Dakar, Senegal, Friday, February 17, 2023 – Senegal today launched a new project titled: Climate-smart Agriculture and Sustainable Value Chains in Senegal River Valley. The project aims to help enhance agricultural productivity and climate resilience for rice and vegetable value chains by adopting inclusive digital transformation and innovation and promoting resilient farms.
The delegation led by GGGI Senegal’s Country Representative Ms. Assana Magagi-Alio, welcoming the Mr. Yong Ho Jung, Director of the General Division of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) of the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Equipment and Food Sovereignity (MAERSA hereafter) represented by Dr. Macoumba Diouf, Director of Horticulture jointly launched the ceremony. Representatives from Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition (MESDET) of Senegal, Korean International Cooperation Agency, Better World, la banque Agricole, Ora Bank, Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles (ISRA), Société d’aménagement et d’exploitation des terres du delta du fleuve Sénégal (SAED), also attended this celebratory event.
Agriculture is a fundamental pillar of the Green Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE Vert). Therefore, MAFRA’s support of smart farming is timely and will be game-changing to achieve inclusive transformational economic growth, climate resilience, and food auto-sufficiency and security in Senegal.
The project will deliver three main outcomes: first, CSA piloted in over 800 ha and up to1000 farmers trained in climate-smart farming practices; second, A (1) Farmers’ Hub set-up and the design and mobilization of USD 15 million for innovative financial services and instruments, and third, green employment opportunities for women and youth enabling the support of 20 Agri-preneurs and at least five start-ups.
Mr. Yong Ho Jung, Director of the General Division of International Cooperation in ROK MAFRA, pointed out that “the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Sustainable Value Chains in Senegal project will disseminate climate-smart agricultural technologies of Korea to Senegal and contribute to increasing smallholders’ incomes by creating jobs for vulnerable people including women and youth. This MAFRA’s ODA project is the first project implemented in cooperation between MAFRA and Global Green Growth Institute. I hope the project will contribute to reducing poverty and promoting food security in Senegal.”
Dr. Macoumba Diouf, Director of Horticulture in the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Sovereignty, stated that food sovereignty is one of the highest priorities for the Senegalese Government, and millions of FCFA are earmarked towards the implementation of the national strategy of food sovereignty, which is a key pillar of the PSE Vert.”
The Country Representative of GGGI Senegal highlighted that the project would be implemented in partnership with its Korea-based non-governmental organization (Better World) and direct and indirect partners such as IRSA, SAED, Africa Rice, Korea Program on International Agriculture, and Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Development Initiative. GGGI Senegal will provide technical oversight and guidance on all three areas of outcome and support on scaling the impact to access to green finance through a clearly defined Monitoring Evaluation, Reporting, and Improvement Plan complemented by other CSA projects on the ground and serve as a strong foundation for future cooperation between MAFRA ROK, MAERSA, MESDET, and GGGI for more ambitious and impactful cooperation on transformational agriculture development and enhance food auto-sufficiency in Senegal.
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Local GGGI communications contact
Assana Magagi-Alio, Country Representative, Senegal assana.alio@GGGI.org