The African Development Bank has approved a $17 million grant to Mauritania for the Project for Promotion of Gender-Sensitive Agricultural Value Chains and Women’s Entrepreneurship (PCVASGEF). This initiative, funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), aims to boost women’s income and support female entrepreneurship by increasing productivity and adding value to agricultural products in Mauritania. It’s part of efforts to promote agricultural transformation and climate resilience while fostering inclusivity.
Malinne Blomberg, the Bank’s Country Manager for Mauritania said, “This project is an important lever for agricultural transformation in Mauritania. It will help to empower the country’s women by supporting their work in the vegetable production and packaging industry. It will create local market garden production centres and irrigation basins that operate throughout the year, preventing production disruptions at national level.”
According to the report distributed by APO Group on behalf of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), the project plans to establish new market gardening plots managed by women, comprising 1,014 hectares divided into 321 small modular plots ranging from two to four hectares each. Additionally, the initiative aims to develop 4,500 hectares of enhanced drainage basins.
The project aims to enhance the efficient utilization of agricultural produce by constructing and equipping 12 multi-purpose centers, which will be internet-connected and focused on promoting female employment. Additionally, it includes the establishment of two vegetable packaging and storage units along with six local vegetable markets.
The program is designed to foster an entrepreneurial culture among women by supporting the creation of innovative startups, assisting young entrepreneurs, and offering training opportunities. It also involves capacity-building initiatives for stakeholders in the market-gardening value chain, support for women’s organizations — including 205 women’s market-gardening cooperatives — and the establishment of 12 agricultural savings and loan associations.
The project will operate in 12 Mauritania districts across the Brakna and Trarza regions, focusing on vulnerable communities, especially women. It aims to benefit 22,200 households directly and impact around 90,000 people indirectly. By introducing innovative irrigation systems, expanding solar energy use, and enhancing agricultural practices and market access, the project aims to boost food security and resilience, particularly among women and youth. The African Development Bank Group’s current portfolio in Mauritania includes 20 operations with total financial commitments of $422 million.