In Mozambique’s Boane District, a quiet revolution is taking root quite literally. The Promoting Regenerative Agriculture for Sustainable Livelihoods (PRASL) project, a €1.5 million (approx. $1.7 million USD) initiative backed by Solidaridad, Kvuno, Hiveonline, and the HEINEKEN Africa Foundation, is redefining how smallholder farmers engage with agriculture, business and the environment.
But this isn’t just another development program. PRASL is entrepreneur-focused, sustainability-led, and digitally connected three pillars increasingly shaping the new face of African farming.
Launched earlier this year, PRASL aims to support 4,000 smallholder farmers 60% women and 30% youth with training in regenerative agriculture. At its core, the project is about helping farmers improve soil health, increase productivity and most importantly build businesses that can thrive in a changing climate.
“Smallholder farmers matter. They feed the nation, and with the right tools, they can feed the future,” said Francisco Nhanale, Solidaridad’s Country Manager. “This is about giving them the knowledge to boost yields and the access to earn from it.”
The method is simple yet smart: move away from extractive farming and toward land restoration, ecosystem protection and climate resilience. Think composting, crop rotation, intercropping and organic soil nutrients techniques that make the land more productive while fighting climate stress.
PRASL goes beyond the farm plot. It’s also laying a digital foundation for the future of agro-entrepreneurship. Through partnerships with fintech platform Hiveonline, farmers are being connected to digital tools that track production, calculate input costs and record yields effectively giving them a financial passport in an industry where visibility is everything.
For banks and micro-lenders, this kind of data is gold.
“Most smallholder farmers in Africa struggle to access credit, not because they don’t work hard, but because they don’t have documentation,” explained a Kvuno representative. “With PRASL, we’re helping farmers build a track record something they can take to a bank, an investor or a buyers’ cooperative.”
The PRASL vision is bold: turn subsistence farmers into agro-entrepreneurs who run data-informed, climate-smart businesses. The project is not just about improving food security it’s about economic inclusion, business growth and sustainable livelihoods.
From market access support to financial literacy training, PRASL is creating a full ecosystem where farmers aren’t just producers but participants in a growing value chain.
And the numbers are compelling. With a direct reach of 4,000 farmers and an indirect impact on over 20,000 people, the potential ripple effects are massive.
In a continent where women produce up to 80% of food but receive less than 10% of credit, PRASL is deliberately inclusive. At least 60% of the program’s participants are women and 30% are youth, with an emphasis on mentorship, leadership and practical skills development.
It’s a demographic choice that makes business sense.
“Young people bring energy, women bring resilience, and both bring innovation. When you empower them, you power the whole sector,” said Edwin Moerkerk, General Manager of the HEINEKEN Africa Foundation.
The PRASL project is more than a feel-good story it’s a working prototype for sustainable agribusiness in Africa. With digital infrastructure, regenerative practices and inclusive leadership, it shows that even in climate-stressed regions, profitability and sustainability can go hand-in-hand.
For African entrepreneurs, the lesson is clear: the future of farming isn’t just about food. It’s about data, partnerships, environmental value and scalable solutions.
And it’s already happening in the sandy soils of southern Mozambique.
