Through a seven-year program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, TechnoServe has developed entrepreneurs by focusing on three objectives: support and strengthen today’s entrepreneurs and SMEs, plant the seeds for the entrepreneurs of tomorrow and build local sustainable capacity of financial institutions to support those entrepreneurs and SMEs.
In 2012, TechnoServe and Massmart Walmart launched a direct farm program which aims to put locally produced small-scale farmers’ produce on the shelves of Massmart. TechnoServe’s role involves training, mentoring, technical assistance and establishing links to both finance and retail markets for the farmers.
In 2013, TechnoServe launched a program to improve the scalability and sustainability of our existing agricultural value chain programs in South Africa.
TechnoServe’s Inhambane province program, supported by Irish Aid, is designed to stimulate inclusive growth of the agricultural economy while enhancing the long-term resilience of the poorest households.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands and TechnoServe have entered into a three-year grant agreement to support the work of small commercial farmers and the Government of Mozambique’s ongoing efforts to reduce poverty.
TechnoServe worked to introduce mobile phone-based solutions to meet demand from farmers, private sector agribusinesses as well as the development community for information and other value added services.
Since 2011, TechnoServe has managed Agro Initiative Zimbabwe, a grant facility funded by the Department for International Development, which operates as a business competition to support sustainable innovative ideas in agriculture through monetary awards and technical assistance.
TechnoServe, in partnership with other entities, is working to improve the nutritional status of people living with HIV and developing new market opportunities for local food processors and retailers.
TechnoServe serves as the manager of the Technical Assistance Facility (TAF), which supports the African Agriculture Fund, a private equity fund, to address food security challenges across Africa. TAF provided technical assistance to small and growing businesses (SGBs) invested in by the African Agriculture Fund, and improved linkages between enterprises and smallholder outgrowers.
The Connected Farmer Alliance (CFA) is a public-private partnership that seeks to promote commercially sustainable mobile agriculture solutions and increase productivity and revenues for 500,000 smallholder farmers across Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. The program also aims to increase revenues for agribusinesses and agricultural value chain service providers.
