Senegal

Country Context

Senegal’s economy remains closely tied to agriculture, particularly in rural areas where farming continues to serve as a primary source of income even as the country’s economic structure shifts. In 2025, agriculture accounted for about 30 percent of total employment, while agriculture, forestry and fishing contributed roughly 17 percent to GDP in 2024, underscoring the sector’s central role in food production and rural livelihoods. Yet most agricultural activity remains small-scale and highly exposed to risk. Unpredictable rainfall, limited access to climate information, constrained financing and low adoption of modern farming practices limit productivity and income for many smallholder households.

These challenges are amplified by broader labor market dynamics. Senegal has a young population, and while official youth unemployment rates appear relatively low, most young people work in informal, low-paying jobs, particularly in agriculture and rural economies. Nearly nine in 10 workers are employed informally, according to recent labor data. The lack of formal employment opportunities restricts access to stable income, skill development and social protection. Together, these realities point to the need for practical, locally rooted agricultural solutions that improve productivity, strengthen resilience and create more reliable pathways to income and food security for rural communities.

Our Response

Heifer Senegal is working toward a prosperous world where communities live in harmony and share the resources of a healthy planet. Heifer’s community-led development model is instrumental in fostering this work in Senegal, empowering community members to establish shared values and goals and work together toward meaningful change and growth.

With this foundation in place, we work alongside strategic partners — including cooperatives, municipalities and technical experts — to offer farming families high-quality seeds, agricultural and business training, support to improve harvest management and processing, and climate and market information to improve their productivity and participation in the local agricultural economy.

Our primary objective is helping families achieve a sustainable living income, our measure for the amount of money required for a decent life — including safe shelter, nutritious food, clothing, education and health care — while also reaching additional benchmarks for economic and climate resilience.

The Senegal Signature Program

Heifer International’s work is organized at the country level into signature programs focused on large-scale, measurable and sustainable impact achieved by building partnerships at all levels. Each program supports farmers through time-bound projects designed to increase their household income.

Building Women and Youth Economic Resilience in the Sahel

Heifer’s signature program in Senegal, Building Women and Youth Economic Resilience in the Sahel, targets financial stability for 216,000 households in the Sahel region. With a focus on women and youth, the program amplifies their market competitiveness and participation, enabling them to earn enough money to live a dignified life.