WFP hosts validation workshop on value chain assessment, market studies

The World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with its partners, has held a validation workshop to review the findings of a value chain assessment and market studies aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and food security in The Gambia.

The study, conducted by SMD Policy Management Group, examined key crops such as rice, cowpeas, millet, groundnuts, and oranges across all agricultural regions in the country. The event, held at a local hotel in Kololi, is part of WFP’s Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, which focuses on supporting local agriculture while addressing food security and improving educational outcomes.

The Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, a joint initiative of the Gambian government and WFP, aims to provide nutritious meals to students using locally sourced food. The program is designed to reduce food insecurity, improve education, and empower local farmers by creating direct links between agriculture and schools.

Speaking at the workshop, Fatou Jammeh Touray, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized the importance of diversifying the country’s agricultural production.

“Rice self-sufficiency is not the same as being food self-sufficient. We can be rice self-sufficient as a country and still face food insufficiency because of our cultural traditions. While rice is considered our staple food, other commodities also need to be developed and encouraged. WFP has been doing well in this country since the 1970s, providing nutritious hot meals in schools,” she said.

The Deputy Country Director of WFP in The Gambia highlighted the program’s potential to transform the country’s food systems.

“The Home-Grown School Feeding Programme is a platform that can help fix the food system in The Gambia. It not only supports schools but also farmers, helping them organize better, access the right inputs, and adapt to the challenges posed by climate change, which significantly affects the agricultural sector,” he stated.

Omar A. Bah, Senior Education Officer at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, underscored the program’s dual benefits for students and farmers.

“The importance of home-grown school feeding is evident in its ability to increase the production capacity of our farmers, especially smallholders. When production increases, it boosts the local economy. Instead of purchasing from outside, we enrich our own farmers, strengthening our economy,” he explained.

The workshop reinforced the commitment of stakeholders to improving agricultural value chains and promoting sustainable food systems in The Gambia.