Guinea: striving for sustainability and equity: smallholder development project in the forest region

This document summarises the key findings of the evaluation of a seven-year IFAD project in the forest region of Guinea. The project’s goal was to provide sustainable technical and organisational solutions to rural development problems emerging in the region as a consequence of globalisation.Outcomes of the project include:15,000 farmers received technical support to strengthen capacity in management and trainingthe project facilitated the creation of 55 rural financial institutions which attracted 4,770 members (40% of whom are women)the financial institutions succeeded in mobilising US$37,000 in savings which were then redistributed through 9,000 loans and used for agricultural purposes, business, trade, family needs and housingalthough 3,500 additional tonnes of paddy are produced each year from the valley bottoms and preservation of the hillsides was achieved to some extent, the concept of village-based natural resource management needs to develop into a well-run system whilst agriculture and environmental issues need to become firmly integrated into its overall framework.Key insights from the evaluation include:environmental conservation should be linked to agricultural development and generate incomein terms of capital, land is fundamental and new solutions are needed to allow more equal access to land with high potential (valley bottoms) and to improve conservation of the hillsidesfinancial services associations (FSAs) have reduced rural people’s dependence on moneylenders who charge exorbitant interest ratesthe funding of rural development and agricultural investment in particular, requires a wider range of financial products than FSAs are currently able to offervillage-based natural resource management allowed for a more consistent and wider involvement of primary stakeholders in local development and should be continued and expandedit remains to be seen whether collective decision-making will allow the voices of the most disadvantaged to be heard and their specific interests taken into account.[adapted from author]