KFAR-VITKIN, ISRAEL / ACCESS Newswire / June 12, 2025 / Across Senegal, a remarkable transformation is taking place-one that is breathing new life into rural communities, empowering young farmers, and turning once underutilized land into engines of productivity. This change is being driven by a strategic partnership between PRODAC (Programme des Domaines Agricoles Communautaires) and the Israeli agricultural development company Green 2000. Together, they are redefining what it means to farm in the 21st century.

PRODAC: A Vision Rooted in People and the Land

The PRODAC initiative was born out of the Senegalese government's commitment to addressing three pressing national challenges: rising youth unemployment, underdeveloped rural economies, and dependence on food imports. Senegal, like many nations in the Sahel, is rich in arable land and cultural agricultural knowledge. Yet decades of underinvestment in infrastructure, training, and rural development left much of the country's potential untapped.

PRODAC's approach was bold and comprehensive. Instead of trying to solve each issue in isolation, the program sought to create community agricultural domains (DACs)-multi-purpose hubs designed to combine modern farming, vocational training, infrastructure development, and youth entrepreneurship. These DACs would not only cultivate crops but also cultivate hope.

Each site would serve hundreds of local participants, particularly young people from nearby villages and towns, offering them the opportunity to:

• Receive hands-on agricultural training

• Use modern farming tools and greenhouses

• Cultivate their own plots of land

• Access storage and processing infrastructure

• Connect with markets to sell their produce

From Village to Value Chain: A New Local Economy Emerges

The impact of the PRODAC-Green 2000 partnership is perhaps most visible in the communities surrounding the DACs. These areas have witnessed a surge in economic activity, social mobility, and local pride.

In places like Kaolack, Kolda, and Saint-Louis, young farmers are growing not only staple crops like millet and sorghum, but also higher-value vegetables, fruits, and herbs-many of which are sold in urban markets or used in school feeding programs. Participants report incomes that are double or triple what they were earning before joining the DACs.

Credit: Green 2000 (Giora Perl)

The Strategic Role of PRODAC in National Development

What began as a development program is now becoming a strategic pillar of Senegal's economic planning. Government ministries-from Youth and Agriculture to Education and Industry-recognize the DACs not only as tools for food production but as platforms for integrated rural development.

Key national outcomes tied to PRODAC include:

• Youth employment generation at scale

• Reduction in rural-urban migration through local opportunity creation

• Increased national food self-sufficiency through localized production

• Development of agro-industrial supply chains

• Improved gender equality, as women participate in every stage of production and leadership

International observers, including the World Bank, FAO, and African Development Bank, have praised the program and identified it as a model for replication across West Africa.

Other governments are now studying the PRODAC-Green 2000 framework as a template for scalable, locally driven agricultural reform.

A Lasting Transformation from the Ground Up

What makes the PRODAC and Green 2000 collaboration so powerful is not just its immediate impact-but its sustainability, replicability, and humanity. It's not just about hectares planted or tons harvested. It's about people who now see themselves as agents of change, capable of shaping their own futures.

As one young participant in a Saint-Louis DAC put it:
"I used to think I had to leave my village to find a life. Now, life has come back to the village because of this program."

Senegal's rural future is no longer uncertain. Thanks to the joint efforts of PRODAC and Green 2000, it is growing-season by season, village by village, dream by dream.

Contact :

Contact Person Name: Refael Dayan
City: Kfar-Vitkin
Country: Israel
Company: Green 2000- Agricultural Equipment & Know-How Ltd.
Address: P.O. Box 572 Kfar-Vitkin 5710 Rd., 4020000 Israel
Tel. ++972-77-2010710 | Fax.++972-77-2010711
E-mail: greenltd@green-ltd.com
Website: https://green-ltd.com/

SOURCE: Green 2000