The European Union and Germany have launched a €15.5 million cassava value chain project in Sierra Leone, aiming to boost food production, economic growth, and create jobs for youth and women-led enterprises. The project, co-funded by the EU (€12 million) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) (€3.5 million), was announced on 22 June 2026 at a launch event in Freetown attended by senior government officials, donor partners, private sector actors, and farmer representatives.
The cassava initiative is part of the broader EU-funded “Sustainable Food and Agriculture Value Chains Development” programme, which has a total budget of €35 million and also covers palm oil and infant food value chains. While the palm oil and infant food components are implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) respectively, the cassava value chain is 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). The EET project has a total budget of €25.5 million, with €15.5 million allocated to cassava interventions.
The four-year project, running from January 2026 to December 2029, aims 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 enterprises (MSMEs) in processing capacities and market linkages, raise awareness among caregivers on cassava's nutritional value, and upgrade three Government Technical Institutes (GTIs) by developing six new agriculture-related training courses.
Cassava is a staple crop for over 70% of Sierra Leonean households, but productivity and profitability are constrained by poor quality inputs, limited application of good agricultural practices (GAP), post-harvest losses, and inadequate processing capacity. The project will introduce climate-smart varieties, train farmers in GAP, improve processing facilities, and strengthen connections between farmer groups, private sector buyers, and financial services.
At the launch, Prof. Abdulai Y. Jalloh, Chief Agriculture Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, emphasized that the project reflects the EU and Germany's shared commitment to transform agriculture from subsistence to commercial farming. Mr. Johannes Behrens, BMZ Sierra Leone Head of Cooperation, noted that strong value chains are key to sustainable growth and food sovereignty. EU Ambassador Jacek Jankowski added that the investment will help implement Sierra Leone's food system transformation plan (Feed Salone strategy) and aligns with the EU Global Gateway vision, demonstrating the Team Europe Initiative spirit.
The project is expected to benefit smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, by creating decent jobs and improving market access. It also supports private sector development and technical education, with one GTI set to become a center of excellence for agricultural TVET. The initiative addresses key constraints in the cassava value chain, potentially increasing productivity and reducing post-harvest losses, while promoting climate-smart agriculture.