Agroforestry Technical Assistance Facility (ATAF)

Better-endowed farmers frequently modernised by adopting monoculture systems, according to the market economy approach. However, there are barriers against the development of small-scale farming in developing countries, in terms of techniques, land, society, economy, finance and organisation, among other issues. These barriers are harder to overcome for smallholders, who are often excluded from development opportunities (projects, sectoral policies, etc).

The formalisation of relationships and trust between farmers and company are key factors in the success of contract farming. Without this, abuses are common.

There are also other issues at stake, such as the appropriate targeting of smallholders, to ensure ATAF is inclusive and additional; the respect of the constraints and needs of smallholders, through the adoption of participatory methods; the preservation of the diversity of products from traditional agroforestry systems, by transforming and marketing them, maintaining profitability for the company. The specific issues of the operation of the programme are mainly related to its governance and its additionality. 

Moringa Partnership is the beneficiary of the financing and signatory to the financing agreement. It’s assign project ownership to a service provider, which be recruited on the basis of a tender and which be responsible for managing the ATAF (administration, leadership, coordination, administrative and financial management).

The programme  supporte by the following activities :

• Organise of participatory workshops to define the specific activities to be carried out based on the project aims and the needs of smallholders.
• To transfer of technology and best practices of the company to smallholders.
• To develop of pilot projects in agroforestry production.
• Economic, social and environmental monitoring.
• To develop of training programmes.
• To develop of support programmes concerning cooperatives, NGOs, companies or other private or public bodies.
• To realise of market research for new products and/or the certification/labelling of products.
• To develop of experimental projects on product transformation.

• To contribute to local socio-economic development, by demonstrating the feasibility of a model of environmental conservation and an alternative development to more traditional approaches. This is a global innovation.
• To develop exemplary pilot actions, selected following an evaluation of their economic sustainability and their environmental and social impact. The project also supports the establishment of new income-generating pathways, bringing a level of acceptability and ownership.