MATCHING GRANT FUND AGREEMENT – SIGNING CEREMONY
The Government of Belize (GOB), with financing of BZ$40 Million from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), has embarked on a six-year Programme, Resilient Rural Belize (RRB), which aims to minimize the impacts of climatic and economic events on small farmers while supporting sustainable market access for their produce.
The Programme Management Unit (PMU), acting through the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment (Lead Programme Agency) and working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, has overall responsibility for programme implementation, including the administration and implementation of the Programme’s Matching Grant Fund (MGF), the main objective of which is to support the achievement of the Programme’s objectives by co-financing investments that would improve, in volume and quality, small farmer agricultural production and safeguard food security in the context of existing and projected climate change effects. Working with Producers’ Organizations, the Programme will provide support for the development of a business plan, which shall identify proposed investments, including technical assistance and capacity building, aimed at achieving the above objectives, and which shall be used as the basis for accessing support from the Matching Grant Fund (MGF).
On Monday, July 5, 2021, the Government of Belize and the Valley of Peace Farmers Association Holdings Limited has signed an Agreement, which will allow for the provision of support to the Association by the Government of Belize through the Programme’s Matching Grant Fund for investments identified in the second business plan to have been prepared and approved under the Programme. These investments include the construction of a climate resilient office, packing and storage center with equipment, irrigation equipment (water pump, water tanks, PVC piping, hoses & sprinklers) construction of climate smart seedling nursery with equipment and the provision of technical assistance and capacity building geared toward improving governance, administration, financial operations and marketing; introducing climate smart agricultural techniques; and improving production scheduling, planning and product quality.
Valley of Peace Farmers Association Holdings Limited registered as an Association has been engaged with the RRB programme and the Department of Co-operative over the past two years and to date many of the members have been trained on numerous topics by the Department of Co-operative. The Association is based in Valley of Peace, Cayo District, and produce a variety of vegetables. They believe that they have a competitive advantage with cabbage, lettuce and onions, and thus the business proposal concentrates on improving capacity and market opportunities of these crops. The total numbers of beneficiaries to be positively affected by the proposed investment is estimated at 185 persons, including 28 women and 80 youths.
Belize Celebrates International Day of Cooperatives
Belmopan. July 2, 2021.
The International Day of Cooperatives was celebrated today in San Carlos Village, Orange Walk District under the theme “Rebuild Better Together”. Celebrated annually on the first Saturday in July, the day is observed each year at different locales where cooperatives are active to build awareness. Present for the occasion were Servulo Baeza, CEO in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, and Gareth Murillo, registrar of cooperatives.
In his remarks, CEO Baeza spoke of the work that cooperatives do in organizing small farmers and ensuring their participation in economic activity that helps the economy recover. CEO Baeza also highlighted the important role of cooperatives in helping to organize at the grassroots level and supporting people and communities as their work helps with the eradication of poverty. He further noted that government has prioritized agriculture in the national economic recovery process.
The day included raffles for members of the cooperatives, messages from international partners and talks from members of the local cooperatives.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise and the Mexican Embassy
through AMEXCID formally launched
“A SYTEMATIZATION REPORT OF THE MESOAMERICA HUNGER FREE
SCHOOL FEEDING PROJECT IN THE TOLEDO DISTRICT”
BASED ON THE PROJECT TITLED:
“Improve Food and Nutrition Security and Encourage Healthy Eating Habits in Belize
through Strengthening of the School Feeding Programs” (GCP/SLM/001/MEX)
OFFICIAL RESIDENCE, EMBASSY OF MEXICO IN BELIZE
CITY OF BELMOPAN
Thursday JUNE 3RD, 2021
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise in collaboration of the Government of
Mexico through the Mexican International Development Cooperation Agency (AMEXCID) today
handed over a systematization report of the Mesoamerica Hunger Free School Feeding Program
Project implemented in the Toledo District.
Since 2015, Mesoamerican countries, including one from the Caribbean, embarked on the
Mesoamerica Without Hunger Initiative. The initiative is a program of cooperation between
countries in the South-South region that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. With
aid from the Government of Mexico through AMEXCID and with technical support from the Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Additionally, it seeks to strengthen institutional frameworks
for achieving Food and Nutrition Security and individualized attention to family farming.
Through this initiative, Belize’s pilot project developed the Sustainable School Feeding Program
(SFP) in four communities in the Toledo District.
Belize is determined to strengthen its governance mechanisms for designing, implementing and
monitoring its programs and public policies for food and nutrition security. In this regard, SFPs
based on the experience of Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the cornerstone strategies
that can be adopted to achieve social justice with instruments that contribute to different
dimensions of development and the realization of rights.
Present at the event were Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture; Hon. Francis Fonseca,
Minister of Education; Hon. Ramon Cervantes, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs; H.E Martha Zamarripa, Ambassador of Mexico in Belize; Dr. Israel Rios, FAO Regional
Representative.