Sierra Leone Rice Systems Capacity Strengthening Project

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PROJECT DESCRIPTIONThe proposed project is a major step towards the GoSL’s goal of actualizing a partnership program for sustainable rice systems in Sierra Leone, working toward a transformational change to deliver a more productive, resilient, and sustainable rice system. The proposed study will address the social, economic and environmental dimensions of agricultural sustainability through five key principles; i) improving the efficiency of resources use; ii) conserving, protecting and enhancing natural resources; iii) improving and protecting rural livelihoods and social well-being; iv) enhancing the resilience to climate change and market volatility; and v) promoting and improving governance. The modality for the implementation of the proposed project will involve: • Facilitating knowledge and skills exchange: This involves facilitating (in partnership with FAO) the exchange of development solutions—knowledge, experiences, and best practices between countries especially within the Africa region and Southern countries (in the form of short-, medium-, and long-term expertise exchange, training workshops, study tours and seminars). This is based on the premise that most of the capacity and technologies required in developing countries already exist, but need to be shared, adapted and scaled-up. The deployment of skills will be done in manner to improve the long-term capacity of existing institutions, through technical advice and hands-on training to improve existing technologies and/or introduce, and demonstrate new ones. • Facilitating SSC Knowledge Networking: FAO will play the lead role of facilitating knowledge intermediation or brokering mainly through connecting experts from “knowledge institutions” and Sierra Leone. It is expected that through this arrangement advanced rice production countries will make available their knowledge and experience to academic and technical training institutions in Sierra Leone. • Training and supporting youth groups and their enterprises with matching grants to establish agricultural production support services using small productive labor saving equipment that would be adapted from the SSC countries to minimize the drudgeries faced, especially by women, in rice production. • Mobilizing upstream policy support for effective SSC: FAO will facilitate the sharing of innovative policy, knowledge, and experiences on best practices among policy makers from participating countries. The project will support short-term exchange of policy expertise and experience among countries in the South. This will involve bringing a wide range of actors together (including international policy makers, government leaders, civil society, academia, and the private sector) from the participating countries to facilitate SSC policy dialogue, exchanges, and consensus building. The proposed project will finance the local cost of facilitating and rolling out this cooperation agenda. PROJECT COMPONENTSThe proposed project will have two technical components:Component 1: Support for the development of skills in rice production. The goal of this component is to enhance the capacities of rice value chain actors, through the strengthening of skills for the development and dissemination of sustainable rice system technologies and to scale-up and promote the adoption of good agricultural practices. The following activities will be implemented: (a) (a) Establishment of demonstration sites/learning plots for screening, adapting and training on improved technologies and climate-smart practices for sustainable rice production introduced through the SSC arrangement. This will include techniques for (i) optimizing the system of rice intensification (SRI); (ii optimizing water management and application of smart water saving technologies (iii) adapting the integrated nutrient management technological package, the popular ala – “One Must Do, Five Reductions (1M5R)” in Vietnam, comprising the use of certified seeds, and “Five Reductions” encompassing the reduction of seed rate, fertilizer use, pesticide use, water use, and post-harvest losses) to increase yield and reduce negative environmental impacts including greenhouse gases; and (iv) other low methane rice techniques in rice farmers. (b) Organization of Training of Trainers (ToT) capacity building sessions on rice systems for rice research scientists, technicians and extension officers and other providers of advisory services (including master famers) to increase knowledge in rice systems and innovative and climate smart practices. This will be done through (i) identifying knowledge gaps and designing appropriate technical training for technicians and extension workers, (ii) production and dissemination of user-friendly training materials such as brochures, posters, video clips, etc., for farmers and other targeted audience; (iii improving extension skills, capacity and quality, and (iv) enhancing capacity for foundation seed production and certification. The Component will also support the strengthening of research and extension coordination on rice by facilitating joint planning of extension activities on rice.(c) Scaling up training for farmers, and building and strengthening farmer networks based on locally appropriate standards of training to ensure post project sustainability. This activity will involve scale up training of smallholder farmers and their organizations on improved rice farming practices through technical training and demonstration for farmers and FBOs to build capacity for sustainable practices. This component will also provide support for strengthening rice associations/inter-professional groups (including innovation platforms) for national for effective participation national policy discourses. Women Rice value chain actors will be given priority in project support.The project will finance the cost of setting up learning plots, including land preparations, provision of improved seeds, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, as well as the training cost for rice technicians, extension officers, farmers and their associations, and related consultant and non-consultant costs. Component 2: Support for institutional capacity-strengthening. This component will contribute to GoSL’s South/South Cooperation program objective of strengthening the capacity of state and non-state institutions that would support accelerated adoption of knowledge and techniques shared through the SSC platform. It will also support youth groups to establish and operate production support services to help reduce the drudgery of rice producers (particularly women) and processors and attract the youth into the rice sector. The component will support the following 3 key activities: (a) Capacity assessment of institutions (both public – Research and extension among others, and private – farmers’ associations/cooperatives, agribusiness associations, etc.), that directly support the development of the rice sector to identify gaps, and strengthen existing networks of rice value chain actors, including support for rice cooperatives, inter-professional groups (including innovation platforms) for national dialogues on effective ways for improving the competitiveness of locally produced rice. (b) Train youth SMEs and support them with matching grants to establish farm support service centers to provide production support services to farmers. Eligible categories of labor-saving productive equipment would include: (i) small scale agricultural production equipment such as animal traction implements, power tillers, manually operated weeders/hand-held cultivators, seeders/planters, etc.; and (ii) harvesting and postharvest management equipment and facilities, e.g., mobile harvesters, mobile threshers, tarpaulins, winnowers, etc. The youth, particularly ladies would be the target of this intervention.(c) Provide Technical Assistance and training to ensure that investments and equipment supported under the proposed pro