The Davié agricultural technology park in Togo, run by the Institut Togolais de Recherche Agronomique (ITRA), opened its doors to Togo's agricultural producers and livestock breeders on Wednesday 11 September 2024. This open day, organised in partnership with CORAF as part of the FSRP and iREACH projects, enabled participants to discover the latest technological advances developed to improve agricultural and livestock production systems.

Agricultural technology parks, set up in 9 West and Central African countries by CORAF, are dynamic platforms that bring agricultural innovations closer to producers. At Davié, a number of technologies were highlighted, including short-cycle climate-smart seeds, technologies for aquaculture, rabbit, pig and poultry farming, agronomic practices and agri-food processing solutions.

This technology park plays a key role in bringing researchers and farmers together, bridging the gap between theory and practice. Research results, tested on different varieties and soil conditions, are presented to farmers in a practical environment where they can evaluate and adopt these technologies for their own farms.

In addition to this open day, regular visits are planned for potential users of the technologies and innovations on display. ITRA, with the support of CORAF, is working in partnership with the region's universities and agricultural schools to help improve the training of tomorrow's agricultural players, while at the same time boosting the widespread adoption of agricultural technologies.

It should be noted that the Davié agricultural technology park initiative began in 2023 with technical and financial support from the FSRP and iREACH projects coordinated by CORAF.

Several other agricultural technology parks are being set up in Togo to bring producers closer to the technologies and innovations available, so that they can incorporate them into their production systems. Thanks to the agricultural technology parks, Togolese producers have concrete tools at their disposal to improve productivity and respond to current climatic and economic challenges.

In the face of climate challenges, strategic crops such as rice must adapt to ensure the resilience of agricultural production systems. With this in mind, CORAF, in partnership with the Bioversity International Alliance and CIAT, through the AICCRA (Accelerating the Impact of CGIAR Climate Research in Africa) AfricaRice project, and the West African Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), organised a regional workshop from 26 to 28 August 2024 in Cotonou/Benin to discuss innovations and technologies capable of strengthening the resilience of rice-growing systems in West and Central Africa.

Dr Elliot Dossou-Yovo, AICCRA Mali Coordinator, presented the various proven technologies available to the participants, in particular the Country Coordinators, rice specialists and agricultural advisors from the FSRP implementation countries, stressing the need to create effective mechanisms for their large-scale adoption. Several of the climate-smart technologies and innovations identified have demonstrated their potential to optimise production while taking climate constraints into account. Examples include RiceAdvice, Smart-Valleys, alternative wetting and drying (AWD), the integrated rice-fish system, Pay as you go and climate-resilient rice varieties. These innovations are crucial to improving the resilience of farming systems, boosting productivity and guaranteeing food and nutritional security for millions of people in the region.

"In the rice value chain, several technologies, innovations and research knowledge have been developed and deployed in the countries. These innovations need to be scaled up in order to reach and have a positive impact on the final beneficiaries, i.e. family farms", said Dr. Angelo DJIHINTO, representing INRAB at the opening of the workshop.

"General awareness of climate change has led to the development of a number of climate-smart approaches and technologies, which unfortunately remain unknown to the general public, particularly in the agricultural sector. Their widespread adoption is vital for the resilience of our food systems," emphasised Dr Komla Kyky Ganyo, CORAF's FSRP technical assistant.

For Dr Alcade Segnon, researcher at the Bioversity International and CIAT Alliance and West Africa scientific manager for the AICCRA project, "it is essential to disseminate these technologies on a large scale for the benefit of African producers".  

Funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Bioversity International Alliance and CIAT, the AICCRA project aims to promote the adoption and use of climate-smart agricultural technologies and innovations, as well as climate information services. In West Africa, the aim is to ensure that these technologies and innovations can be taken to scale through multi-stakeholder partnerships. The World Bank-funded West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (WAFRSP), which is being implemented in 9 countries, is seen as an ideal channel for this large-scale dissemination of technologies in the rice value chain. This workshop aims to inform FSRP stakeholders about these available technologies and to define actions for their adoption in the region.

At the end of the presentations, the participants identified key activities, recommendations for PRSP implementing countries and the best strategies for disseminating these technologies to farmers, with particular emphasis on family farms, which account for a large proportion of rice production in the region.

"We were very interested in the Smart-Valley technology because it requires the mobilisation of the entire community, especially women. On our return to Mali, we will be raising awareness among the stakeholders so that we can implement this innovation in Mali", said Sory Ibrahim Konaté from the FSRP Mali team.

The workshop also produced a clear roadmap for the use and scaling-up of climate-smart technologies in the rice value chain. This roadmap includes concrete actions to strengthen the adoption of technologies in FSRP implementing countries.

As part of its activities, the Programme for Food System Resilience in West Africa and the Sahel (PRSA-TD) organised a four-day training course at the Sesame Grain Innovation Platform in Tapol, in the province of Logone Occidental. The initiative, in partnership with the Institut Tchadien de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (ITRAD), brought together 25 participants, including 15 women, to tackle the key issues of managing post-harvest losses and drawing up business plans.

The programme included theoretical sessions and practical case studies, enabling participants to gain a better understanding of the issues involved in conserving agricultural produce and structuring their activities. The training focused on climate-smart, gender-sensitive and nutrition-sensitive agricultural technologies, as well as pest and disease control strategies.

Managing post-harvest losses is a major problem for farmers in Chad, where the climate and inadequate infrastructure make it difficult to store and preserve crops. Thanks to this training, farmers have acquired practical conservation and storage skills to reduce losses, improve product quality and increase farm profitability.

Drawing up business plans is essential for structuring producers' activities and facilitating access to finance. By learning how to design business plans tailored to market realities, participants will be able to better manage their resources, attract investors and develop their activities on a larger scale. This strategic tool should make Chad's agricultural sector more competitive.

It should be emphasised that this training, although specific, is part of an overall approach to the sustainable development of agriculture in Chad, aimed at equipping small-scale producers with the technologies and strategies they need to meet the country's socio-economic challenges.

As part of the Senegalese government's strategic approach to food sovereignty, the West African Food System Resilience Programme (PRSA-FSRP SN) is providing $22.5 million to set up 1,000 hectares of 50 modern 20-hectare farms dedicated to community-based agricultural cooperatives (CACs).

Senegal is one step closer to achieving food sovereignty thanks to the contribution of the FSRP -SN, which will finance fifty (50) modern agricultural farms.  These farms will be dedicated to Community Agricultural Cooperatives (CACs) and spread over a total area of one thousand (1,000) hectares in different regions of Senegal.

The establishment of the CACs is an initiative backed by the Food Sovereignty Strategy (SSA) initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock (MASAE). It contributes to the implementation of the vision of the new authorities expressed in the 2050 reference framework for "a Sovereign, Fair and Prosperous Senegal" through a systemic approach and endogenous efforts. The CACs aim to stimulate rural development and create sustainable jobs by putting into operation agricultural farms equipped with modern infrastructure.

A community agricultural cooperative is a collective organisation formed by farmers and stockbreeders from the same community area, with the aim of pooling their resources to improve their practices and promote local economic development.

Several farm variants covering areas of 20 ha, extendable to 200 ha, and located in communes with proven potential have been studied. For each farm, the surface area will be divided into plots ranging from 1 to 5 hectares, which will be allocated to the beneficiaries.

Ultimately, the aim is to help Senegal achieve food sovereignty. Reducing Senegal's dependence on food is a major challenge linked to the introduction of the CACs, given that 1070 billion CFA francs are spent each year by Senegal on food imports, according to Dr Mabouba Diagne, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock (MASAE), citing figures from the national statistics and demography agency (ANSD). A country that imports so much food exports jobs. Food sovereignty means limiting imports and a 'new approach' to agricultural development...".

The FSRP SN, to drive CACs through implementing agencies!

This new approach to modernising agricultural and pastoral farming systems is intended to be an example of a successful partnership between the FSRP SN, the supervisory authority, technical services, financial partners and local authorities. Following the World Bank supervision mission in November 2024, and in accordance with the guidelines of the Government of Senegal, it was decided to restructure the FSRP in order to promote the creation of CACs in conjunction with the Agence Nationale d'Insertion et de Développement Agricole (ANIDA) and the Direction des Bassins de Retention et des Lacs Artificiels (DBRLA).

The aim of this partnership is to create thirty (30) farms of twenty (20) ha each by ANIDA (600ha) and twenty (20) farms of twenty (20) ha each by DBRLA (400ha). The activities to be financed will involve the construction of agricultural, livestock or integrated farms, equipped with boreholes with irrigation systems (pivot, drip, sprinkler) using solar energy and a back-up generator for pumping, incorporating recovery basins to secure the water supply. The farms will also be equipped with modern storage warehouses, greenhouses and other infrastructure.

A multi-stakeholder technical committee set up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock is working on the modelling of CACs and is proposing to include mechanisation aspects. In addition, the FSRP SN's implementing agencies have recommended the establishment of working capital and agricultural advisory services to enable the monitoring and planning of agricultural and livestock production activities.

ANIDA and DBRLA are playing a key role in identifying sites, designing modern agricultural and livestock perimeters and providing technical support to beneficiary cooperatives, in conjunction with the supervisory authority, the technical committee and the FSRP SN. The site identification process is currently underway, in close collaboration with the mayors of the communes concerned.

For the delivery of the CACs, the FSRP and its two implementing agencies intend to draw on the experience of the AGEXs and the lessons learned from irrigation projects. The first steps taken by the Technical Committee show that the foundations are solid for turning this ambition into reality. By supporting this project, the FSRP SN is confirming its role as a catalyst in Senegal's agricultural revival.

In preparation for the 2024 agricultural season, the national coordination of the Food System Resilience Programme in Chad (PRSA-Tchad) has launched a vast operation to distribute improved seeds. More than 3,000 tonnes of sesame and maize seeds were distributed to over 5,000 farmers in the Logone Occidental and Logone Oriental regions.

This initiative, carried out from 15 to 20 July 2024 by the Moundou regional coordination of PRSA-Tchad, aims to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable households that depend mainly on agriculture for their income. During the distribution campaign, PRSA-Tchad officials also had the opportunity to meet members of the college of women seed producers, underlining the importance of including women in agricultural development.

The main aim of this distribution is to provide producers with high-quality seeds, which will improve agricultural production and guarantee food security for local communities. By having improved seeds at their disposal, farmers can look forward to a more abundant harvest that is more resistant to climatic hazards, thus contributing to greater resilience in the face of environmental and economic challenges.

The World Bank-funded PRSA-Tchad continues to support farmers through various initiatives and programmes, demonstrating its commitment to improving the living conditions of rural populations and ensuring the sustainability of the food system in Chad. This seed distribution is just one of the many actions undertaken to strengthen food security and promote agricultural development in the country.

The World Bank's Regional Vice-President for Africa, Ousmane Diagana, visited key agricultural sites in Ghana, including the Kpong irrigation system in Asutuare and the Kpong Left Bank irrigation system.

His visit on 13 January 2025 underlined the World Bank's commitment to supporting Ghana's agricultural transformation and promoting economic growth through sustainable agricultural practices.

The World Bank's involvement in the Ghana Agricultural Trade Project has yielded impressive results, with productivity reaching almost six tonnes per hectare, just short of the target of seven tonnes. These results demonstrate the transformative impact of the project on Ghana's agricultural sector.

During the discussions, Mr Diagana highlighted Ghana's strategic position as a regional hub, offering opportunities for collaboration with neighbouring countries such as Sierra Leone to improve agricultural productivity.

He highlighted the economic benefits of increasing local rice production to reduce dependence on imports. By focusing on local production, Ghana could channel funds into key sectors such as education and healthcare, while creating jobs across the agricultural value chain.

The World Bank has pledged to fill the financing gap of $30 million for the implementation of the Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP) to improve irrigation and agricultural productivity.

The World Bank reaffirmed its commitment to supporting such initiatives, stressing the importance of ambitious targets and strong partnerships. Mr Diagana called for greater collaboration with the private sector to create an environment conducive to agricultural investment, which would stimulate job creation and strengthen economic resilience.

Mr Osei Owusu Agyeman, National Coordinator of the Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP-Ghana), highlighted the initiatives underway under the FSRP, including the construction and renovation of veterinary laboratories in Dormaa Ahenkro and Accra, as well as laboratories and seed banks at CSIR facilities in Bunso, Kumasi and Tamale, designed to strengthen links between research and industry. In addition, warehouses, border posts and markets have been rehabilitated to strengthen regional trade capacities. 

The FSRP Ghana has a number of key achievements to its credit, including support for priority commodities such as maize, rice, soybeans, tomatoes and poultry; the promotion of climate-smart, youth- and gender-sensitive technologies; and the monitoring of pests and diseases to protect crops and livestock. The purchase of 20 automated weather stations for the Ghana Meteorological Agency is a key step towards providing local weather forecasts and climate information tailored to farmers. The PRSF's initiatives are based on the pillars of sustainability, ownership and public-private partnerships, all of which aim to strengthen Ghana's preparedness against food insecurity.

The Government of Mali applied for and obtained funding from the World Bank to provide seed support to producers in the PRSA-Mali intervention zone. In August 2023, the programme acquired and distributed 1,056 tonnes of improved seeds to producers in the communes where it operates, comprising 463 tonnes of maize, 592 tonnes of rice and 1,059 kg of onions.

The acquisition of these agricultural seeds mobilised the programme's managers, as well as all stakeholders, to ensure the success of the input distribution operations. To achieve this, committees were set up at national, district and communal levels.

The 1,056 tonnes of agricultural seed distributed benefited 1,616,316 farmers, including 36,414 (23%) women.

The table below gives details of the distribution and number of beneficiaries per PRSA-Mali intervention circle.

Despite the delay in delivering the seeds, the operation was favourably received by all those involved (growers, local authorities, administrations and management).

The rains stopped for 20 days after the crops were actually planted, necessitating reseeding operations in all the districts covered by the programme.

If the recommendations are taken on board, future operations could be improved. Farmers are asking for agricultural inputs to reach them by May at the latest.

As part of the activities organised for National Farmers' Day (AGRIFEST 2024), the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP/PRSA) presented an original initiative entitled the "FSRP Chicken Road Show". This road show, initiated by Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), promoted locally produced broiler chicken, offering the public the opportunity to sample between 1,000 and 2,000 chickens free of charge during festivities organised at Efua Sutherland Park in Accra/Ghana.

In 2021, imports of chicken and chicken products into Ghana exceeded $300 million. To address this import dependency, MOFA and FSRP are implementing a Poultry Intensification Programme (PIS). With funding of 12.5 million dollars over five (5) years, this programme aims to revitalise the local broiler industry by supporting the production, processing and marketing of at least two million birds per year.

Through input credits, beneficiary farmers receive day-old chicks, feed and vaccines. They are also trained in modern best practices and climate-resilient technologies. Matching grants enable them to acquire equipment for processing and cold storage, essential elements for sustainable and competitive production.

In July 2024, 22 farmers from six (6) regions - Ashanti, Bono, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Eastern - were selected to join the programme. Since then, eight (8) of them have received: 360,500 day-old chicks, 911,000 doses of vaccines (including HBI, Lasota, Umboro 1 & 2) and 1,179 tonnes of feed.

These efforts, representing an investment of almost USD 830,000, have resulted in the production of around 400,000 chickens in just four months (up to the end of October 2024).

Chickens produced under the FSRP/PRSA are subject to rigorous inspections by control teams made up of representatives from the APD-MOFA, the Department of Veterinary Services and the FSRP/PRSA's social and environmental experts. These inspections ensure compliance with industry standards, particularly in terms of biosecurity, feed quality, vaccination protocols and general poultry health.

This travelling exhibition did more than just promote local chicken. It also highlighted the efforts of MOFA and FSRP/PRSA to develop sustainable, healthy and affordable poultry production. By tasting these grilled chickens on site, the public was able not only to appreciate their quality, but also to better understand the importance of supporting local producers.

With the support of the World Bank, this initiative symbolises Ghana's commitment to building a self-sufficient, sustainable and resilient poultry industry that benefits both producers and consumers.

From 20 to 23 January 2025, a supervisory mission led by the Coordinator of the Burkina Faso West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP-BF), accompanied by the value chain specialist, visited the Boucle du Mouhoun region to assess the programme's progress on the ground.

The mission began with a courtesy visit to the local authorities, underlining the importance of collaboration with institutional players in the implementation of PRSA-BF initiatives. The team then headed out into the field, accompanied by members of the Regional Management Unit (RMU). Several projects were visited, including micro-projects supported in various links of the agricultural value chains and storage warehouses under construction in the Mouhoun and Balés provinces.

The evaluation highlighted encouraging progress, particularly the satisfactory state of construction of storage warehouses. These strategic infrastructures are designed to strengthen the capacity of producers to better preserve their crops and reduce post-harvest losses.

However, shortcomings were noted in certain aspects of the microprojects. In response to these challenges, observations and recommendations were made to improve the effectiveness and impact of the interventions. These proposals will serve as a basis for adjusting the programme's actions and maximising the benefits for the beneficiary communities.

The FSRP-BF Coordinator also gave a glimmer of hope to the producers of the lowlands identified for development work. He reassured them that the sites would soon be handed over to companies to start the work, marking a crucial step towards improving the livelihoods of local people.

This mission illustrates the commitment of the FSRP-BF to closely monitor the implementation of its activities and to work in synergy with stakeholders to strengthen the resilience of food systems in Burkina Faso. Through rigorous monitoring and strategic adjustments, the programme aims to create a lasting impact for rural populations.

In order to address the annual fluctuations in tomato prices in the country and to ensure the year-round availability of tomatoes in Ghana, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, through the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), deployed a combination of interventions in selected tomato production sites in the country, mainly in Northern Ghana. As part of this initiative, a number of practical field exercises were organised for technical agricultural managers.

Supported by a Norwegian grant of $2,274,300 and supervised by the World Bank, the project aims to reorganise the Ghanaian tomato industry with a view to dry-season production.

A total of 1,500 tomato growers will be supported by the FSRP's Norwegian tomato programme, with inputs and knowledge upgrading with a view to producing a total of 10,000 tonnes of tomatoes by February next year.

At Tono, in north-east Ghana, the practical training consisted of germination tests, the preparation of carbonised rice husks for biochar, the sterilisation of soil environments, the establishment of nurseries in trays and crates, the establishment of ground nurseries, the construction of anti-insect nets and soil solarisation.

Tomatoes are an essential part of the Ghanaian diet, accounting for 40% of expenditure on vegetables. However, only 34% of the 1.4 million tonnes of tomatoes consumed each year are produced locally, resulting in substantial imports (particularly between December and May).

The training of tomato growers and other players in the tomato value chain, which will be provided by the technical services of Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture, will enable growers to use quality seeds that are well adapted to local seasonal and climatic variations. This training will help to overcome the logistical problems associated with pest and disease control, limited extension services, and poor agronomic and farming practices that lead to low yields in tomato production.