ECOWAS: Revision of the ECOWAP agricultural policy enters a decisive technical phase

More than eighty participants — national focal points, technical experts, ECOWAS Commission members, and regional consultants — kicked off a virtual technical meeting on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, to revise the ECOWAS Common Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP), adopted in January 2005 in Accra. According to the ECOWAS Commission, the meeting follows the one held in Banjul, Gambia, in June 2026, and incorporates contributions received since then on the review report and priorities for the next decade. Ousman Sylla, representing the Ministry of Agriculture of Senegal, the country holding the rotating presidency of ECOWAS, stated that the revision "must provide tailored responses to the region's persistent challenges: food insecurity, climate change, weak regional trade, insufficient local processing, and financing constraints." He called for alignment with the Kampala Declaration, the CAADP 2026-2035, and the ECOWAS Vision 2050, with increased focus on producers, women, and youth. Fatmata Seiwoh, Acting Director of Agriculture and Rural Development at the ECOWAS Commission, welcomed the participation of UEMOA and announced the future involvement of the Conseil de l'Entente and the Mano River Union "to ensure the inclusiveness of the process." The recommendations, stemming notably from a presentation by consultant Emmanuel Ahouansinkpo, will be submitted on August 27, 2026, to regional agriculture ministers meeting in a virtual ministerial session. As the 2015-2025 cycle comes to an end, the revision aims to reposition ECOWAP toward 2035, with an emphasis on agricultural digitization and commercialization, which will condition states' access to regional financing. Internally, coordination between national and regional levels and financing remain the main friction points; externally, climate change and agricultural market volatility weigh on the objective of...