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Sustainable Market Systems and Agrifood Resilience Transformation (SMART) (angl.)

The Sustainable Market Systems and Agrifood Resilience Transformation project (SMART), will strengthen inclusive, resilient, and market-driven agrifood systems in Myanmar’s Central Dry Zone by supporting selected agrifood SMEs to improve business performance and generate income and employment opportunities for households connected to priority value chains.
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Magway Region
19.8871386
94.7277528
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Mandalay Region
21.5619058
95.89871389999999
Myanmar
Durée du projet
2026 - 2028
Financé par
  • Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund
Partners
  • Consortium with Tun Yat Limited

Myanmar’s Central Dry Zone areas are strategically important to Myanmar’s agrifood economy, particularly for oilseeds such as sesame and groundnut, beans and pulses such as chickpea, pigeon pea, and green gram, cereals and rice in irrigated areas, and other viable agrifood products supplying domestic and export markets.

Despite this production potential, the Central Dry Zone agrifood system remains fragmented and structurally constrained. Local producers and enterprises face weak aggregation and storage systems, limited local processing and value addition, underdeveloped market linkages, low-quality standardization and traceability, high transport and energy costs, restricted access to finance, and climate-, conflict-, and market-related disruptions.

SMART will use a Market Systems Development approach to strengthen selected agrifood SMEs and the market functions around them, rather than providing direct support to households. By working through SME-linked livelihood pathways, the project will support 30 high-potential agrifood SMEs (selected from around 50 screened enterprises) to improve market access, sourcing, services, employment, and buyer relationships, creating income opportunities for 1,200 SME-linked households and 300 individuals across priority value chains such as pulses, oilseeds, cereals, and rice.

At least 50% of supported SMEs will be women-led or led by youth, persons with disabilities, or other marginalized groups, or will demonstrate clear benefits for these groups. The project will also engage financial institutions, business service providers, buyers, suppliers, logistics and digital service providers, and relevant authorities to address market constraints, strengthen access to finance and services, improve value chain coordination, and foster more inclusive and resilient market systems.

Objective

To strengthen inclusive, resilient and market-driven agrifood systems in Myanmar’s Central Dry Zone by supporting selected agrifood SMEs to improve business performance, sustain operations, access finance and markets, and generate income and employment opportunities for households connected to priority value chains.  

  1. Strengthen the productivity, competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of selected agrifood SMEs operating in priority Central Dry Zone value chains, including beans and pulses, oilseeds, cereals/rice, cash crops and other viable agrifood products identified through market systems assessment.
  2. Improve SME access to finance, technology, business development services, standards support, digital tools and market linkages through tailored grants, financial literacy, loan-readiness support, mentoring, appropriate technology, standards compliance, digital tools and partnerships with financial institutions, buyers and service providers.
  3. Strengthen SME-linked livelihood pathways for households connected to priority value chains by supporting SMEs to improve sourcing, aggregation, service provision, employment, and market relationships that generate income opportunities for workers, suppliers, producers, service providers, and other linked households.
  4. Promote more inclusive and gender-responsive agrifood market systems by prioritizing women-led, youth-led, disability-inclusive, and/or marginalized-led SMEs, and by supporting all selected SMEs to adopt practical inclusion measures related to decent work, safe workplaces, inclusive sourcing, non-discrimination, and access to market opportunities.
  5. Support locally grounded, conflict-sensitive, and adaptive market systems development by helping SMEs and relevant market actors manage climate, conflict, financial, logistics, energy, and operational risks in fragile and shock-prone conditions.

Expected Results

  • 30 selected agrifood SMEs demonstrate improved business performance, productivity, sales, revenue and/or profitability.
  • Supported SMEs adopt stronger business, financial, operational, safeguarding, and risk-management practices.
  • Supported SMEs improve their ability to sustain operations during market, climate, conflict, energy, logistics, and finance-related shocks.
  • Households and individuals connected to supported SMEs benefit through improved and diversified livelihood opportunities and increased income through stronger employment, sourcing, service, aggregation, and market relationships.
  • 1,200 SME-linked households and 300 direct beneficiaries benefit from improved and sustainable livelihood strategies through stronger enterprise and market relationships.
  • At least 50% of supported SMEs are women-led and/or led by youth, persons with disabilities, or members of marginalized groups, or demonstrate clear and measurable benefits for these groups through employment, sourcing, services, supplier relationships, or inclusive business practices.