Country: Sudan Source: International Labour Organization An ILO-supported initiative is equipping 1,000 displaced and host community women in White Nile State with practical agricultural skills, cooperative development training, and access to markets.Port Sudan, SUDAN (ILO News)— In Sudan, a transformative initiative, supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO) through the PROPECTS Programme is sowing the seeds of change for 1,000 women farmers in the Groundnut, Sesame, and Cowpea value chains.Implemented by Hope and Friendship for Development Organization (HOPE), the initiative will economically empower women from refugee and host communities of displaced women in White Nile State region.“The project is delivering a comprehensive package of support designed to boost productivity, foster economic independence, and strengthen social cohesion,” said Ochola Geofrey, Deputy Programme Manager for the ILO PROSPECTS in Sudan.Using the application of the ILO's Think.COOP and Start.COOP methodologies the initiative integrates Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to enhance crop yields, establishes crucial market linkages for newly formed agricultural cooperatives, and cultivates essential agricultural skills, cooperative development, fosters social cohesion, and gender equality.“ILO methodologies have been thoughtfully adapted to address the specific needs and contexts of both refugee and host community members in Sudan who are interested in joining or starting cooperatives. They root cooperatives to build businesses as well as trust between hosts and refugees,” added Geofrey.Despite the effect of the conflict in Sudan, the project has recorded early milestones following a training needs assessment that was conducted with 1,000 women beneficiaries across the localities of Um Sangor, Khour alwaral, Algamiaa Dabt Bosin, Alalgaiaa, and Algnaa.Osman Ahmed Belal - Country Director of Hope said, “This was a crucial as it provided us with insights into the specific challenges and opportunities faced by women farmers namely, inadequate knowledge on climate adaptation and post harvesting skills, limited understanding of cooperative principles and management and limited market linkages. It underlined gender barrier restricting access to land for women. It directed us to design relevant and impactful training programs.”To ensure the effective delivery of agribusiness knowledge and skills, the project supported eighteen dedicated local professionals to receive training on the ILO methodologies through a Training of Trainers (ToT) program.“This investment in local expertise equipped them to deliver high-quality instruction on both improved agricultural techniques and the principles of successful cooperative management,” added OsmanSubsequently, all 1,000 women beneficiaries have participated in these tailored training sessions, gaining practical knowledge in Good Agricultural Practices for their specific crops and an understanding of how to establish and run effective agricultural cooperatives.“As a result of the cooperative training, farmers successfully established six cooperatives that are now actively facilitating produce aggregation, providing extension support, and strengthening market linkages. These cooperatives have convened two market linkage forums with local trader associations, leading to improved advocacy on fair pricing and increased commitment from traders to off-take aggregated produce,” said Amtalaleem Abdalaziz Mohamed - Central and East States Area Coordinator of HOPE.Acknowledging the need for real-time support, the project has introduced an in-season remote sensing program aimed at helping farmers make timely, informed decisions to boost productivity, minimize losses, and manage risks throughout the farming season. The program monitors crop health in real time and delivers field-specific data to guide precise fertilizer and pesticide application, helping to lower input costs. It also supports advisory services by providing farmers with timely SMS alerts, mobile app notifications, or visits from extension workers, all based on remote sensing insights.In addition, the initiative includes the establishment of demonstration farms, actively involving 12 Agricultural Extension Officers from the White Nile State Ministry of Agriculture (SMoA). These officers conduct regular mentoring visits, offering vital on-the-ground guidance and support to women farmers, further enhancing their ability to apply new technologies and practices effectively. To bolster the delivery of agriculture messages, usage of community radio component is in its final stages of planning.Acknowledging the immediate needs of the farmers as they implement their new skills, the project has provided context-specific agriculture start-up kits with high-yield seeds, including 2,500 kg groundnut (2024) and 4,500 kg (2025), 1,500 kg sesame (2024) and 300 kg (2025), 1,500 kg red cowpea (2024 & 2025), and 1,000 kg white cowpea (2024 & 2025).“There is a great agricultural potential in Sudan, especially in the ground nuts value chain. These essential resources, including high-yielding groundnut, sesame, and cowpea seeds, were carefully selected in consultation with the White Nile State Ministry of Agriculture and the beneficiaries themselves, ensuring they are well-suited to the local conditions and farming practices,” said Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed, Director of the General Authority for Natural Resources - Ministry of Agriculture, White Nile“With Support of the Government of Netherlands, ILO is proud to be part of the PROSPECTS Partnership, which is enabling us to demonstrate the possibilities of combining skills training with the strength of collective action through cooperatives. We believe this integrated approach will support the realisation of resilience of the women farmers and cooperatives in White Nile State and their families,” added Stephen Opio, Chief Technical Advisor for the ILO PROSPECTS in Ethiopia and Sudan.With ILO setting another practical model for inclusive economic development, it has showcased how targeted support, and cooperative strategies can strengthen livelihoods and resilience among displaced women farmers.