Radisson Blu, Freetown – Thursday 13 August 2026 – The Global Environment Facility (GEF) today launched a national project at a stakeholder meeting in Freetown to promote nature-based approaches and strengthen Sierra Leone’s food systems through the Food System Resilience Program (FSRP).
The one-day meeting was attended by over 70 people and was organised directly by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) and other stakeholders. The representatives of the government institutions, private sector, farmer organisations, and development partners gathered to clarify roles and responsibilities in the project implementation and discussed early coordination and collaboration strategies.
The keynote address was given by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “The initiative is about bringing nature-based practical solutions to the farmers and strengthening the national food systems,” Jiwoh Abdulai said. He said protecting the environment is a collective responsibility and warned that continued environmental degradation has a direct bearing on agricultural productivity and rural livelihood. “We have to be intentional in investing in initiatives that will spur economic growth for communities and at the same time restore nature,” said Minister Abdulai.
The GEF-funded project is in line with the government’s Feed Salone agenda, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security I, Dr Isata Kamanda, adding that protecting the environment is key to building resilient and productive food systems. “When we take care of the environment, we build food systems,” added Dr Kamanda.
The project will support farmers to adopt nature-based and sustainable farming practices that enhance food security, restore degraded landscapes and increase resilience to climate change, the organisers said. The launch meeting was also meant to increase stakeholder cooperation and to make sure that responsibilities, timelines and coordination mechanisms are in place as the project moves from planning to implementation.
The meeting left participants with a better understanding of the project’s goals and expected contributions, and a commitment to working together to integrate nature-based solutions into Sierra Leone’s agricultural and environmental programs.
