The Gambia government has launched a $80 million project to improve food security, nutrition and smallholder farmer’s resilience to climate change.

The project dubbed ROOTS also seeks to increase agricultural productivity and access to markets for family farms and farmer organisations.

It is funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development. 

Speaking at the launch, President Adama Barrow called on youth and women farmers to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the project to upgrade their economic status.

“We should remind ourselves that the ROOTS project specifically targets women and youths for effective and profitable participation in rice and vegetable value chains,” the president said.

He said that the ROOTS project offers significant openings for the youths and women to perform optimally as champions of development and economic growth, and expressed his government’s commitment to supporting and promoting initiatives for climate change adaptation and resilience.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba