News

The ^27th meeting of the CORAF Board of Directors (BOD) will be held in Praia, Cape Verde, from January 17 to 18, 2020, with the overriding objective of reviewing and approving the critical actions needed to ensure that the organization can continue to fulfill its mission.

This ^27th iteration will be a first both in terms of being held in a Portuguese-speaking country and of being preceded by a learning workshop on how to leverage innovations to advance the transformation of agriculture in West and Central Africa.

As the body mandated by the CORAF General Assembly (GA) to monitor and implement its decisions, at the Praia session the Governing Board will review the progress made in implementing the 2019 annual work program and budget. Also on the agenda is a review of the 2018 audit report.

Pursuing vital reforms

CORAF has recently undertaken a series of reforms aimed at making the organization financially viable, as well as positioning it as a central instrument for coordinating agricultural research.

An important milestone in this renewal process was reached when, in April 2018, the General Meeting approved a new strategic direction in the form of a Strategic Plan (SP) 2018-2027 and an Operational Plan (OP) 2018-2022.

These long-term plans are implemented through annual work programs based on the priorities of the SP and OP. The Board of Directors not only reviews the work plans and budget submitted by the Executive Secretariat, but also provides strategic guidance to ensure that they are in line with the institution's overall objectives.

In Praia, Council members will study and contribute to the work and 2020 budget.

"The success of these reforms is measured not only in terms of the institution's good governance, but also in terms of the quality of the programs, budgets and guidance provided to put CORAF on a sustainable trajectory," explains Dr Angela Moreno, Chair of CORAF's Board of Directors.

"The Praia GC will provide another opportunity for members to take decisive action to drive forward this reform agenda."

The West Africa Regional Office of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding these reform processes as part of its commitment to strengthening regional institutions working to improve the livelihoods of people in West Africa.

Making inroads in Portuguese-speaking Africa

CORAF currently works with the research systems of 23 countries in West and Central Africa. While it began as an association of general managers of French-speaking research institutes, it has expanded to include English-speaking and now Portuguese-speaking research systems.

With the election of a Cape Verdean woman to the presidency of its Board of Directors at the 2018 General Assembly and the eventual holding of the General Assembly in Equatorial Guinea in 2021, CORAF signals its firm intention to extend its services to Portuguese-speaking countries.

"A Board of Directors with a special touch

Unlike previous Board meetings, this session will be preceded by a two-day workshop to enable CORAF players to reflect on the theme of "Research, innovation and technology transfer for the sustainable development of the agricultural sector in West and Central Africa".

January 14 and 15, 2020 will be devoted to the workshop and a field visit to provide participants with first-hand information on the agroecological realities of Cape Verde. In recent years, Cape Verde has suffered the brunt of climate change, a result affecting the country's agricultural productivity potential. Innovative approaches are needed to meet the challenges facing the country, as well as most countries in the Sahel and West and Central Africa.

Cape Verde's National Research Institute for Agricultural Development (INIDA) extended invitations to the workshop beyond CORAF Board members, in part to give CORAF greater visibility among development and policy players operating in Praia.

The workshop will be opened by the Honorable Minister of Agriculture of Cape Verde, in the presence of other members of government and development partners.

Dr. Maria Angela P. Bareto Da Veiga Moreno, current Chair of the CORAF Board of Directors, is an expert in biosystems and rural engineering. She has chaired the Board since April 2018. As soon as she took office, she set her mandate on the mission of contributing to poverty reduction in West and Central Africa.

CORAF's Board of Directors is made up of a diverse group of stakeholders representing its broad audience. Members include representatives of national research systems, international research organizations, donors, civil society organizations and farmers' organizations.