Chad
New food security project in Northern Guéra

afrol.com, 26 August - The Republic of Chad and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have signed an agreement to finance and realize a food security project in the Chadian region of Northern Guéra. The Northern Guéra region is one of the most disadvantaged areas of Chad, mainly due to its poor endowment of natural resources and its landlocked location. Meanwhile, the southern part of the country are experiencing a great economic recovery and growth.

The agreement is relating to a loan, on highly concessional terms, of approximately US$ 11.02 million in support of the second phase of the Food Security Project in the Northern Guéra Region. The total cost of the project, which was initiated by IFAD, amounts to some US$ 17.62 million. The loan agreement was signed at IFAD’s headquarters in Rome by Ahmed Lamine Ali, Minister for Economic Promotion and Development of the Republic of Chad, and the President of IFAD, Mr. Fawzi Al-Sultan.

The Belgian Survival Fund for the Third World (BSF) and the World Food Programme are contributing US$ 3.68 million and US$ 334 000, respectively, to the project, and the contributions of the Government of Chad and the beneficiaries amount to US$ 1.16 million and US$ 780 000, respectively. A further US$ 650 000 will be provided by IFAD in the form of a grant.

Following two decades of widespread political instability and military conflict, which severely affected the country’s economy, and the devaluation of the franc CFA in 1994, the Government of Chad embarked on a programme of structural adjustment in 1995-99. This led to an improvement in the economic situation, with real GDP growth averaging 4% per annum during the period 1994-97 and 4.6% in 1998. The development of the agricultural sector, which accounts for 39% of GDP, offers enormous potential for the future since only 10% of the country’s arable land is cultivated. 

The exploitation of the country’s oil resources constitutes an important source of revenue. Despite this enormous potential, however, the Chadian economy remains vulnerable due to a number of factors such as, in particular, the landlocked nature of the country, the insufficiently diversified agricultural sector and narrow industrial base, the weak trade and transportation sector, and shortage of skilled human resources.

The first phase of the project covered an area of 298 000 km² in the mountainous region of Guéra, an area which is generally savannah with a Sahelian climate and characterized by a variety of soils and with erosion mainly in the foothills and in the most populated areas. The Northern Guéra region is one of the most disadvantaged areas of Chad, mainly due to its poor endowment of natural resources and its landlocked location. 

The target group under the first phase comprised farmers, livestock breeders and nomads. By improving food accessibility and stability, the project greatly contributed to providing institutional and social stability to the region, thus alleviating the plight of local society in a post-conflict context. It was recognized that the partnership and participatory strategy of the first phase had led to strong relationships among the local communities, NGOs and public services. Such institutional arrangements should be further reinforced during the second phase of the project.

As a result of military conflict and emigration in the 1980s, women constitute 55% of the population in the project area and 37% of all households are headed by women. Rural women have limited access to land, financial resources and technical know-how; they are thus economically and socially marginalized and constitute the poorest strata of the population. The approach of the second phase of the project is oriented towards the equitable participation of women in decision-making and in resource allocation. The project will continue to work directly with women’s and farmers’ groups that benefited under the first phase as well as with other new groups, for an overall total corresponding to 15 000 households. Project activities will also benefit 200 of the villages in the Northern Guéra region, rising to 400 by the end of the second phase. 

The goal of the project is to promote rural grass-roots organizations in the region, allowing their members to improve in a sustainable manner their well-being, food security and nutritional status. This will involve the setting up of food security funds and rural infrastructure; the development of microfinance services; and the creation, by the Ministry of Planning, of a food security association made up of representatives of village groups and NGOs.

To date, IFAD has initiated five development projects in Chad and financed three thereof, for a total loan amount of US$ 21.08 million. IFAD initiated all operations in Chad, including the first phase of the Food Security Project in the Northern Guéra Region (December 1991-December 2000), which was co-financed by the United Nations Development Programme; the Ouadis of Kanem Development Project (PDAOK), cofinanced by the French Cooperation; the Pilot Project to Combat Desertification based on mechanized water-harvesting technology and complementary to PDAOK, launched in 1998 and financed under the Italian Trust Fund; and (iv) the Social and Health Programme in the Kanem Area, approved in 1997 and financed by the BSF.

Source: IFAD

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