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The West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) is holding its 12th General Assembly in Dakar, Senegal, from April 10 to 12, 2018, at the King Fahd Palace Hotel, under the theme " What future for CORAF in an ever-changing regional and international environment?".

Read also the conclusions of the 4th Scientific Week and 11th General Assembly held in Niamey, Niger, in 2014.

CORAF coordinates the national agricultural research systems of 23 countries in West and Central Africa, and is committed to prosperity, food and nutritional security for over 400 million people.

Representatives of farmers' groups, the private sector, agricultural policy and decision-makers, and researchers from West and Central Africa are expected to attend the three-day event.

Senegal's Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Equipment, His Excellency Papa Abdoulaye SECK, will preside over the opening ceremony in the presence of development partners and representatives of regional economic communities.

Revitalize agricultural research and development (R&D)

This 12th General Assembly is expected to examine and adopt sustainable reforms to position CORAF on a new path towards results, and to be in a position to contribute further to the improvement of the agricultural industry in West and Central Africa.

Most economies in both regions face high levels of unemployment, particularly among young people. Food and nutrition insecurity, climate change, gender disparities and the mass migration of young people to unknown destinations remain major challenges. Governments are turning to the agricultural sector, and particularly to research, to find answers to these concerns.

Since last year, CORAF has consulted widely with its key stakeholders. The result was a new 2018-2027 strategy and 2018-2022 operational plan, which were approved by its Board of Directors in November 2017.

"The 12th General Assembly is a decisive step in the ongoing reforms at CORAF, as the organization's supreme body, endorsing our new strategic direction could consolidate ongoing reforms and send a strong signal to continue the current trajectory of improved results and impact for the people of West and Central Africa," said Dr. Abdou Tenkouano, Executive Director of CORAF.

"We hope to reach the necessary consensus so that we can collectively make CORAF organizationally efficient and financially sustainable."

Highlights of the General Meeting include:

• review and adoption of CORAF's long-term plans,
• election of new Board members;
• a ministerial segment focusing on the contribution of R&D to agriculture over the past 30 years.

What is CORAF?

CORAF is an international non-profit association of national agricultural research systems (NARS) from 23 countries covering over forty percent of Africa's population, making it the largest sub-regional research organization on the African continent. It was created in 1987. Prior to this, most NARS were weak and had limited research capacity, generally working in isolation. CORAF's main mandate at the time was to coordinate research and development activities in West and Central Africa. By working together, there is a greater chance of developing the ground-breaking, cutting-edge research results needed to unlock the agricultural potential of both regions.

What does CORAF do?

Cutting-edge agricultural innovation through research is at the heart of what CORAF does. The Dakar-based research organization collaborates with national agricultural research systems and regional centers of excellence to effectively tackle cross-cutting, cross-border and regional challenges.

What are some of his achievements in the region?

As part of the World Bank-funded West African Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), CORAF has facilitated the production and dissemination of over 400 technologies since 2008. The WAPP, the World Bank's second most successful project in 2016, has benefited 9 million people directly and 49 million people indirectly.

With many African agricultural researchers nearing retirement, PPAAO has been able to train over 1,000 young researchers to continue advancing the agricultural research agenda in their countries.

As part of the USAID-funded West Africa Seed Program (WASP ) between 2011 and 2016, CORAF helped participating countries adopt harmonized seed regulations to facilitate seed access to quality seeds. Business models for agribusinesses are now available, while private and public sector players are now working together to ensure the scale-up of seed production and distribution needed to transform agriculture in West Africa.

Overall, over the 30 years of its existence, CORAF has provided leadership and facilitation support to develop common research objectives in West and Central Africa.

"We don't often say it, but one of CORAF's major successes over the last 30 years has been getting researchers from English-, French- and Portuguese-speaking countries to work together to solve common regional challenges," stresses CORAF's Executive Director.