News

By S. P. Sadio

The West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (Coraf) has been urged to create innovative and sustainable financing solutions to the shortage of resources that is hampering the achievement of its objectives. This was the theme of its 12th General Assembly, which was opened yesterday in Dakar by Papa Abdoulaye Seck, Senegal's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Equipment.

What does the future hold for Coraf in the ever-changing regional and international environment? This is the theme chosen by Coraf's member agricultural researchers at their general meeting in Dakar. After Niamey in 2014, where Coraf had focused on statutory issues, Dakar, in this new agenda, has decided to focus on the challenges facing Coraf's ability to achieve its objectives for the development of African agriculture.

The financing of agricultural research and the articulation of regional agricultural programs with those of Coraf were, from the outset of the meeting, the subjects that attracted the most attention. According to Alioune Fall, Director General of the Institut sénégalais de recherche agricole (Isra), who is also Chairman of the Coraf Board of Directors, the financial situation of the community institution has been very tense since 2016.

This is reflected in the difficulties encountered by Coraf in implementing its 2nd operational plan for 2014-2018, as well as the mass departure from its ranks of several researchers.

According to Coraf's CEO, this situation is due to the reluctance of donors to finance agriculture in certain member countries affected by insecurity. To reverse this gloom, Dr Papa Abdoulaye Seck, who made no secret of his delight at meeting his peers again, invited them to rethink the financing of the institution and its activities through innovative financing that is much more substantial and sustainable.

"Researchers have to fight to find money," he urges. Better still, he asks Coraf to adopt a dynamic of scientific competitiveness to ensure good coverage of research issues. According to Papa Abdoulaye Seck, this also means deepening dialogue with decision-makers and legislators.

"A necessity to domesticate science and ensure widespread dissemination of technologies for the benefit of users", said Mr. Seck. In this respect, he urges Coraf to share its specifications with all stakeholders.

In addition, the development of synergies between universities and agricultural research institutions, in order to achieve a critical mass of results, also seems to be, according to the Minister, one of the keys to Coraf's success.

He also believes that chartering agricultural research into agro-ecology for a greener economy, as well as anticipating climate change, could help achieve greater responsiveness. These are just some of the recommendations that Coraf's scientific community intends to draw on to ensure the sustainability of African agriculture.

USAID ANNOUNCES A $15 MILLION CREDIT LINE

In its drive to adopt a new strategy for mobilizing financial resources, Coraf can already count on the support of Usaid. According to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Alioune Fall, the American cooperation agency, which had already supported the institution in its audit, has announced funding of $15 million to contribute to the implementation of the new 2018-2022 operational plan.

He also highlighted some of Coraf's achievements, such as the production and dissemination of over 400 technologies since 2008, and the achievements of the West African Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP) and the West African Seed Program. Some 40 million users have benefited from the achievements of these programs in Coraf member countries," said Alioune Fall.