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The Sahel region and much of West Africa are currently experiencing unpredictable rainfall cycles and severe drought. With irregular planting dates, farmers and communities in the region are going through a difficult period.

But thanks to the work of the region's scientists and agricultural researchers, farmers and growers are able to adapt to seasonal variations in climate.

According to Dr Abdou Tenkouano, Executive Director of CORAF, a sub-regional organization coordinating agricultural research: "Maize is now grown in the dry season.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a regional meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to assess the performance of a package of interventions aimed at improving the cotton, maize and livestock sectors, Dr. Tenkouano said: "We are working in synergy with national research systems to solve agricultural challenges. At present, there are already improvements in cotton production, and maize is grown even during the dry season."

The development of quality research to meet the challenges of the agri-food system in West and Central Africa is at the heart of CORAF's concerns. It works with the national research systems of West and Central African countries to develop adapted varieties and drought-tolerant agricultural practices in countries facing the effects of climate change.

"The adoption of improved maize varieties has reduced the incidence, intensity and severity of poverty by almost 9% in West Africa," said Dr Tenkouano.

CORAF and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) signed a partnership agreement on September 17, 2014 to conduct research on priority crops, notably cotton, maize and livestock, in the eight Union countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

Implementing partners are meeting in Ouagadougou this week to review and plan for the final two years of the partnership cycle.