The Hague - On November 6th SNV Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) and Millennium Promise (MP) entered into a partnership to improve food and income security in and around five Millennium Villages (MV). This joint effort aims to improve the livelihoods of about 240,000 people living in 5 Millennium Village clusters in 5 countries in Sub-Sahara Africa: Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, and Ethiopia. The initiative is part of a new three-year Business Development Program.
The collaboration between SNV and Millennium Promise builds on the respective strengths of the two organizations:
- In addition to an established history of improving access to basic services, SNV has a particular strength in stimulating value chain development through meso-level organizations for improved production, income and employment.
- MP is well-equipped to provide the enabling environment for new businesses through its multi-sectoral, community-based interventions and extensive agricultural technical expertise.
The forthcoming Business Development Program will build on this success and sustain the Millennium Village Initiative by supporting the transition of input provision from subsidy to credit.
The two main pillars of MP’s program are:
1. ensuring sustainable access to modern agricultural key services (inputs, finance, information, etc.)
2. identifying new agro-business opportunities.
With respect to the first pillar, Millennium Promise has already helped trigger a doubling or tripling in staple crop yields by providing farmer training, modern seeds and fertilizer on a full subsidy basis. The second pillar of the program will aim to diversify existing agricultural activity
To achieve the outcomes delineated above, the provision of adequate funding is crucial. Start-up capital for critical operations will facilitate the launching of the new agricultural credit facility and agro-businesses.
SNV will support this process in two respects:
- SNV will provide the requisite financial resources for early staffing needs
SNV and MP will exchange knowledge and information regarding value chain development taking advantage of their respective strengths. This includes marketing and processing products such as oilseeds, livestock, and horticulture for SNV and expanding yields and best agricultural practices for MP.
Millennium Promise will continue to raise additional funds in order to complement the initial SNV investment and extend the program beyond the pilot year. Millennium Promise already brings $2 million annually to the Millennium Villages to cover basic interventions.
Read more about Millennium Promise and the Millennium Villages project