Resilience of Organizations for Transformative Smallholder Agriculture Project (ROOTS) is an agricultural development initiative that aims to improve the productivity and resilience of smallholder farmers in The Gambia. The program focuses on providing smallholder farmers with better access to finance, markets, and technology to enhance their agricultural productivity and promote food security in the region.
To identify potential sites for feasibility studies and detailed designs, ROOTS recently conducted a reconnaissance survey in the West Coast Region from April 27th to 29th, 2023. The survey was carried out by the regional steering committee in collaboration with the ROOTS regional team. It aimed to identify suitable areas for implementing interventions that could improve agricultural productivity and resilience in the rice value chain.
The survey identified five potential sites, with four sites located in Foni Bintang (Batabutu Kantora, Sibanor, Gibamak, and Bajagarr) and one site in Kombo North (Lamin Wawoto). These sites will undergo feasibility studies and detailed designs to assess the feasibility of implementing activities to enhance the productivity and resilience of smallholder farmers in the rice value chain.
The reconnaissance survey is a crucial step in the implementation of the ROOTS program. It provides valuable information to aid the program’s design and implementation of interventions that are appropriate and effective for the target communities. The survey also ensures that the program’s activities align with the needs and priorities of smallholder farmers in The Gambia.
ROOTS is dedicated to promoting sustainable agricultural practices that can help smallholder farmers in The Gambia improve their livelihoods. The program recognizes the challenges that smallholder farmers face and is committed to working with them to overcome these challenges. The reconnaissance survey is just one step in the program’s journey to help smallholder farmers in Gambia to enhance their agricultural productivity and resilience. ROOTS looks forward to continuing its work with smallholder farmers in Gambia to promote sustainable agriculture and food security.