3 August 2011: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) announced the results of a two-year effort to support farmers in Togo. The FAO, with funds from the EU, provided support for 20,000 Togolese farmers to respond to floods and food price increases occurring in 2007 and 2008.

The FAO noted that farmers now produce enough to support themselves. The project was funded through the EU Food Facility, and led to farmers receiving seeds and fertilizers for staple crops, as well as inputs for market gardening. In addition to this short-term response, the FAO efforts provided structural support to the seed sector and market information system in Togo, helping Togo’s primary seed farm with production and certification of quality seeds, and developing a information system for monitoring agricultural product prices.

As a result, farmers have produced a total of EUR4.7 million in crops including maize, rice, sorghum, tomatores, onions, and chiles, almost double the EU’s investment, improving both the nutrition and income of vulnerable farmers, according to the FAO. [FAO Press Release]