Johannesburg – The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $102.79 million in funding to advance sustainable agriculture in Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) across Guinea, Senegal, and Togo.
This groundbreaking initiative is set to directly benefit 1,104,728 farmers and indirectly improve the livelihoods of over 5.6 million people, emphasizing climate-resilient agricultural practices and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The program includes the development of irrigation systems covering 39,179 hectares of farmland, powered by 2.59 MW of solar energy. It will also establish renewable energy infrastructure with a total capacity of 14.69 MW and provide 10.24 MW of energy through biogas generated from 24,576 cubic meters of biodigesters.
Additionally, 40,000 hectares of land will be reforested to sequester carbon, and an advanced agrometeorological network will enhance early warning systems. Women, who constitute at least 50% of the beneficiaries, will gain access to low-carbon processing and packaging technologies, as well as innovative irrigation systems.
In comparison to similar projects in West Africa, the renewable energy capacity planned under this initiative surpasses that of Burkina Faso’s agriculture-focused solar projects, which average 8 MW. With these efforts, the SAPZ program strengthens the region’s ability to mitigate climate change, fostering a model of sustainable agricultural development that sets a new benchmark for innovation in African agribusiness.
