World Bank Backs Sierra Leone Agricultural Value Chains With $40 Million Grant

Sierra Leone's SAVIG programme received approval for a $40 million World Bank International Development Association grant in June 2026. The project aims to raise farm productivity and expand private participation in selected agricultural value chains while creating more employment.

Why this matters

The World Bank describes constraints including poor access to farm inputs and markets, low productivity and gaps in supporting institutions. Improving production without viable buyers or adequate infrastructure risks leaving farmers with produce they cannot sell profitably.

The limits and what happens next

The initiative is an approved financing programme, not a record of new jobs already created. Its progress should be assessed through farmer participation, private investment, measurable improvements in yields and the proportion of goods that move into marketable processing and distribution.

Original source

Primary source and original publication: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/06/18/world-bank-approves-40-million-to-boost-agricultural-value-chains-and-job-creation-in-sierra-leone