Mozambique

In Mozambique, climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. CARE Mozambique is working with communities to enable them to prepare for reoccurring droughts and floods and adapt to the changing climate. This includes teaching farming techniques, such as conservation agriculture practices, as well as distributing more drought-resistant seeds. In coastal areas vulnerable to tropical storms, mangrove planting and restoration is a main focus of disaster risk reduction.

Since CARE started its work in Mozambique in 1984, we have played an important role in supporting emergency preparedness and response. Currently, CARE is part of COSACA, a consortium comprised of Save the Children, Oxfam and CARE, aimed at responding to disasters in Mozambique within 48 hours following a disaster. COSACA has established a technical and a geographical repartition and coordination of roles between its members (with CARE focusing on Inhambane, Nampula and Cabo Delgado Provinces).

At the same time, CARE Mozambique continues to integrate disaster-risk reduction (DRR) interventions in its programs in both the northern and southern regions of the country. CARE also plans to integrate DRR interventions into future agricultural program designs as part of a broader strategy to enhance resilience to climate change and other shocks by building adaptive capacity at both community and local government levels. Since Mozambique is vulnerable to multiple types of climate-related risks, such as droughts, flooding, tropical storms, the incorporation of DRR strategies into rural livelihoods work takes on different forms in different locations.

The defining characteristics of CARE Mozambique’s work in agriculture are consistent with CARE International’s “SuPER” approach. SuPER food systems are food systems that are Sustainable, Productive (including Profitable and Nutritious), Equitable, and Resilient to smallholder agriculture, complemented by a sharp focus on translating agricultural gains into improvements in nutritional status. In recent years, CARE Mozambique has focused its efforts in this area on promoting the use of the Farmer Field School (FFS) approach to participatory learning and technology development. CARE Mozambique believes that this model is particularly appropriate for its impact population. At the same time, CARE Mozambique explores opportunities to complement the FFS model with other participatory approaches while also working with other actors to measure the effectiveness of the FFS model compared to other models currently in use in Mozambique.

CARE Mozambique emphasizes the use of action research, involving farmers, local partners and the Ministry of Agriculture’s extension and research branches, in all stages of planning annual work, design and implementation of research, and analysis of results from field trials and studies. As part of CARE Southern Africa Impact Growth Strategy “Her Harvest Our Future,” CARE Mozambique is hosting the Learning Hub for Climate Resilient Agriculture.