Senegal is among the most stable and promising countries in West Africa for economic expansion. Over the past five years, it has had strong economic growth. Despite this progress, there remains huge untapped agricultural potential. Feed the Future programs in Senegal integrate nutrition and agriculture to reduce poverty and combat malnutrition. These efforts also promote trade and market access, support small and medium-sized agricultural businesses, and enable communities to take charge of their own food security.
Feed the Future activities have played a pivotal role in transforming Senegal’s rice sector. By adopting new technologies, including better seeds, 147,000 farmers increased their rice production. Support services, such as crop insurance, climate information services, improved certified seeds, contract farming, and new credit systems also contributed to growing the production of and market for rice. From 2014 to 2018, there was a 67 percent increase in household income and significant increases in rice, millet, and maize yields in areas reached by the Feed the Future Naatal Mbay program.
In the Northern Senegal River Valley, producer groups farmed nearly 38,000 hectares of rice, increasing their yields by 37 percent over the past year. Feed the Future facilitated access to $64 million in loans in 2018 for farmers, wholesalers, millers, and finance institutions, particularly in the rice industry. Feed the Future also supported new lease financing models along with the Government of Senegal’s efforts to expand the use of farm equipment for land preparation and harvesting. These efforts stabilized market prices, reduced loan defaults, and paved the way for further transformation and growth in the rice sector.
These results reflect information from U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Peace Corps, U.S. African Development Foundation, and U.S. Department of the Treasury (through the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program), reported into Feed the Future’s central monitoring system for fiscal year 2018 (FY18). For more information on the indicators above, please view the Feed the Future Indicator Handbook. All dollar amounts are listed in U.S. dollars.
Feed the Future believes that the best development solutions are the ones that continuously empower others to get in the game and carry the work forward. The Government of Senegal’s growing investment in agriculture — surpassing its goal of 10 percent of annual public spending since 2014 — has opened the door for progress.
In 2009, Senegal finalized its Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program Investment Plan, setting a long-term vision for agricultural development as the primary driver of economic growth. The coordination of this plan is housed in the Office of the Prime Minister, further demonstrating Senegal’s desire to elevate agriculture’s role in economic prosperity and food security.
In Senegal, Feed the Future supports the government’s plans to increase food security and agricultural growth, and integrates both poverty reduction and improved nutrition into its strategy. Senegal is characterized by moderate but chronic undernutrition, where anemia and the “hidden hunger” of micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent. Although Senegal has one of the lowest stunting rates in West Africa, the condition persists as an underlying factor in Senegal’s high maternal mortality rates and among children under the age of five.
Feed the Future supports the following programs, partnerships and organizations in Senegal.
This social entrepreneur is educating villages on the importance of nutritious diets and providing better access to clean water. Tucked in the corner of Aissata Thilogme’s small store is her…
Read Morerom Guatemala to Senegal to Nepal, Peace Corps Volunteers are on the ground in over 60 countries addressing the most pressing development issues of our time. I have served in…
Read MoreWe’ve wrapped up yet another photo contest here at Feed the Future and we’re excited to publish all the amazing photos for you to view. Read on to find out which photos won and the stories behind them.
Read MoreOne woman’s quest to create better packaging for her small business is paying off in ways she didn’t expect. Now, her biodegradable bags are protecting not just her bottom line, but the environment as well.
Read More
