Project profile — Systems Approach to Improving and Sustaining Food Security in West Africa

• Senegal (20.00%)
• Sierra Leone (26.00%)
• Ghana (28.00%)
• Mali (26.00%)

• Business And Other Services: Business support services and institutions (25010) (11.88%)
• Agricultural policy and administrative management:
Agricultural policy and administrative management (31110) (28.22%)
Food crop production (31161) (36.14%)
• Industry: Agro-industries (32161) (23.76%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)

The project aims to improve the food security status of people living in poor rural communities in Ghana, Mali, Sierra Leone and Senegal. The project will work to increase the adoption of agricultural practices that promote sustainable livelihoods; improve the utilization of health food especially by women and children; and, increase the effectiveness and use of agricultural extension services. Specific activities include: training farmers on best animal husbandry practices, seed production, pest management and early disease detection; as well as the training of government rural extension service staff in planning, implementing, and monitoring projects together with the participation of local communities and farmers. The project is expected to reach around 45,000 subsistence farmers and their families and around 1,400 members of farmer associations and purchasing groups, as well as local agriculture authorities. At the country level, World Vision Canada is working in partnership with local farm-based civil society organizations to implement this project.

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: Increased adoption of practices, in a gender equitable manner, promoting sustainable livelihoods by the people living in poor rural communities; improved utilization of healthy food in a gender-equitable manner and with a particular focus on children; and, increased use of agricultural services by people living in poor rural communities.

Results achieved as of June 2017 include: (1) significant increases in the proportions of women and men farmers with improved knowledge of sustainable crop production and livestock husbandry techniques; (2) increased access to market information and financial services for women, men and youth entrepreneurs; (3) a sizeable increase in the share of farmers using improved and sustainable crop and livestock production practices, moving from only 4% of women crop farmers in the targeted regions using such techniques before the project to 84% by the end of the project; and (4) increases in incomes for women, men and especially youth entrepreneurs, of whom 84% reported increased net incomes following the project. These results have contributed to the promotion of more sustainable livelihoods and improved utilization of healthy food in a gender-sensitive manner by the people living in rural communities in West Africa.

• Proactive disclosure