Strengthening Farmers' Adaptation in Liberia

In 2025, ELILI took an important step in adapting its services even more closely to the needs of the communities it supports in Liberia.

Throughout the year, the team carried out community assessments in each of its areas of intervention. Discussions with local representatives helped identify challenges related to access to water, health, education, the environment and economic activities. A particular focus was placed on agriculture to better understand the difficulties faced by farmers and identify practical solutions.

Making quality seeds more accessible

One of the needs that emerged strongly from these assessments was access to agricultural inputs, particularly seeds for vegetable farming.

In response, ELILI launched a seed credit pilot, allowing farmers to receive part of their loan directly in the form of seeds.

The initiative also relies on local expertise. Some ELILI beneficiaries who have been trained by IECD in seed production have been selected as suppliers. ELILI commits to purchasing an agreed quantity of their production and provides close monitoring of their plots. The seeds are then tested with IECD to ensure their quality before being integrated into ELILI’s seed credit fund.

This approach therefore works on several levels: it makes quality seeds more accessible to farmers while also creating opportunities for local seed producers and strengthening agricultural value chains.

Growing alongside more than 2,000 entrepreneurs

At the end of 2025, ELILI was supporting 2,258 entrepreneurs, 71% of whom were women, through 104 beneficiary groups. During the year, 1,017 training sessions were delivered, alongside financial services and agricultural support.

ELILI’s local team includes nine agro-economic facilitators who work closely with communities. Beyond access to savings and loans, beneficiaries regularly receive training in areas such as business management, agroecology, nutrition, rights and environmental protection.

What comes next?

ELILI plans to continue developing the seed credit initiative during the 2026 rainy season. The next phase aims to offer a wider range of seeds, reach more farmers and improve the tools used to manage the service.

Other solutions are also being developed, including a pilot credit scheme for cleaner cooking stoves and new initiatives to improve relationships between farmers and buyers.

Step by step, ELILI is building services based on the realities expressed by the communities themselves, helping farmers strengthen their activities while promoting more sustainable agricultural practices.

Thank you for supporting this project and helping ELILI continue developing solutions that respond directly to farmers’ needs in Liberia.

Links:

• The page on our website