Project Information Document - Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) - P173070 (English)

The review did authorize the team to appraise and negotiate Other Decision (as needed) Aug 04, 2021 Page 3 of 14 The World Bank Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) (P173070) B. Introduction and Context Country Context 1. The Gambia is among the poorest and most fragile countries in the world. [...] Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for 80 percent of the rural population, and according to the last IHS, the sector employs nearly half—46 percent—of the country’s labor force, including an estimated 72 percent of the poor and 91 percent of the extreme poor. [...] The project will consist of three interlinked and sequenced technical components, organized to address the key binding constraints for the development of the agriculture and agribusiness sector: (i) Improving the business environment for commercial agriculture development; (ii) Building a productive and climate-resilient agri-food system; and (iii) Mobilizing productive private investments along t [...] Its nine-member Board of Directors consists of four representatives from the private sector and four from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, and Office of the President, as well as the Chief Executive Officer of GIEPA. [...] Subcomponent 2.2 aims to increase access to and wide-scale adoption of improved climate-smart technologies, innovations, and advisory services adapted to the needs and scale of farmers and SMEs, to increase productivity, competitiveness, and resilience at the farm level as well as downstream in the target value chains.