Background

Agriculture is the backbone of Mozambique’s economy - employing 80% of the active workforce; 90% of the female labor force and 70% of the male working population. Accelerating agricultural growth is a key means of eradicating poverty and increasing food security in rural areas where poverty is widespread. BHEARD aims to help improve agricultural productivity and growth, integrate agriculture and nutrition and contribute to a more robust policy development process in areas such as trade and agribusiness. Progress in these areas requires attention to critical shortages of agricultural policy analysts, research scientists, nutritionists, and agribusiness professionals who are trained at the postgraduate level (M.S. or PhD).

Program Description

BHEARD’s major objective is to support post-graduate training in areas such as policy analysis and planning, agriculture, agribusiness and nutrition to build capacity within government and local organizations. Candidates are employees of major agricultural research institutions, agricultural faculties and development organizations particularly ones located within the Feed the Future zones of interest -Manica, Nampula, Tete and Zambézia. The program recruits and places Mozambique’s best students in Brazilian universities and identifies in-country internship opportunities for promising young agricultural professionals. By investing in master’s and PhD level education, BHEARD increases local agricultural research quality and management capacity with the Feed the Future value chains.

Expected Results

• At least 25 Mozambicans trained at the master’s and doctoral levels;
• At least two Ministries and four agricultural research and academic institutions benefiting from improved research and program management capacity of personnel.