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Food security boosted in Burundi
A new project will strengthen the resilience of agricultural production systems
This story will be published in the upcoming issue of the OPEC Fund Quarterly, which will focus on regional integration - a driver of decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) and industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9). Stay tuned for the soon-to-be published OPEC Fund Quarterly!
More than 700,000 people in the central plateau region of Burundi are expected to benefit from a project co-financed by the OPEC Fund.
The organization signed a US$20 million public sector loan agreement with the African nation to co-finance a project that will improve food security, expand access to marketplaces and social services, and strengthen the resilience of agricultural production systems.
Burundi is ranked 185th out of 189 countries on the 2020 United Nations Development Programme’s human development index, and eight out of ten people in the country live below the poverty line. The OPEC Fund loan will strengthen agricultural infrastructure and support the development of new marshlands and watersheds. Work will include rehabilitating 150 km of rural access roads and building storage facilities, as well as establishing irrigation perimeters.
The project, ‘Agricultural Production Intensification and Vulnerability Reduction Project in Burundi’, is co-financed by the government of Burundi, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the World Food Programme. It supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1, which aims to end poverty in all its forms; and SDG 2, which focuses on ending hunger and improving food security and nutrition, as well as promoting sustainable agriculture.
OPEC Fund Director-General Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said: “Improving food and income security are critical development priorities in Burundi, where 90 percent of the population derive their livelihoods from agriculture. This loan will help to create economic opportunities for small farmers and communities, and improve food and income security for rural households. We are pleased to continue to support Burundi’s development priorities and continue our long partnership.”
The OPEC Fund has worked with Burundi since its inception 45 years ago and committed close to US$232 million in public sector financing, including the present loan. The majority of the financing supports the agriculture and transportation sectors.