Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has started “Training Program for Market-Oriented Agriculture for Smallholder Farmers” since 2014. After the training in Japan, ex-participants of this training started to implement the pilot project in Ntchisi District, in Malawi. During the pilot project implementation, considerable positive changes were observed among the target farmer groups, such as embarking upon collective marketing and improving bargaining power. Recognizing this result, the Government of Malawi (GOM) requested the Government of Japan (GOJ) for the technical cooperation to support GOM in promoting and scaling up market-oriented agriculture for smallholder horticulture farmers based on the experience in the pilot project.
Government of Japan implemented Technical Cooperation project from 9th April, 2017 to 8th April, 2023 (6 years) by the name of Market-Oriented Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (MA-SHEP). This approach provides technical and soft skills based on the theory of self-determination. The project via series of training programs has influenced farmers to change their mindsets and behaviour towards promoting market-oriented horticulture. In addition, most farmers gained confidence in applying the skills acquired, which resulted in improved production and marketing and increased incomes.
This approach is friendly to diverse people such as women, men, youth and people with disabilities. Target areas were selected based on the proposals from District Agriculture Development Officers. Target farmer groups and beneficiaries were selected based on the group selection criteria through sensitization workshop conducted for district officers.
MA-SHEP implemented a series of activities in the field of gender since the beginning of the project based on the recognition that equal partnership between husband and wife as a farm management unit is essential for achieving the MA-SHEP goal and that elimination of gender gaps in opportunities, division of labour and decision-making process is essential for realizing the equal partnership.
As a result, the MA-SHEP farmers could realize the equal partnership between husband and wife (household members including the children) as a farm management unit. The realization of the equal partnership has enabled the farmers to do much more. With the equal opportunities, the female farmers are now able to: work harder / positively; find more markets; grow cash crops with proper knowledge and techniques; make better choices in farming; make networking with other women in the communities.
Reviewed gender roles enable the male and female farmers to cultivate bigger areas; grow more crops; find more markets; work timely and efficiently; work without fatigue; have time to rest; realize transparency between husband and wife. Joint decision-making between husband and wife and / or their children enabled them to: work harder / positively (especially for women and children); make better choices both in family budgeting (including stopping misuse of money) and farming from a variety of ideas coming from different views; realize transparency, harmony, and mutual trust, which leads to family happiness.
The gender awareness training was one of the important components of the MA-SHEP Package. The training conducted using Household Approach (HHA), which could promote significant transformation of a household and generates tremendous impacts on gender and power relations among male and female members of the household as well as encouraged all male and female household members including boys and girls to participate in the process of discussion to share their views and opinions.
SHEP-MA:
- Beneficiaries: 6,443 farmers benefited from the project directly while 32,673 farmers benefited indirectly from April 2017 to April 2023 (6 years).
- About 979 officers of MoAIWD (from Headquarters, ADDs, Districts and EPAs).
A total of 400 million Japanese Yen (around USD 2.8 million USD) has been spent on the project (Japan side).
SHEP project closely worked with local government and central government, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development in Malawi (MoAIWD). Trained extension officers as well as worked with policy level staff to bring positive changes on the budget allocation for extension services that secure the sustainability of the intervention. Through this approach, project team assisted local level governance and oversight mechanism through local social councils. Project also worked for lobbying the central and county governments to include the SHEP approach in their strategies and plans.
- SHEP Approach is now being used in various government and partner programs.
- It is now being re-named to Smallholder Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) to accommodate other value chains.
- SHEP guideline was developed on the implementation of the SHEP by extension officers which contribute to sustainability of the approach.
- SHEP included in NAEAS (National Agriculture Extension and Advisory Services Strategy).
- National MA-SHEP workshops were held annually to which all district agriculture offices and stakeholders were invited. The workshops introduced MA-SHEP project / SHEP Approach and provided progress reports on project activities, which led to the implementation of SHEP pilot activities in some districts not covered by the project.
- Lobbying and collaboration with universities, private sector, and other projects. In addition to introducing the SHEP Approach to stakeholders and sharing project progress at the national MA SHEP workshop, the DAES (Department of Agricultural Extension Services) actively proposed the introduction of SHEP, which led to the use of the SHEP Approach in each donor/NGO project (IFAD, African Development Bank (AfDB), FAO etc).
- New reporting system for extension service using KoboCollect App was introduced to all districts in the country by DAES. The purpose of introduction of this reporting system is to improve the quality of agriculture extension services by ensuring that field activities are timely reported, monitored, and necessary actions are taken, and that farmers will benefit from the reporting system. The content of this report was designed to be very simple and applicable to all projects and programme activities carried out by extension staff, not just limited to MA-SHEP. As of 14 March 2023, 17 out of 27 DAOs (District Agriculture Offices) have started using the system. A total of 349 reports had been submitted.
As the Overall Goal of the project is set as “livelihood improvement of smallholder farmers through the implementation of MA-SHEP, it is certain that the Government of Malawi continued to promote the mainstreaming of the SHEP Approach. To achieve this Overall Goal, DAES assured that the SHEP Approach embraced in National Agriculture Policy. At the same time, as DAES and the implementing Districts have been active in SHEP mainstreaming to make collaborations with concerned programme/projects, number of cases that the SHEP Approach is implemented has been increasing. Such actions can assure GoM upscale the SHEP in the country by its own initiatives as National SHEP Programme.
- The “National Agriculture Policy (NAP)” (September 2016) also set a goal to diverse crops from conventional tobacco and maize production to commercial agriculture, expanding income for farm households, improving food and nutrition security for all Malawians. The specific plan in order to realize NAP “National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) FY2017/18-2022/23” (January 2018) is enhancing market access, value addition, trade, and access to finance that is expected to be achieved by outcomes including greater efficiency and transparency of agricultural markets and better market accessed, increased number of farmers / farmer organizations linked to markets and finance, capacity building of the extension workers, etc.
- The Malawian Government has kept the policy of giving priority to the horticulture crop industry development under MGDS III, NAP and NAIP. The policy on strengthening and promotion of the SHEP approach is likely to be sustained in Malawi even after the project completion. DAES has identified "market-oriented agricultural extension” as a strategic pillar of its agricultural extension services, and in accordance with this policy, the SHEP Approach has been positioned as a pillar concept of the agricultural extension projects implemented by MoA.
To observe the implementation of the activities, monitoring, and supervision have been conducted regularly from the beginning until completion of the project. Apart from the above, to grasp the progress of the project activities, Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting has been held eight times and Technical Committee (TC) Meeting has been held 17 times. In addition, weekly management meeting held every week. During these meetings, information, progress, challenges of the project have been properly shared with the project’s stakeholders.
Leveraging the existing extension system of Malawi: In addition to the high motivation and ownership of the Malawian government, the existing extension system of Malawi also highly contributed to the implementation of the MA-SHEP Package. There was already an established agricultural extension service system in Malawi that reached the central, district, and field levels, and the project was able to take advantage of this system in introducing and disseminating the SHEP approach throughout the country. Even though the SHEP pilot activities had been led by MoA prior to the start of the project, the project was able to implement the MA-SHEP Package nationwide from the beginning, without a trial in some target areas with linked to the existing agricultural extension services system. National stakeholders’ workshop: Held since 2016, targeting government projects and programs, partner institutions, and academia.
Information, data, and progress about the implementation of the SHEP Approach is available on the official website of the JICA
JICA Annual Evaluation Report 2023 - The results of this analysis, which combined data from all four surveys, suggest that participation in MA-SHEP led to an increase in household expenditures among farmer households, and that the project induced behavioral changes conducive to becoming “self-motivated” farmers. The first question is, “Do you have any specific buyers?” The responses indicated that there was a higher proportion of farmers with specific buyers among participating farmers than non-participating farmers. The second question is “Who makes financial decisions in your household?” Among participating farmers, it was slightly less likely for one member of the household to make decisions alone and more likely for both the farmers and their spouses to make decisions, while among non-participating farmers, there was a higher proportion of households where the farmers or their spouses made decisions alone.
Monitoring the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment Promotion - This study evaluates the impact of the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) project in Malawi (MA-SHEP), with a focus on poverty reduction, household welfare, and resilience to shocks and seasonal fluctuations. Leveraging innovative high-frequency monitoring systems like the Rapid Feedback Monitoring System (RFMS) and poverty estimates derived from the Survey of Well-Being via Instant and Frequent Tracking (SWIFT), this research offers updated results that demonstrate the project's effectiveness. By applying robust statistical techniques within a quasi-experimental sampling design, the analysis suggests that MA-SHEP contributes to poverty reduction among farmers and improves households welfare, as measured by mean household expenditure. Additionally, the evidence reveals that, in the face of adverse exogenous shocks, MA-SHEP farmers are less susceptible to increases in poverty and food insecurity than non-MA-SHEP farmers. These results underscore the transformative potential of the SHEP approach in building resilience against seasonal fluctuations and fostering sustainable development.
1) Effective capacity development and its utilization:
The Project fully utilizes capacities of officers who attended the training course in Japan and Kenya. MA-SHEP is one of the model case in terms of harmonization of training course and technical cooperation project.
2) Strong initiative by the MoAIWD:
The Project has been covering nationwide during only five years and progress so far is quite well. Without initiative of the MoAIWD, it cannot be achieved. Commitments by officers of both central and local governments were recognized as tremendously high. MoAIWD has tried to apply MA-SHEP Package in other programmes / projects. It is right way for further expansion. In addition to that, the MoAIWD contributed to developing capacities of officers from other African countries through the training course after the phase in Malawi. A Project Manager of the MA-SHEP, presented experiences of SHEP Approach in Malawi representing other 23 countries where SHEP Approach is introduced, he highlighted lesson learnt as below:
- Utilize the SHEP Approach as a complementary approach to government / donor projects / programmes e.g. IFAD & multi-donor trust fund projects.
- Creativeness and coordination enable to implement / upscale SHEP by district.
- Annual national SHEP workshop facilitates adaptation of SHEP Approach in other areas.
- Relevance of extension staff in provision of market-oriented extension services
- Impact-oriented-Income based and livelihoods.
It can be said, Malawi is a leading country to improve extension service through SHEP Approach.
There is a strong collaboration between the Ministry and IFAD through its programmes in Malawi and all agricultural programmes have adopted SHEP Approach. The Ministry is also collaborating with private sector especially at local Traders and Buyers and Input suppliers.
The following organizations have been utilizing the MA-SHEP Package in their projects.
- Transforming Agriculture Through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) implemented by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and funded by IFAD
- Financial Access to Rural Markets and Enterprises (FARMSE)
- Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Development-Watershed Management Project funded by the African Development Bank
- Empowering Women in Fisheries for Sustainable Food Systems Project with technical support from FAO and financial support from the Norwegian Government.
The following organizations and projects are utilizing part of SHEP Approach in their projects.
- Agriculture Sector Wide Approach Support Project II
- Sustainable Agricultural Production Program (SAPP) funded by IFAD
- Adapting to Climate Change Through Integrated Risk Management Strategies and Enhanced Market Opportunities for Resilient Food Security and Livelihoods funded by the World Bank
- Community Savings and Investment Promotion to be funded by the World Bank
- Export Trading Group
- Agricultural Infrastructure and Youth in Agribusiness Project
- Malawi Agricultural and Industrial Investment Corporation
- CARE International
- World Vision
- Total Land Care
- Plan International
- Enhancing Access to Profitable and Inclusive Agriculture Markets for Smallholder Famers in Malawi by Oxfam
- Promoting Peace and Socio-Economic Empowerment through National Peace Architecture and Sustainable Livelihoods by UNDP
Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) has been signed in 2018 between JICA and International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) followed by a declaration concluded in TICAD-7 (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) High Level Event in 2019 which aims to scale up the SHEP approach to One Million farmers around the world by 2030, MoC was renewed in March 2024. The new MoC is expected the scope of partnership, which was previously limited to Africa, to include Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. The new MoC effective for five years upon its signature.
JICA singed Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with World Food Program (WFP) on 10th Oct 2019 aiming to provide a framework for collaboration on activities and the interest and priorities when deemed useful. Both parties make efforts to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of existing cooperation as well as to find new opportunities and innovative ways for cooperation and to build partnerships with those of different sectors including other development partners, government, private entities, and civil societies in a harmonized way to create synergy in related activities.
A Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) was signed between JICA and the Sasakawa African Association (SAA), on 28, Aug, 2019. Through this MOC, JICA and SAA share with each other knowledge and lessons learned as well as share data and information in relation to their agricultural support operation in Africa including agricultural technologies, models, trends, market demand and supply. JICA shares know-how and expertise on the latest agricultural extension technologies and methodologies developed and used in JICA’s projects and initiatives such as SHEP, CARD (Coalition for African Rice Development) and IFNA (Initiative for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa), while SAA shares its experiences and lessons learned from SAA operation, both field and university programs. At the request of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), the C/P conducted SHEP training for university lecturers. Two lecturers from the University also participated in SHEP Knowledge Co-creation Programme, aimed at exploring opportunities of incorporating the SHEP Approach into the University Curriculum.
JICA has collaboration with Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) and jointly developed a module (NELK-SHEP Module). GFRAS adopted this approach in the projects in Latin America and some African countries and incorporated in learning kit by the name of “New Extensionist Learning Kit (NELK). Existing materials can be uploaded to NELK and the modules can be released at the SHEP Seminar for the Latin American region scheduled for February 2025. GFRAS - New Extensionist Learning Kit NELK (g-fras.org)
JICA and GFRAS made a list of SHEP contents in Spanish language. In addition to this list, there is also a Spanish language version of the SHEP Practical Knowledge Test. FY2024 KCCP Latin America A_SHEP TEST (Type A) (office.com)
SDG 1－No poverty
- Target 1.2 - By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
- Indicator 1.2.1 - Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age
- Indicator 1.2.2 - Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
SDG 2－Zero hunger
- Target 2.3－By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.
- Indicator 2.3.1 - Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size
- Indicator 2.3.2 - Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status
SDG 5－Gender equality
- Target 5.5－Ensure women`s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
- Indicator 5.5.1 - Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments
- Indicator 5.5.2 - Proportion of women in managerial positions
SDG 8－Decent work and economic growth
- Target 8.5－By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
- Indicator 8.5.1 - Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities
- Indicator 8.5.2 - Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
SDG 9－Industry, innovation and infrastructure
- Target 9.3－Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets.
- Indicator 9.3.1 - Proportion of small-scale industries in total industry value added
- Indicator 9.3.2 - Proportion of small-scale industries with a loan or line of credit
SDG 10－Reduced inequalities
- Target 10.1－By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average.
- Indicator 10.1.1 - Growth rates of household expenditure or income per capita among the bottom 40 per cent of the population and the total population
- Target 10.2－By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
- Indicator 10.2.1 - Proportion of people living below 50 per cent of median income, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
SDG 12－Responsible consumption and production
- Target 12.3－By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.
- Indicator 12.3.1 - (a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index
SDG 1－No poverty
- Target 1.2 – By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
- Indicator 1.2.1 – Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age
- Indicator 1.2.2 – Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
SDG 2－Zero hunger
- Target 2.3－By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.
- Indicator 2.3.1 – Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size
- Indicator 2.3.2 – Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status
SDG 5－Gender equality
- Target 5.5－Ensure women`s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
- Indicator 5.5.1 – Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments
- Indicator 5.5.2 – Proportion of women in managerial positions
SDG 8－Decent work and economic growth
- Target 8.5－By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
- Indicator 8.5.1 – Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities
- Indicator 8.5.2 – Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
SDG 9－Industry, innovation and infrastructure
- Target 9.3－Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets.
- Indicator 9.3.1 – Proportion of small-scale industries in total industry value added
- Indicator 9.3.2 – Proportion of small-scale industries with a loan or line of credit
SDG 10－Reduced inequalities
- Target 10.1－By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average.
- Indicator 10.1.1 – Growth rates of household expenditure or income per capita among the bottom 40 per cent of the population and the total population
- Target 10.2－By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
- Indicator 10.2.1 – Proportion of people living below 50 per cent of median income, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
SDG 12－Responsible consumption and production
- Target 12.3－By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.
- Indicator 12.3.1 – (a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has started “Training Program for Market-Oriented Agriculture for Smallholder Farmers” since 2014. After the training in Japan, ex-participants of this training started to implement the pilot project in Ntchisi District, in Malawi. During the pilot project implementation, considerable positive changes were observed among the target farmer groups, such as embarking upon collective marketing and improving bargaining power. Recognizing this result, the Government of Malawi (GOM) requested the Government of Japan (GOJ) for the technical cooperation to support GOM in promoting and scaling up market-oriented agriculture for smallholder horticulture farmers based on the experience in the pilot project.
Government of Japan implemented Technical Cooperation project from 9th April, 2017 to 8th April, 2023 (6 years) by the name of Market-Oriented Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (MA-SHEP). This approach provides technical and soft skills based on the theory of self-determination. The project via series of training programs has influenced farmers to change their mindsets and behaviour towards promoting market-oriented horticulture. In addition, most farmers gained confidence in applying the skills acquired, which resulted in improved production and marketing and increased incomes.
This approach is friendly to diverse people such as women, men, youth and people with disabilities. Target areas were selected based on the proposals from District Agriculture Development Officers. Target farmer groups and beneficiaries were selected based on the group selection criteria through sensitization workshop conducted for district officers.
MA-SHEP implemented a series of activities in the field of gender since the beginning of the project based on the recognition that equal partnership between husband and wife as a farm management unit is essential for achieving the MA-SHEP goal and that elimination of gender gaps in opportunities, division of labour and decision-making process is essential for realizing the equal partnership.
As a result, the MA-SHEP farmers could realize the equal partnership between husband and wife (household members including the children) as a farm management unit. The realization of the equal partnership has enabled the farmers to do much more. With the equal opportunities, the female farmers are now able to: work harder / positively; find more markets; grow cash crops with proper knowledge and techniques; make better choices in farming; make networking with other women in the communities.
Reviewed gender roles enable the male and female farmers to cultivate bigger areas; grow more crops; find more markets; work timely and efficiently; work without fatigue; have time to rest; realize transparency between husband and wife. Joint decision-making between husband and wife and / or their children enabled them to: work harder / positively (especially for women and children); make better choices both in family budgeting (including stopping misuse of money) and farming from a variety of ideas coming from different views; realize transparency, harmony, and mutual trust, which leads to family happiness.
The gender awareness training was one of the important components of the MA-SHEP Package. The training conducted using Household Approach (HHA), which could promote significant transformation of a household and generates tremendous impacts on gender and power relations among male and female members of the household as well as encouraged all male and female household members including boys and girls to participate in the process of discussion to share their views and opinions.
1) Effective capacity development and its utilization:
The Project fully utilizes capacities of officers who attended the training course in Japan and Kenya. MA-SHEP is one of the model case in terms of harmonization of training course and technical cooperation project.
2) Strong initiative by the MoAIWD:
The Project has been covering nationwide during only five years and progress so far is quite well. Without initiative of the MoAIWD, it cannot be achieved. Commitments by officers of both central and local governments were recognized as tremendously high. MoAIWD has tried to apply MA-SHEP Package in other programmes / projects. It is right way for further expansion. In addition to that, the MoAIWD contributed to developing capacities of officers from other African countries through the training course after the phase in Malawi. A Project Manager of the MA-SHEP, presented experiences of SHEP Approach in Malawi representing other 23 countries where SHEP Approach is introduced, he highlighted lesson learnt as below:
- Utilize the SHEP Approach as a complementary approach to government / donor projects / programmes e.g. IFAD & multi-donor trust fund projects.
- Creativeness and coordination enable to implement / upscale SHEP by district.
- Annual national SHEP workshop facilitates adaptation of SHEP Approach in other areas.
- Relevance of extension staff in provision of market-oriented extension services
- Impact-oriented-Income based and livelihoods.
It can be said, Malawi is a leading country to improve extension service through SHEP Approach.
Integrated programmes for gender equality and empowerment
There is a strong collaboration between the Ministry and IFAD through its programmes in Malawi and all agricultural programmes have adopted SHEP Approach. The Ministry is also collaborating with private sector especially at local Traders and Buyers and Input suppliers.
The following organizations have been utilizing the MA-SHEP Package in their projects.
- Transforming Agriculture Through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) implemented by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and funded by IFAD
- Financial Access to Rural Markets and Enterprises (FARMSE)
- Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Development-Watershed Management Project funded by the African Development Bank
- Empowering Women in Fisheries for Sustainable Food Systems Project with technical support from FAO and financial support from the Norwegian Government.
The following organizations and projects are utilizing part of SHEP Approach in their projects.
- Agriculture Sector Wide Approach Support Project II
- Sustainable Agricultural Production Program (SAPP) funded by IFAD
- Adapting to Climate Change Through Integrated Risk Management Strategies and Enhanced Market Opportunities for Resilient Food Security and Livelihoods funded by the World Bank
- Community Savings and Investment Promotion to be funded by the World Bank
- Export Trading Group
- Agricultural Infrastructure and Youth in Agribusiness Project
- Malawi Agricultural and Industrial Investment Corporation
- CARE International
- World Vision
- Total Land Care
- Plan International
- Enhancing Access to Profitable and Inclusive Agriculture Markets for Smallholder Famers in Malawi by Oxfam
- Promoting Peace and Socio-Economic Empowerment through National Peace Architecture and Sustainable Livelihoods by UNDP
Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) has been signed in 2018 between JICA and International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) followed by a declaration concluded in TICAD-7 (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) High Level Event in 2019 which aims to scale up the SHEP approach to One Million farmers around the world by 2030, MoC was renewed in March 2024. The new MoC is expected the scope of partnership, which was previously limited to Africa, to include Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. The new MoC effective for five years upon its signature.
JICA singed Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with World Food Program (WFP) on 10th Oct 2019 aiming to provide a framework for collaboration on activities and the interest and priorities when deemed useful. Both parties make efforts to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of existing cooperation as well as to find new opportunities and innovative ways for cooperation and to build partnerships with those of different sectors including other development partners, government, private entities, and civil societies in a harmonized way to create synergy in related activities.
A Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) was signed between JICA and the Sasakawa African Association (SAA), on 28, Aug, 2019. Through this MOC, JICA and SAA share with each other knowledge and lessons learned as well as share data and information in relation to their agricultural support operation in Africa including agricultural technologies, models, trends, market demand and supply. JICA shares know-how and expertise on the latest agricultural extension technologies and methodologies developed and used in JICA’s projects and initiatives such as SHEP, CARD (Coalition for African Rice Development) and IFNA (Initiative for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa), while SAA shares its experiences and lessons learned from SAA operation, both field and university programs. At the request of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), the C/P conducted SHEP training for university lecturers. Two lecturers from the University also participated in SHEP Knowledge Co-creation Programme, aimed at exploring opportunities of incorporating the SHEP Approach into the University Curriculum.
JICA has collaboration with Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) and jointly developed a module (NELK-SHEP Module). GFRAS adopted this approach in the projects in Latin America and some African countries and incorporated in learning kit by the name of “New Extensionist Learning Kit (NELK). Existing materials can be uploaded to NELK and the modules can be released at the SHEP Seminar for the Latin American region scheduled for February 2025. GFRAS – New Extensionist Learning Kit NELK (g-fras.org)
JICA and GFRAS made a list of SHEP contents in Spanish language. In addition to this list, there is also a Spanish language version of the SHEP Practical Knowledge Test. FY2024 KCCP Latin America A_SHEP TEST (Type A) (office.com)
SHEP project closely worked with local government and central government, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development in Malawi (MoAIWD). Trained extension officers as well as worked with policy level staff to bring positive changes on the budget allocation for extension services that secure the sustainability of the intervention. Through this approach, project team assisted local level governance and oversight mechanism through local social councils. Project also worked for lobbying the central and county governments to include the SHEP approach in their strategies and plans.
- SHEP Approach is now being used in various government and partner programs.
- It is now being re-named to Smallholder Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) to accommodate other value chains.
- SHEP guideline was developed on the implementation of the SHEP by extension officers which contribute to sustainability of the approach.
- SHEP included in NAEAS (National Agriculture Extension and Advisory Services Strategy).
- National MA-SHEP workshops were held annually to which all district agriculture offices and stakeholders were invited. The workshops introduced MA-SHEP project / SHEP Approach and provided progress reports on project activities, which led to the implementation of SHEP pilot activities in some districts not covered by the project.
- Lobbying and collaboration with universities, private sector, and other projects. In addition to introducing the SHEP Approach to stakeholders and sharing project progress at the national MA SHEP workshop, the DAES (Department of Agricultural Extension Services) actively proposed the introduction of SHEP, which led to the use of the SHEP Approach in each donor/NGO project (IFAD, African Development Bank (AfDB), FAO etc).
- New reporting system for extension service using KoboCollect App was introduced to all districts in the country by DAES. The purpose of introduction of this reporting system is to improve the quality of agriculture extension services by ensuring that field activities are timely reported, monitored, and necessary actions are taken, and that farmers will benefit from the reporting system. The content of this report was designed to be very simple and applicable to all projects and programme activities carried out by extension staff, not just limited to MA-SHEP. As of 14 March 2023, 17 out of 27 DAOs (District Agriculture Offices) have started using the system. A total of 349 reports had been submitted.
As the Overall Goal of the project is set as “livelihood improvement of smallholder farmers through the implementation of MA-SHEP, it is certain that the Government of Malawi continued to promote the mainstreaming of the SHEP Approach. To achieve this Overall Goal, DAES assured that the SHEP Approach embraced in National Agriculture Policy. At the same time, as DAES and the implementing Districts have been active in SHEP mainstreaming to make collaborations with concerned programme/projects, number of cases that the SHEP Approach is implemented has been increasing. Such actions can assure GoM upscale the SHEP in the country by its own initiatives as National SHEP Programme.
- The “National Agriculture Policy (NAP)” (September 2016) also set a goal to diverse crops from conventional tobacco and maize production to commercial agriculture, expanding income for farm households, improving food and nutrition security for all Malawians. The specific plan in order to realize NAP “National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) FY2017/18-2022/23” (January 2018) is enhancing market access, value addition, trade, and access to finance that is expected to be achieved by outcomes including greater efficiency and transparency of agricultural markets and better market accessed, increased number of farmers / farmer organizations linked to markets and finance, capacity building of the extension workers, etc.
- The Malawian Government has kept the policy of giving priority to the horticulture crop industry development under MGDS III, NAP and NAIP. The policy on strengthening and promotion of the SHEP approach is likely to be sustained in Malawi even after the project completion. DAES has identified “market-oriented agricultural extension” as a strategic pillar of its agricultural extension services, and in accordance with this policy, the SHEP Approach has been positioned as a pillar concept of the agricultural extension projects implemented by MoA.
SHEP-MA:
- Beneficiaries: 6,443 farmers benefited from the project directly while 32,673 farmers benefited indirectly from April 2017 to April 2023 (6 years).
- About 979 officers of MoAIWD (from Headquarters, ADDs, Districts and EPAs).
A total of 400 million Japanese Yen (around USD 2.8 million USD) has been spent on the project (Japan side).
To observe the implementation of the activities, monitoring, and supervision have been conducted regularly from the beginning until completion of the project. Apart from the above, to grasp the progress of the project activities, Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting has been held eight times and Technical Committee (TC) Meeting has been held 17 times. In addition, weekly management meeting held every week. During these meetings, information, progress, challenges of the project have been properly shared with the project’s stakeholders.
Leveraging the existing extension system of Malawi: In addition to the high motivation and ownership of the Malawian government, the existing extension system of Malawi also highly contributed to the implementation of the MA-SHEP Package. There was already an established agricultural extension service system in Malawi that reached the central, district, and field levels, and the project was able to take advantage of this system in introducing and disseminating the SHEP approach throughout the country. Even though the SHEP pilot activities had been led by MoA prior to the start of the project, the project was able to implement the MA-SHEP Package nationwide from the beginning, without a trial in some target areas with linked to the existing agricultural extension services system. National stakeholders’ workshop: Held since 2016, targeting government projects and programs, partner institutions, and academia.
Information, data, and progress about the implementation of the SHEP Approach is available on the official website of the JICA