From 23 May to 1 June 2025, stakeholders and partners in the agroforestry and fisheries sector gathered in Abidjan for the 7th edition of the Abidjan International Agriculture and Animal Resources Show (SARA), which was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire, HEM Beugré Mambé, at the Abidjan Exhibition Centre.
Invited to this agricultural event by the Government of Côte d'Ivoire, the ECOWAS Delegation was led by Mrs Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the ECOWAS Commission. In the "Institutions and Sponsors" section, ECOWAS shared its achievements in the agricultural sector with the public by running a stand and organising eleven side-events.
Under the theme "What agri-food processing systems for food sovereignty in Africa?", the 7th edition of SARA was a platform for meetings and exchanges of experience between players in the agricultural, animal resources and fisheries sectors in West Africa.
Taking part in SARA for the second time after the 2023 edition, ECOWAS seized the opportunity to raise its profile and raise awareness of ECOWAS policies and initiatives in the field of regional integration, in relation to agriculture, while promoting regional initiatives in relation to agricultural processing systems to improve food and nutritional security.
At SARA, ECOWAS also took stock of the implementation of its Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) over the last 20 years and highlighted the results of the programmes and projects contributing to the implementation of the said Policy, as underlined by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture: "Our participation in this major event reflects ECOWAS' strong political will to support Member States in the sustainable transformation of their agricultural and food systems. It also illustrates our determination to make agriculture a driving force for economic development and the creation of decent jobs, particularly for young people and women, and an essential lever for food and nutritional security".
"Driving the food sovereignty agenda in West Africa: 20 years of ECOWAP implementation" was the theme of ECOWAS's second participation at SARA. Through exhibitions, high-level panels and side events, ECOWAS, in collaboration with its Regional Agriculture and Food Agency (RAFA), the Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC) and its technical and financial partners, highlighted the efforts being made to guarantee food and nutritional security, climate resilience and the sustainability of agricultural systems, in line with the continent's ambitions for food sovereignty.
