High-Value and Drought-Tolerant Crop Production

Selling spices and herbs at the local African market in Manzini, Swaziland, Kingdom of Eswatini Swazi

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High-Value and Drought-Tolerant Crop Production
SectorMost major industry classification systems use sources of revenue as their basis for classifying companies into specific sectors, subsectors and industries. In order to group like companies based on their sustainability-related risks and opportunities, SASB created the Sustainable Industry Classification System® (SICS®) and the classification of sectors, subsectors and industries in the SDG Investor Platform is based on SICS.
Food and Beverage
Food and Agriculture
Business Model Description

Cultivate high-value and drought-tolerant crops, including Bt cotton, bananas, citrus and macadamia, to serve the domestic market, substitute imports, and supply raw material to the textile value chain.

Expected Impact

Enhance income generating activities for smallholder farmers and support import substitution in a sustainable manner.

Indicative ReturnDescribes the rate of growth an investment is expected to generate within the IOA. The indicative return is identified for the IOA by establishing its Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Return of Investment (ROI) or Gross Profit Margin (GPM).
> 25% (in ROI)
Investment TimeframeDescribes the time period in which the IOA will pay-back the invested resources. The estimate is based on asset expected lifetime as the IOA will start generating accumulated positive cash-flows.
Medium Term (5–10 years)
Market SizeDescribes the value of potential addressable market of the IOA. The market size is identified for the IOA by establishing the value in USD, identifying the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) or providing a numeric unit critical to the IOA.
< USD 50 million
Average Ticket Size (USD)Describes the USD amount for a typical investment required in the IOA.
> USD 10 million
Direct ImpactDescribes the primary SDG(s) the IOA addresses.
No Poverty (SDG 1) Zero Hunger (SDG 2) Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)
Indirect ImpactDescribes the secondary SDG(s) the IOA addresses.
Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) Climate Action (SDG 13)
Sector Sources
  • 1) Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. 2019. The Kingdom of Eswatini Voluntary National Review. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/24651Eswatini_VNR_Final_Report.pdf 2) Finmark Trust. 2020. Financial Inclusion Refresh. https://finmark.org.za/system/documents/files/000/000/391/original/Eswatini_Financial_Inclusion_Refresh.pdf?1614849476 3) Government of Eswatini. 2020. Post COVID-19 Kingdom of Eswatini Economic Recovery Plan. http://www.gov.sz/images/CORONA/FINAL-POST-COVID-19-ECONOMIC-RECOVERY-PLAN-ESWATINI-14082020_compressed.pdf 4) Ministry of Agriculture. 2015-2025 Swaziland National Agricultural Investment Plan (SNAIP). http://www.gov.sz/images/MOAG/SWAZILAND-NATIONAL-AGRICULTURE-INVESTMENT-PLAN-SNAIP.pdf 5) Ministry Of Agriculture. 2018- 2023. Ministry Of Agriculture Strategic Plan. http://www.dairyboard.co.sz/images/MOA%20STRATEGIC%20PLAN_WP_2020.pdf 6) World Food Programme (WFP). 2020-2024. Eswatini country strategic plan. https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000108645/download/?_ga=2.10006454.280993457.1629980379-1623016762.1629980379 7) Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. 2020. The Eswatini Zero Hunger Strategic Review. https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000111397/download/?_ga=2.179858791.2122312585.1630921482-428469450.1630921482 8) Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. 2017. The Strategy for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth (SSDIG) 9) EUROPEAID. 2016. Final Detailed Report: Strategic Environmental Assessment Of The 11th EDF Programme’s Focal Sector Agriculture In Swaziland. 10) Inter Press Services Nes Agency. Climate-Smart Agriculture means More Time for Eswatini Women Farmers. http://www.ipsnews.net/2020/02/climate-smart-agriculture-means-time-eswatini-women-farmers/ 11) World Food Programme. Eswatini country strategic plan (2020–2024). 2020 https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000108645/download/?_ga=2.10006454.280993457.1629980379-1623016762.1629980379 12) Government of Eswatini. May 2019. The Kingdom of Eswatini Strategic Road Map: 2019-2022. http://www.gov.sz/images/CabinetMinisters/STRATEGIC-ROADMAP-2018-2023---MAY-2019.pdf
IOA Sources
  • 13) Alliance for Science. 2021. Swaziland (eSwatini) finds success with GMO cotton. https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/2019/06/swaziland-eswatini-finds-success-gmo-cotton/ 14) ESWADE. 2021. The High Value Crop and Horticulture Project (HVCHP). https://www.eswade.co.sz/case-categories/the-high-value-crop-and-horticulture-project-hvchp/ 15) FinMark Trust. 2021. Agricultural Finance Scoping. https://finmark.org.za/system/documents/files/000/000/511/original/FMT_SADC_FI_Agriculture_eSwatini.pdf?1629903465 16) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN. 2021. Cotton Value Chains Sector Development Plan Agreement Situational Analysis 17) USAID. 2020. Country Implementation Plan. https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00W6VD.pdf 18) Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. 2019. National Development Plan (NDP) 2019/20-2021/22. http://www.gov.sz/images/CabinetMinisters/NDP-2019-20-to-2021-22-final.pdf 19) Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. 2019. The Kingdom of Eswatini Voluntary National Review. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/24651Eswatini_VNR_Final_Report.pdf 20) Ministry of Agriculture. 2018. Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Plan. 2018-2023. http://www.dairyboard.co.sz/images/MOA%20STRATEGIC%20PLAN_WP_2020.pdf 21) Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA). Domestic Trade Tax Incentives in Eswatini. https://investeswatini.org.sz/domestic-trade-tax-incentives-in-eswatini/ 22) Business Eswatini. 2019. A Practical Guide to Doing Business in Eswatini. https://www.hcimbabane.gov.in/docs/Booklet%20from%20Business%20Eswatini.pdf 23) L. Lewis, S. Masinjila & E. Sirinathsinghji. 2018. GM cotton push in Swaziland: Next target for failed Bt cotton. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327744020_GM_cotton_push_in_Swaziland_Next_target_for_failed_Bt_cotton/link/5ba1e4b445851574f7d58e82/download 24) Ukwazi Macadamia. https://ukwazimakadamia.com/pages/about-us 25) African Development Bank. March, 2020. Mkondvo-Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Program (MNWAP) Study. https://www.afdb.org/sites/default/files/documents/projects-and-operations/eswatini_-_mkondvo-ngwavuma_water_augmentation_program_mnwap_-_mic_grant_report.pdf 26) National Agricultural Marketing Board. 2022. Imports of Scheduled Agricultural Products 27) Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. FAO GM Foods Platform. https://www.fao.org/food/food-safety-quality/gm-foods-platform/browse-information-by/country/country-page/en/?cty=SWZ#:~:text=The%20Kingdomof%20Eswatini%20enacted%20the,the%20Cartagena%20Protocol%20on%20Biosafety.&text=My%20country%20has%20a%20regulatory,safety%20assessment%20of%20GM%20food 28) German Society for International Co-operation (GIZ). August 2019. Developing a Land Governance Country Assessment for the National Agricultural Investment Plan in Eswatini. https://nelga.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Eswatini-Land-Governance-Assessment-NAIP-2019_Report-final.docx 29) Ministry of Finance. February 2022. Budget Speech 2022. https://www.gov.sz/images/CabinetMinisters/Budget-Speech-2022---FINAL.pdf 30) African Center for Biodiversity. July, 2017. GM cotton push in Swaziland: Next target for failed Bt cotton. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327744020_GM_cotton_push_in_Swaziland_Next_target_for_failed_Bt_cotton