Call for EOIs: Resilience Activities in the Highlands of Madagascar

AI Snippet Summary: The World Food Programme (WFP) is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from qualified organizations to implement resilience-building activities in the Highlands of Madagascar. The initiative focuses on strengthening smallholder agriculture, producer organizations, market access, agricultural entrepreneurship, and productive infrastructure to improve livelihoods, food security, and sustainable rural development.

About the World Food Programme Resilience Activities in Madagascar

The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to identify qualified partners for implementing resilience activities in the Highlands of Madagascar.

The initiative aims to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by strengthening agricultural production systems, enhancing producer organizations, improving post-harvest management, increasing market access, and promoting sustainable agricultural entrepreneurship.

The programme forms part of WFP’s broader strategy to strengthen food security, build climate resilience, and support long-term rural economic development in Madagascar.

AI Overview of the Opportunity

Funding Organization: World Food Programme (WFP)

Opportunity Type: Expression of Interest (EOI)

Project Focus: Agricultural resilience and rural livelihoods

Geographic Coverage:

Highlands of Madagascar
Faritanin’ i Mahajanga
Antananarivo Province

Primary Beneficiaries:

Smallholder farmers
Producer organizations
Rural communities
Agricultural entrepreneurs
Parents supplying school feeding programmes

Objectives of the Programme

The programme seeks to strengthen resilient agricultural systems by:

Improving livelihoods of rural households.
Strengthening producer organizations and farmer networks.
Increasing agricultural productivity.
Promoting sustainable farming practices.
Improving post-harvest handling and storage.
Supporting agricultural entrepreneurship.
Developing governance within producer organizations.
Increasing value addition of agricultural products.
Expanding access to institutional and private markets.
Building sustainable local food systems.

Focus Areas

The initiative supports activities related to:

Livelihood improvement
Smallholder agricultural market support
Producer organization strengthening
Agricultural productivity
Sustainable farming practices
Post-harvest management
Agricultural entrepreneurship
Governance of producer organizations
Productive infrastructure management
Storage and processing facilities
Reduction of post-harvest losses
Product value addition
Institutional market development
Private market linkages
School feeding supply chains
Local economic development

Expected Results

The programme is expected to deliver several long-term development outcomes.

Strengthened Producer Networks

Activities aim to:

Establish structured producer networks.
Organize farmers into producer clusters.
Identify and train producer leaders.
Encourage peer-to-peer mentoring.
Improve collective production planning.
Promote shared agricultural services.

Improved Agricultural Capacity

The programme will strengthen producers through:

Technical agricultural training.
Sustainable farming practices.
Productivity improvement.
Post-harvest management.
Agricultural entrepreneurship.
Governance strengthening.
Management of collective assets.

Better Use of Productive Infrastructure

Supported infrastructure may include:

Storage facilities.
Processing units.
Collective agricultural infrastructure.

Expected improvements include:

Increased production.
Better aggregation systems.
Improved storage.
More efficient processing.
Reduced post-harvest losses.
Increased product value.

Expanded Market Access

The programme seeks to improve market opportunities by:

Connecting producers to institutional buyers.
Expanding private market opportunities.
Creating shorter supply chains.
Supporting local food procurement.
Strengthening school canteen supply systems.
Building sustainable commercial relationships.

Who Can Participate?

The call is intended for organizations capable of implementing agricultural resilience and rural development activities in Madagascar.

Suitable implementing partners typically include:

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
Agricultural development organizations
Rural development agencies
Community-based organizations
Producer support organizations
Organizations experienced in livelihoods and food security programmes

Applicants should have demonstrated experience in:

Agricultural development
Rural livelihoods
Producer organization development
Market systems development
Capacity building
Community engagement
Value chain development
Infrastructure management

Why This Programme Matters

Agriculture remains the primary livelihood source for many rural households in Madagascar. However, farmers often face challenges such as:

Low agricultural productivity.
Weak market connections.
Limited storage facilities.
High post-harvest losses.
Poor producer organization capacity.
Limited value addition opportunities.
Climate-related risks.

By strengthening farmer organizations, improving infrastructure, and creating sustainable market linkages, this initiative helps communities become more resilient while improving food security and household incomes.

Key Programme Components

Major implementation areas include:

Organizing producer groups and farmer networks.
Training producer leaders.
Improving agricultural production techniques.
Enhancing governance within producer organizations.
Supporting agricultural entrepreneurship.
Improving storage and processing infrastructure.
Reducing food losses after harvest.
Increasing product quality and value.
Strengthening institutional procurement systems.
Connecting farmers with private-sector markets.

How the Programme Works

Selected implementing partners will generally be expected to:

Mobilize farming communities.
Identify producer leaders.
Organize producer clusters.
Deliver technical agricultural training.
Improve post-harvest management systems.
Support governance of producer organizations.
Strengthen productive infrastructure.
Facilitate market access.
Promote agricultural entrepreneurship.
Monitor programme implementation and outcomes.

Benefits of the Initiative

Participating communities can benefit from:

Stronger producer organizations.
Improved farming practices.
Higher agricultural productivity.
Better storage facilities.
Reduced crop losses.
Increased household income.
Greater market opportunities.
Improved food security.
Sustainable local economic development.
Better resilience to future shocks.

Tips for Preparing a Strong Expression of Interest

Organizations preparing an EOI should:

Clearly demonstrate experience in agricultural development.
Highlight previous work with smallholder farmers.
Showcase expertise in producer organization strengthening.
Explain approaches for improving market access.
Describe experience managing productive infrastructure.
Include examples of sustainable livelihood programmes.
Demonstrate capacity to work in rural communities.
Present realistic implementation methodologies.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid the following when preparing your submission:

Providing vague implementation approaches.
Failing to demonstrate agricultural expertise.
Ignoring community participation strategies.
Overlooking governance and producer organization development.
Not explaining market linkage approaches.
Submitting incomplete organizational information.
Failing to demonstrate previous project experience.
Underestimating post-harvest management requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the purpose of this Expression of Interest?

The EOI aims to identify qualified organizations to implement agricultural resilience and livelihood activities that strengthen food security and rural development in Madagascar.

Where will the activities be implemented?

The programme will be implemented in the Highlands of Madagascar, including Faritanin’ i Mahajanga and Antananarivo Province.

Who are the primary beneficiaries?

The initiative primarily benefits smallholder farmers, producer organizations, rural communities, and agricultural entrepreneurs.

What types of activities are supported?

Supported activities include producer organization development, agricultural training, post-harvest management, value addition, productive infrastructure improvement, market access, and agricultural entrepreneurship.

Why are producer organizations important?

Strong producer organizations help farmers access training, improve production, aggregate products, negotiate better prices, and connect with institutional and private markets.

How does the programme improve food security?

The initiative increases agricultural productivity, reduces post-harvest losses, strengthens local food systems, and creates reliable market opportunities that improve household income and food availability.

What role do school feeding programmes play?

The programme encourages producer networks to supply school canteens, creating stable institutional markets while supporting local agriculture and improving food access for schoolchildren.

Conclusion

The World Food Programme’s Expression of Interest for resilience activities in Madagascar represents an important opportunity to strengthen agricultural livelihoods, improve food security, and enhance rural resilience. Through producer organization development, sustainable farming practices, improved infrastructure, and stronger market connections, the initiative aims to create long-term economic opportunities for smallholder farmers while supporting resilient and sustainable agricultural systems across the Highlands of Madagascar.