Agro-Industry Support Unit

Mandate

The Unit is responsible for promoting rural industries as a means of generating economic and social development.  It thereby helps developing countries to overcome the challenges of inadequate access to food and lack of employment opportunities faced by the vast majority of their populations living in rural areas.  This situation is exacerbated by a lack of efficient technologies, disease and natural resource degradation, all leading to poor productivity and economic growth, particularly in Africa.  The services of the Unit in regard to agro-machinery are cross-sectoral, benefiting the Branch's other services where technical machinery is essential for value addition and increased productivity.

Functions

• Prepare sector analyses to, inter alia, enhance the investment climate for the manufacture of basic agricultural machinery and agro-chemicals, and for secondary processing industries such as wood and non-timber forest products.
• Support the establishment and/or strengthening of Rural Technology Centers as a means for technology transfer, innovation and training.
• Assist in the restructuring and rehabilitation of workshops and factory production lines engaged in the design and manufacture of agricultural machinery, furniture, agro-chemicals, and in industrial maintenance and equipment evaluation and testing.
• Upgrade the skills of rural artisans and blacksmiths through appropriate training and technology transfer in design processes and in the repair and maintenance of basic agricultural tools, agro-processing equipment, furniture, etc.
• Promote eco-technologies for the sustainable use of forests and land.
• Provide support to vulnerable communities in post-crisis areas, through the promotion of cottage agro-industries as a means to re-establish household incomes.