News

The Fall armyworm is invading most of the Sahel and West Africa region, and a regional conference to assess the state of the scourge and identify funding mechanisms has reported on the situation.

Convened by the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), the Ouagadougou regional conference noted the significant impacts of fall armyworm on the agricultural system. Crop losses are affected, the meeting heard, with considerable effects on food security, lower incomes and negative impacts on countries' gross domestic product.

While recognizing the central role of science in combating this scourge, the conference noted the difficulties involved in coordinating science and integrated control approaches.

Resource mobilization strategy for fall armyworm and other pests

With regard to financing, the conference concluded that the ability of partners to mobilize the necessary financial resources was weak.

The conference also concluded with the following points as part of the strategy to raise the funds needed to combat the fall armyworm and other pests:

• The region's states and international organizations have made a firm political commitment to work together ;
• Provide genuine regional political leadership on phytosanitary issues;
• Advances in scientific knowledge of fall armyworm and other transboundary and emerging pests;
• Capitalize on the achievements of this conference to build sustainable control of the armyworm.
• Capitalize on all current initiatives (regional working group, national and regional contingency plans, and a fall armyworm initiative submitted to the ADB for funding, etc.);
• Develop an ambitious multi-year regional program (10 to 15 years) to control armyworm and other transboundary and emerging pests, with national and regional components.

As part of the West African Agricultural Productivity Program, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has received support to better manage and control the armyworm. CORAF was tasked with coordinating these activities on behalf of ECOWAS.

In November 2017, CORAF brought together the heads of regional specialization centers from Benin, Ghana, Senegal and IITA to discuss measures to control armyworm attack and set up an effective early warning system.

At the Ouagadougou meeting, CORAF's Executive Director explained these actions and showed how CORAF could work with other players in the region to contain the armyworm and other pests.

• See the CORAF presentation
• Read the summary of the Ouagadougou meeting
• Read other meeting documents