MOVE 2026

Implementing Agency:

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Implementation Period:

01/2021 – 12/2028

Total Budget and budget per commissioning party:

• Total budget of 77,700,000 Mio. Euros (BMZ (rice, cashew): 30.34 mio EUR; BMGF (rice): 6.68 mio EU; EU Ghana REACH :11.5 mio EUR ;EU INTPA / OACPS: 20 mio EUR; EU BUF – ProCVA (Rice & Maize): 9.2 mio EUR)
• German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
  • European Union (EU): Co-finance on Resilience Against Climate Change (REACH) Project; Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains (EU -INTPA), and the Projet de Promotion de Chaînes de Valeurs Agricoles du Burkina Faso (PROCVA) and
  • Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the
  • Additional private-sector co-financing through strategic partnerships

Geographical Region:

ECOWAS Region, with implementation activities in Nigeria (Anambra, Kaduna, Kano, Niger, Kebbi, Oyo, Oshogbo, Enugu, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa), Ghana, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and other selected West African countries and All 79 OACPS member states (EU).

 KEY ACTIVITIES 

The Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth in the ECOWAS Region (MOVE) project strengthens sustainable and competitive rice and cashew value chains in West Africa. Through public-private partnerships, capacity development, climate-smart agricultural practices, and regional policy dialogue, MOVE promotes job creation, income growth, food security, economic resilience, and climate change adaptation. The project supports farmers, processors, traders, and agribusinesses while fostering regional trade and private sector investment.

• Strengthening rice and cashew value chains through market-oriented and inclusive business models.
• Facilitating partnerships between private sector actors, farmer organizations, financial institutions, and government stakeholders.
• Training smallholder farmers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standards, climate-smart agriculture, and business management.
• Supporting rice processors and agribusinesses to improve quality standards, productivity, and market access.
• Promoting mechanization, sustainable production technologies, and climate-resilient farming systems.
• Developing workforce skills through technical and vocational education and training (TVET), apprenticeship schemes, and industry-led capacity development.
• Supporting women’s economic empowerment and youth employment across agricultural value chains.
• Enhancing access to finance and investment opportunities for agribusinesses and producer organizations.
• Facilitating regional knowledge exchange and policy dialogue through platforms such as the ECOWAS Rice Observatory and industry associations.
• Promoting sustainable consumption and marketing of locally produced rice and cashew products.
• Supporting innovation, digital solutions, and carbon-smart approaches that contribute to resilient agri-food systems and improved competitiveness in regional and international markets.

Results or expected results 

• Improved income and employment opportunities for farmers, processors, traders, and service providers in the rice and cashew sectors.
• Increased productivity, quality, and competitiveness of locally produced rice and cashew products.
• Enhanced integration of smallholder farmers into sustainable and profitable market systems through inclusive business models.
• Strengthened private sector engagement and increased investment in agricultural value chains.
• Expanded adoption and institutionalization of climate-smart and resource-efficient production practices, including conservation agriculture, agroforestry, and sustainable rice production standards, embedded within national extension systems and district planning frameworks.
• Improved technical and entrepreneurial skills among value chain actors through targeted training approaches and capacity development initiatives.
• Increased participation of women and youth in agricultural entrepreneurship, employment, and leadership positions.
• Stronger regional trade and cooperation within the ECOWAS region through harmonized policy frameworks, evidence-based dialogue, and institutional support to bodies such as the ECOWAS Rice Observatory and the Consultative International Cashew Council.
• Improved food security through increased local rice production and value addition.
• Development of long-term public-private partnerships that support sustainable sector growth, including through matching grant mechanisms and regional policy dialogue.
• Introduction of digital and innovation-based solutions, including traceability systems and AI-supported tools, to improve market transparency and climate adaptation across value chains.