DESAL joined a high-level team from the EuropeanUnioninSierraLeone, Solidaridad West Africa, and Nianda Agricultural and Trading Company on a joint field monitoring visit to project beneficiaries under the ‘Developing an Inclusive and Sustainable Cashew Agroforestry Value Chain (DISCA-VC)’ project in Bombali and Tonkolili Districts.
As a core implementing partner, DESAL played a key role in community mobilization, field coordination, and facilitating farmer engagements during the visit. The mission was aimed at engaging directly with farmers, assessing implementation progress by Solidaridad and its partners, and gaining insights into the next phases of the project.
The joint team visited selected communities in Tane Chiefdom, including Mamankoroh and Mapakie, as well as Mabonkani, Mankoreh, and Kamoria communities in Safroko Limba Chiefdom, Bombali District – all communities where DESAL has been actively working with smallholder cashew farmers.
Speaking during the field engagement, EU Policy Officer for Infrastructure and Rural Development, Alexandre Serres, interacted with smallholder farmers and urged them to take ownership of the project’s success. He commended Solidaridad and its partners, including DESAL, for their collaborative efforts and underscored the importance of farmer education and environmental protection to mitigate climate Change impacts in farming communities.
Andrew Kojo Morrison, Country Representative of Solidaridad in Sierra Leone, lauded the dedication of cashew farmers and noted that in 2023, Solidaridad and its partners supported 3,743 farmers to plant 120,000 polyclonal cashew seedlings on 3,000 acres across 80 communities in Northern Sierra Leone – a milestone achieved with strong field support from DESAL.
The DISCA-VC Project is a four-year initiative being implemented in four districts: Bombali, Port Loko, Kambia, and Tonkolili. The project seeks to link farmers to markets, generate decent employment opportunities for processors and sellers within the cashew value chain, and ensure income and food security for rural communities, especially women and young people, while mitigating natural resource degradation and biodiversity loss.
The initiative falls under the EUJobssandGrowth Programme, which aims to support the Government of Sierra Leone’s efforts to foster employment opportunities, improve cashew value chains, and enhance market access.
DESAL remains committed to delivering lasting change by working with farmers and partners to build a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cashew sector in Sierra Leone.
