Feed the Future Mozambique Agricultural Innovations Activity (FTF Inova) Quarterly Report (January–March, 2021)

It works with market actors, such as businesses and government entities, to help them adopt new ways of doing business and delivering services, to help Mozambican agriculture become more competitive and inclusive. In its fourth year of implementation, FTF Inova focuses on the sustainability of the capacity building and the scaling of innovative practices. Key priority strategies advanced by FTF Inova this quarter include continued work with scale-agents who can provide significant expansion of FTF Inova innovations. Large firms such as Bayer, K2, CdA, and Chaora, as well as industry associations like the National Cashew Processors Association (AICAJU), Cashew Institute (INCAJU), and the Cotton Association (MCA), Unilurio Business School, and Tangerine are prioritized as vehicles to expand promising innovations. FTF Inova also supports "second movers" in the market with the potential to contribute to systemic change by gathering evidence and sharing lessons learned with AICAJU on the performance of the suppliers clubs. Capacity building of partner firms in the three market systems is another key area of focus for FTF Inova. During this quarter, FTF Inova continued investing in capacity building of partner firms like APROSE on seed competition and UBS in expanding the internship program through the preparation of a grant that will serve as an implementation mechanism fully managed by them. FTF Inova also provided more direct support to help businesses overcome challenges presented by COVID-19 by investing time in the launch and selection of the winners of the Challenge Fund. The Challenge Fund initiative's webpage was launched in partnership with Fundaso, and a total of 49 applications were received in just one month, with 10 finalists selected for the second phase. The 10 finalists presented their pitches to a judging panel, and based on the ranking of the candidates by the judging panel, the top 5 were announced as the winners of the Challenge Fund. APROSE, in partnership with FTF Inova, has completed the data analysis for the Seed Competition, and FTF Inova has registered progress in gathering and sharing lessons learned with AICAJU on the performance of the suppliers clubs. FTF Inova has also invested in data collection efforts to measure systemic change, track the performance of the interventions like the suppliers clubs, assess the perception of input users, customers preferences, and more. The activity has registered the following progress during this quarter: the launch of the Challenge Fund initiative's webpage, the selection of the winners of the Challenge Fund, and the completion of the data analysis for the Seed Competition.