The West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) has been invited to take part in an important annual regional event in West Africa to discuss sustainable solutions to prevent hunger in the region.
The 33rd meeting of the Food Crisis Prevention Network (RPCA) is organized by the Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC). It will be held in Cotonou, Benin, from December 4 to 6, 2017, and will focus on the food and nutrition issues facing West Africa.
Central to CORAF 's participation in this year's event will be a discussion of a 2014 multi-stakeholder intervention that significantly contributed to the prevention of a food crisis at the height of the Ebola epidemic. As well as drawing lessons from the Ebola intervention implemented by CORAF, the session will also enable participants to consider the region's preparedness and improved ability to deal with similar crises in the future.
As the largest sub-regional research organization in Africa, CORAF contributes significantly to the growth of food systems in the region through innovative research and smart technologies to combat the effects of climate change.
"In collaboration with the private sector, donors and decision-makers in several countries, CORAF has delivered timely and essential seeds to affected communities in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone," explains CORAF Executive Director Dr. Abdou Tenkouano.
"Rarely in the history of West Africa has there been such a demonstration of solidarity between the Community's member states. For the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), a perfect testimony to its vision of promoting regional integration and cross-sector collaboration to meet regional challenges".
Entitled "Seeds of resilience and regional solidarity", the CORAF side event will also discuss solutions to emerging challenges such as climate change.
The development of innovative techniques, climate-smart crop varieties and innovative approaches to the implementation of seed regulations have been the focus of recent work by CORAF and its partners. These actions have increased the supply of quality seeds in the region, and have considerably relieved millions of producers and farmers of the difficulty of accessing quality seeds.
By working with the private sector, it has also enabled greater corporate involvement in the sector.
CORAF is mandated to serve as the technical arm of ECOWAS, UEMOA, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). It is one of the implementing bodies of Pillar 4 of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), designed to improve food security and incomes in Africa. Pillar 4 specifically aims to improve the capacity of the agricultural research system to develop and disseminate appropriate new technologies.
In this respect, CORAF has been designated by ECOWAS to implement the West African Seed Program. This is a major five-year seed program credited today with helping to improve the industry in West Africa. Similarly, CORAF was appointed to implement the West African Agricultural Productivity Program. The complementary actions of the two programs have created synergy for the achievements of national and regional seed industry development, agricultural productivity improvement and the Ebola Seed Support Initiative.