Motivation
In addition to inflicting incalculable human suffering, Sierra Leone’s civil war deeply affected the country’s economy, the agricultural sector in particular. Just before the war in 1991, Sierra Leone had a poverty rate of approximately 30 percent; by 2000, that figure had skyrocketed to roughly 72 percent, giving the country one of the highest poverty rates in West Africa. The impact of civil war on crop production was tremendous and nearly 70 percent of the national livestock herd was destroyed during this time. Research infrastructure was demolished, laboratories were damaged and abandoned, and well-trained researchers and scientists fled the country.
In an attempt to rehabilitate the agricultural research sector following the conclusion of the war in 2002, the government passed the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute Act in 2007, replacing its predecessor, the National Agricultural Research Coordinating Council. IFPRI, with support from the World Bank, documented the process of revamping Sierra Leone’s agricultural research system and discussed the post-conflict challenges and opportunities for the country.
Outcomes
- IFPRI’s research was instrumental in supporting the country’s attempts to revamp its research system to enable it to play a more meaningful role in increasing the productivity of smallholder farmers. A strategic plan and operational plan were developed for the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI) and currently guide their operations.
- IFPRI collaborated with SLARI to establish social science research programs within the organization, including research programs on strategies for increasing agricultural productivity and building social safety nets and continuing with capacity strengthening in the areas of priority setting and analytical techniques.
