Senegal

The performance of Senegal’s
agricultural performance exemplifies the impact of unmanaged
risk on productivity among vulnerable smallholder crop
producers and pastoralists. The government of Senegal has
historically responded to drought and other shocks with
direct financial support to farmers as well as general
assistance to the rural population. The World Bank, with
support from the group of eight (G-8) and the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) and in
collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Equipment (MARE), commissioned the present study. The
objective of this assessment was to assist the government of
Senegal to: (1) identify, analyze, quantify, and prioritize
principal risks facing the agricultural sector; (2) analyze
the impact of these risks; and (3) identify and prioritize
appropriate risk management interventions that may
contribute to improved stability, reduced vulnerability, and
increased resilience of agricultural supply chains in
Senegal. This report presents a summary of the assessment’s
key findings. Chapter one gives introduction. Chapter two
provides an overview of the agricultural sector in Senegal
and a discussion of key growth constraints. An assessment of
the main agricultural risks is presented in chapter three.
Chapter four analyzes the frequency and severity of
highlighted risks and assesses their impact. Chapter five
presents some stakeholder perceptions of risks and evaluates
levels of vulnerability among various livelihood groups. The
study concludes in chapter six with an assessment of
priorities for risk management and a broad discussion of
possible risk management measures that can help to
strengthen the resiliency of agricultural supply chains and
the livelihoods they support.