MISSION

The MAA is the government department whose mission is to: a) Design, coordinate, control, execute and evaluate the specific policies defined by the Government for the agriculture, forestry, livestock, agro-industry, food security, environment, water and sanitation sectors ; b) Propose and execute, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communities, policy measures, actions and programs for the planning and management of Cape Verde's relations with specialized international organizations in the fields of its competence.

ASSIGNMENTS

It is incumbent upon the MAA, namely in the agriculture, forestry, livestock, agro-industry, food safety, environment, water and sanitation sectors, to:

a) Define, formulate and implement policy guidelines on food security, agriculture, forestry and livestock, environment, water and sanitation in close collaboration with the collegiate bodies established exclusively for this purpose;

b) Promote and coordinate the preparation of the National Policy Plan for Agriculture, Environment, Food Security and other sectoral plans related to its area of ​​activity and ensure its management and execution;

c) Propose, co-participate and disseminate legislative, regulatory and administrative measures relating to the respective sectors within its competence and ensure their effective application;

d) Combat desertification through reforestation and management of areas with this vocation in the country, by promoting methods and techniques suitable for the use of soils, by carrying out rural engineering works and by the protection and correct use of soils and forests, namely for agricultural and wood energy purposes;

e) Foster the articulation of economic and social public policies, aiming at the promotion of food and nutrition security, namely in the promotion and dissemination of nutritional information and education and improvement of the population's diet;

f) Encourage and revitalize applied research systems for the agricultural and environmental sector, with the aim of normalizing and controlling the quality of production factors placed at the service of agriculture;

g) Promoting research in close articulation with international institutions, local and regional authorities, companies, universities, similar institutions and farmers, creating scientific and technological parks;

h) Promote and facilitate the development of organic farming;

i) Disseminate research results among producers, in a systematic and permanent way and through the appropriate means of communication, in order to motivate them to adopt more rational and economical alternatives for their activities;

j) Participate in the formulation of agricultural credit policy and rules, the modalities and conditions of insurance for rural production and the pricing policy;

k) Participate in the definition of the policy of natural resources, in particular soil and water, and ensure the application of the measures necessary for their preservation, in the domains of its intervention;

l) Participate in the elaboration of proposals for norms for the protection and use of water, in order to maintain the balance between exploitation and consumption and maximize the results of water use, within the framework of the integrated management of water resources;

m) Participate in the definition of natural resources policy and actions to defend environmental components and natural heritage;

n) Participate in the definition of policies for the prevention and risk management of natural and industrial man-made disasters;

o) Promoting and developing environmental policies in the context of combating climate change, in articulation with all the sectors involved;

p) Promote the participation of citizens and institutions in protecting the environment, contributing to the awareness of economic agents and social groups regarding ecological problems;

q) To promote the economic and social development of rural areas, namely through the qualification and enhancement of territories and economic diversification;

r) Promoting professional training in the areas of agriculture, forestry and livestock, encouraging young entrepreneurship by creating incentives and funding for initiation into agricultural activities;

s) Promote the development of wholesale markets for agricultural products, in articulation with farmers, local and regional authorities;

t) Prepare, collect, centralize, coordinate, the processing and promotion, dissemination and publication of statistics in the respective sector, in conjunction with the National Institute of Statistics (INE), in accordance with the laws of the National Statistical System (SEN);

u) Carry out, with established frequency and in articulation with other competent bodies, surveys on the evolution of the agrarian conjuncture and structure, in order to assess the results of the respective sectoral plans and programmes;

v) Promote environmental responsibility, in line with the main principles and international agreements on the environment and consistent with the conditions of an island State with fragile ecosystems;

w) Comply with all international conventions ratified by the country in terms of climate and environment, through the pursuit of regulations;

x) Promoting shared responsibility, in which responsibility for protecting the environment and territorial organization is a matter that involves public administration, consumers, producers, private individuals, civil society organizations and the entire population, as a duty of citizenship .