012 - 31.08.2016   (Completed)