(Rumbek) – A new multi-year agriculture and climate resilience project has been launched in Lakes State, bringing hope for improved livelihoods, food security, and job creation across four states in South Sudan.
The initiative, known as the Green and Resilience Agriculture and Climate Economy (GRACE) project, is a collaboration between the Lakes State government and international development partners. It will target 22,770 smallholder farmers, reach 141,823 beneficiaries, and support 360 producer groups and 23 cooperatives in Lakes, Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria, and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states.
The project will be implemented through a community-based model, involving farmers’ groups and cooperatives with support from local authorities at the state, county, Payam, and Boma levels. It is being coordinated closely with German development agencies GIZ and SNV.
The total funding amounts to €36,439,205 (equivalent to approximately SSP 7.9 billion or USD 39 million as of June 2025), with €35.2 million provided by the European Union and an additional €1.24 million co-financed by partners.
GRACE is aimed at promoting sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural development, increasing food and nutrition security, building resilience to climate shocks, and creating employment opportunities in rural South Sudan.
Speaking during the official launch on Thursday, Poth Majak Daljang, the Lakes State Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Environment, said the project will cover all nine Payams in Cueibet County and four Payams in Wulu County.
“We want to allocate places for demonstration farms to train farmers, because we want this project to make a real difference,” said Minister Majak. “It’s not about how big the land is, but about the skills and methods you apply.”
The minister emphasised that Lakes State is now stable and ready for development. “We can even implement the project in Rumbek North. There are peaceful areas where communities that were previously left out are now accessible and can benefit.”
However, he warned that water shortages remain a serious challenge. “Agriculture cannot succeed without water. Vegetable farming and other crops depend entirely on water availability,” he noted.
David Lugeron, head of the World Food Programme (WFP) in the region, supported the minister’s optimism, saying Lakes State has the necessary rainfall to support agricultural production.
“Lakes State has great agricultural potential and receives sufficient rainfall not only for itself but also to support other areas of the country,” Lugeron said. He added that the GRACE project arrives at a critical moment and urged all stakeholders to work together to maximise its impact.
Hannington Sebaduka, Head of the FAO Field Office in Rumbek, also welcomed the launch, praising the collaboration between the European Union and the Government of South Sudan.
“I am very happy this project has been agreed upon. We hope it will change the face of the community,” Sebaduka said.
The GRACE project represents one of the largest coordinated agricultural investments in South Sudan in recent years, addressing long-standing needs for food, resilience, and sustainable livelihoods in a region still recovering from years of instability and underdevelopment. If successful, it could become a model for climate-smart rural development across the country.
