The Government of
Sierra Leone (GoSL) through the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) of the Ministry
of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has requested financing in the amount of US$ 50
million from the World Bank Crisis Response Window as an Additional Financing
(AF) to the Sierra Leone component of the West Africa Food System Resilience
Program (FSRP) Phase 2. The Project Development Objective (PDO) of FSRP-SL is
to increase preparedness against food insecurity and improve the resilience of
food systems in Sierra Leone. The
Government of Sierra Leone will use this grant to address the immediate impact
of the global food security crisis on the most vulnerable population and scale
up the investment in food security and resilience interventions in response to
severe food and nutrition insecurity in Sierra Leone. The PCU of MAF will coordinate
the overall implementation of national subcomponents with national project
objectives that are aligned with regional project’s objectives.
The
Food System Resilience Program (FSRP2) has five key components that are
oriented towards medium to long-term investments aimed at building the
resilience of the food systems and the country’s productive base. These five
core components are described below: Component 1: Digital Advisory Services for Agriculture
and Food Crisis Prevention & Management, Component 2: Sustainability and
Adaptive Capacity of the Food System’s Productive Base, Component 3: Regional
Market Integration & Trade, Component 4: Contingent Emergency Response
Component (CERC) and Component 5: Project management. The Contingency Emergency Response
Component is being activated as part of the project restructuring that
accompanies the Additional Financing to make resources available to address the
current food insecurity crisis. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s National Development Partners
Project Coordinating Office (NDPPCO) will manage the project, working with national and regional implementing partners.
FSRP
was prepared under the World Bank’s
Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). The following eight Environmental and
Social Standards (ESSs) are applicable to the project:
• ESS1: Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social
Risks and Impacts
• ESS2: Labor and Working Conditions
• ESS3: Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and
Management
• ESS4: Community Health and Safety
• ESS5: Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and
Involuntary Resettlement
• ESS6: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management
of Living Natural Resources
• ESS 8: Cultural Heritage
• ESS10: Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure
Consequently, the Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, has
prepared the following safeguards instruments:
(1) Environmental and
Social Commitment Plan (ESCP)
(2) Environmental and
Social Management Framework (ESMF)
(3) Resettlement Policy
Framework (RPF)
(4) Pest Management Plan (PMP)
(5)
Labor Management Procedure (LMP)
(6)
Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP)
These frameworks would guide mitigation of any potential negative
impacts in accordance with Sierra Leone and World Bank requirements. The ESCP, ESMF,
PMP, RPF, LMP and SEP have been prepared in consultations with different
stakeholders at regional and national levels, in May 2022, to guide mitigation
of any potential negative impacts in accordance with Sierra Leone and World
Bank requirements. The above listed safeguards instruments are being updated to
reflect the additional safeguards risk associated with the activities to be
financed under the AF. This publication announces the public disclosure of the
ESCP and SEP which have been updated to address the potential impacts of the
AF.
The
Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) articulates planned
activities and timelines for managing and or monitoring
the project’s ESS framework.
The Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) promotes
and supports inclusive and transparent participation of all stakeholders in the
design and implementation of the FRSP-SL project.
During implementation, site specific action or management plans
will be prepared by MoA, using consultative processes guided by the Frameworks,
prior to starting any project activities that entail environmental and social impacts. The Ministry is, through this publication, giving
the public:
NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE FOR THE ABOVE-MENTIONED SAFEGUARDS
INSTRUMENTS AS PART OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THE WORLD BANK SAFEGUARDS COMPLIANCE
MEASURES
The two safeguard documents: ESCP and SEP are now being disclosed
to the Public and can be found at the following offices: Ministry of
Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), the Sierra Leone Meteorology
Department (SLMD), the Ministry of Water Resources, SLARI, the Department of
Soil Science at Njala University and Ministry of Finance (MoF).
A Public Disclosure meeting will be held at MAFS Youyi Building
Freetown on ………… open to all stakeholders and the general public for further
enquiries about the project and to access the documents.
Copies of the two (2) updated safeguards documents can also be
accessed from the following websites: https://maf.gov.sl/food-system-resilience-program/ These documents will
also be disclosed on the World Bank’s website.
All queries and enquiries should be
forwarded to:
Ministry
of Agriculture and Food Security First Floor, Youyi Building
Freetown, Sierra Leone
May 9th,
2022