Leveraging mining infrastructure and procurement for long-term agricultural supply chain productivity and development

Harnessing natural resources in mining and agriculture is a key driver of economic growth, generating large government revenues and export earnings, leading to considerable investment, growth, employment, and social benefit. However, in many locales there are significant barriers to the realisation of such a vision, including the inadequate inclusion of local stakeholders. The project focuses on strategies to collaboratively leverage local agricultural and mining resource investment for mutual benefit and equity in Mozambique and Nigeria. Discussed are the project origins, rationale, and progress to date. The project is funded by the Australian Government, and collaborators include; Murdoch University, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Australia-Africa Mining Industry Group (AAMIG), the Crawford Fund, Obefami Awolowo University, the University of the Witwatersrand, the African Technology Policy Studies Network, the Beira Agricultural Growth Corridor (BAGC), and Andalusian Mining. The engagement of the BAGC in Mozambique is built on two years of scoping research, exploring the nexus between Mozambican agriculture and mining. The project progress and approaches include the BAGC establishment of its field project working on methodologies and partnerships between local farmers’ groups, research institutions, and commercial food exporters. In parallel, a corporate relationship between Murdoch University and Andalusian Mining, and the engagement of the Obefami Awolowo University (OAU) in south eastern Nigeria are investigating local agricultural value chains as it intersects with the mining industry needs. Research and discussion includes infrastructure sharing, procurement, and local productivity improvements to meet demand, and efficacy of the existing Andalusian Mining CSR engagement. Our initial research findings to date suggest that effective communication and collaboration between a diversity of multi-sectoral stakeholders can attract major positive investments into the agricultural sector.