News

A high-level meeting to review and validate a new strategy to facilitate the integration of Central African States and Regional Economic Communities into CORAF activities opens in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this Monday, November 22, 2021.

For two days, participants in the regional workshop will also examine opportunities for strengthening scientific cooperation between Central African states, regional government institutions, development partners, farmers' organizations and CORAF.

The event is placed under the patronage of the Prime Minister, Head of Government of the DRC. It will be chaired by the Minister of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation.

CORAF recently drew up a regional plan to promote its activities in the Central African region. The main aim of the Kinshasa meeting is to enable regional players to enrich the roadmap and make it their own. 

CORAF is the largest sub-regional research coordination instrument in Africa, covering 23 countries in West and Central Africa. While West African countries have recently experienced improvements in food productivity, thanks in part to CORAF's scientific research and solutions, equivalent actions have not been undertaken in Central Africa.

"CORAF has always sought to meet the research needs of its members, including those in Central Africa," says Dr Abdou Tenkouano, CORAF's Executive Director.

"But we also agree that we have invested more in West Africa than in Central Africa. That's why we're stepping up our quest for food security, nutrition and prosperity in the region," adds Dr. Tenkouano.

"The current pivot to Central Africa is a strong demonstration of our commitment to the region's needs. It is a direct response by CORAF to the region's ambitions to increase food productivity and build the capacity of its research institutions, among others." 

CORAF's main partners in Central Africa include the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). 

"I would like to ask CORAF to increase its involvement in Central Africa and to continue to support our national agricultural research systems, particularly in building the capacities of players in the agricultural sector," says His Excellency Honoré Tabuna, ECCAS Commissioner for Agriculture. Commissioner Tabuna, who is also in charge of the environment, natural resources and water at ECCAS, spoke at the virtual business meeting of CORAF's 13th General Assembly earlier this year.

In addition to the regional economic communities, CORAF is working with the DRC's Institut national d'études et de recherches agricoles (INERA), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the European Union and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to organize the Kinshasa strategy meeting. The event is funded by the Science-led Climate-Adapted Agricultural Transformation in West and Central Africa (CAADP-XP4) project, funded by the European Union and implemented by CORAF.

What is CORAF's track record in Central Africa?

CORAF's footprint in Central Africa stretches back several decades, with projects designed to support livestock, crops, aquaculture, the environment, market access and human capital development (youth and women). Overall, CORAF has implemented some twenty projects in the Central African region, with the overriding aim of supporting the priorities of the ECCAS Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the agricultural policies of its member states.