RURAL COMPETITIVENESS AND RESILIENCE ACTIVITY IN MOLDOVA

2022 - 2027 | Chemonics International Inc.

The Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Activity (RCRA) is designed to promote a sustainable and inclusive recovery from the regional crisis brought on by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to accelerate inclusive, climate-resilient, economic development of rural Moldova by stimulating the competitiveness of key sectors. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), RCRA supports organic, fresh, and processed high value agriculture (stone fruits, berries, table grapes, and vegetables); honey; wine; and tourism sectors. Through RCRA, USAID improves these sectors’ competitiveness to create jobs, improve productivity, and increase sales and exports to developed markets.

MAJOR AREAS OF SUPPORT

RCRA is built on previous USAID support to the agriculture, tourism, and wine sectors, which are driving sectors for sustainable economic growth. The project responds to the current emerging needs of the Government of Moldova and the private sector by supporting economic recovery and strengthening Moldova’s economic growth and resilience. Accelerating integration with EU and other reliable markets in the high-value agricultural sector and further solidifying Moldova as a reliable EU/Western trading partner is a top priority of RCRA given the regional economic and security context. Further, the activity is aiming to reduce the dependency of the Moldovan agricultural sector on highly volatile traditional markets and instill a Western culture of entrepreneurship and transparency among Moldovan agribusinesses. The primary beneficiaries of RCRA are small and medium agricultural producers, small winemakers, transition wineries, tourism sector operators, rural businesses engaged in tourism services, sector industry associations, and individual agribusinesses engaged in agricultural input supply, processing, service provision, marketing, storage, branding, transport, export, etc. On the workforce development front, program beneficiaries are education and research bodies, and public and private extension bodies. On the policy/enabling environment side, primarily project beneficiaries are local NGOs and other institutions active in policy development areas.