Umbrella Environmental Mitigation & Monitoring Plan for Transforming Market Systems Activity

The activity is implemented by ACDI/VOCA, a non-profit organization, under the terms and conditions of IDIQ Contract No. 72052218D00001, TASK ORDER No. AID-522-TO-18-00001. The activity's primary objective is to transform market systems in Honduras by improving access to markets, increasing market readiness, and expanding markets and services for the poor and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). To achieve this objective, the activity will prioritize investments based on USG strategic interests, objectives, and investments, as currently defined in the USAID/Honduras Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). The activity will be implemented in four sequential and interrelated steps, including initial analysis to identify priority value chains, recommendation of target value chains, baseline assessment of selected value chains, and implementation of interventions to improve each value chain. The activity will also involve the development of environmental mitigation and monitoring plans (EMMPs) for specific interventions that fall under the negative determinations with conditions outlined in the Initial Environmental Evaluation (IEE) LAC-IEE-16-57. The EMMPs will be developed in accordance with the USAID/Latin American and Caribbean Bureau (LAC) Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) "Guidelines for Implementing Partners" and will include a description of the existing conditions of the area of intervention, baseline information on natural and physical resources, and information on existing infrastructure, roads, and agricultural systems. The EMMPs will also include methodologies for data collection and analysis for gender-sensitive implementation and monitoring of interventions. The activity will promote best agricultural practices, including the use of fertilizers, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and pesticide use, in accordance with the USAID/Honduras PERSUAP. The activity will also involve the development of award-specific EMMPs for sub-awards that consist exclusively of activities that are categorically excluded, such as training or performing assessments. The activity's environmental baseline will be provided once specific interventions are identified, and will include a description of the existing conditions of the area of intervention, baseline information on natural and physical resources, and information on existing infrastructure, roads, and agricultural systems. The activity will also involve the collection of data on climate trends and conditions, including how environmental conditions may change due to climate change over the expected lifespan of the interventions. The activity's implementation will be monitored and evaluated through quarterly and annual reports, which will include information on environmental compliance and the effectiveness of the EMMPs. The activity's progress will be reviewed and updated annually, and the EMMPs will be submitted for approval by the USAID Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) in consultation with the Mission Environmental Officer (MEO).