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| | | Title | REGIONAL INTEGRATION FOR FOOD SECURITY, Case Study No. 26 | | Author | ACBF | | Subject | REGIONAL INTEGRATION | | Date of Publication | 2016026 | | Publisher | African Community of Practice on Management for Development result at the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) | | Number of Pages | 7 pages | | Language | English | | Geographical Coverage | Africa | | Keywords | FOOD SECURITY, West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) | | Abstract | This case study presents the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), a regional food security project championed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with World Bank support. The project's development objective is to generate and disseminate improved technologies in the participating countries' priority areas, as identified by the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD). Technologies include rice in Mali, cereals in Senegal, and roots and tubers in Ghana. Poor infrastructure, climate change, lack of innovation, and population growth are the four main challenges facing West Africa’s agriculture sector. But the region can rely on its youthful workforce, the growing market, and abundant natural resources. Among the key findings: The project reached about 297,000 beneficiaries of the 275,000 targeted, including 38 percent of women in Ghana and 25 percent of women in Mali and Senegal. The project enabled, in a participatory manner, the elaboration of strategies being implemented by each country on gender, communication, and the exchange of researchers. The project also helped with adopting common ECOWAS regulations on seeds and pesticides in the region. The main conclusion: WAAPP helped improve agricultural productivity while promoting regional integration, which supports shared growth and poverty reduction. The key lessons: Country farming specialization is critical; alignment of policies to regional regulations is essential; agriculture has a regional dimension; in regional programs, a country-owned process is critical; and regional food security depends on a peaceful, stable, and safe society. The main recommendations: Promote regional programs and build capacity for reinforcing policy alignment in the agriculture sector. Encourage countries to specialize in specific commodities. Leaders need to promote a peaceful, safe, and stable environment. | | Copyright Holder | African Community of Practice (AfCoP) | | Copyright URL | http://www.acbf-pact.org | | Filesize | 546217 MB | | File Format | PDF | | [ View / download original document ] |
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