As part of the Festival of Sustainable Development 2020, ASviS organised a series of webinars on the topic. One of these, titled "Eni and the Republic of Angola: strategic partnership for sustainable development", was led by Eni Angola on 8 October. Taking part in the discussions were Matteo Bacchini, Managing Director of Eni Angola, Cristiano Gallo, the Italian Ambassador to Angola, Tommaso de Pippo, Professor at the Catholic University of Angola, and representatives from the Angola National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency, and the Agronomic Research Institute of Angola.

Eni’s presentation focused on the company’s contribution towards the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #17 (Partnership for the goals), through a series of social projects supported by partnerships that the company has been implementing across the country in core sectors that include access to energy and water, health and agriculture.

The speakers’ contributions added further information on the subject, highlighting Eni's investments in the social sector in Angola. There was a special focus on the water sector and the next agricultural project to be carried out in Cabinda province under a Cooperation Agreement – a new partnership model that Eni is about to establish in Angola. To close-out the webinar, a video of the partnership of Eni in Angola and the HALO Trust was shown.

With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, food imports have been significantly reduced and this has driven developing countries to improve and increase their agricultural structures. Angola is no exception. The participants at the webinar discussed the measures needed to improve the performance of the country's agriculture and enable it to produce the necessary raw materials.

During 2020, the local government has become increasingly aware of the importance of the agricultural sector in the country. This sector therefore deserves special attention, with the improvement of production techniques and education, as well as rural development programmes. The country continues to focus on the process of making good quality land and seeds available to farmers – a crucial factor in ensuring satisfactory crop production and productivity.

In most Angolan provinces, including Cabinda, cassava, sweet potatoes, corn, common beans and black-eyed beans are important crops. They are the main sources of carbohydrates and proteins and play a key role in ensuring food security and income generation in rural and urban areas. Despite the importance of these crops in the food system and in the livelihood of rural populations, research efforts and support for development are still inadequate, failing to avoid the devastating effects of pests and diseases in the region. 

This project aims to pay particular attention to the issue of healthy seeds and vegetative material, adoption and dissemination of improved varieties, integrated management of pests and diseases, as well as participatory research aimed at development, aiming to face the needs of communities throughout the productive chain of these cultures. This project is a response to the priorities of food security and generation of family income, and also aims to consolidate the agricultural research and education system of the provincial government of Cabinda.

The direct beneficiaries of this project are MINAGRIP technicians, rural and suburban farmers, households of producers in the implementation areas, producers of seeds and vegetative propagating material, as well as young entrepreneurs and unemployed people, who will maintain the fields. Indirect beneficiaries of the project include members of the producers' households, stakeholders in the seed sector and the value chains of the chosen crops. As this work is mainly carried out by women, higher incomes will quickly translate into greater prosperity for families.

According to Eni estimates, the project will reach 150 family farmers, who are the direct beneficiaries of the agricultural support campaign, as well as 900 indirect beneficiaries. 2,000 young people temporarily employed in maintaining the project's activities. 50 technical staff from the IIA (International Institute of Agriculture), IDA (International Development Association) and university students will be trained. A network of 16 leading farmers in the region, young entrepreneurs and seed multipliers trained and qualified in good cultural practices and other agricultural topics.