Senegal secures over US$300 million to boost food sovereignty

SENEGAL – Senegal has secured more than US$300 million to strengthen its food sovereignty through a new national project designed to improve agricultural productivity and resilience.

On Wednesday, November 5, Agriculture and Food Sovereignty Minister Mabouba Diagne announced that the government, with support from several international partners, had mobilized 180.38 billion CFA francs ($316.2 million) for the Food Sovereignty Support Project (PASS).

The project brings together funding from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the OPEC Fund, and the Italian Climate Fund.

According to Diagne, the initiative aims to increase local production and reduce dependence on food imports. It will focus on improving productivity, sustainability, and climate resilience across several key value chains. The program will cover 10 regions and benefit an estimated 220,000 farming households, reaching around 2.6 million people directly and indirectly.

“Senegal is thus demonstrating its ability to mobilize large-scale resources for its food sovereignty,” Diagne said in comments shared by the Senegalese Press Agency (APS). He noted that the government’s priority is to ensure that farmers can produce more efficiently while maintaining environmental sustainability.

Agriculture employs about half of Senegal’s active population, making it central to both rural livelihoods and national economic stability. However, the country still relies heavily on imports to meet its food needs. The new project is expected to help reduce this gap over time by promoting better access to inputs, training, and rural infrastructure.

Reducing import dependence

A recent United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report titled “The State of Commodity Dependence 2025” highlighted the country’s import reliance. Between 2021 and 2023, Senegal imported an average of $1.88 billion worth of food annually. This trend underscores the urgency of investing in local agricultural systems.

Diagne emphasized that the government is working to turn the agricultural sector into a reliable driver of growth and stability. “The challenge for the authorities to support agricultural production is to gradually reduce dependence on imports for food needs,” he said.

The latest funding adds to a growing wave of initiatives across West Africa focused on improving food security. In recent months, countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana have also announced similar programs to strengthen local production systems amid rising global food prices and climate pressures.

For Senegal, the new financial support marks another step toward building a more resilient and self-reliant food system capable of feeding its population while supporting farmers’ livelihoods.

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