In a region often marked by agricultural underperformance, Senegal is quietly spearheading a transformation-one driven by an ambitious national initiative and an international partnership. At the core of this quiet revolution are Green 2000, an Israeli agricultural solutions provider, and PRODAC (Programme des Domaines Agricoles Communautaires), a Senegalese government-led program designed to empower rural communities, particularly youth, through community-based agricultural development.
Their collaboration, now years into implementation, is producing tangible results that are being felt far beyond the neatly plowed rows of vegetables or the water-efficient irrigation systems. This is a story of food security, rural prosperity, youth empowerment, and the power of global-local synergy.
The Vision Behind PRODAC: Investing in Land, People, and Future
The PRODAC program was conceived with a bold, integrated vision: to create Domaines Agricoles Communautaires (DACs)-large-scale agricultural clusters that offer land, tools, training, and market access to young Senegalese. The goal? Make agriculture a viable and desirable livelihood option, stem rural exodus, and ensure food sovereignty.
Rather than implement fragmented interventions, PRODAC focuses on building multi-functional agricultural ecosystems. Each DAC includes training centers, irrigation and water supply systems, equipment hubs, greenhouses, storage facilities, and marketing infrastructure. More importantly, they are designed to foster entrepreneurship-participants are not just farmers, but aspiring agribusiness operators.
To bring this vision to life, the Senegalese government sought a partner with experience in agricultural transformation, particularly in emerging economies. They found that partner in Green 2000.
Green 2000: Technological Innovation Meets African Soil
A veteran of agritech implementation across Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe, Green 2000 brought a suite of advanced but field-tested technologies to Senegal. Known for its Agricultural Service and Training Centers (ASTCs), the company tailors modern agricultural infrastructure to local environmental, economic, and cultural conditions.
In the four DACs implemented through the PRODAC program-SEFA (Sédhiou), KMS (Louga), KSK (Diourbel), and Sangalkam (Dakar)-Green 2000 provided end-to-end support, including:
- Planning and construction of greenhouses and open-field cultivation systems
- Installation of drip and sprinkler irrigation networks
- Solar energy solutions for off-grid areas
- Agro-mechanization with tractors, seeders, and harvesters
- Establishment of vocational training centers with Israeli-Senegalese agronomic curricula
- Post-harvest infrastructure: cold storage, packing, and transportation logistics
Perhaps the most transformative aspect of Green 2000’s involvement was the integration of local knowledge with advanced Israeli technology. The result: DACs that are efficient, productive, and suited to Senegal’s agronomic realities.
Credit: Green 2000 (Giora Perl)
Real Results on the Ground: A Rural Revolution in Motion
The results speak for themselves. At the DACs, crop yields have more than doubled, and in some cases quadrupled. Vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, okra, and onions are grown with precision techniques, reducing water use and boosting productivity. The transition from traditional, rain-fed, subsistence farming to controlled, irrigated, and market-oriented production has changed the economic outlook for thousands of families.
Some of the most notable outcomes include:
- Over 3,500 direct jobs created, with another 7,000+ indirect beneficiaries (vendors, transporters, processors)
- Youth employment rate at DACs exceeding 75%, compared to national rural youth employment levels
- A 60% decrease in post-harvest losses thanks to improved storage and packaging
- Improved food access in regions previously reliant on imports for key crops
More importantly, the DACs are generating a cultural shift. Agriculture is now seen as a modern, profitable, and dignified profession. Young people who once saw farming as a last resort are now signing up for training sessions, forming cooperatives, and even launching agri-startups.
The Role of Green 2000: Technology, Training, and Trust
Green 2000’s involvement in Senegal goes far beyond installing equipment. The company emphasized capacity-building and knowledge transfer from day one. Local technicians were trained to operate and maintain advanced systems. Agronomists from Senegal worked alongside Israeli experts, ensuring every system was localized for Senegal’s unique soil and climate conditions.
As a result, DACs are not dependent on external expertise. They are self-sustaining, resilient, and increasingly autonomous. The emphasis on “train-the-trainer” models ensures that every trained youth can mentor others, creating a multiplier effect that extends far beyond the physical boundaries of each center.
In interviews with participants from the DACs, a common theme emerges: ownership. “This is our project,” says a young farmer from Diourbel. “Green 2000 brought the tools and showed us how to use them. Now, it’s our job to grow with them.”
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What Sets the PRODAC Approach Apart
PRODAC’s model, with Green 2000’s partnership, is being lauded as one of the most coherent and scalable agricultural strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa. What makes it stand out?
- Integrated Infrastructure – Rather than patchwork solutions, DACs combine cultivation, education, processing, and distribution into a unified system.
- Targeted at Youth – By focusing on employability and entrepreneurship, PRODAC is addressing two of Senegal’s biggest challenges: youth unemployment and rural depopulation.
- Government Ownership with International Expertise – The partnership structure ensures political will, public funding, and strategic alignment with national development goals.
- Climate-Smart Agriculture – DACs are designed to withstand climate volatility through irrigation efficiency, crop diversification, and sustainable land management.
- Measurable Results – Unlike many donor-driven projects, PRODAC’s outputs are trackable and validated by independent monitoring frameworks.
A Model for Africa: Interest Grows Beyond Senegal’s Borders
With the growing success of the DACs, agricultural ministries and donor organizations across West Africa have taken notice. Delegations from Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, and Togo have visited Senegal’s DACs to assess replicability.
Development finance institutions such as the African Development Bank and World Bank have praised the model’s coherence, citing it as a best practice in youth-led agriculture.
Moreover, the Senegalese government is now planning the expansion of DACs to additional regions, using lessons learned from the initial four centers to optimize future implementation.
Green 2000 and the Future of Agricultural Transformation
As the success of the DACs becomes undeniable, Green 2000 is positioning itself not just as a service provider, but as a strategic partner in Africa’s development journey. The company has already begun discussions about expanding its presence in other West African nations, using Senegal as a proof of concept.
Its guiding principle remains the same: agriculture should be high-tech, locally owned, economically viable, and socially transformative. By combining Israeli innovation with African ambition, Green 2000 is helping lay the foundation for a continent-wide agricultural renaissance.
Conclusion: A Partnership That’s Planting Seeds for the Future
Senegal’s farmers, once trapped in cycles of low productivity and limited opportunity, are now reaping the benefits of a visionary partnership between PRODAC and Green 2000. This collaboration has delivered not just infrastructure, but a new mindset-one where agriculture is modern, profitable, and empowering.
From the lush vegetable beds of Sangalkam to the training rooms of SEFA, the impact is real and growing. And as other African nations look toward models that work, the Green 2000-PRODAC partnership stands as a beacon of what is possible when global expertise meets local potential.
The seeds have been planted. Now, the harvest promises to transform the continent.
