Migration, Agriculture and Rural Development

The general objective of the project is to strengthen the resilience of displaced populations, migrants and communities and establish inclusive, peaceful and sustainable natural resource management in the Sahel and especially in Mali, and improve the availability of data on mixed migration in the Sahel, particularly on the environment-migration nexus and through the collection, management, analysis and dissemination of data on internal and cross-border displacement.

The Policy coherence and multisectoral coordination - FAO Guiding Framework and Toolkit is designed to integrate human mobility into National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) from a rural livelihoods perspective. The main objectives are to ensure that policies across different sectors and government departments are mutually reinforcing, thereby effectively achieving national development goals. The targeted population includes policymakers, government officials, and stakeholders involved in rural development and climate adaptation

Climate change is increasingly driving migration and forced displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa, demanding coordinated regional and global responses. Switzerland is uniquely placed to address this challenge due to its experience in migration governance, climate adaptation and its longstanding regional engagement. In partnership with the African Union, regional economic bodies, Member States and local authorities, Switzerland contributes to regular migration frameworks, enhanced protection and inclusive socio-economic opportunities.

The ILF for GIF aims to enable (migrant) women to increase their access to and usage of financial products and services - particularly in underserved environments. It does so by providing financial incentives to companies using technology - FinTechs in Asia, MENA, and Sub-Saharan Africa that adopt more gender- and migration-centred business models and tailored products. The ILF for GIF targets FinTechs that want toachieve a positive social impact, which would not be funded by classic investors.

This project assisted host community members and SuTPs in gaining access to formal employment through the delivery of a vocational training programme, developing beneficiaries’ vocational and technical skills. This intervention created livelihood opportunities in the local market for programme graduates, specifically focused on the production of niche agri-food products with strong and stable consumer demand.

FAO supported the vocational skills of Syrians under Temporary Protaction (SuTPs) in the food and agriculture sector to improve their access to employment opportunities. Building on assessment results showing significant shortage of skilled and semi-skilled labour in the sector in southern and south-eastern Turkey, FAO in partnership with UNHCR and the private sector carried out vocational trainings in the agriculture, food processing and livestock sectors for unemployed SuTPs and host communities.

In both Tunisia and Ethiopia, rural outmigration, especially of youth, is a reality challenging rural development and transformation, although in different ways. To respond to these challenges, the objectives of the e Rural Youth Mobility Project (RYM) project were to address the adverse drivers of migration, while at the same time enhancing the positive impact of rural outmigration of youth on food security and rural development in rural areas of origin.

As individuals and organizations in localities across the globe mobilize to support those displaced by war, conflict, and climate disasters, meeting immediate needs of migrants and refugees is critical. At the same time, building the infrastructure needed to support and engage migrants and broader communities in the long term is essential to ensure strong life outcomes beyond the initial welcoming period.

The project PEM N'Zassa, which is deeply rooted in the two countries in which it is being implemented, Côte d'Ivoire and Belgium, aims to support the entrepreneurial ecosystems in each country. The project proposes a circular mobility model for 120 Ivorian entrepreneurs and SME employees who have developed an innovative entrepreneurial project, and for whom mobility to Belgium represents an opportunity to create value.

Migrants and diaspora communities play a vital role in agri-food systems. Diaspora organizations support food security and rural development in their countries of origin, through investments, transfer of knowledge and skills, and contribution to employment generation in rural areas. 

The Diaspora Agro Business Award by the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), thus serves to recognize diaspora ”agripreneurs” contributing to agrifood employment opportunities in countries of origin.