The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) Steering Committee has launched its sixth GAFSP Call for Proposals
to improve the income and food security of poor people in low-income countries
through public and private sector investments, as well as technical assistance
and advisory services.
GAFSP aims to fill the financing and technical gaps in
country-owned and country-led agriculture and food security strategies and
plans. GAFSP takes a holistic food systems perspective –with agriculture at its
core– to support countries resiliently and sustainably transform their food and
agriculture sector to improve environmental outcomes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
advance gender equality, increase smallholders’ incomes, improve human health
and nutritional outcomes, and enhance countries’ capacity to adapt to and build
resilience to potential future crises.
This Call for Proposals is seeking technically
sound proposals that not only justify the proposed PO-led investments, but also
seek to support the professionalization of POs in their business ventures while
addressing local supply and market failures such as low access to commercial
credit sources that inhibit the development of a productive agriculture value
chain and the creation of a conducive environment for further private sector
investment, especially by smallholder producers and their organizations4.The
GAFSP Steering Committee looks forward to receiving a broad range of proposals,
and priority will be given to those that are able to demonstrate high
likelihood of effective implementation within the specific context.
Objective
The PO-led modality builds on the experience of
the Missing Middle Initiative (MMI) pilot 2 and targets POs. The objective of
the PO-led modality is to strengthen the managerial, governance and technical
capacities of POs as key economic players in the value chain, and to build
smallholder farmers’ livelihood opportunities through capacity building and
increased access to finance, markets, and technology.
Scope
This Call for Proposals is being launched in the
context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, GAFSP funding will support
medium- to long-term COVID-19 response efforts for a more sustainable,
inclusive, and resilient recovery of the agriculture and food sectors in a
changing climate to “build back better”.
Funding Information
Available resources in the GAFSP Trust Fund for
Countries and POs applying under this Call for Proposals are approximately
US$150 million. Of this, an indicative amount of US$25 million will be
allocated for PO submissions. This will likely be allocated to 8 - 10
successful PO proposals.
Eligibility Criteria
This Call for Proposals will be open to POs 5
that are registered and operating in the target GAFSP eligible country and
whose mandate is aligned with GAFSP’s objectives. The POs’ primary target group
should be smallholder producers, with the aim to professionalize their
organizations and improve their members’ livelihoods and profitability, or
related small businesses along the food value chain through improved access to
finance and other means. The PO will need to partner with one of the seven
GAFSP Supervising Entities.
Post Date - 21-May-2021