The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) was present at the 58th edition of the Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Fair of Mozambique (FACIM), which took place in Marracuene from August 28th to September 3rd.
The primary objective of Mozambique’s largest private sector fair is to showcase the country’s production and export potential and promote business and investment opportunities in various sectors, both domestic and foreign. The AICS stand was in the Italy pavilion, where 22 Italian companies showcased the excellence of “Made in Italy.”
For the event, AICS also organized a cultural program, featuring the presentation of various projects and specific activities, including support for the marketing of coffee from IBO Island, urban agriculture in the Maputo Province, and initiatives open to private sector participation in job creation through new technologies.
On the first day of FACIM, the Head of the AICS Regional Office in Maputo, Dr. Paolo Sertoli, gave a presentation titled “AICS and the Private Sector: Best Practices, Opportunities, and Perspectives.” During the presentation, he explained how AICS, within the framework of the Profit Funds managed by the AICS Rome Office, is currently co-financing three private sector companies: Carbosink, with activities focused on promoting efficient food cooking technologies; Newster, with activities aimed at promoting proper management of special solid waste at Beira Hospital; and Novamont, with activities related to the development of horticultural and fruit value chains. Dr. Sertoli concluded his presentation by stating that the AICS partnership with the private sector is based on three fundamental pillars: “inclusion, innovation, and sustainability” the ISI approach.
To ensure access to information for individuals with hearing impairments, AICS collaborated with the Mozambican company REMOTELINE. Interpreters from this company provided simultaneous sign language translations for both the cultural program and the speech by His Excellency the Italian Ambassador to Mozambique, Gianni Bardini, during Italy’s dedicated day.
More than 50,000 visitors had the opportunity to observe numerous cooperatives and companies that received support from AICS, including the Barué Fruit Cooperative, which is involved in the production and sale of lychee; Revué Fruits, specializing in the marketing of dehydrated fruits such as papaya and banana; and the Mozambique Honey Company, which sells Chibabava honey produced under the Rural Development Support Program (AID. 9021 – PSSR).
Throughout the week, the AICS booth received many visitors (more or less 200), including journalists, entrepreneurs, partners, and students seeking more information about Italian cooperation. Among the visitors, the visit of the President of the Republic of Mozambique, His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, was particularly significant as he expressed his gratitude for Italy’s unwavering support in Mozambique’s sustainable development.
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