WUR and SNV have been collaborating for years withing the Pro-Arides programme, which focuses on increasing the incomes of farmers and shepherds in the Sahel. Photo Shutterstock
WUR will intensify its collaboration with development organisation SNV. Together, they aim to increase their impact on achieving the United Nation’s sustainable development goals, such as eradicating hunger and poverty.
WUR and SNV both run projects in developing nations. In doing so, WUR focuses mainly on the development of knowledge and technology and action-driven scientific research. SNV, in contrast, focuses primarily on implementing projects with local partners. With over 1300 employees, SNV is active in 25 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Sahel
In recent years the organisations have already collaborated, for example, in the ten-year Pro-Arides programme in the Sahel-countries Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. This programme focuses on improving the resilience of food systems and increasing the incomes of farmers and shepherds. Moreover, they conducted a rapid joint analysis at the start of the covid-crisis to determine the effect of the pandemic on the economies and food security situation in Africa. They also collaborate within the Bridge project, through which a nutritious and competitive dairy sector is being developed with partners in several eastern African countries.
Systems change
Through this new collaboration, the two parties aim to more frequently submit project proposals for extensive, multi-year projects with, for example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EU, says spokesperson Irene Salverda of Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation (WCDI). In practice, SNV will collaborate mostly with the WCDI. Simon O’Connell, SNV director, hopes a sustainable and permanent systems change can be achieved through increased collaboration.
