This project is tailor made for women farmers, girls and youths and the community to engage
them in a pilot scale training into sustainable agricultural practices through gained knowledge on
the value chain of farm produce in leaving a zero-waste footprint. This will be both in practical
and class session?s terms. A recent survey showed that women and girls make up only about 6%
of the farming community in Seychelles. Within that group most are using traditional farming
practices with very little innovative practices observed with heavy dependence on foreign inputs
whether in feeds or fertilizers and pesticides. This project will improve their knowledge and
skills on how to produce their local inputs and learn more about sustainable farm practices. The
challenges that this project seeks to address is the knowledge gaps that local women farmers
have in relation to sustainable farming practices, in identifying innovative low cost farming
technologies. Food security and sustainability is key, and the small pool of 6% women farmers
and the aspiring girls and youth needs to feel confident in being an important participant in
Seychelles food security and the local produce industry. As a country Seychelles imports 95% of
all its goods and that includes food and farming products. With inflation happening around the
globe, continuous maritime transportation costs escalating and the continuous war in Ukraine, it
is having a major effect on import dependent SIDS like Seychelles as the costs of importation
has soared to above inflation levels. In this context it is a matter of urgency, of paramount
importance that a form of circular economy is established in the agricultural sector. Maximizing
their yield, limiting their costs are now a major focus for farmers right now in the short term, to
keep them sustainable as they deal with the internal and external crisis happening. In the
Seychelles SGP country Programme, this projects aligns with; sustainable agriculture and
fisheries and food security point 1) Increase efficiency and effectiveness of overall food
production and value chain, including in vulnerable ecosystems ( mountains, SIDS etc) of the
strategy . In 2019 our sister NGO, EFOI Seychelles conducted a sensitization training on Climate
Smart Agriculture for Women and girls for Communities with a successful outcome of 69
participants inclusive of Val d?Endor community farmers, women and girls and one of the
recommendations was a follow up training on sustainable farming based on their needs and
national policies covering sustainable environmental practices.