Our Land – Our Future

Context

The Our Land – Our Future project continues the progress made by PAFAE – the São Tomé and Príncipe Agricultural Export Sector Support Project, strengthening the capacity of the sector’s players and creating the conditions to improve the quality and increase the production of traditional export sectors in a sustainable manner.

As with PAFAE, this new action also proposes a systemic and integrated approach to agricultural export sectors, promoting sustainable agricultural practices that respect local ecosystems and biodiverse and resilient agroforestry systems.

In conjunction with environmental sustainability, the project aims to strengthen the governance of producer organisations, foster technical and institutional capacity building, and diversify sources of income through entrepreneurship and sustainable community agro-tourism, in partnership with local organisations, thus improving the socio-economic conditions of São Toméan producers.

In addition, this project aims to consolidate access to and recognition of São Toméan products on domestic and foreign markets, with an emphasis on developing new products derived from traditional sectors and supporting the implementation of Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs).

Finally, the project pays constant attention to the gender issue, which guides all of its activities, namely through support for the gender committees set up under PAFAE, among other activities that promote the inclusion and empowerment of women in the agricultural sector.

Objectives

General: to contribute to the growth and sustainable socio-economic development of São Tomé and Príncipe through the development of agricultural export sectors.

Specific: to consolidate export sectors through the implementation of good agro-ecological practices, the recognition of São Toméan products on the market, and the inclusion of agro-tourism to diversify the income of farmers families.

Target Groups

• 1,000 farmers in the cocoa, coffee, chilli, coconut and organic horticulture export sectors;
• 5 agricultural co-operatives and 20 producer associations;
• 3 Protected Geographical Indication (GI) producer groups;
• 15 officials and staff from the Rural Development Support Centre (CADR), the Agronomic and Technological Research Centre (CIAT), the National Intellectual Property and Quality Service (SENAPIQ) and the National Institute for the Promotion of Gender Equality and Equity (INPG);
• 10 rural entrepreneurs.

Expected Results

• Producer organisations with strengthened governance structures and reinforced technical and administrative capacities to ensure compliance with Regulation (EU) 2023/1115;
• Structured and diversified agricultural export sectors;
• The valorisation and insertion of São Tome and Principe’s agricultural products on the market consolidated;
• Community agro-tourism sector strengthened.