IFAD partners Sierra Leone to launch landmark livestock and livelihoods development project

SIERRA LEONE – The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Sierra Leone have signed a landmark financing agreement to launch the Livestock and Livelihoods Development Project (LLDP). 

This transformative initiative aims to reduce poverty, enhance food security, and improve nutrition for nearly half a million rural Sierra Leoneans. 

This eight-year project, supported by a US$105.5 million fund, will directly benefit around 373,500 people in rural communities, with a focus on smallholder livestock farmers, women, youth, and individuals with disabilities.

IFAD has committed US$30 million in grant funding, complemented by contributions of US$60 million from the Islamic Development Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development. 

The LLDP represents a significant effort to revive Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector, which accounts for 59% of the country’s GDP and employs 62% of its workforce. However, the 2014 Ebola outbreak deeply impacted this sector. 

Agriculture in Sierra Leone primarily focuses on rice, while livestock farming is limited, with poultry being the most common farm animal. 

The LLDP aims to diversify and expand this sector, improving productivity for 62,500 smallholder livestock farmers and strengthening the resilience of rural households to economic shocks and climate change. 

Through training, cooperative structures, and capacity-building initiatives, the project seeks to enhance market access and foster a supportive institutional environment, laying the groundwork for sustainable growth in the livestock sector.

Bernard Hien, IFAD’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, emphasised the project’s significance, stating, “The Livestock and Livelihoods Development Project supports smallholder livestock production to improve incomes and nutrition while also advancing the Government’s efforts in transforming the sector and reducing hunger in rural communities.”

The project emphasises closing the gender gap in agriculture by ensuring that at least 40% of beneficiaries are women, 30% are youth, and 5% are individuals with disabilities. 

With women in agriculture often lacking equal access to essential resources, the LLDP aims to empower female farmers and enhance gender equity within Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector. 

Studies show that closing the gender and wage gaps in farming could boost global GDP by 1%, translating to nearly US$1 trillion in economic impact.

Sierra Leone’s Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Henry Musa Kpaka, underscored the LLDP’s importance, calling it a “flagship project” in the livestock sector. 

“This partnership will benefit Sierra Leone’s economy by providing essential sources of livelihood for our farmers, particularly women and youth, enhancing nutritional status, and increasing income for many families in rural areas. I am certain that this alliance will significantly contribute to achieving Sierra Leone’s broader agricultural and economic objectives,” he remarked.

Since 1980, IFAD has supported ten projects in Sierra Leone, investing over US$216.2 million and benefiting more than 547,500 rural households. 

The LLDP is the latest milestone in IFAD’s longstanding partnership with Sierra Leone, addressing the country’s urgent needs while laying the foundation for sustainable rural development.

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