OUAGADOUGOU - Key actors in West African agroecology convened on Thursday to establish a comprehensive roadmap and a permanent framework for collaboration among social movements, focusing on enhancing peasant agroecology across the region.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Secretary General of COPAGEN, the goal of the regional workshop was to bolster the capacities of social movements that support peasant agroecology in West Africa. Sikeli emphasized the multidimensional nature of agroecology, which includes agronomic practices that foster sustainable farming, its scientific study since the 1980s in academic institutions, and its ties to social movements. He noted that while the focus has typically been on the agronomic and scientific aspects, the social dimension has often been overlooked in discussions, yet it is crucial for the growth and influence of agroecology.

The workshop highlighted the need for stronger collaboration between networks and platforms to advance and scale up agroecology effectively. Key strategies identified include enhancing the ability to critically analyze policies and programs, managing collective advocacy campaigns for the recognition of farmer-led research, and creating support mechanisms to promote successful agroecological models, including the subsidization of bio-inputs.

These initiatives are part of the "Support for Ecological Transition by CSOs in West Africa" program, backed by the NGO OXFAM. A pre-meeting activity involved creating a map of networks and platforms that laid the groundwork for the workshop’s discussions.