AgrEcoNUS+: Building Agroecological Value Chains in Ghana & Côte d'Ivoire

AgrEcoNUS+ (Enhancing value chains and markets of Neglected and Underutilized crop Species to contribute to Agroecological transition in Africa) is a multi-country initiative coordinated by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). It forms part of the European Union’s DeSIRA+ programme and is co-funded by AICS and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Implementation runs from approximately February 2026 to February 2030, with a total budget in the region of €16–18 million.

The programme covers Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Its overall objective is to strengthen food security and nutrition through more diverse, nutrient-rich diets while building resilient and sustainable local agri-food systems. The specific focus is the promotion of agroecological principles and the valorisation of neglected and underutilised species (NUS), with attention to climate adaptation and socio-economic shocks.

Who this is relevant for

CSOs and NGOs in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire that already work on agroecology, community seed systems, NUS production or processing, rural value chains, women’s and youth economic empowerment, or nutrition-sensitive agriculture sit closest to the programme’s priorities. Organisations with experience linking smallholders to markets, supporting MSMEs, or facilitating multi-stakeholder platforms will find the strongest alignment.

Organisations whose main work is conventional high-input agriculture, pure emergency relief, or activities outside agri-food systems will have limited fit. The programme’s design emphasises systemic change rather than isolated training or input-distribution projects.

Core components of AgrEcoNUS+

Available documentation describes three interrelated result areas:

1. Sustainable and resilient production – participatory research, community seed systems and agroecology training.
2. Enabling policy and institutional framework – multi-actor platforms, policy dialogue and a regional knowledge hub on agrobiodiversity, NUS and local seed systems.
3. Value-chain and market development for NUS and agroecological products – support to MSMEs, business-development services, marketing, sub-grants and a dedicated NUS accelerator.

Partners include IFAD, CIHEAM-Bari, SWISSAID, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, FiBL, CORAF, ROPPA, 3AO, AFSA and several African universities and research institutes (including University of Ghana and Peleforo Gon Coulibaly University in Côte d’Ivoire).

Practical implications for Ghanaian and Ivorian CSOs/NGOs

The value-chain component is the most immediately actionable for local civil-society organisations. It is designed to move beyond production support toward commercially viable roles for NUS products – processing, marketing, quality improvement and market access. Organisations that can demonstrate existing links with smallholder groups, women- or youth-led enterprises, or local buyers of NUS products are better positioned to engage, whether as implementing partners, sub-grantees or participants in accelerator activities.

Because the programme is multi-country and systems-oriented, proposals or partnership approaches that remain strictly national or production-focused are less likely to match the design. Cross-border learning, regional knowledge exchange and private-sector linkages are built into the logic.

No public funding ceiling, number of sub-grants, or detailed eligibility criteria for local CSOs had been published on the checked AICS channels at the time of verification. Any future open calls are expected to appear on the AICS Ouagadougou site (which also covers Ghana operations) or related transparency portals.

What applicants or partners should prepare

Even in the absence of a live open call, organisations that want to position themselves should:

• Document track record on NUS or agroecology (species worked with, communities reached, value-chain results).
• Map existing relationships with producer groups, processors, traders and research partners in Ghana or Côte d’Ivoire.
• Clarify organisational systems for financial management, monitoring and reporting (AICS and EU-funded work typically requires audited accounts and robust MEL).
• Monitor official AICS Ouagadougou and Accra channels regularly for sub-grant or partnership announcements.
• Explore possible consortia with research institutes or other CSOs already linked to the programme partners.

CBIconsort analysis

AgrEcoNUS+ continues the trajectory of earlier AICS-supported work on NUS (notably SUSTLIVES in Burkina Faso and Niger). The shift toward explicit value-chain and market support, including an accelerator and sub-grants, is significant. It signals that the programme intends to move beyond research and pilot production into commercially sustained outcomes.

For Ghanaian and Ivorian CSOs the opportunity is real but currently indirect. The most realistic near-term pathways are: (a) becoming an implementing partner or sub-grantee once calls open, (b) participating in multi-actor platforms and knowledge activities, or (c) positioning enterprises or producer groups for accelerator support. Organisations that wait for a fully detailed open call without prior relationship-building risk being late.

Nigerian and other West African CSOs can usefully track the programme for regional learning, potential South-South exchange, and future multi-country partnership openings.

Official sources and next steps

Primary information should be verified directly on:

• AICS Ouagadougou: https://ouagadougou.aics.gov.it/
• AICS main site and transparency portals
• Partner pages (CIHEAM-Bari, Alliance Bioversity-CIAT, CORAF, etc.)

Contact the AICS office covering Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire operations for the latest status of any sub-grant windows or partnership opportunities under AgrEcoNUS+. Do not rely solely on secondary summaries.

Status note
As of 24 September 2026 the programme is active or in early implementation. No open call matching the precise “concept note + full application in one submission” description for local CSOs in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire was located on official channels. Any such call that may exist or be launched should be confirmed with AICS before organisations invest significant preparation time.

CBIconsort Research Brief

Audience fit
Direct for CSOs and NGOs in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire working on agroecology, NUS, value chains, nutrition or climate resilience. Broader West African (including Nigerian) relevance through learning, partnership and regional exchange. Connection is explicit in the programme geography and objectives.

Primary sources consulted

• LEAP4FNSSA / project database entry for AgrEcoNUS+ (project identifier 725-AGRECONUS+).
• AICS job and programme descriptions referencing AgrEcoNUS+ (Ouagadougou office, Ghana component).
• Partner and conference documentation (CIHEAM-Bari, University Peleforo Gon Coulibaly, etc.).
• AICS Ouagadougou website and related transparency pages (checked 24 September 2026).

Secondary sources
GFAiR and research publications on NUS and agroecology in West Africa (used only for contextual understanding of the thematic area).

Key verified facts

• Programme name: AgrEcoNUS+ (Enhancing value chains and markets of Neglected and Underutilized crop Species to contribute to Agroecological transition in Africa).
• Coordinator: AICS; main funder DG INTPA (DeSIRA+); co-funders AICS and SDC.
• Duration: approx. February 2026 – February 2030.
• Budget: approximately €16–18 million.
• Countries: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Zimbabwe.
• Three result areas include production, policy/institutional framework, and value-chain/market development (MSMEs, BDS, marketing, sub-grants, NUS accelerator).
• Implementing and technical partners include IFAD, CIHEAM-Bari, SWISSAID, Alliance Bioversity-CIAT, FiBL, CORAF, ROPPA, African universities and research institutes.

Source freshness
Project start date 2026; documentation checked 24 September 2026. Information is current for the programme itself. No live open call for local CSOs matching the user-described format was found on the primary AICS channels reviewed.

Conflicting or missing information
Budget figures appear as €16 million or €18 million in different summaries. Exact sub-grant rules, eligibility for local CSOs, funding ceilings and application procedures for any open call were not located. The “simultaneous concept note + full application” format could not be verified against an official call document.

CBIconsort original angle
Clear separation of verified programme facts from the unverified specific call; practical positioning advice for Ghanaian and Ivorian CSOs; realistic pathways (sub-grants, accelerator, multi-actor platforms) rather than assumption of an immediately open competitive window; West African (including Nigerian) learning and partnership context.