A four-day forum opened on October 21, 2024, in Abuja, Nigeria, bringing together key stakeholders from across the region. Participants include farmers’ organisations, civil society, the private sector, NGOs, public institutions, policymakers, and researchers.

The forum aims to promote sustainable food systems and strengthen food sovereignty in West Africa through policies and public interventions that prioritize agroecology, organic farming, and climate-smart agriculture.

Discussions will focus on sustainable land management, strategies to build resilience against climate change, adoption of eco-friendly practices by farmers, and policy support for a transition to green agriculture.

Participants will also share success stories and local innovations in sustainable farming, assess progress in agroecology and organic agriculture, and explore financing mechanisms to support these practices. The goal is to rethink policies that address the challenges of food and nutrition sovereignty in the region.

West Africa faces major issues, including chronic food insecurity, climate change, soil degradation, and rising insecurity threatening agricultural production.

The event is organized by the Alliance for Agroecology in West Africa (3AO) and the West African Organic Network (WAfrONet) in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria and ECOWAS. The theme is: “Financing the Transformation of Sustainable Food Systems for Food Sovereignty in West Africa through Organic Farming, Agroecology, and Climate-Smart Agriculture: Policies, Mechanisms, and Instruments.”

Alain Sy Traoré, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development at ECOWAS, stressed the importance of financial support for scaling up these agricultural models. Without sufficient investment, he said, the desired impact cannot be achieved.

Speaking on behalf of ECOWAS President H.E. Dr Oumar Alieu Touray and Commissioner Massandjé Touré-Litsé, Traoré emphasized that agricultural resilience is a key challenge for member states. He noted that national budgets alone cannot meet the financial demands of international climate commitments.

To address this, he called for smarter cooperation to mobilize and absorb international climate funds. “ECOWAS is committed to making climate action a political priority in the region, in line with its Vision 2050. Climate challenges are cross-border issues, and only by working together can we overcome them. Alone, we may go faster, but together, we go further,” Traoré concluded.

He urged participants to engage in meaningful discussions and provide actionable recommendations to policymakers and development partners, encouraging greater support for agroecology, organic farming, and climate-smart agriculture.

Representing Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Ibrahim Tanimu urged West Africans to “produce what they consume and consume what they produce,” emphasizing that local consumption is key to achieving food self-sufficiency in the region.

The forum is supported by partners, including ECOWAS, the European Union, the French Development Agency (AFD), the Adaptation Fund, the West African Development Bank (BOAD), the Green Climate Fund, and ActionAid.