The Guinea National Agricultural Services Project's overall development objective is to improve nationwide agricultural productivity and production, incomes of farmers and food security. Initiated in 1996, the food security component of this project was undertaken in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization's Special Program for Food Security (SPFS). SPFS, approved by the FAO Board in June 1994, had the objective of helping countries with low revenues and a food deficit to rapidly increase their food production in order to contribute to food security. The SPFS strategy is based on pilot projects to identify existing technical assistance packages and the intensification of their application while eliminating the institutional obstacles to their adoption. The pilot phase will be followed by an extension of five years during which technical solutions, policies and investment programs will be implemented to strengthen the national capacity necessary for increased food security.