In a continent where agricultural potential remains largely untapped and youth unemployment continues to rise, the successful partnership between Green 2000, an Israeli agricultural development company, and Senegal’s PRODAC program (Programme des Domaines Agricoles Communautaires) has attracted international attention. Experts from multilateral institutions, regional governments, and academic circles are increasingly pointing to this model as a blueprint for sustainable, scalable, and inclusive agricultural transformation across Africa.
This is not just a success story from Senegal-it’s a call to action for the entire continent.
The PRODAC Vision: A New Approach to Community Agriculture
The PRODAC initiative was developed by the Government of Senegal with a bold objective: to reduce youth unemployment and strengthen food sovereignty through the establishment of community agricultural domains (DACs). These domains combine access to land, agricultural infrastructure, and capacity building into integrated, functional hubs designed to empower young rural populations.
Unlike traditional rural development schemes, which often treat infrastructure, training, and production as separate pillars, PRODAC’s DACs blend these components into a single system. Each DAC includes:
- Training centers for agronomic education and business management
- Mechanized farming equipment shared cooperatively
- Storage and packaging facilities
- Reliable irrigation systems and water sources
- Direct market access strategies for local and regional distribution
PRODAC aims to do more than just increase yields. Its broader goal is to create resilient, community-centered rural economies capable of retaining youth, fostering innovation, and ensuring long-term self-sufficiency. But to turn this vision into reality, the program needed a strategic partner with the technical capacity and proven track record to execute such complex agricultural ecosystems.
Green 2000: Bringing Israeli Agritech to Africa’s Fields
Enter Green 2000, a veteran of large-scale agricultural development across the Global South. With projects spanning Angola, Nigeria, Zambia, and South Africa, Green 2000 specializes in the design, implementation, and management of Agricultural Services and Training Centers (ASTCs). These centers are not just farms-they’re engines of innovation, education, and rural revitalization.
What makes Green 2000’s approach unique is its turnkey model: the company doesn’t just advise or supply equipment-it builds entire agro-systems from the ground up and provides the know-how to operate them. From drip irrigation to solar-powered cold chains, Green 2000 integrates high-efficiency Israeli technologies with practical field applications tailored for African contexts.
In Senegal, this expertise proved essential for transforming the DACs into fully operational, high-performing agricultural hubs. Green 2000 played a central role in designing and executing DACs in four key regions:
- SEFA (Sédhiou)
- KMS (Louga)
- KSK (Diourbel)
- Sangalkam (Dakar)
Each site quickly became a nucleus of production, training, and local employment.
The Results: Impact Measured in Growth and Opportunity
The joint Green 2000-PRODAC implementation has already yielded results that have experts, donors, and neighboring governments taking notice.
According to Senegalese agricultural authorities and third-party evaluations:
- Yields have more than doubled in crops like tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, thanks to improved seed varieties, smart irrigation, and mechanization.
- Post-harvest losses have declined by over 60%, with the introduction of cold storage and proper handling protocols.
- Over 3,500 jobs-both direct and indirect-have been created, spanning farming, logistics, training, and agro-processing.
- More than 1,200 young farmers have completed full training cycles, many of whom now operate their own cooperatives or agribusiness startups.
These figures aren’t just impressive-they are transformative. The DACs are enabling a shift from subsistence agriculture to a structured, profitable, and sustainable rural economy.
Why the Green 2000-PRODAC Model Works
So, what exactly makes this partnership worth replicating elsewhere in Africa?
1. It’s Integrated
Unlike fragmented development interventions, the model brings together land access, technology, training, and market linkages under one roof.
2. It’s Scalable
The DAC framework, with Green 2000’s modular systems, can be replicated region by region. The infrastructure is adaptable to various agro-climatic zones and community sizes.
3. It Prioritizes Human Capital
Instead of importing solutions, the model trains local youth to manage operations, troubleshoot technologies, and run businesses. Sustainability is built in.
4. It’s Climate-Smart
Efficient irrigation, soil conservation, and weather-adaptive planting schedules make the DACs resilient to the climate shocks that plague African agriculture.
5. It Delivers Economic Multiplier Effects
DACs don’t just grow crops-they stimulate entire value chains, from seed suppliers to transporters to market traders.
A Continental Blueprint: What Other Countries Are Saying
The African Union’s NEPAD agency, the African Development Bank, and agricultural ministries in several countries-including Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, and Malawi-have taken note. Delegations from at least seven African countries have conducted field visits to Senegal’s DACs since 2022, seeking insights into replicability.
A recent report by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) praised the DACs as a “next-generation model for youth-inclusive agriculture that balances technology, training, and terrain.” The report highlighted the successful alignment between public policy and private sector expertise, noting that this is often the missing piece in failed agricultural reforms.
Challenges and Lessons for Wider Replication
To replicate this model across the continent, experts caution that a few critical enablers must be present:
- Strong government ownership: Without national buy-in, DACs risk being seen as donor-driven pilot projects.
- Long-term financing: Infrastructure-heavy projects require patient capital-blending public funds, concessional loans, and private investment.
- Local customization: Soil, water availability, and cultural practices vary; DACs must be tailored accordingly.
- Ongoing technical support: As systems grow more complex, technical backstopping from partners like Green 2000 remains essential.
But these challenges are far outweighed by the model’s potential. The tools exist, the need is clear, and the proof is growing season after season.
Green 2000: Technology Transfer That Goes the Distance
Green 2000’s approach does more than install greenhouses or deliver equipment. Its true value lies in technology transfer-creating environments where knowledge is absorbed, adapted, and eventually owned by local actors.
In Senegal, the company’s role has shifted from implementer to facilitator. As DAC staff gain autonomy, Green 2000 now focuses more on advanced training modules, troubleshooting, and R&D collaboration with local universities. This gradual handover is key to long-term success.
PRODAC: A Senegalese Innovation With African Potential
While Green 2000 brought the technological edge, the vision and political will behind PRODAC were wholly Senegalese. The government’s decision to focus on rural youth, invest in infrastructure, and treat agriculture as an engine of prosperity sets a valuable precedent for peer countries.
In many ways, PRODAC is the first of its kind on the continent: a national-scale agricultural transformation strategy grounded in community development and empowered by international expertise.
The Verdict: An African Model for the Future
As Africa looks to feed a population that will double by 2050, while creating jobs for hundreds of millions of young people, the question is not whether to replicate models like Green 2000-PRODAC-but how soon and how widely.
This partnership proves that with the right combination of political leadership, technological vision, and community commitment, agricultural transformation is not just possible-it’s scalable, sustainable, and inclusive.
The time has come to move from case studies to action. And as Senegal has shown, the harvest of smart collaboration can feed not just a nation, but an entire continent.