Support for the upgrading of non-timber forest products (NTFP) in Chad

Chad is still one of the poorest countries in the world. The rural population in particular is severely affected by extreme poverty. Chad’s potential with regard to the available natural resources is very limited due to various negative factors that prevent optimal agricultural production. Food security therefore presents one of the greatest problems. Among the factors which limit agricultural production are the inequality of access to resources as well as the numerous natural hazards and environmental risks. The decline in land available for cultivation due to increasingly variable precipitation levels also presents a problem, which leads to flooding and recurring periods of drought.

Added to this are an economy greatly dependent on oil production, a growing rate of unemployment among young jobseekers, and increasing impoverishment due to a lack of economic opportunities. All this contributes to an unstable security situation both in the country itself and at the regional level. In addition, the steady increase in migration movements exacerbates the struggle for already scarce resources and possible sources of income.

The present project aims to strengthen enterprises that are active in the field of upgrading non-timber forest products (NTFP). Our support is designed to enable these enterprises to operate more sustainably and profitably. As a result, they will be able to offer new economic opportunities to the rural population – especially women and young people.

The project also aims to achieve an improvement in people’s nutrition and income situation. This will contribute to the country’s nutrition and food security, as well as to a sustainable management of the natural timber resources.

The project is structured into three main areas of activity («outcomes»):

• Outcome 1: Technical support for enterprises in the field of upgrading of NTFP (especially women and young people).
• Outcome 2: Financial support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of upgrading NTFP as well as assistance in their development and modernisation.
• Outcome 3: Improvement of the framework conditions of a sustainable and inclusive management of natural resources and promotion of entrepreneurship.

A consistent focus on the development of interconnected markets is envisaged, as well as support functions for the providers of digital services. The focus is on strengthening the financial possibilities of the project target groups in order to open up new commercial opportunities for them. Strengthening the technical capacities of the providers of digital services is another focus.

The project promotes the possibilities of regional actors to help shape national economic and land use policy and thus encourages, at the system level, a structured exchange, linked to concrete results, between the different actors.

In a regular institutionalised exchange of experiences between the different local actors, knowledge gained is shared. In this process, long-term changes can be achieved, and the development of markets and framework conditions can be promoted in Chad.

Income:
The project pursues three main goals: Poverty reduction, strengthening the food security, the resilience of the producers and enterprises affected by poverty and promoting the sustainable management of natural resources. By means of the integration of a systemic approach to market system development (MSD) and by systematising the basic principles of conflict-sensitive project management (CSPM), the NTFP sector as a whole is to be strengthened and the income situation of the involved actors improved.

Climate:
Thanks to higher incomes, better access to financial support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises as well as a sustainable use of natural resources, resilient systems can be created in Chad in the long term.