Yemen: €10 million EU, FAO and UNDP agreement seeks to create jobs and build climate-resilient agrifood systems

The SANABEL Project will work with farmers, businesses and local institutions to make agricultural value chains stronger, more productive and better connected to markets

Aden/Amman – The European Union (EU), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed a €10 million (US$11.4 million) agreement to strengthen in Yemen climate-resilient agrifood systems, create jobs, build more sustainable livelihoods and enhance economic recovery.

Over the next 42 months, the Sustainable Agrifood and Natural Resources for Accelerating Business Growth, Economic Resilience and Livelihoods (SANABEL) Project will work with farmers, businesses and local institutions to make agricultural value chains stronger, more productive and better connected to markets.

By investing in agriculture, SANABEL will help create the conditions for jobs to grow and last. When farmers can produce more reliably, businesses can access markets, food can be processed locally and products can reach consumers, new opportunities emerge across the entire value chain. These opportunities can mean work for young people, stronger businesses for entrepreneurs and more stable income for families.

SANABEL builds on existing initiatives and local development priorities, with a focus on solutions that can continue to deliver benefits beyond the life of the project. The aim is not simply to respond to today's challenges, but to help create the foundations for stronger local economies and sustainable employment in the years to come, by supporting farmers to adopt climate-smart farming practices, improve water management and strengthen their links with businesses and markets. It will also support the sustainable management of natural resources, especially water, which underpins Yemen's rural economy.