We are excited to announce that Connexus Corporation was recently awarded its first prime contract for the Feed the Future Senegal Nafoore Warsaaji (Gardens of Abundance) Activity. This 3-year, $2.9 million activity funded by USAID as part of Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, kicked off startup activities in Senegal on March 11, 2020.
The activity will employ market-based approaches to link Senegalese vegetable and fruit farmers with market information and proven technologies. In particular, Connexus will collaborate closely with NCBA CLUSA’s Feed the Future Senegal Kawolor Project to link women farmers to an array of value chain actors including input suppliers, Last Mile Entrepreneurs (LMEs), off-takers, transporters, and buyers by fostering creative partnerships and providing innovative finance products across the horticultural value chain.
Connexus anticipates that by the end of three years, 20,000 farmers will benefit from new technologies that will enable a 50% increase in smallholder gross margins, substantial increases in horticultural sales and significant increases in private sector investment in Senegal’s horticulture value chains. Connexus’ work will foster better organized horticulture value chains with increased access to finance, enhanced technical assistance, improved adoption of technology by growers, and structured deals between end-market buyers and growers.
While Connexus is currently in the early start-up phase of the project, be sure to check out our Twitter and Facebook pages for more regular updates as the activity progresses!
About Feed the Future: Feed the Future is the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative. With a focus on smallholder farmers, particularly women, Feed the Future supports partner countries in developing their agriculture sectors to spur economic growth and trade that increase incomes and reduce hunger, poverty and undernutrition. For more information, visit www.feedthefuture.gov.
This publication was made possible through support provided by Feed the Future through the U.S. Agency for International Development, under terms of Contract No. 72068520C00001. The Opinions expressed herein are those if the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development