[{"bbox": [107, 152, 1137, 286], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action is also aligned with the EU-Africa Global Gateway Investment Package commitments of accelerating the green transition (through protection of biodiversity and sustainable agri-food systems) and sustainable growth and decent jobs creation (through support to businesses). In addition, the Action is aligned with the Green Deal and its underlying strategies, such as the Farm-to-Fork and the Biodiversity / NaturAfrica, as well as with the EU Zero deforestation regulations and the guidelines on Climate Resilience and Circular economy."}, {"bbox": [107, 298, 1137, 379], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action will contribute to multiple SDGs, notably SDG 15 (life on land) but also to SDGs 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger), 5 (gender equality), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), 12 (responsible consumption and production) and 13 (Climate action)."}, {"bbox": [107, 389, 1137, 498], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action will contribute to the EU Gender Action Plan 2021-2025 (GAP III) objectives of “Promoting economic and social rights and empowering girls and women” and “Addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities offered by the green transition and the digital transformation”. It will also contribute to the implementation of the EU Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities."}, {"bbox": [87, 556, 548, 589], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 1.3. Zone benefitting from the Action"}, {"bbox": [87, 594, 954, 621], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action shall be carried out in Mozambique, country included in the list of ODA recipients."}, {"bbox": [87, 654, 322, 686], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 2 RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [87, 707, 240, 735], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.1 Context"}, {"bbox": [107, 755, 1137, 1048], "category": "Text", "text": "Mozambique is one of the bottom ten countries in the world in terms of human development¹, marred by increasing inequality², significant gender differences³ and large disparities between urban and rural areas as well as between regions. The poverty rate stands at 64.6%, highest in rural areas⁴. The Mozambican economy is resource-driven and highly dependent on the extractive sector. The country's natural capital is permanently under significant stress, within a context of extreme vulnerability to climate change. While there is a growing recognition of the potential for greener and more resilient economic pathways, action remains insufficient. The agricultural sector is key for the country's inclusive growth, economic diversification and food security, engaging more than 70% of the country population. Despite its potential, agricultural productivity remains amongst the lowest in the world, due to, amongst others, difficult access to credit and markets, low use of improved inputs and the dominance of rain-fed agriculture. The relative growth in the sector over the last years is largely due to the extension of cultivated land, rather than technical change and gains in productivity."}, {"bbox": [107, 1059, 1137, 1193], "category": "Text", "text": "Agriculture plays an essential role for women livelihoods, with 90% of economically active females and 61% of the overall labour force relying on it. However, women often hold lower positions in value-chains, are the majority of the sector's unskilled labour and have limited access to formal markets. Social and cultural norms often restrict women's ownership, control and access to land, services, credit, and trainings. Women's financial illiteracy limits opportunities for growth beyond the informal sector."}, {"bbox": [107, 1204, 1137, 1444], "category": "Text", "text": "Mozambique has a rich biodiversity and possesses habitats and ecosystems of regional importance (e.g. *miombo* woodlands and surface water systems) providing essential ecological goods and services crucial for both food security and the national economy. However, these ecosystems face significant threats, with agriculture standing out as a primary driver of habitat loss. The expansion of agriculture, including shifting small-holder and agro-industry farming, annually converts extensive areas of natural vegetation into monocultures of crops such as maize, rice, soybeans, cassava, sugar cane, and bananas. Approximately two-thirds of forest losses and degradation are attributed to land conversion, including within biodiversity hotspots. Agricultural expansion also impacts freshwater biodiversity through land use changes leading to increased sedimentation, pollution, and mismanaged water resources. Recognizing these challenges, there is an increased consensus on the need for"}, {"bbox": [87, 1493, 569, 1514], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹ Ranked 185 out of 191 in the 2021 Human Development Index"}, {"bbox": [87, 1515, 1143, 1580], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² Gini-coefficient rose to 0.54 (2014/15) from 0.47 (2008/9), placing Mozambique among the most unequal countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. While progress has been made in recent years due to growth in emerging sectors (such as services and extractive industries), evidence shows that income distribution is increasingly unequal, undermining the benefits of the fragile economic growth."}, {"bbox": [87, 1581, 1143, 1624], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ The 2021 the female HDI value for Mozambique was 0.428 in contrast with 0.464 for males. Mozambique ranked 118 out of 162 according to the UNDP Gender Inequality Index (2022). 72.2% of women live in rural areas and 24.1% are household heads"}, {"bbox": [87, 1625, 441, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ USD 2.15 per day poverty line (World Bank),"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1682, 1143, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 26"}]