F.a: Empowering the Mecuburi Province local communities in natural resource management, agroecological farming

General

Industrial-scale investment projects and poor understanding of local communities? role in natural resource management and decision-making have led to conflicts and fears over land and natural resource management in Nampula. Local communities and small-scale farmers have lost their land rights and natural resources have been illegally destroyed, including in the Mecuburi National Reserve. Unorganised local communities have been sidelined in decision-making. In particular, the voices of women, young people and people with disabilities have not been heard. One of the investment plans threatening the region is the industrial agriculture project Desenvolvimento o Vale do Rio Lúrio. It would violate the land rights of small-scale farmers, especially along the Lúrio river. Small-scale farmers are dependent on prices set by middlemen, and deforestation occurs due to uncontrolled fire. Local community organisation, agro-ecological farming methods and preservation of natural resources must be strengthened in order to ensure sustainable livelihoods. The expected results of the project are (i) local communities' trust on their rights to land use and natural resources is strengthened, (ii) increased organisational capacity of local communities and associations in decision-making on natural resource management and in the implementation of programmes for local development, (iii) community men, women and youth understand the importance of the Mecuburi Reserve; and (iv) women, men, youth and persons with disabilities participate in formal and informal decision-making forums related to the conservation of the Mecuburi Reserve and the sustainable use of other local resources. The project beneficiaries are members of local communities who earn their livelihoods from subsistence farming and exploitation of Miombo forests (for charcoal production, firewood and construction) in 8 communities (Mualua A, Mualua B, Namitil, Namicopi, Nihiri, Zero Quilómetros, Macassar and Feira) in the district of Mecuburi, Nampula province. The number of direct beneficiaries is estimated at 8 000, of which 50% are women, 30% are young people (aged between 18 and 40) and 1 000 are persons with disabilities. The number of indirect beneficiaries in the communities is estimated at 30 000. The project is implemented by the Nampula Smallholders' Union, União Provincial de Camponeses de Nampula (UPC-NPL); https://upcnampula.org.mz/.