Conakry, Guinea — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a US$4 million contribution from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to develop a rice value chain, enabling communities to access nutritious food, become self-sufficient and resilient to weather-related shocks in Guinea. KOICA's funds will strengthen livelihoods of smallholder farmers through agricultural support, access to markets, and creation of community assets for food production and social cohesion. The funds will also support locally sourced school meals, provide nutritional support to malnourished children and pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, while strengthening the capacity of national actors in the rice value chain.
"This partnership with KOICA is a game-changer for communities in Guinea" said Hyoung-Joon Lim, WFP Country Director for Guinea. "More children are enrolling in schools to get nutritious school meals, vulnerable communities have improved access to nutrition services, and households are building sustainable livelihoods through increased rice production and income-generating activities."
With a population of 14 million, the Republic of Guinea faces significant challenges despite its abundant agricultural potential and mineral wealth. Nearly one in three households - 35.8 per cent of the population - faces moderate food insecurity, while about 4.8 million people (34 percent) have limited access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. Although agriculture is a major source of income for rural communities, the country remains heavily dependent on food imports.
Since 2023, KOICA funds have enabled WFP to scale up the Zero Hunger Village (ZHV) project, an integrated initiative that aims to make local communities self-sufficient in Guinea. In each Zero Hunger Village, WFP supports school feeding, nutrition, capacity building, and market access using an innovative and sustainable approach that fosters community self-reliance even after WFP's exit. One of the key successes of the project is the introduction of the high-yielding, and short-cycle rice variety "Tong-il G", with high yield and adaptability to the local climate compared to local rice varieties.
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"We are very pleased to see that the use of Korean Tong-il G rice seeds is contributing to increased agricultural productivity, improved children's nutrition through school meal programmes, and enhanced educational outcomes, ultimately supporting Zero Hunger. We will continue to collaborate with WFP to achieve the project's goal of establishing more than 500 Zero Hunger villages", said Deputy Representative of KOICA Senegal, Yoojin Hwang, following a recent field visit in three Zero Hunger Villages sites (Farabana, Bananko, Gbodou) in Kankan region to witness the activities included in the comprehensive Zero Hunger Initiative.
