On Friday, 28 April 2017, the Government of Grenada signed a Design Mission Aide Memoire with the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) for a new project at the Ministry of Finance, St George. The Design Mission was held from 18 to 28 April 2017, with an IFAD Mission team comprising 8 specialists to collect and analyse data for the completion of the programme.
The new Climate-Smart Agriculture and Rural Enterprise Programme (SAEP) will cost approximately EC$31 million (US$11.5 million) which will be administered during a 6-year period. The programme will provide continuity to the overall goal of rural development of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique through an aggressive focus on agriculture once the MAREP Programme concludes in March 2018.
The goal of the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Rural Enterprise Programme (SAEP) is to contribute to the reduction of poverty and vulnerability in rural communities in Grenada. The new programme objectives are the following:
- supporting start-ups and existing enterprises in rural areas through capacity building, technical support services and financing;
- increasing the resilience and sustainability of farmers facing climate change and variability through the adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices.
The proposed target of the Programme is youths (unemployed and underemployed men and women age 15–35), female-headed households and smallholder farmers (full time and part time) who are vulnerable to climate change in the rural communities throughout the 7 parishes of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The estimated total number of direct beneficiaries is 7,400 individuals. Approximately 4,400 beneficiaries will be youth and females who are the head of their households; 3,000 beneficiaries will directly benefit from rehabilitated rural roads and drainage works that will potentially improve climate resilience and increase access to markets.
The mission conducted meetings with the Prime Minister Keith Mitchell; Hon. Oliver Joseph, Minister for Labour, Economic Development, Trade and Planning and representatives from other ministries. Meetings were also held with key stakeholders and international organisations within Grenada. The mission also visited the sister island of Carriacou to meet farmers, representatives from the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs and the local agriculture association.
MAREP
