NSADP Investment Plan II. Inclusive Comprehensive Agriculture Development Programme (ICADeP) 2018-2022.

This Inclusive Comprehensive Agriculture Development Programme (ICADeP) is developed as an Investment Programme within the framework of the National Sustainable Agriculture Development Plan (NSADP) 2010-2030 that is a broad sector-wide development framework, also serving as Sierra Leone’s contribution to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). The ICADeP, in its compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals, emphasises the importance of developing the domestic small and medium-level commercial farms, as well as monitoring the impacts of the large-scale investments and envisages urgent measures to develop evidence-based private sector support policies and mechanisms in fulfilment of the Agenda for Prosperity. Current and previous Country’s Plans and Programmes focus on the following matters: increasing agricultural productivity (intensification and diversification); promoting commercial agriculture; improving agricultural research and extension delivery systems; mainstream cross-cutting issues in agriculture (self-sufficiency, gender, youth employment, farmer and fisher health and environmental sustainability); sustainably managing and exploiting Sierra Leone‘s fishery, marine and forestry resources.
This Inclusive Comprehensive Agriculture Development Programme (ICADeP) is structured as follows: 1) Introduction; 2) ICADeP Formulation Context, including: global, continental and sub-regional strategic context; Policies and Development Partners Engagement in Agriculture: National Sustainable Agriculture Development Plan (NSAP) 2010-2030, Smallholder Commercialisation Programme (SCP) 2010-2014, Growth Poles Programme 2014, a Comprehensive Programme to Enhance Food and Nutrition Security through Agriculture, Fisheries and Agro-Industry (AFAIP), Institutional Support for Fisheries Management Project (2007-2010), West African Fisheries Programme in Sierra Leone (2010 – underway), Technical Capacity Building in Fishing and Seafood Processing Technology in Sierra Leone (2010-2014), West African Pilot Project-Sierra Leone (2012-2014), Sustainable Aquaculture for Food Security, Livelihoods and Nutrition Project (2015-2016); participation of agriculture sector to economic growth, poverty, unemployment and youth employment, food security, food self-sufficiency and nutritional status, physical health constraints, support for agri-business. 3) Agriculture Development Trends, including: Agricultural Production and Productivity Trends; Fisheries Sector Production and Productivity Trends. 4) Programme Context, Challenges and Rationale, including: Agriculture Sector Framework; Agriculture and non-Agriculture related challenges. 5) Description of the Investment Programme, including: Scope, Programme, Benefits and Beneficiaries, Programme Key Principles; Food Categories for the Promotion of Food Security and Nutrition; Specific Strategies. 6) Results Framework for ICADeP. 7) Monitoring and Evaluation. 8) Risk Assessment and Mitigation Measures.
Concerning Agricultural Production and Productivity Trends, the Plan focuses on: crop, rice and cocoa production; forest products (both timber and non-timber), diversity of plants and animals, medicinal plants, fuel wood (charcoal), wild fruits, nuts and tubers production, mangrove forest as a source of water supply and recreational facilities or as fish breeding site, unregulated exploitation of forestry resources and consequent environmental degradation; milk, eggs and livestock production. Fisheries Sector Production concerns: marine capture fisheries, inland fisheries and aquaculture system, artisanal fisheries, weak governance on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU). The overall goal of the Investment Plan is to increase agriculture sector contribution to a broad-based socioeconomic development and food and nutrition security of rural Sierra Leone in a sustainable and inclusive manner and it is achieved through the following specific objectives: promote full access to nutritious foods for the most vulnerable; improve efficiency, sustainability of agriculture value chains and market linkages through: soil fertility mapping, irrigation system, identification of land utilisation issues, smallholders training on climate-smart and enhanced agricultural practices, undertaking pest management campaigns related to crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry; increase sustainable production of diverse quality commodities for improved food and nutrition security, through: training farmers on post-harvest management practices, development of food safety standards and regulations for international and local markets.