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Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness Programme

The project aims to involve smallholder farmer businesses sustainably in agricultural value chains, thereby improving their living conditions and economic situation. By building inclusive agricultural systems, smallholder farmers will have improved access to markets, information, and means of production. Additionally, the project emphasizes improving food security and gender equity. It also implements measures to tackle the effects of climate change. Farmer businesses in Nepal, Uganda and Rwanda face a number of challenges: Downward price pressures, the rising cost of living and climate change, together with harvest losses, structural problems, and low development lead to low productivity. Businesses and organisations lack adequate access to technical support, market information, new technologies, and technical skills for post-harvest handling and marketing. Smaller agribusinesses, on the other hand, have barely any experience working with other market actors in their value chain. Access to finance for them is a great challenge, as is improving their internal business management, expanding commercial relations with smallholder farmers, and attracting the right investors for their business profile. Furthermore, interest groups, political decision-makers, and regulatory authorities need support identifying and implementing reforms that would benefit smallholder farmer businesses and mid-sized agribusinesses.
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rwanda
-1.940278
29.873888
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swisscontact nepal
27.6861414
85.3176768
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swisscontact uganda
9.145000000000001
40.489673
Nepal, Rwanda, Ethiopia
Project duration
2019 - 2026
Financed by
  • Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

The project

The CASA project helps all participants gain knowledge of the market in order to improve their interaction with each other, on both the supply and demand sides within the value chain. In this way, everyone gets to participate in the market – be it as consumers, producers, or employees. In the end, they will be able to improve their living conditions. The project fosters the competitiveness of SMEs and sustainable economic growth.

The project’s target groups include smallholder farmers, farmer organisations, mid-sized agribusinesses, commercial investors, regulatory authorities, and political decision-makers in both donor and beneficiary countries. The CASA project focuses on specific value chains, which differ depending on the country:

 

Expected Results

  • Project activities reach 565,000 smallholder farmers (50% women) each year, helping them to increase their incomes.
  • Uplift incomes of farmers who have been involved in the project interventions to approximately CHF 105 per year.
  • Additionally, it is expected that more than 5 million Swiss francs in investments will be mobilised from third parties for the benefit of smallholder farmer businesses.

Project partners

Implementing Partners

  • NIRAS Development Consulting (Lead agency)

Subcontracted Partners

  • The Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI)
  • LTS International (who recently merged with NIRAS)
  • TechnoServe

Downloads

Event Report - Towards energy efficiency in the dairy sector
555 kB

News

View all news from CASA
Nepal
Sustainable agriculture
08.03.2025
Transformative Learning and Empowerment through Demonstration Pond: An Inspiring Narrative of a Woman Fish Farmer in Chapiya Village, Nepal
Nepal's fishery sector is undergoing a remarkable transformation, driven by increasing production and rising demand for fish as a key source of nutrition. Over the past few decades, the country has experienced steady growth in fish farming, with total production rising from 62,897 tonnes (62,897 metric tons) in 2016/17 to 83,623 tonnes (83,623 metric tons) by 2020/21. However, challenges such as limited access to quality fish feed and a lack of awareness among farmers persist, hindering the sector’s full potential. Against this backdrop, initiatives like the UK-funded CASA Programme, implemented by Swisscontact in Nepal, are playing a crucial role in equipping smallholder farmers with the knowledge and resources to enhance productivity. Among the many success stories emerging from these efforts is that of Pushpa Bhattarai, a dedicated fish farmer from Chapiya Village, who is reshaping her livelihood through modern fish-feeding practices. 
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Nepal
Sustainable agriculture
08.01.2025
2 Cr Investment in KHETI Through Aadhyanta Promises to Unlock Finance for thousands of Smallholder Farmers
Agriculture contributes nearly 30% to Nepal's GDP, yet it faces numerous challenges, with many farmers struggling to access affordable financing and quality inputs. Agri-fintech platforms like KHETI, which offer collateral-free financing, can play a crucial role in bridging this gap and supporting farmers in overcoming these barriers.
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Nepal
Sustainable agriculture
13.12.2024
Empowering Women and Growing Nepal's Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Industry: Satya Herbal's Journey
In 2023, the global export market for medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) was valued at around USD 216.40 billion, presenting a significant opportunity for Nepal, which boasts over 3,000 species of such plants. Nepal can tap into this market and compete globally by addressing challenges related to limited demand, knowledge gaps, and quality standard compliance. CASA’s intentional partnership with MAP processing companies like Satya Herbal to enhance competitiveness and raise industry standards goes far beyond just business growth. It’s also about positioning Nepal as a valued exporter in the MAP sector while advancing economic empowerment—especially of women in the supply chain.
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