Family Farming Productivity and Resilience Support Project

Agriculture is a major source of employment and income for rural people in the Comoros, generating over 35 per cent of GDP. But the effects of climate change are preventing Comorian farmers from increasing their production, which would reduce local reliance on costly food imports. The Family Farming Productivity and Resilience Support Project (PREFER) aims to help 35,000 vulnerable smallholder farmers both increase agricultural production and their ability to deal with climate change, but also raise their incomes and improve food and nutrition security.

Operating in 48 villages, PREFER promotes the production of local staple foods such as bananas, cassava and vegetables, both for the domestic market and to generate surpluses that can be sold. The project is aligned with IFAD’s strategy for small island developing states by supporting better performing, climate-smart family farming practices, links to markets and income generation.

PREFER is also consistent with the directions of the Regional Food and Nutritional Security Programme of the Indian Ocean Commission, which focuses on revitalizing the regional supply of food crops to reduce dependence upon imports. To further contribute to its success, a grant from IFAD’s ASAP fund is financing the environmental dimension and the capacity-building that will help Comorian smallholders cope with the impacts of climate change. A strategic partnership has also be established with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture for the introduction and evaluation of improved plant material for banana and cassava, as well as for the capacity-building of producers, extension agents and researchers.