USAID/Senegal is working with the Government of Senegal to link domestic producers, processors, and distributors to encourage local production and manufacturing rather than relying on imports. This improves incomes and helps reduce unemployment. It means Senegal is better able to meet its food need when there are chronic shortages, and that it can improve nutrition, especially among women and children. It also helps to fight poverty, improve the agricultural sector, natural resources management, trade, and, in concert with the USAID Health Office, nutrition – especially of women and children.

USAID directly supports Senegal’s Accelerated Growth Strategy, the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, and the Country Investment Plan for Agriculture under the Plan Senegal Emergent through the U.S. Presidential Initiatives Feed the Future and Global Climate Change, as well as congressional directives on biodiversity, water, sanitation and hygiene. All activities support Senegal’s plans to reduce poverty through private sector-led, inclusive economic growth.

Agriculture

The USAID Economic Growth program investments include an increasingly vibrant portfolio featuring agriculture and natural resources in the combat against food insecurity and poverty.  USAID is well respected for success in applying a value chain approach to increase agricultural productivity and competitiveness; implementation of innovative approaches to increase decentralized management of natural resources and co-management of fisheries; and for advancing progress in the “doing business” environment to facilitate trade and investment.

USAID leads the implementation of Senegal’s Feed the Future strategy focusing on four value chains  – rice, maize, millet, and fisheries – to scale up productivity through improving market linkages, post-harvest infrastructure, access to finance, private sector business development, and public sector capacity for a more a sustainable food system. Feed the Future seeks to bring 30 percent more local rice, 20 percent more local maize, and substantially more millet into the marketplace at a quality level that meets local standards.

USAID expects these programs to benefit up to 1.2 million producers, thousands of associated processors and intermediaries, as well as countless consumers. One innovative project integrates agriculture and nutrition to boost household income and nutritional levels in Senegal’s most under-nourished regions.

USAID assists Senegal’s sizable fisheries sector, which makes a high-value economic and nutritional contribution to Senegal, through policy and sustainable management to reverse diminishing fishing resources. It supports Senegal to raise the level of public and private investment in agriculture by creating an efficient system of formulation, implementation, and monitoring of agricultural policies. And USAID is leading the charge to connect education, agriculture, and business. Thanks to its support, Senegal is enhancing reforms in education and agricultural institutions, strengthening research and outreach, and improving governance and management within agricultural education institutions.

Environment

Recognizing that growth depends on a sustainable resource base, USAID is directly addressing broader environmental issues to ensure sustainability of natural resources. There is a clear link between the sustainable management of natural capital, conservation of biodiversity, and increased economic opportunities and local governance.  USAID is also helping increase Senegal’s capacity to adapt to climate change and variability. It is supporting the country’s efforts to address the negative impacts of climate change on the primary economic sectors of farming, livestock, and fisheries by providing climate information services to increase the resilience and productivity in these sectors. USAID supports the government of Senegal’s efforts to achieve reform of its fisheries sector by putting in place and strengthening many of the enabling conditions necessary for improved governance, while simultaneously demonstrating effective tools and approaches for sustainable ecosystem-based collaborative management of marine fisheries.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

Senegal has made progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for urban water supply, with lesser progress for rural water supply and sanitation. USAID assists the government to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through activities that help increase sustainable access to water supply and sanitation services, and promote better hygiene in small towns as well as rural and peri-urban areas. USAID is coordinating with the government and other donors on an integrated approach to address interrelated social, governance, economic, health, ecological, and sustainability challenges in the sector. USAID provided 140,000 people with access to improved drinking water supply and 80,000 people with improved sanitation facilities by 2015. In line with SDG goals, USAID expects to provide 150,000 people with improved access to drinking water, and another 150,000 with improved access to sanitation facilities by 2021.

Business Environment and Competitiveness

Alongside agriculture programs, USAID works with government and the private sector to boost Senegal’s overall business environment and competitiveness. This includes targeted interventions to design and implement reforms that can also improve Senegal’s rankings in key international benchmarks, such as Doing Business and the Global Competitiveness Report. USAID supports a range of reforms related to commercial law, labor law, land law, and computerization of building permit issuance, among others. USAID supports the Plan Senegal Emergent to engage broad national dialogue, reforms, and to formulate actions to improve competitiveness, unleash greater direct investment, and stimulate jobs and to raise economic performance.

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