THE African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $102.79 million for the promotion of sustainable agricultural value chains in special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZ) across Guinea, Senegal, and Togo. This initiative aims to foster sustainable agricultural practices while integrating climate resilience and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in these regions.
The funding will support three ongoing SAPZ projects in the participating countries: the Projet de Transformation Agro-Industrielle du Togo, Sénégal Agropole-Sud, and the Programme de Développement des Zones Spéciales de Transformation Agro-Industrielle de Boké et Kankan in Guinea. These projects focus on expanding the use of climate-resilient agricultural practices, renewable energy, and small-scale irrigation systems.
The programme will develop small irrigation systems for over 39,000 hectares of land, supported by 2.59 MW of solar energy for water pumping. Additionally, renewable energy equipment with a total capacity of 14.69 MW will be installed, along with biogas energy generation of 10.24 MW from livestock manure. Climate-resilient farming methods will be adopted by smallholder farmers and agricultural cooperatives, covering approximately 40,000 hectares of land, while 40,000 hectares of agroforestry will be developed to sequester carbon.
The initiative also aims to improve climate information services by expanding networks of agrometeorological stations and deploying technologies to strengthen early warning systems. It will directly benefit over 1.1 million farmers and indirectly support over 5.6 million people, with at least 50% of beneficiaries being women.
In addition to climate resilience, the programme will enhance gender inclusion by providing women access to small-scale irrigation, climate information, and low-carbon agricultural technologies. It will also link farmers with cooperative processing companies to boost agricultural productivity.
Kazuhiro Numasawa, Division Manager of SAPZ operations at the African Development Bank, expressed satisfaction with the programme, stating, ‘This GCF funding will address the urgent need to support rural communities facing climate challenges while strengthening support for women and youth in agriculture. It is a timely intervention for leveraging the private sector’s involvement in the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone projects in Guinea, Senegal, and Togo.’
This programme marks the first Green Climate Fund (GCF) financing for the AfDB’s SAPZ projects, aiming to support sustainable agriculture and rural development across Africa.
