WHY SENEGAL?

The Republic of Senegal is a  West African country,  approximately one third the size of Spain’s. It has a Sahelian climate, which means it has one rainy and one dry season. It is also very significant the amount of semi-arid zones, in spite of being a coastal country with many river basins.

In 2011, the estimated population that depended directly on agriculture was 70 %. So this sector is essential in terms of food supply, and because of   its low productivity, it is a huge obstacle that doesn’t allow people to sustain themselves and reduces  the development of the rural population. The structure of the agricultural production, which mostly depends on rain-fed areas (87.1 %), is not sufficient in satisfying the internal food demand. That’s the reason why Senegal is being compelled to import great amounts of grain, mainly rice and wheat (7.9 % of the country’s total import).

Even though malnutrition rates have decreased in recent years, it is still one of the main problems in Senegal, a very worrying one. An adequate supply of nutrients in the diet is crucial to the proper development  and natural growth in childhood and in adolescence. In the long term, a proper diet would imply a profound change in the social structure, because well-fed and well educated children and adolescents will become able adults contributing to their own welfare as well as the countries.