A snapshot of challenges &
opportunities for food security &
sovereignty in West Africa
Linking
Meredith Kushnir, REAP-Canada,
Presentation for Dig In! Campus Agriculture at UofT, February 14, 2012
REAP-Canada
Helping rural
communities in
Canada and
developing countries
meet the challenges
of ecologically sound
production of food,
fibre and fuel since
1986
Agriculture Sector Context...
• More than 75% of active
population are engaged in
agriculture;
• Agriculture accounts for 30%
GDP in Gambia and 17% GDP
in Senegal
• Exports < Imports = Net food
importing countries
• Unsustainable agricultural
practices & policy (geared
towards cash crops)
• ‘Hungry Season’ – where many
farmers experience food
shortages for 2-4 months
=UNSUSTAINABLE
Common Socio-economic challenges
in rural areas of the Gambia & Senegal
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Limited education
Lack of financial resources
Limited access to land
Chronic malnutrition
Gender inequality
Lack of sustainable resource
management
Food Insecurity
Common Agricultural Challenges in the
Gambia & Senegal
REDUCED AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTIVITY
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Monoculture farming
Overgrazing by livestock
Drought and low rainfall
Extreme weather
Deforestation
Crop residues removed
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Low soil
fertility
Severe
erosion & loss
of soil organic
matter
Desertificatio
n
• Global Factors (global markets, trade policies,
economies etc…)
• National Factors (policies affecting, rural
extension, access to goods)
• Community Level factors (access to land,
resource availability (i.e. water, soils, seeds)
• Household factors (
Agro-Ecological Village Approach
An interdependent community of individual households that are
largely self-reliant through the creation of ecological food, fiber &
energy systems
Common Objectives
1. Self-Sufficient, integrated community
2. Poverty reduction & sustainable livelihoods
3. Protect/enhance natural and social capital
Self-sufficiency for rural villages
Conventional
Agriculture
Agro-Ecological
Village Approach
The Agro-Ecological Village
Developing the Social, Ecological and Technological infrastructure of communities
Movement towards Food Sovereignty in West Africa
Push towards the Alliance for a new Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
/ Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme
(CAADP)
•Bamako Declaration 2007 on food sovereignty
 Support the use of traditional seeds and animal breeds for food sovereignty
 Stop the privatization of seeds and biopiracy
 Ban GMOs on the lands of Africa
 Support farmer exchanges and innovations
•ECOWAP - 2008 Regional Agricultural Policy – ensuring:
 Food security for people in the region
 Reducing food dependence and achieving food sovereignty;
 Involving producers in markets;
 Creating jobs with guaranteed incomes in order to improve living conditions and services in rural areas;
 Intensifying production systems in a sustainable manner;
 Reducing the vulnerability of West African economies by limiting factors of instability and regional insecurity;
 Adopting appropriate funding mechanisms.
•ROPPA
/ People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty
Farmer Service Organizations
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In Senegal, the CLCOP (cadre local de concertation des organizations de producteur) promotes
the interests of small producers and facilitates their access to technical and financial support for
agriculture.
FSOs can support farmer communities in:
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Agricultural production - Input supply & sharing (i.e. seeds, fertilizers; technologies), locally-sourced technical
advice; enhanced production volume through collective action
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Financing / Marketing: Enhanced capacity to access markets & demand good prices; joint venture to enable
higher returns on products; credit & saving schemes.
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Information / Knowledge Services: peer-peer farming learning / trade fairs
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Research / Innovations: opportunity to support farmer-led research / sharing of innovations
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Advocacy: strengthened capacity to articulate local needs to potential service producers.
Thank you! Jire jeff!