Sustainable and Inclusive Belize Program
Overview: The Sustainable Agriculture Program is designed to promote the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, increase climate resilience and environmental sustainability, and enhance productivity in specific crops and livestock production. The primary objective is to increase competitiveness and access to markets for farmers and agribusinesses.
Program Benefits The program offers several benefits, including:
- Technical Assistance
- Assistance in creating a Farm Plan (FP) or Green Agri-Business Plan.
- Co-Financing
- Partial implementation of a viable farm plan with a maximum of BZE$4,000.00 through a voucher system.
- Grants
- Partial financing for selected green agri-business plans:
- Up to BZE$50,000.00 for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
- Up to BZE$150,000.00 for farm groups.
- Partial financing for selected green agri-business plans:
- Capacity Building
- Support to enhance farm management capabilities.
- Learning by Doing
- Activities such as farmers’ field schools and farmer-to-farmer exchange programs.
Beneficiaries and Target Groups The program targets the following groups:
- Small farmers
- Women farmers
- Indigenous farmers
- Migrant farmers
- Youth farmers
- Farm groups
- MSMEs in the agriculture sector
Eligibility Criteria
Individual Farmers
- Proof of land tenure (property title, possession right, lease, or community/collective land).
- Qualify as a small farmer with 0.5 to 20 acres of land in production.
- Register in the Belize Agriculture Information Management System (BAIMS) or commit to register.
- Producer of one or more priority agricultural commodities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE), excluding traditional commodities.
- Farm in operation for at least 12 months.
- No harmful environmental impact.
- Ability to provide a minimum of 15% of the total Farm Plan cost in cash or in-kind contribution.
Farm Groups
- Evidence of working as a group for at least one year prior to application.
- Ownership title of land or possessory right to use or occupy the land.
- Registered as a cooperative/association or commit to formalize.
- Participation of women, youth, indigenous, and/or migrant farmers.
MSMEs
- Evidence of conducting related business activities for at least one year.
- Proof of registration certificate or commitment to formalize (letter of commitment).
- Qualify as MSMEs in Belize.
MSMEs Classification
- Micro Enterprises: Less than 5 employees, annual revenues < BZ$100,000.
- Small Enterprises: 5 – 20 employees, annual revenues ≥ BZ$100,000 and < BZ$500,000.
- Medium Enterprises: 21 – 51 employees, annual revenues ≥ BZ$500,000 and < BZ$4.5 million.
Contact Information For more information or to apply, please contact your district extension office:
- Cayo District Agriculture Office: Israel Galicia, 804-2079, israel.galicia@agriculture.gov.bz
- Belize District Agriculture Office: Kenya Castillo, kennya.castillo@agriculture.gov.bz
- Corozal District Agriculture Office: Edgar Yam, 402-2297, edgar.yam@agriculture.gov.bz
- Orange Walk District Agriculture Office: Jonathan Carillo, 342-7119, jonathan.carillo@agriculture.gov.bz
- Stann Creek District Agriculture Office: Mariano Novelo, 502-2514, mariano.novelo@agriculture.gov.bz
- Toledo District Agriculture Office: Edwardo Moh, 702-2689, edwardo.moh@agriculture.gov.bz
Conclusion The Sustainable Agriculture Program aims to build a resilient and competitive agricultural sector in Belize by supporting small and marginalized farmers, enhancing environmental sustainability, and promoting access to markets through strategic support and capacity-building initiatives.
To apply kindly See Application Below:
