Cargill has announced a $1.35 million, three-year partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) to provide support for the Bilibiza Agriculture Institute (IABil) in order to enhance and expand educational possibilities for farmers in northern Mozambique.
The partnership, which has been supported by Cargill’s businesses in Switzerland and Africa, will enable IABil, the only full secondary vocational school for agriculture in Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique, to improve its teaching capabilities and to reach more student farmers in the northern region.
The IABil will train up to 400 students a year with relevant technical and entrepreneurial skills, as well as sharing knowledge that will help them to participate in the sustainable development of the agricultural sector in Mozambique.
The funding will help increase the number of teaching staff at the IABil; provide critical training on entrepreneurial and technical areas of agriculture including livestock and processing; improve infrastructure and equipment; and help establish a commercially operated farm to generate long term income for the school.
“Cargill is committed to supporting our African farming communities to develop sustainable and responsible agricultural practices,” said Pieter Reichert, Business Development Manager, Mozambique.
“To do this, we are working with NGOs and governments to develop public/private partnerships and help develop a sustainable market for food and agriculture. This project is a fabulous step towards strengthening the next generation of farmers in Mozambique and we are excited to have this opportunity to collaborate with both the Aga Khan Foundation and the Bilibiza Agriculture Institute.”
