Against a backdrop of growing food insecurity, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) launched a strategic meeting in Lomé on Monday to reassess its regional agricultural policy, ECOWAP. As reported by Republic of TogoThe event, organized by the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (ARAA), is part of the organization's 50th anniversary celebrations.
The aim is to draw up a critical assessment of the agricultural actions undertaken at Community level: analyzing successes, pointing out shortcomings, and reinforcing levers for action. Production, productivity, financing of agriculture, as well as food and nutritional security, are at the heart of the reflections, reports Republic of Togo.
The situation is alarming: according to Republic of Togo34.5 million people in the ECOWAS region are acutely food insecure, a figure likely to rise to 49 million by August. Nigeria, Chad and Niger are particularly hard hit.
Against this backdrop, ECOWAP is set to be overhauled, with agricultural financing strengthened and institutional organization improved, as underlined by Republic of Togo. The absence of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which have left the organization, adds uncertainty to the future effectiveness of this revised policy.
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German  a lancé lundi à Lomé){kind=link}