Forum on Women’s Access to Appropriate Agricultural Technology

A gender sensitive panel

7 to 9 June  2017.Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The Four-Country Cotton Partnership (USAID C4CP) a project implemented by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with the African Union (AU), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD), organized a forum on Women’s Access to Appropriate Agricultural Technology.

Over 100 participants drawn from the West African region attended this forum, with a specific focus on the C-4 countries. Regional organizations such as the African Union (AU), African Development Bank (AfDB), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) as well as members of the Community of Practice on Gender Cotton and Food Security were also present. Coordinators of the ECOWAS agriculture policy (ECOWAP) as well as female producers and processors shared their experiences.

The forum:

• Reviewed the existing innovative technological initiatives, policies and strategies.
• Evaluated the existing level of use of farming equipment and technologies by small holder farmers.
• Facilitated the sharing of experience to improve access and adoption of appropriate technologies and innovations by female farmers and processors.
• Identified gender-smart technologies and innovations for planned pilot Incubation Centers of the USAID C4CP project in the C4 countries.
• Made recommendations to government, regional institutions and all stakeholders on effective ways and means of enhancing women’s access and adoption of appropriate agricultural technologies and innovations in order to raise productivity at the farm level.

Other CORAF event
13-14 June 2017. Accra. Stakeholders and Agricultural experts from the West African countries converged for a Two-Day consultative meeting seeking ways to consolidate progress made so far on food security issues in the sub-region.
The Two-Day Learning Event dubbed ‘Catalytic Innovation for Agricultural Transformation’ provided a roadmap to spur the growth of the national and regional seed industry.

The World Bank and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported the Sub-regional bloc ECOWAS in implementing two mutually reinforcing flagship programs ; The West African Seed Program (WASP) and the West African Agricultural Productivity Program (WAPP) focusing on seven member states but with regulations throughout all 15 member countries in addition to Mauritania and Chad which are not in the sub-region.