West Africa

Climate change threatens to reshape our world, but its effects will not be distributed equally. Read more from Agrilinks.

Yash Mehta is a former TechnoServe Fellow who worked remotely in Ghana earlier this year, where he helped a cocoa processing company improve its business plan and support smallholder farmers to increase their yields and incomes. In this Q&A, Yash shares what his remote fellowship experience was like and how it positively impacted his career path.

Malnutrition is one of the world’s biggest development challenges. But food fortification can dramatically improve a population’s nutrition—if food processing companies have the right tools and knowledge. Last week, TechnoServe launched a new platform to help food processors track and improve fortification, marking important progress in fighting malnutrition in Nigeria and beyond.

Across West Africa, food security is being challenged by armed struggles and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which will create long-lasting challenges. Amaka Ikeaka, regional program manager for West Africa, writes about how dairy production and other long-term solutions can help address these challenges, particularly in Nigeria.

Emerging technology solutions combining aerial and phone imagery with machine learning could solve long-standing challenges in getting accurate, timely data for trade and investment decisions in the global nut and dried fruit industry.

TechnoServe’s COVID-19 Impact Report examines how the pandemic disrupted key sectors of emerging economies and the livelihoods of those who work in them. Our second feature in our blog series on the report highlights the challenges food processors faced last year and the promising solutions that could help them maintain their key role in the value chain.

In this series, we check back with TechnoServe program participants previously featured on our blog, documenting how their lives have changed and progressed. In our previous story on Elisabeth Atchade, a cashew farmer in Benin, the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant market panic left her with uncertainty about the future of her cashew production. Find out how she is doing now, eight months later.

In northern Nigeria, gender norms often limit women’s abilities to control resources, including land and finance. A TechnoServe program is helping women rice farmers like Rahma Umar increase their incomes and opportunities through improved rice production.

Julia Podevin is a former TechnoServe Fellow who worked in Ghana in 2011. During her time with TechnoServe, she looked for ways to link financial institutions, such as rural banks, with the agricultural sector. In this Q&A, Julia shares why she became a Fellow, what her experience was like on the ground, and why she continues to support TechnoServe.

In northern Nigeria, access to markets, financial services, and relevant business training is crucial for women in agribusiness. Peanut processing offers women an opportunity to gain greater control of their resources, grow their income, and invest in their families and businesses.