RTI to continue spurring economic growth through agriculture in Senegal

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — RTI International, a nonprofit research and global development institute, has been selected by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to lead a new program to sustainably reduce poverty and malnutrition in Senegal through growth in the agriculture sector. The five-year Feed the Future Senegal Value Chain Services Activity will continue and build upon the successes achieved through the RTI-implemented and USAID-funded Feed the Future Senegal Naatal Mbay (“flourishing agriculture”) project, which ran from 2015-2019, as part of Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative.   

“Despite sustained growth in Senegal’s economy over the past five years, there remains a gap between agricultural production and the food security needs of a growing population,” said Tania Brunn, RTI’s senior director for Food Security & Agriculture. “We’re excited to work with USAID and Senegalese farmers and businesses to build on our previous partnerships and expand income-generating opportunities — particularly for women and youth — that can help increase communities’ access to safe and nutritious food.”

Over the next five years, Feed the Future Senegal Value Chain Services is expected to provide technical services that increase incomes, employment, resilience to climate shocks, and food availability and affordability, particularly in rural populations. Leveraging the relationships and tools created through the Naatal Mbay program, the new project will expand its scope to reach more commodities, farmers and communities.

Along with RTI, the project will be implemented by Association Sénégalaise pour la Promotion du Développement par la Base (ASPRODEB), a national farmer-based advocacy and development organization; Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rural (IPAR), a rural development think tank; Fédération des Producteurs de Maïs du Saloum (FEPROMAS), Fédération des Périmètres Autogérés (FPA), and Entente de Diouloulou, three local farmer organizations; TechnoServe, including Partners in Food Solutions, an alliance of U.S. NGOs; Market Share Associates, a woman-owned small business; and Dimagi, a social enterprise.

“Working with RTI and other partners here in Senegal, we made so much progress under the Feed the Future Senegal Naatal Mbay program,” said Malick Ndiaye, executive director of La Banque Agricole (The Agricultural Bank) in Senegal. “With the support of USAID, we’re looking forward to continuing that progress and leveraging the power of inclusive agriculture-led growth to improve Senegalese lives and livelihoods.”

Learn more about RTI's work in Food Security & Agriculture