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A snapshot of challenges & opportunities for food security & sovereignty in West Africa Meredith Kushnir, REAP-Canada, Presentation for Dig In! Campus Agriculture at UofT, February 14, 2012. Linking. REAP-Canada.

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  1. A snapshot of challenges & opportunities for food security & sovereignty in West Africa Meredith Kushnir, REAP-Canada, Presentation for Dig In! Campus Agriculture at UofT, February 14, 2012 Linking

  2. REAP-Canada Helping rural communities in Canada and developing countries meet the challenges of ecologically sound production of food, fibre and fuel since 1986

  3. 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

  4. Common Socio-economic challenges in rural areas of the Gambia & Senegal • Limited education • Lack of financial resources • Limited access to land • Chronic malnutrition • Gender inequality • Lack of sustainable resource management Food Insecurity

  5. Common Agricultural Challenges in the Gambia & Senegal REDUCED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY • Low soil fertility • Severe erosion & loss of soil organic matter • Desertification • Salinization • Vulnerability to climate change • Monoculture farming • Overgrazing by livestock • Drought and low rainfall • Extreme weather • Deforestation • Crop residues removed

  6. 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 (

  7. 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

  8. Self-sufficiency for rural villages Conventional Agriculture Agro-Ecological Village Approach

  9. The Agro-Ecological Village Developing the Social, Ecological and Technological infrastructure of communities

  10. 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

  11. Farmer Service Organizations • 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: • Agricultural production - Input supply & sharing (i.e. seeds, fertilizers; technologies), locally-sourced technical advice; enhanced production volume through collective action • Financing / Marketing: Enhanced capacity to access markets & demand good prices; joint venture to enable higher returns on products; credit & saving schemes. • Information / Knowledge Services: peer-peer farming learning / trade fairs • Research / Innovations: opportunity to support farmer-led research / sharing of innovations • Advocacy: strengthened capacity to articulate local needs to potential service producers.

  12. Thank you! Jire jeff!

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