A joint mission by the European Union and United Nations agencies has reported significant gains from a farm input support project targeting smallholder farmers in northern Togo, citing improved productivity, incomes and food supply links to school feeding programmes.
The assessment mission, led by the EU Delegation alongside the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), reviewed progress under the “Strengthening Food Systems for Sustainable Access to Agricultural Inputs for Smallholder Farmers” (Pro-SADI) project, three years after its launch.
Last week, the team visited the northern regions of Kara and Savanes, where authorities and partners say the project has delivered “transformative results,” particularly for vulnerable rural communities.
In Kara, nearly 8,000 smallholder farmers received agricultural inputs for rainfed crops, including certified maize and rice seeds, as well as NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer and urea. More than 900 vegetable growers were also supported with certified seeds for chili pepper, onion and tomato, alongside NPK 10-20-20 fertilizer for horticultural production.
The project has also focused on capacity building. In Kara alone, 83 agricultural advisers were trained in extension services and agribusiness management. Cooperatives benefited from the construction of a 600-square-metre rice parboiling unit designed to add value to local production and strengthen market access.
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In the Savanes region, more than 11,000 smallholder farmers received inputs for rainfed agriculture, while 1,134 vegetable growers were supported for off-season production. The project also trained 62 agricultural advisers in extension and enterprise management to improve farmer support services.
Across both regions, Pro-SADI supplied agricultural inputs to 90 cooperatives involved in providing food to WFP-supported school canteens, reinforcing links between local food production and institutional markets.
“These interventions have improved productivity, strengthened household incomes and helped sustain the supply of local products to school canteens,” the mission said in a statement.
Farms in Northern Togo
Northern Togo has faced mounting food security and livelihood pressures in recent years due to climate shocks and regional insecurity. Project partners said Pro-SADI aims to enhance agricultural output and resilience, with a particular focus on women and young people, as part of broader efforts to stabilize food systems and rural economies in the region.
Agriculture employs more than 60% of the population in Togo and is a central pillar of food security, rural livelihoods and economic stability. However, smallholder farmers who dominate production have long faced constraints including limited access to quality seeds and fertilizers, weak extension services, climate variability and insecurity spilling over from the Sahel into northern regions.
In response, development partners including the European Union, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have scaled up support to strengthen food systems and resilience. The Pro-SADI project was launched to improve access to agricultural inputs, boost productivity, link farmers to structured markets such as school feeding programmes, and protect vulnerable households particularly women and youth amid food, climate and security pressures in northern Togo.
Northern Togo particularly the Kara and Savanes regions has become a priority area for food security interventions as climate stress, rising input costs and regional insecurity increasingly threaten rural livelihoods. Irregular rainfall, shorter growing seasons and soil degradation have constrained yields, while smallholders often struggle to afford certified seeds and fertilizers or access reliable advisory services.
At the same time, spillovers from instability in the Sahel have placed additional pressure on northern communities through population movements and heightened vulnerability. These challenges have pushed food security and agricultural resilience higher on the policy agenda for both the government and development partners.
Against this backdrop, the Pro-SADI project was designed to move beyond emergency food assistance toward strengthening local food systems. By combining input distribution with farmer training, cooperative support and value-addition infrastructure, the programme aims to improve productivity while anchoring farmers in sustainable market linkages.
A key feature is its connection to school feeding schemes supported by the World Food Programme, which provide a stable outlet for local produce while improving nutrition for schoolchildren. This approach is intended to create predictable demand, raise farm incomes and reduce dependence on imported food.
The initiative also aligns with the European Union’s broader strategy in West Africa, which emphasizes resilience, youth employment and food system transformation, and with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s focus on sustainable input systems and climate-smart agriculture. Together, partners say these efforts are critical to cushioning vulnerable regions against future shocks while laying the groundwork for more inclusive agricultural growth.
