The Community Based Rural Development Project's objective is to assist several thousand rural women farmers in increasing their rice production by providing food for work to the women in performing the difficult task of swamp clearings for rice cultivation.

The impact of WFP's assistance has been felt in a positive way throughout the rural population in the Gambia and WFP will continue to seek various forms of project food aid to improve the human resources and agricultural productivity in the whole country.

WFP started operations in The Gambia in June 1970 upon the signing of a Basic Agreement with the Government. To-date, cumulative assistance amounted to over US$80 million in the areas of human resource development, food-for-work and emergency assistance in support of victims of recurring natural disasters and periodic food shortages.

In support of national development priorities, the World Food Programme has been instrumental in the provision of food aid to complement Government's efforts in promoting education, enhancing human resources development, increasing food production, household food security and alleviating poverty. Emphasis is focused on the proper targeting of food aid to areas where food-based interventions are most useful. Appropriate strategies are also put in place to minimize the negative effects on local production, consumption patterns and dependency.

Currently, the agency is supporting two development projects namely the Community Based School Feeding Programme and the Community Based Rural Development Project