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The West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is organizing the third edition of the Agricultural Research Symposium, which will take place from November 19 to 21, 2024 in Accra, Ghana, under the theme: "Agriculture and Environmental Sustainability: The path to transforming agrifood systems in West and Central Africa". This event will bring together experts and researchers, political decision-makers, international partners, private sector representatives and research players to discuss the crucial issue of the sustainability of agrifood systems in the region.

This symposium is part of the implementation of CORAF's strategic plan, with the specific aim of promoting research into sustainable and resilient agricultural practices in the face of the challenges of climate change and the degradation of natural resources.

Over three days, the symposium will address six major themes to explore innovative strategies for agricultural production and environmental management:

1. Climate change/agroecology: strategies for mitigating biotic and abiotic stresses in agriculture, 
2. Biodiversity, biohazards and biosafety: biotechnology applications for sustainable agricultural productivity, 
3. Fertilizers and soil health: sustainable practices for nutrient recycling and soil health awareness, 
4. Sustainable agricultural input systems (seeds): innovative models for improved access to seeds,  
5. Partnerships: global initiatives, academic research and public-private partnerships to improve local agri-food systems, 
6. Market, policy, private sector: added value for reducing food waste and improving market opportunities.

Participants and researchers from all over West and Central Africa will converge to share their expertise and research. The event will adopt a hybrid format, combining face-to-face and virtual sessions to enable maximum participation and promote inclusive exchanges.

At the close, the symposium will identify research findings that can be made available to development partners and the private sector. As a reminder, in November 2023 CORAF organized a symposium on the state of agricultural product processing in West and Central Africa in Lomé. 

The Symposium is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the European Union through the " Technologies et Innovations Agricoles pour l'Accroissement de la Résilience des Systèmes de Production et des Exploitations Familiales en Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre (TARSPro)" and " Programme détaillé pour le développement de l'agriculture en Afrique EX Pilier 4 (PDDAA-XP4)" projects respectively. 

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About CORAF

CORAF, a sub-regional organization made up of the national agricultural research systems of twenty-three West and Central African countries, is mandated to coordinate the implementation of sub-regional agricultural research policies as defined by governments. Created in 1987 with its Executive Secretariat in Dakar, Senegal, CORAF's main objective is to improve livelihoods in West and Central Africa, through sustainable increases in agricultural production and productivity, and to promote competitiveness and markets.

For more information: www.coraf.org/

For further information, please contact : 

Christel KENOU, Communications Manager, c.kenou@coraf.org 

Download the press release here