This week, Paolo Enrico Sertoli, Head of Office at the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) regional office in Maputo, conducted a mission in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, together with Malawi and Mozambique, falls within the purview of the AICS Regional Office in Maputo.
In Harare, the capital of the country, the Head of Office held meetings with the Delegation of the European Union, the Italian Embassy, Zimbabwean companies participating in Macfrut, as well as with the FAO. It is worth noting that, with this United Nations agency, two projects funded by AICS were recently approved, aimed at improving the agricultural value chain, trade, and the integrated sustainable management of miombo forest areas in the transboundary regions between Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
During his stay, the Paolo Enrico Sertoli, also visited the Province of Masvingo, where he could personally assess the status of the “Seeds for the Future” project, implemented by a consortium of NGOs led by Cospe On Plus and funded by AICS. The project supports smallholder farmers in 25 wards across 3 districts (Chiredzi, Mwenezi, and Masvingo) in adopting sustainable agricultural models. These models allow for the development of local and diversified food systems, socially just, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable, thus enhancing resilience factors.
In one of these districts, specifically in Mubagwashe, on April 24th, along with Zimbabwean authorities and partners, he attended the inauguration of a dam and a community garden. In his speech, he emphasized that the infrastructure inaugurated will bring a positive change for rural communities to “achieve food and nutrition security with a diversified diet and acquire greater adaptability to the effects of climate change,” notably allowing the dam to “combat drought induced by the El Niño phenomenon.”
On April 26th, the Head of Office, accompanied by the Italian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Umberto Malnati, participated in the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Company, the country’s main trade fair aimed at promoting trade and investment. During their stay, they visit the stand of the Team Europe initiatives, where the “Seeds for the Future” project was also highlighted. They took advantage of this opportunity to present to visitors the results already achieved by the project, including the recently inaugurated dam and community garden…
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