BY LINDELWA MYENI
MBABANE – Eswatini is seeking to unlock more investment for its agrifood sector through a new National Agrifood Systems Investment Programme (NASIP), with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) working to transform agriculture, strengthen food security and improve farmer resilience.
The initiative is being implemented under FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), through the programme “Support towards Mobilizing Investment Capital & Financing to Drive Agrifood Systems Transformation in Eswatini.”
As part of the process, a technical session was held to domesticate the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) framework, transitioning from the Eswatini National Agricultural Investment Plan (ENAIP 2.0) to the new NASIP framework.
NASIP is a strategic, multi-year financial framework adopted by African Union Member States to transform agricultural sectors, modernise value chains and strengthen food and nutrition security.
The process is guided by the CAADP Kampala Declaration, which sets ambitious commitments for resilient and sustainable agrifood systems across Africa for the 2026–2035 period.
The declaration calls on Member States and Regional Economic Communities to integrate its commitments into National Agrifood Investment Plans and Regional Agrifood System Investment Plans, ensuring that continental commitments translate into coordinated action at national level.
Speaking on the sidelines of the technical session, Assistant FAO Representative Howard Mbuyisa said the programme would help the Government identify practical policy and investment solutions by examining the country’s agricultural investment landscape.
“Through in-depth analysis of the market, supply chains, demand and profitability trends, and the structural drivers of the investment landscape,” Mbuyisa said, the programme would also undertake comparative analysis to identify successful approaches and best practices from other countries.
He said the policy support would help smallholder farmers become more resilient, transformative and sustainable.
The NASIP framework is expected to provide a more integrated approach to agricultural investment by connecting policy, financing, markets, institutions and implementation.
Cuthbert Kambanje, Subregional Agrifood Systems and Investment Support Consultant, said the framework would provide an evidence-driven strategy to modernise agriculture while ensuring that transformation benefits a wider section of society.
“The National Agrifood Systems Investment Programme (NASIP) will offer an integrated, evidence-driven strategy to modernize agriculture and drive inclusion,” said Kambanje.
He said NASIP would strengthen institutions, advance digital and climate-smart agriculture, expand access to finance and markets, restore degraded ecosystems and promote the inclusion of women, youth and vulnerable populations.
The framework is also expected to support Eswatini in aligning its agricultural investment priorities with the broader objectives of the CAADP Kampala Declaration.
The shift from ENAIP 2.0 to NASIP is intended to strengthen the country’s ability to mobilise investment and financing for a more productive, resilient and sustainable agrifood sector.
FAO has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Government of Eswatini through technical assistance in developing a strong, structured and robust investment plan to guide the country’s agrifood systems transformation.
The organisation said the support would contribute to creating a stronger investment foundation for agriculture while helping Eswatini respond to challenges affecting farmers, markets, food security and environmental sustainability.
The initiative places particular emphasis on strengthening smallholder farmers, who are expected to benefit from improved access to finance, markets, technology and climate-smart agricultural approaches.
Through the NASIP process, Eswatini is therefore seeking to move towards a more coordinated agrifood system in which investment, innovation, policy and market opportunities work together to drive sustainable agricultural development.
#AgrifoodTransformation #Agriculture #FoodSecurity #Investment #NASIP #CAADP #Eswatini #SustainableAgriculture #SmallholderFarmers #ClimateSmartAgriculture #FAO #AgriculturalDevelopment
