When Senegal first launched the PRODAC program (Programme des Domaines Agricoles Communautaires), it was more than a government initiative-it was a bold national vision. A vision to transform agriculture into a dynamic engine for youth employment, food security and rural development. But translating a vision into measurable, sustainable impact requires more than ambition; it demands expertise, infrastructure, planning and international cooperation.
Enter Green 2000, an Israeli agricultural development company with decades of experience in transforming ideas into operational success stories across Africa. In partnership with the Senegalese government, Green 2000 became one of the most crucial forces behind PRODAC’s transition from a conceptual framework to a nationally recognized model of agricultural modernization.
This is the story of how Senegal’s aspirations met Israel’s know-how-and how together, they’re cultivating a brighter, more resilient future for Senegalese agriculture and the young people driving it forward.
PRODAC: A National Strategy Rooted in Youth and Land
In the early 2010s, Senegal faced several interlinked challenges. Youth unemployment was rising steadily, with thousands of new job seekers entering the market each year. At the same time, rural communities remained underdeveloped and undersupported, despite the country’s significant reserves of fertile land. Agriculture, although deeply rooted in Senegalese identity, was too often associated with hardship and low returns.
PRODAC was born from the belief that these challenges could be addressed simultaneously by creating large-scale, community-based agricultural domains (DACs) that would empower young Senegalese to build careers in modern, productive farming. The vision was multifaceted:
- Utilize idle rural land for high-yield production
- Equip DACs with modern infrastructure and training centers
- Enable youth to work, train and eventually lead their own farming businesses
- Strengthen local food supply chains to reduce reliance on imports
But bringing this strategy to life across diverse ecological zones and cultural regions required a partner with not just technical knowledge, but a comprehensive, scalable development model.
How Green 2000 Brought Israeli Innovation to Senegal’s Fields
Green 2000 had already built a solid reputation in Africa by the time they joined the PRODAC mission. With operations in countries like Angola, Nigeria, Zambia and Ghana, the company had successfully implemented turnkey agricultural projects using its signature Agricultural Services and Training Center (ASTC) model. This model is holistic-it merges production, training, mechanization, processing and market integration into a single operational unit.
Green 2000’s involvement in PRODAC was not just about importing equipment or technologies. It was about designing sustainable systems, customized to Senegal’s terrain, economic goals and human capital. The company became a full implementation partner, helping:
- Plan and construct DACs
- Equip them with greenhouses, irrigation and storage
- Train Senegalese agronomists and technicians
- Develop value chains from seed to market
- Embed digital tools for monitoring, accounting and logistics
- Support long-term management transfer to local professionals
In short, Green 2000 made the DACs function as real-world learning and production centers, capable of empowering thousands of young people while contributing directly to national food output.
Turning Strategy Into Impact: The PRODAC-Green 2000 Synergy
The synergy between PRODAC’s strategic goals and Green 2000’s operational capacity quickly began to bear fruit. In regions where DACs were established, the transformation was not theoretical-it was tangible.
Young participants, many of whom had never used a tractor or seen a greenhouse before, began producing high-quality vegetables, grains, poultry and even fish. With access to proper inputs, training and post-harvest infrastructure, productivity soared.
In one DAC, tomato yields tripled within a single growing season and excess produce was processed into paste for sale to institutional buyers. In another, a pilot aquaculture project evolved into a self-sustaining operation employing dozens of youth.
But numbers alone don’t tell the full story. What truly marked the PRODAC-Green 2000 collaboration was a shift in mindset.
Agriculture was no longer seen as the last option for young people-it became a viable, modern and even prestigious career path.
Human Capital Development: The Heart of the Model
At the core of Green 2000’s philosophy is the belief that people-not just technology-drive agricultural success. Accordingly, every DAC under the PRODAC strategy was also a center of education and empowerment.
Green 2000:
- Developed multilingual training curricula in French and local languages
- Conducted on-site workshops led by local and Israeli experts
- Trained trainers to ensure knowledge transfer stays within Senegalese hands
- Organized exchange programs between Senegalese and international farming communities
The model created a multiplier effect: each trainee became a trainer, each technician became a mentor and each young farmer became a potential entrepreneur.
Credit: Green 2000 (Giora Perl)
Modern Infrastructure With Local Roots
One of the reasons Green 2000’s implementation succeeded was its emphasis on contextual design. The infrastructure in each DAC was not carbon-copied from elsewhere. It was tailored:
- Irrigation systems were adapted to local water availability, with solar-powered options in off-grid areas.
- Crop selection reflected local diets, climate and market demands.
- Buildings and storage facilities were designed using local materials and labor.
The DACs became symbols of localized modernity-places where tradition met technology-without alienating communities or creating dependency on external systems.
The Growing Legacy of PRODAC in Senegal
As DACs multiplied and began to succeed, their reputation spread. Delegations from neighboring West African countries began visiting Senegal to study the PRODAC-Green 2000 model. What they found wasn’t just a collection of farms-it was a scalable rural development framework with replicable impact.
International partners including the World Bank, African Development Bank and various EU agencies began exploring ways to co-fund DAC expansion or adapt the model for other contexts. Senegal, once a food-importing nation with high rural unemployment, began positioning itself as a hub of agricultural innovation and youth development.
Locally, the program boosted trust between citizens and government. PRODAC sites provided employment, reduced migration pressures and fostered pride in rural identity.
Green 2000’s Vision for the Future of African Agriculture
For Green 2000, the goal was never to build dependency, but to build resilient systems that continue to evolve long after the initial project cycle. In Senegal, that meant:
- Gradually handing over management of DACs to trained local teams
- Establishing supply chains between DACs and local/regional markets
- Supporting youth-led cooperatives to take ownership of production and sales
- Promoting environmentally responsible practices through precision agriculture and organic integration
Now, Green 2000 is working on introducing data platforms, low-cost sensor technology and mobile apps that allow DAC participants to track yields, predict weather and access credit-all from their phones.
In parallel, the company is exploring academic partnerships with Senegalese universities to create a long-term research and innovation pipeline tied to DAC operations.
From Blueprint to Benchmark
What began as a vision on paper is now a working system on the ground-thriving, adapting and expanding. PRODAC’s strategy, elevated by Green 2000’s implementation expertise, has proven that national transformation is not only possible-it’s measurable, repeatable and inspirational.
The fields of Senegal are no longer waiting for change. They are growing it-seed by seed, youth by youth, DAC by DAC.
And as this model continues to bear fruit, it stands as a benchmark for public-private cooperation not just in agriculture, but in how nations invest in their youth, their land and their future.
