EU launches projects with NGOs in Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition

Four NGOs, namely, ActionAid International The Gambia (AAITG), Action Against Hunger- Gambia, European Research Institute and SOS Children’s Villages The Gambia officially jointly launched their European Union funded contracts on promoting livelihoods, nutrition and food security in rural Gambia on Wednesday, June 12th 2019 at the Youth Monument in Westfield. These various contracts are part of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Phase I to the Gambia which allocated 20.5 Million Euro (approx. GMD1.2 billion) to an action entitled “Agriculture for economic growth and food security/nutrition to mitigate migration programme” which also includes the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The larger programme has three components and is distributed between FAO, WFP and NGOs. Component 1: FAO “Agriculture for Economic growth”, Component 2: WFP “School meals and Disaster Risk Management” and Component 3: NGOs ”Support to the 11th EDF agriculture for economic growth and food security/nutrition to mitigate migration programme”.

The overall aim of the 20.5 MEUR programme is to create growth and employment opportunities, in particular for women and youth, through improved agricultural productivity as well as access to food, whilst at the same time increasing the participation of most vulnerable smallholders in value chains therefore mitigating migration flows to Europe. The programme is implemented in NBR, CRR, LRR and URR. It is principally of four years duration and will end in July 2021. Four year contracts with FAO and WFP were signed in 2017. In 2018 the NGO call for proposals was completed and four NGOs selected and contracted by the European Union”.