Supporting Sustainable Agriculture for Improved Food security and safety in the Republic of Mauritius

Attorney General, Minister of
Agro-Industry and Food Security,
Mr. Maneesh Gobin and the
Ambassador of the European Union
to Mauritius, Mr. Vincent Degert,
at the Farmer Training School in Wootun.

10 February, 2020. Mauritius. Press Release Govermenment of Mauritius. The Development-Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture Initiative (DeSIRA), developed by the European Union, will enhance the research and development capacity of the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI) for sustainable and modern agriculture.

Mauritius has been chosen for the implementation of specific activities under the initiative ‘Supporting Sustainable Agriculture for Improved Food security and safety in the Republic of Mauritius’. 

FAREI has been awarded a grant of Rs 100 M (EUR 2.450 M) which will be implemented over a period of 36 months, with the aim of fostering innovation in agriculture through the consolidation of the institute’s research and development capacity to address climate challenges and development of climate smart practices for sustainable production.

The FAREI contributes significantly to the agro-industry sector of the country and has made key achievements. The institute has a pool of well-qualified and competent technicians and there is a need for officers working on site to be taken on board during the implementation of key project activities so that they are familiarised with the necessary information regarding the implementation of the DeSIRA initiative. Mr. Maneesh Gobin, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security

Promoting sustainable agriculture is key for the survival of mankind and essential for the legacy of a safe and secure planet for the next generations to come. In shifting to green and smart agriculture and Mauritius is among the few countries to recognise the need to adopt sustainable development principles to agriculture. If countries join forces and move together, they will move faster towards the common goal of saving the planet. Mr. Vincent Degert Ambassador of the European Union to Mauritius

The Specific Objectives of this support are:

• Enhanced food and nutrition security to address the country’s vulnerability to food crisis
• Improved competitiveness of the agricultural sector 
• Strong value chains are promoted 
• Cost of livestock production is significantly reduced
• Food safety and efficient and sustainable production practices/system are promoted 
• Systemic Resilience to Climate Change is developed 
• Sustainable climate smart agriculture practices are adopted by farmers
• Emergence of agro-entrepreneurs is promoted
• A professional approach to farming is adopted
• Improved livestock quality through National Breeding Policies

Background:
The DeSIRA initiative was launched in 2017. The objective is to contribute to climate-relevant, productive and sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems in low and middle-incomes countries.

The first contracts were signed at the end of 2019 with 20 projects of research and innovation including 6 regional projects for a total reaching €100 million including contributions from European donors. A large number of countries are involved. In Africa : Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Chad, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda. In Latin America : Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Central America (proyecto regional).

In 2020, 22 other projects including 31 countries will be finalized.