European Union (EU) and Germany launch Cassava Value Chain Project to boost food production, economic growth and job creation for youth and women-led enterprises in Sierra Leone

The overall 35 million Euro EU-funded “Sustainable Food and Agriculture Value Chains Development” programme focuses on three strategic value chains – cassava, infant food and palm oil – and aims to:

1. Improving sustainability, efficiency and inclusiveness of oil palm, cassava, and infant food value chains, using climate-smart approaches in production and processing, while facilitating decent green job creation; and 

2.  Enhance the capacity of Sierra Leoneans, particularly women and youth who have participated in TVET programmes, to seize market opportunities. 

While the palm oil and infant food value chains are being implemented by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) respectively, the cassava value chain is being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH under its BMZ-funded “Youth Employment Promotion through Socio-Ecological and Economic Transformation of selected rural Value Chains” project (EET). 

GIZ

The total budget of the EET project is EUR 25.5 million of which EUR 15.5 million is allocated to the cassava value chain interventions, including EUR 12 million from the European Union and EUR 3.5 million contribution from BMZ. 

The four-year cassava project, running from January 2026 to December 2029, seeks to: 

• establish 10 cassava cultivar multiplication centers; 

• develop 50 hectares of demonstration sites;

• train 500 farmers;

• strengthen at least 10 farmer-based organisations (FBOs) and 40 micro, small and medium-sized entreprises (MSMEs) in their processing capacities, market linkages and business skills; 

• raise awareness among caregivers on the nutritional value of cassava; and 

• further upgrade three Government Technical Institutes (GTIs) by developing 6 new agriculture-related training courses. 

  Image

  

  Copyright

  GIZ

Cassava is a staple crop for over 70% of Sierra Leonean households, yet productivity and profitability remain constrained by poor quality inputs, limited application of good agricultural practices (GAP), post-harvest losses, and inadequate processing capacity. The project will address these challenges by introducing climate-smart varieties, training farmers in GAP, improving processing facilities, and strengthen connections between farmer groups, private sector buyers and financial services. 

The launch event aimed to present the design and intervention scope of the cassava value chain activities. Highlights of the discussions included measures to strengthen the availability and multiplication of improved and certified seeds; capacity building of farmers in GAP and climate-smart agriculture (CSA); strengthening of producer networks, aggregators and processors; awareness raising on the nutritional benefits of cassava; strengthening of farmer-based organizations and cooperatives to take on a central role in the value chain; and contributing to making one of the Government Technical Institutes (GTIs) a center of excellence for agricultural TVET with the establishment of a modern farm. 

GIZ

“This project reflects the EU’s and Germany’s shared commitment with the government of Sierra Leone to transform agriculture from subsistence to commercial farming as elaborated in the Cassava Value Chain description of action. By investing in the cassava value chain, we are creating decent jobs and building resilience for rural communities, emphasized Prof. Abdulai Y. Jalloh, MAFS Chief Agriculture Officer.” 

“Strong value chains are key to sustainable growth and food sovereignty in Sierra Leone and therefore, the Federal Republic of Germany is proud to co-fund the cassava value chain and bilaterally support the implementation of the cocoa/coffee, vegetable and poultry value chains”, reiterated Mr. Johannes Behrens, BMZ Sierra Leone Head of Cooperation. 

Mr. Jacek Jankowski, EU Ambassador in Sierra Leonel, added: “The EU investment on the cassava industrialization will help the Government of Sierra Leone in implementing its food system transformation plan as established in Feed Salone strategy. In addition, the focus on the private sector is coherent with EU Global Gateway vision. Thanks to the collaboration between EU and BMZ, this cassava value chain project shows the Team Europe Initiative spirit in Sierra Leone.”

GIZ