Senegal, World Bank Launch AgriConnect to Boost Food Security

The Compact focuses on three priority value chains — grains, horticulture and livestock — sectors seen as critical to strengthening domestic production and reducing reliance on food imports.

The Government of Senegal and the World Bank Group have launched the AgriConnect Senegal Compact, an ambitious reform and investment platform designed to transform the country’s agri-food systems, accelerate food sovereignty, and generate 800,000 formal jobs by 2029.

The initiative aligns with Senegal’s National Agenda for Transformation 2050 and the Food Sovereignty Strategy (SSA 2025–2034), positioning agriculture at the centre of the country’s long-term economic and social development.

Targeting 90% Food Security by 2029

By 2029, the AgriConnect Compact aims to:

• Achieve more than 90 percent national food security

• Increase cereal coverage from 48 percent to 78 percent

• Raise rice self-sufficiency to 64 percent

• Establish 100 community-based agricultural cooperatives nationwide

• Create 800,000 formal agricultural sector jobs

The Compact focuses on three priority value chains — grains, horticulture and livestock — sectors seen as critical to strengthening domestic production and reducing reliance on food imports.

Three-Pillar Reform and Investment Strategy

The AgriConnect Pact is structured around three strategic axes:

1. Structural investment in agricultural infrastructure and services

2. Policy reforms to improve the agribusiness environment

3. Mobilisation of private investment to drive innovation and competitiveness

The initiative represents a shift in how Senegal designs and coordinates agricultural policy, introducing a harmonised implementation mechanism that integrates public financing, private capital, and technical assistance.

Coordinated Action Across the World Bank Group

The Compact mobilises the World Bank Group’s full institutional capacity, including:

• The International Development Association (IDA)

• The International Finance Corporation (IFC)

• The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)

This coordinated approach is designed to align concessional financing, private sector investment, and risk mitigation tools under a single national framework.

“What drives us in AgriConnect is the belief that Senegalese agriculture can feed Senegal, create opportunities for its youth, and become an engine of shared prosperity,” said Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa.

“Through the coordinated action of IDA, IFC and MIGA, we want to catalyze a dynamic where public and private investment converge towards a single objective: to make food sovereignty and jobs a tangible and lasting reality.”

Governance and Results-Based Management

Governance of the Compact will be overseen by the Minister of State responsible for monitoring the Senegal 2050 National Agenda for Transformation, with operational delivery entrusted to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock through a dedicated Delivery Unit.

A joint steering committee, supported by a Technical Group of Partners (GTP), will coordinate planning, monitoring and evaluation.

“AgriConnect is a model platform for structuring a pipeline of projects related to the National Transformation Agenda,” said Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo, Minister of State to the President.

He emphasized the Government’s focus on operational efficiency and results-based management to ensure tangible improvements in living standards.

Putting Food Sovereignty at the Core

Agriculture remains central to Senegal’s economic structure, employing a large share of the population, particularly in rural areas. However, the country remains vulnerable to food import dependency and climate-related shocks.

“The AgriConnect Pact aims to concretely transform the lives of our populations,” said Mabouba Diagne, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock.

“These are families that will be able to better feed their children, farmers who will see their incomes increase and stabilize, young people who will find jobs and a future in modern and profitable agriculture.”

Broad International Support

The Compact was developed in consultation with major technical and financial partners, including:

• IFAD

• FAO

• World Food Programme

• African Development Bank

• Islamic Development Bank

• French Development Agency

• Japan International Cooperation Agency

• GIZ

• Kingdom of the Netherlands

• Mastercard Foundation

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The partnership signals a coordinated push to position agriculture as a driver of sustainable growth, resilience and shared prosperity under Senegal’s Vision 2050 framework.