South Sudan Development and Social Equity Agency

Department of Agriculture and Food Systems

Care to Change the World

Introduction

The Department of Agriculture and Food Systems advances SUDESA’s mission to strengthen national food security and build resilient, market‑oriented value chains across staples and priority crops. Its purpose is to transform subsistence production into inclusive, climate‑smart, and commercially viable systems, improving livelihoods while ensuring stable access to nutritious food. Through integrated interventions spanning inputs, production, post‑harvest management, processing, logistics, and market access, the department enables sustained productivity growth and equitable participation of smallholders, women, and youth.

Mandate and Strategic Objectives

The mandate of the Department of Agriculture and Food Systems is to design, coordinate, and oversee programs that raise productivity, reduce losses, and catalyse value addition in alignment with national development priorities and long‑term food systems resilience. This mandate is exercised through inclusive policies, programmatic investments, and partnerships that promote efficiency, sustainability, and traceability across the agricultural economy.

The strategic objectives of the department are:

To increase agricultural productivity through improved inputs, extension, irrigation, and climate‑smart practices.
To reduce post‑harvest losses and strengthen storage, processing, and quality assurance systems.
To expand inclusive market access via aggregation, logistics, price information, and contract farming models.
To promote nutrition‑sensitive agriculture and food safety standards across public and private actors.
To enable women and youth participation throughout the value chain via targeted services and financing.

Core Functions

The department performs a range of functions that jointly improve system performance and resilience:

Input and Extension Services: Coordinating seed systems, soil health, mechanisation support, and farmer advisory services to raise yields and quality.
Post‑Harvest and Value Addition: Expanding storage, processing, cold chain, and certification to reduce losses and increase competitiveness.
Market Systems and Trade Facilitation: Supporting aggregation, logistics, market information, and compliance with standards to unlock regional trade.
Climate Resilience and Risk Management: Scaling climate‑smart agriculture, water management, early warning, and crop insurance pilots.
Nutrition and Safety Integration: Embedding nutrition outcomes, food safety protocols, and traceability across programs and partners.

Key Programs and Initiatives

The department leads flagship programs that operationalise the mandate:

Staple Food Production and Systems Enhancement (SFPSEI): A coordinated framework integrating inputs, extension, irrigation, and aggregation to lift productivity and stability.
Post‑Harvest Loss Reduction and Storage: Deployment of storage solutions, handling protocols, and processing capacity, including quality and grading systems.
Market Access, Logistics, and Price Information: Platforms and partnerships that improve aggregation, transport efficiency, and transparent pricing for farmers.
Climate‑Smart Agriculture and Irrigation Expansion: Promotion of drought‑tolerant crops, conservation agriculture, small‑scale irrigation, and risk‑mitigation tools.

Goals

Over the next five years, the department aims to achieve the following goals:

Increase average yields of priority staples by at least 30% through integrated input and extension packages.
Reduce post‑harvest losses for targeted commodities by 25% via storage and handling upgrades.
Expand irrigated and water‑managed hectares by 20% across priority production zones.
Enable 100,000 smallholders to access formal markets through aggregation and contract schemes, with 40% women and 30% youth.
Achieve compliance with food safety and quality standards in 60% of participating aggregation nodes and processors.

Impact and Value Proposition

The Department of Agriculture and Food Systems delivers measurable gains in productivity, stability, and incomes, thereby reducing food price volatility and strengthening national resilience. By linking smallholders to structured markets and value addition opportunities, it unlocks inclusive growth, incentivises formalisation, and improves nutrition outcomes. Its integrated approach mitigates climate risks, enhances export readiness, and positions agriculture as a cornerstone of equitable economic transformation.

Contact and Leadership

Department Head: [To be appointed]
Email: [official email placeholder]
Office Location: SUDESA Headquarters, Juba, South Sudan