Despite the country’s real agricultural potential and the important economic role played by the agribusiness sector, Comoros is a largely food-deficit island country which imports about 40 percent of its requirements, including the main staple – rice. A major constraint is the prevailing dual system of “food crops” produced for home consumption alongside “cash crops” destined for sale.
As part of concerted efforts to improve food security by boosting agricultural productivity and mobilising investments in the sector, the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) is currently implementing a project targeting small producers on the island of Moheli, which is rich in natural resources and has a strong potential for diversified agricultural production. Funded by the Islamic Development Bank, this three-year project is designed to: strengthen advisory services for small producers and vulnerable groups, for example through the establishment of dedicated operational facilities; to intensify and diversify food production – with an emphasis on organizational capacity building and technical as well as financial support to small producers and other actors along the food supply chain; and produce a food safety database as well as a food security monitoring and evaluation system.
