Moldova—Agricultural Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (ACED)

The need to diversify export markets is broadly accepted throughout Moldova. ACED supported this imperative—including improving Moldova’s sanitary and phytosanitary standards compliance and its ability to meet international food safety standards. The project—co-funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation ( MCC)—improved Moldova’s high-value agriculture sector, working initially in value chains such as tomatoes, table grapes, tree fruits and nuts, and fruit and vegetables. ACED succeeded in its mandate to increase incomes and generate jobs in rural Moldova. Monitoring and evaluation played an essential role in tracking the progress of ACED and evaluating its impact in an integrated manner, allowing for ongoing learning, program adjustments, and discussion with the donors.

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Sample Activities

• Develop and expand market opportunities.
• Train farmers to increase their productivity and meet buyer requirements.
• Provide demand-driven technical assistance to upgrade high-value agriculture value chains.
• Improve the enabling environment for these activities.
• Build capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises in Moldova’s breakaway territory of Transnistria to improve competitiveness.

Select Results

• Assisted Moldovan producers to exhibit their products at 18 international shows in Europe and Asia, resulting in $26 million in agricultural exports.
• Helped 3,000 farmers adopt new agricultural production and storage techniques, resulting in $15 million of investments made in new production and post-harvest facilities.