Diversified product development
Developing three new value-added products from beekeeping in The Gambia.
A contact and collaboration fair organised by FFF Gambia in April 2025 to link members to market and service providers (Photo: Kanimang Camara/FAO Gambia)
The National Farmers Platform The Gambia (NFPG), supported by the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), has strengthened rural livelihoods by expanding smallholder access to enterprise development services and practical training. With its headquarters in Brikama and five regional offices, NFPG represents 488,804 members – 311,534 women and 177,270 men – making it a major engine for rural economic transformation.
From 2023-25, NFPG introduced a peer to peer business incubation model, targeting producers in honey, horticulture, incense and tree nursery value chains.
While producers began seeing tangible gains, persistent constraints remained: limited knowledge of value addition and quality standards, high input costs, basic packaging and restricted market access. FFF support enabled NFPG to address these challenges directly and scale its incubation model nationally.
Forest and Farm Facility activities
With FFF support, NFPG implemented targeted business incubation activities to diagnose and respond to producer needs across value chains.
The approach combined hands on training, demonstration plots, business clinics and peer mentorship, enabling producers to adopt improved technologies, reduce their costs and strengthen their competitiveness.
In 2025 alone, business incubation activities directly supported:
- 150 women vegetable growers trained in improved agronomic practices
- 119 women trained in rapid compost production
- 49 beekeeping interest group members (nine women, 40 men) trained in apiary management, and
- 30 women farmers trained in tree nursery propagation.
A major focus was women’s vegetable gardens. Training in rapid compost production resulted in 10,000 tonnes of organic manure, reducing input expenses, improving soil fertility, increasing yields and lowering dependence on chemical fertilisers.
This shift has strengthened climate resilience and improved household food availability throughout the year.
The business incubation model also catalysed a major shift in the honey value chain. A total of 13 beekeeping enterprises – representing 450 members (275 women, 175 men) – received intensive apprenticeships on modern hive systems, honey extraction, product quality improvement and enterprise planning.
Producers transitioned from basic storage to properly labelled, market ready products and learnt to utilise beeswax and other byproducts for value added processing. As a result, NFPG supported honey groups now access buyers across multiple regions and are steadily entering wider markets.
While incense and tree nursery groups strengthened their skills in propagation, branding and sustainable resource management. Peer mentorship led by successful entrepreneurs created a self sustaining capacity building cycle within communities.
Significance of impact
FFF supported business incubation has generated substantial benefits across value chains. Key impacts include:
- Honey value chain: the 13 enterprises earned 294,305 Gambian Dalasi (around US$4,500) – a major increase linked to improved production standards and market access. For many rural women, honey has become a dependable complementary income source.
- Horticulture and composting: the production of 10,000 tonnes of organic compost has reduced input costs, boosted soil health and improved household food security.
- Peer mentorship: replication is occurring organically, as producers independently adopt new techniques and establish market linkages without external support.
Women’s participation across horticulture, composting and beekeeping has strengthened household economies, increased confidence and expanded leadership roles in producer groups.
Conclusion
FFF-supported peer to peer business incubation has delivered transformative results for rural producers across The Gambia. Many trainees have become enterprise leaders – improving products, building markets and mentoring others.
Through the FFF-NFPG partnership, rural communities are developing sustainable businesses, diversifying incomes and contributing to greener, more resilient livelihoods nationwide.
Further reading
News: FAO's Forest and Farm Facility transforms lives in The Gambia, FAO (2024)
Stronger forest and farm producer groups can reduce poverty in The Gambia, Grazia Piras (2013), briefing