The World Bank Board of Directors has approved additional financing of 125.94 million U.S. dollars for the second phase of the West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP), according to a statement on Wednesday.
The funds, according to the Bank, is aimed at helping the West African country Ghana strengthen its capacities to address food insecurity and build resilient food systems.
The $125.94 million financing is being funded by a combination of International Development Association (IDA) credit and a grant from the Food Systems 2030 Multi-Door Trust Fund, which will help to replenish resources diverted to support farmers affected by floods and drought and to enhance sustainable intensification of tomato production.
Most specifically, the financing will support digital advisory services aimed at enhancing agricultural and food crisis management through improved access to data on weather patterns, nutrition, and food security, as well as better pest and disease monitoring.
It will also invest in building the sustainability and adaptive capacity of the food system’s productive base, promoting environmentally sound agricultural practices to strengthen resilience to environmental and economic disruptions.
Additionally, the program will facilitate regional food market integration and trade to improve food security across borders.
“This additional financing is provided to help Ghana recover from the economic and environmental shocks, while restoring funding for long-term investments needed to strengthen agricultural resilience and reduce vulnerability to future disruptions,” said Abel Lufafa, Practice Manager for Agriculture and Food Security at the World Bank. “It is part of a broader effort to address the rapidly deteriorating food security situation in West and Central Africa.”
The FSRP was launched in 2022 to address food insecurity and strengthen food system resilience in West Africa.
It currently involves eight countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo), as well as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), and the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research (CORAF).
The additional financing brings the overall FSRP financing to a total of $1,170 billion. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report/World Bank
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