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The curtains fell on Friday, October 25, 2024 on the 4ᵉ edition of the Market for Agricultural Innovations and Technologies (MITA), with an award ceremony for the Abdoulaye TOURE Agricultural Innovation Prize. Initiated by CORAF, and supported by the World Bank, ECOWAS and ECCAS, this first edition of the prize aims to reward individuals and agricultural research institutions whose innovations have significantly contributed to the improvement of agricultural systems in West and Central Africa. 

"Created in memory of Mr. Abdoulaye Touré, former team leader of the West African Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), this award encourages agricultural innovation in Africa and supports CORAF's mission in research and development. Each winner here today bears witness to a quest for excellence, demonstrating that innovation is not only possible, but essential to meeting the growing challenges facing our sector", said Dr Kalifa TRAORE, Chairman of CORAF's Board of Directors. 

For this first edition, the Abdoulaye TOURE Agricultural Innovation Prize rewarded impactful innovations in three key sub-sectors: agricultural productivity, adaptation to climate risks, and agricultural trade. CORAF also awarded special prizes to women whose innovations stand out from the crowd. 

Following evaluation of the innovations submitted to a multidisciplinary jury, the following were awarded prizes: 

• In category 1, agricultural innovations to curb low agricultural production and productivity: 

Mr. NEBIE Karim, from Burkina Faso, with the innovation "Sustainable management of fruit flies using the biopesticide Mango Protect.  

Ms. SAMBOU Nadine from Senegal, with her innovation "Composteur Automatique Solaire Connecté", was chosen as the best female innovation in category 1. 

• In category 2, agricultural innovations to mitigate increased climate risks

Ms. Ndeye Amy KEBE of Senegal, with her innovation "Plateforme JOKALANTE, Digitization of information, for informed decision-making and reduction of losses due to climatic hazards, whatever the language, technological infrastructure" as the best innovation in the category and the best female innovation in category 2. 

• In category 3, agricultural innovations for adequate and sustainable agricultural financing and trade. 

Mr. Daouda FAYE from Senegal, with the innovation "MBAY'MI CONNECT, consisting of Mbay'mi Connect: an application that facilitates access to agricultural credit and Mbay'mi Talk: a platform that democratizes agricultural information".

Ms MOUNJOUENPOU Pauline from Cameroon, with her innovation "Valorization of cassava peelings into biopesticide", was the best female innovation in Category 3.

An award to honor a pioneer of agricultural development 

The speakers at the awards ceremony all recognized Abdoulaye Touré as one of the pioneers of agricultural development in Africa. As an employee of the World Bank, he was able to leave his mark on the agricultural world in Africa. "Abdoulaye Touré was a Senior Agriculture Specialist at the World Bank, in charge of several projects, the last of which was the West African Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), which covered 13 ECOWAS member countries and was a highly successful flagship program thanks to its achievements and enormous impact on the sector. Abdoulaye was an unprecedented pioneer in the development of African agriculture. He had an exceptional passion for agriculture", testified Dr Aifa Fatimata Ndoye Niane, Economist at the World Bank.

Abdoulaye Touré, according to the summary of testimonials, was "a man who firmly believed in the fundamental role that research and development, or the agricultural innovation system, must play to increase the productivity and competitiveness of agricultural value chains. The man's qualities of "great humility, simplicity, generosity and open-mindedness" also set him apart. 

Mali hosts MITA 2025

At the close of the fourth edition, CORAF announced the fifth edition of the Marché des Innovations et Technologies Agricoles (MITA) in Mali. 

The theme of this meeting of agricultural players will be "Technologies and innovations for integrated soil management". 

It will be coupled with the Abdoulaye TOURE Prize for Agricultural Innovation and the West and Central African Youth Summit on Climate-Smart Agriculture.