The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), through the World Bank-funded Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP), has awarded grants to six researchers at the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI) to conduct adaptive farm research. The results of these studies should help small-scale farmers to optimise their productivity and increase their incomes in Sierra Leone.
The grant award ceremony took place on 24 January 2025 in Rokupr, Kambia District. Theresa Tenneh Dick expressed her gratitude to the World Bank for its continued support. Referring to her own experience, she pointed out that she had already benefited from a similar initiative funded by the World Bank. She stressed the importance of smallholder farmers in achieving food security, saying: ‘Smallholder farmers are the backbone of our food systems. The research supported by this grant will address the critical challenges they face and provide solutions to boost productivity and income generation’.
Sofia Mansaray, 40, is one of the grant recipients. Her research focuses on processing cassava into flour. The initiative aims to reduce Sierra Leone's dependence on imported wheat flour by creating a locally produced alternative. ‘My research will help reduce the cost of flour imports, enable Sierra Leone to produce its own flour and make it more affordable for citizens,’ explains Sofia.
MAFS and FSRP are committed to closely monitoring the progress of these researchers to ensure that their findings are in line with Feed Salone's vision of strengthening food security and stimulating economic growth in Sierra Leone.
