Crop pests and enemies pose serious threats to crops and pastures. They exacerbate food dependency and the vulnerability of populations to food and nutritional insecurity.
In organizing the response to this scourge, ECOWAS and its partners have established regulatory frameworks, including the Regulation on the harmonization of rules governing the registration of pesticides in West Africa, followed by the establishment of the West African committee for pesticides registration. In addition, the regulation on the harmonization of rules governing plant health, animal health, and food safety in West Africa was adopted in 2010. Significant efforts are also underway to harmonize sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards in West Africa, taking into account continental and international practices and standards.
The general objective of this theme is to improve household resilience and food security, as well as increase the income of producers, particularly small-scale producers, in order to help reduce poverty and create jobs.
In this regard, the ECOWAS and UEMOA, in collaboration with various technical and financial partners, have undertaken important initiatives to support countries in research, pooling of research results, information and training, sharing of best practices, revitalizing the regional surveillance system, anticipation, early warning, involvement, and strengthening of collaboration with the private sector. At the national level, the intervention focuses on training technicians and producers, sharing best practices, and providing technical, human, material, and financial support for implementation activities.
The support project for the Regional Fruit Fly Control Plan in West Africa (FFCP) and its Phase II, known as the Innovative Regional Control System for Fruit Flies in West Africa (SyRIMAO), with financial support from the EU and AFD, is an illustration of one of these regional initiatives. This project has established a surveillance system that covers almost all 15 ECOWAS member States.
This theme mainly contributes to strategic axis No. 1 of ECOWAP, namely, "increase agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries productivity and production through diversified and sustainable production systems and reduce post-production losses." The main technical and financial partners involved in the implementation of this theme include AFD, EU, the World Bank, FAO/CLCPRO, and CILSS.
