The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), along with the Alliance for Agroecology in West Africa (3AO), West Africa Organic Network (WAfrONet), and ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), has launched a new initiative to promote food sovereignty in West Africa.
The partnership was announced at the Stakeholders’ Forum on Agroecology and Organic Agriculture, held in Abuja on Monday.
The collaboration would focus on implementing public policies that promote resilient practices such as agroecology, organic farming, and climate-smart agriculture.
These sustainable agricultural practices aim to address the multiple crises currently affecting the region’s food systems, including climate change.
Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, stressed that conventional agricultural methods have failed to provide resilience against climate impacts, contributing to soil depletion and exacerbating food insecurity. He noted that West Africa, despite contributing only 1.8% to global greenhouse gas emissions, is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with projections of severe temperature rises by 2060.
Andrew Mamedu, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, highlighted the success of the Strategic Partnerships for Agroecology and Climate Justice in West Africa (SPAC-West Africa) project, which is currently being implemented in Liberia, Nigeria, and Senegal.
The project aimed to improve the livelihoods of over 250,000 smallholder farmers, particularly women and young people, ultimately benefiting more than 1.5 million households across the region.
The initiative is targeted to secure food and nutrition, build climate-resilient livelihoods, and transform the agricultural landscape in West Africa.