SNV and IFDC formalise partnership to strengthen food systems and resilience in the Sahel

SNV and the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) have signed a new Partnership Agreement that marks the start of a stronger, more intentional collaboration in the Sahel. Through our respective long-term programmes—Pro-ARIDES and Soil Values—we are aligning efforts to support communities across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, deeply impacted by climate shocks, conflict, and food insecurity. 

Agriculture remains an important part of life and livelihoods in the region. With the right support, it can also be the engine of recovery. The potential is there: to increase food production, to build inclusive value chains, and to create real, sustainable jobs. Particularly for women and young people, whose leadership and participation are vital to the region’s future. This partnership is designed to help unlock that potential. 

The agreement, which runs from 2025 to 2030, seeks to create space for joint learning, identifying clear areas of synergy, and working toward a shared goal: transforming food systems in a way that centres farmers, especially women and young people, and helps communities build lasting resilience. 

What this means in practice 

Both Pro-ARIDES and Soil Values are ten-year programmes that take a systemic view on impact. Each is focused on building systems that can withstand shocks—whether that is through improved governance, better land management, or making sure farmers have the tools and knowledge they need to build soil health and boost yields. 

Pro-ARIDES, led by SNV and implemented with CARE Netherlands, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), and KIT, focuses on resilience, food security, and local economic development. With €105.4 million in funding from the Dutch and Danish Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the programme is working to strengthen decentralised institutions and ensure rural households can thrive in the face of uncertainty. Pro-ARIDES aims at systemic change for a more inclusive and sustainable overall context—by the end of 2023, Pro-ARIDES had helped restore over 63,000 hectares of land, strengthening local organisations and markets, and enabling over 200,000 women and young people to participate more meaningfully in agricultural and household decision-making.  

Soil Values, led by IFDC and co-implemented with SNV, WUR and a range of knowledge partners, is working to improve the fertility and productivity of 2 million hectares of farmland. The goal: support 1.5 million farmers—more than half of them women—to close the yield gap, adopt climate-resilient practices, and restore degraded landscapes through integrated soil fertility management. 

The new agreement helps both programmes do more, together—identify where programme activities naturally intersect, coordinate approaches, and explore how best to build momentum at both community and policy levels. 

This partnership is rooted in complementarity. That means jointly planning interventions where it makes sense. It means building shared learning agendas. It means combining research and field experience to shape more effective programming and policy influence. And ultimately, it means a stronger, more coherent response to a deeply complex and fast-changing context. 

For SNV, this is part of a broader shift toward deeper collaboration with like-minded partners. Because systems transformation—resilient communities, sustainable food systems, real opportunities for women and youth—cannot be achieved in silos. It will take shared commitment, trust, and the long view. This partnership is a step in that direction.