HIGH INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND DISTANCE EDUCATION

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND AGRICULTURE

DEGREE IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

AGRO-BUSINESS AS A DETERMINING FACTOR IN FOOD SECURITY IN

MOZAMBIQUE

Student: Teacher:

Student name:Esperanca da Paz Inacio dr. Casimiro Bento Massunguine

Attendance year:1st

PEMBA, MAY - 2023 1

Index

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Methodology ........................................................................................................................................ 3
1. food safety........................................................................................................................................ 4
1.1. Contextualization .......................................................................................................................... 4
1.2. Agribusiness .................................................................................................................................. 4
1.3. Agro-business influencing factor in food security in Mozambique.............................................. 6
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Bibliographic........................................................................................................................................ 9

2
Introduction

Mozambique is an African country located on the Southeast coast of Africa, in the southern part of
the continent. It has a high agricultural potential, with an estimated arable area of about 36 million
hectares, of which only 10% are currently used. The vast diversity of soil types and climatic
conditions existing in the country make possible a wide variety of productions. Most of the
agriculture practiced in the country is non-irrigated. However, Mozambique's network of more than
60 rivers has allowed for the construction of small irrigation schemes. The total potential irrigable
area is 3.3 million hectares.

In this sense, Mozambique with the conditions it possesses turns out to be an attractive country for
foreign investment, which is why today there are several countries that invest in the Mozambican
agricultural sector. Therefore, the agribusiness sector in Mozambique has experienced times of high
growth and high levels of investment. However, there is still a long way to go, not only because of
the size of the territory, but also because of the richness of its lands and because this sector is seen
as vital for the development of the Mozambican economy.

General purpose:

 Understand how agribusiness influences food security.

Specific objectives:

 Contextualize the terms agribusiness and food security;

 Analyze how agribusiness can influence food security.

Methodology

As for the methodology used to prepare this work, it was necessary to consult bibliographic works
and research done on the internet, which consisted of collecting, criticizing and interpreting the data
whose references are cited within the work and in the bibliographic reference.

3
 1. Food safety
1.1. Contextualization

The term “food security” was defined at the world conference on food in 1974 as being: the
worldwide availability at all times of basic foodstuffs, to cope with expanding food consumption
and to compensate for fluctuations in production and prices. (UNITED NATIONS, 1974).

According to FERDANDES, (2011), food safety is a set of practices, usually developed by

nutritionists, who intend to assure people about adequate food.

Food safety can be defined as a group of rules for production, transport,

storage of food following certain norms already established, such as
microbiological and sensory issues, determining which foods are suitable
for consumption, regardless of region, race, religion or gender, must have
access to healthy and nutritious food. (BORRAS, 2010).

Food security means guaranteeing everyone access to quality basic foodstuffs, in sufficient
quantity, permanently and without compromising access to other essential needs, based on healthy
eating practices, thus contributing to a dignified existence. , in a context of integral development of
the human person.

This term emerged in Europe shortly after the end of the First World War. With the conflict it was
possible to realize that a country could dominate the other as long as it had power over the control
of its food supply. Furthermore, carrying out this control was an important strategy, especially
when applied by a more powerful region in relation to one with less potential and which was
incapable of producing the quantities of food needed to feed its entire population.

1.2. Agribusiness

The concept of agribusiness originated at Harvard University and was developed by researchers
John Davis and Ray Goldberg in 1957. They defined it as a result of the process that involves the
operations of production and distribution of agricultural supplies, production in agricultural units,
storage , processing, and distribution of agricultural products and items produced from them.

The authors recognized that agriculture cannot be considered isolated from

other food manufacturing processes, being part of a large network of
economic agents, from the production of inputs to the distribution of
agricultural products (ZYLBERSZTAJN, 2005).

4
STEDILE (2006, p. 17), agribusiness is neoliberalism in agriculture. This neoliberal model also had
its breadth in agriculture. A subordinate alliance was sealed between the big farmers, the capitalists,
who are dedicated to export, with the transnational companies that control the international
agricultural trade, seeds, the production of pesticides and the agro-industry. The offspring of this
marriage was called agribusiness.

Although the term agribusiness is relatively new and used to designate the
development model of capitalist agriculture, its modus operandi dates back
to the plantations of the colonial period, undergoing adaptations and
modifications inherent to the different stages of the capitalist mode of
production. (FERNANDES, 2010, p. 02).

ZYLBERSZTAJN, (2005) defines agribusiness as “the relations between industry and agriculture in
the phase in which agriculture presents intense connections backwards, with the industry for
agriculture, and forwards, with the agro-industries. Agribusiness is a way of unifying
interdepartmental relations with economic cycles and the spheres of production, distribution and
consumption, relations associated with agrarian activities”.

MUCANZE, (2016) believes that “the integration of agriculture with industry dates back to the
origins of colonization, where agricultural production for export was already processed internally.
However, the agro-industry that supplies inputs and capital goods to the agricultural sector, as well
as the large-scale food processing segment for the domestic market, can be viewed as a
contemporary event.

Concomitantly, the increasing levels of capital accumulation, the expansion of the urban market and
the very growth of agriculture acted, for the increasing use of advanced technology”. MUCANZE
also presents the following conceptualization for Agribusiness: “a group formed by the sectors that
produce agricultural inputs and machinery, industrial transformation of agricultural and livestock
products and distribution, and marketing and financing in the various phases of the agro-industrial
circuit”.

VUNJANHE, (2015) believes that the agribusiness sector covers all operations and transactions
involved, from the manufacture of agricultural inputs, production operations in agricultural units, to
the processing, distribution and consumption of agricultural products "in natura" or industrialized.

5
Among the most recent conceptions of agribusiness is that of MUCANZE (2016) stating that
agribusiness is revolutionizing rural life, where the rural producer is no longer just the “owner” of
the agricultural property to become a rural entrepreneur.

Currently, it is not enough to have knowledge about how to plant a certain product.
Competitiveness is forcing producers to modernize, to interact with the environment in which they
are inserted, which is demanding that they change the way of managing the rural property. For this
to happen, producers need to open the “farm gate” or property gate to new concepts.

1.3. Agro-business influencing factor in food security in Mozambique

According to SITOE, (2005), Mozambique has a high agricultural potential, with a predominantly
tropical climate, the country has huge extensions of arable land for the development of agricultural
and livestock activities, its flora of the dense, open and savanna type, is extremely rich in animals of
large, medium and small size, and several species of precious wood, some of which are highly
appreciated in the international market, thus feeding the export industry.

The country is crossed by several permanent rivers, some of which originate in neighboring
countries, in addition to having several lakes and ponds, which makes its water resources quite
enviable.

Therefore, despite these potentialities described above, Mozambique continues to be considered one
of the poorest countries in the world. For FIDA (2010), even though Mozambique has shown high
rates of economic growth, poverty continues to be severe and widespread.

The number of Mozambicans living in absolute poverty dropped from 70% in 1997 to 54% in 2003,
the year of the last National Household Survey. Even so, the vast majority of the rural population
still lives on less than a dollar a day and lacks basic services, such as the supply of clean water and
access to health services and schools.

Poverty is still a predominantly rural phenomenon in Mozambique.

Agriculture is the main source of food and income, but agricultural
productivity is very low. Farmers and fishermen usually produce enough to
meet their families' basic food needs, with perhaps a small surplus to sell.
Income from farming and fishing is meager and the majority of the rural
population remains mostly at subsistence level. Rural communities are

6
 extremely vulnerable to natural disasters such as droughts and floods, which
occur particularly in the south and center of the country (FIDA, 2010).

Therefore, with this work, it seeks to know how agribusiness can be factors of family security in the
country. As we can see, food security is a critical and fundamental issue for the well-being of the
population and for the economic development of the country. And that agribusiness is a vital
industry that directly contributes to food security by providing quality food at an affordable cost.

But to ensure food safety, we identify the importance of implementing rigorous production, storage,
transport and distribution practices, in addition to constantly monitoring the quality of food.
Because, with the guarantee of food security, the role of agribusiness can play a fundamental role in
economic development and in promoting a healthy life for all. MUCANZE, (2016), states that
agribusiness does not guarantee food security but has a very strong importance for food security
and also for food sovereignty.

MUCHANGOS, (1999), states that from the field to the table, all agribusiness processes need to be
in accordance with sustainable ways that guarantee healthy food for the entire population.
Especially because it is in these processes that some inconsistencies can occur, which generate
specific problems directly in the food. Therefore, each process must be carried out in accordance
with sustainable practices.

From this, with the guarantee that all agribusiness processes will be up to date, being done in the
right way, which guarantee good quality food, people have the food security of eating well. Thus, in
addition to contributing to the health of the population, agribusiness also promotes care for the
environment, ensuring that less pesticides are used.

In this context, food safety is a constant concern for agribusiness professionals, because, as they
work directly with food production, it is their responsibility to ensure that products are safe for
consumption.

7
Conclusion

Food security means guaranteeing everyone access to quality basic foodstuffs, in sufficient
quantity, permanently and without compromising access to other essential needs, based on healthy
eating practices, thus contributing to a dignified existence. , in a context of integral development of
the human person.

Agribusiness is neoliberalism of agriculture. This neoliberal model also had its breadth in
agriculture. A subordinate alliance was sealed between the big farmers, the capitalists, who are
dedicated to export, with the transnational companies that control the international agricultural
trade, seeds, the production of pesticides and the agro-industry. The offspring of this marriage was
called agribusiness.

Nowadays, it is not enough to have knowledge about how to plant a certain product.
Competitiveness is forcing producers to modernize, to interact with the environment in which they
are inserted, which is demanding that they change the way of managing the rural property. For this
to happen, producers need to open the “farm gate” or property gate to new concepts.

The role of agribusiness can play a key role in economic development and promoting healthy living
for all. From the field to the table, all agribusiness processes need to be sustainable and guarantee
healthy food for the entire population. Especially because it is in these processes that some
inconsistencies can occur, which generate specific problems directly in the food. Therefore, each
process must be carried out in accordance with sustainable practices.

8
Bibliographic

BORRAS, Saturnino Jun. (2010). Towards a Broader View of the Politics of Global Land Grab:
rethinking land issues, reframing resistance. ICAS Working Paper Series

FERDANDES, Bernardo. (2011). Foreign land action in the new context of the agrarian question.
Notebook of Conflicts in the Field 2010, Pastoral Land Commission: Goiânia

FIDA. (2010). Enabling the rural poor to overcome poverty in Mozambique, Italy.

MUCANZE, Nelson A. (2016). Foreign Direct Investment in Mozambique: Positive and Negative
Aspects. Dissertation, Araraquara, São Paulo

MUCHANGOS, Aniceto Dos. (1999). Mozambique: Landscapes and natural regions. Maputo

SITOE, Tomas A. (2005). Family farming in Mozambique. Sustainable Development Strategies.

Maputo

STEDILE, JP (2006). Society must decide the agricultural model for the country. Dear Friends
Magazine. Sao Paulo: Yellow House

VUNJANHE, Jeremias. (2015). Food and Nutrition Security in Mozambique: a long way to go.
CESESAN, UFRRJ, Rio de Janeiro

ZYLBERSZTAJN, D. (2005). Agribusiness in Brazil. Ed. Hail. Sao Paulo-SP