BAGAMOYO SUGAR OUTGROWER DEVELOPMENT - TANZANIA
RMI has been contracted by Eco- Energy Tanzania to engage with the local community and help them understand opportunities likely to arise from the development of a new sugar mill in Bagamoyo. This engagement has resulted in the community being empowered to actively participate in project design and financing as equal partners in development. This Project looks at producing sugar, ethanol and electricity for the local market through processing sugarcane which will be supplied mostly by the outgrowers from a well established outgrower component developed for this project known as Eco- Energy Community and Outgrower Development Programme.
MARAGRA SMALLHOLDER SUGARCANE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT - MOZAMBIQUE
RMI has been contracted by Illovo Sugar in Mozambique to provide capacity building and advise on a development approach to be adopted in this EU funded project within the Illovo extension department. The Maragra Acucar project team is working closely with RMI in rolling out the project through a series of structured workshops targeting key focus groups such as existing associations, Maragra Staff and Managers and any other interested groups. This will enable Illovo to facilitate the expansion of sugarcane areas ensuring delivery of the best practice in sugarcane by focusing on empowering communities to fully understand the opportunities and risks that come with this project.
OUTGROWER KNOWLEDGE HUB - SWAZILAND
RMI is working closely with Swaziland Cane Growers Association ( SCGA) to develop an outgrower centre of excellence. The center will be designed to fully understand the outgrower situation in Swaziland and how it has changed over the past 15 - 20 years which will enable SCGA to fulfill its mandate of being the custodian of outgrower sustainability in the country going forward. RMI has facilitated a number of exchange outgrower programs between various stakeholders from Mozambique, Malawi, Swaziland and Tanzania. In 2015 the first masters exchange program occurred between RMI and the University of West England, the student did her research thesis in Swaziland.
ECO - BUSINESS PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION - SWAZILAND
In 2013 Lubombo Conservancy in Swaziland initiated Eco Lubombo Program in the aim of strengthening and expanding the conservancy. The Conservancy then initiated a partnership program with various stakeholders around the creation of a Lubombo eco trails network. RMI was therefore contracted by Lubombo conservancy to work with communities located within the Lubombo eco trails sensitizing them on development issues that come with the natural environment and any other resources around them. Examples of such communities include Mhlumeni and Tikhuba Communities respectively. Developments underway with these communities include an Eco Lodge and a Game park.
OUTGROWER SUGARCANE - MALAWI
RMI has been contracted by Press Corporation to assist them with the development of sugarcane outgrower schemes that will give them access to additional feedstock for their ethanol plants in Dwangwa and Chikwawa. In 2014 RMI worked withPGBI on a feasibilty study for this project. Since tehn RMI has been engaged by Press Corporation subsidiaries, EthCo and PressCane in preparing communities for commercial engagement in the project.
OUTGROWER FEASIBILITY STUDY - MOZAMBIQUE
TSB sugar in South Africa has contracted RMI to undertake a community sensitization and feasibility study for the development of areas of land for outgrower sugarcane and food crops in Massingir Mozambique.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SOLIDARIDAD
RMI was retained by Solidaridad in 2012 to 2014 to provide technical assistance and sustainability assistance to thesugar component of the Farmer project. this entailed providing sustainability support and training for a project at Ubombo Swaziland (Development of revolving fund), Malawi (Training of Universal Concern Staff) and Tanzania (organizational Strengthening)
CLIMATE RESILIENCE DEVELOPMENT FOR SMALLSCALE GROWERS
RMI has been contracted by the Climate Resilience Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF) to undertake a vulnerability study and opportunity assessment of all Illovo's outgrowers in Africa in the context of climate change. This is being done through a series of workshops and training activities in each country. Opportunities to reduce vulnarebility could include infrastructure development, institutional strengthening and raising human capacity to deal with the threat to climate change.
CHANGE STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTING CHIANSI OUTGROWER PROJECTS - ZAMBIA
RMI has been contracted Chanyanya Smallholder Cooperative Society is a farmer group cooperative that was established to help farmers in Zambia create a better future for themselves inorder to deal with issues of poverty in their community. RMI's service task is to understand and review the existing partnership models between the different stakeholders within this project. RMI has been roped in to facilitate the cooperation in articulating and evaluating viable alternative partnership models and lastly to develop and operationalize an effective and efficient partnership model and business plan which will be chosen the the cooperative.
FAIRTRADE EVALUATION AND BASELINE RESEARCH PROJECT
The Overseas Development Institute and RMI have formed an association for the purpose of undertaking a research project which will look Evaluation and Baseline research with Smallholder Producer organisations producing Faitrade sugar. Both these organization have extensive experience in the conceptualization, planning and implementation of research projects as well as sugarcane development projects and outgrower schemes East, West and Southern Africa which is the main focus of the Fairtrade project but on a global context in this case.