CORAF recently organized the second edition of its symposium on the state of agricultural product processing, under the theme ” Promotion of research on the processing of agricultural products: achievements and opportunities available to the private sector for the creation of jobs and wealth in West and Central Africa”. This event brought together the main players in agricultural research in the region from November 21 to 23, 2023 in Lomé.
The event provided an ideal opportunity to promote research in the field of post-harvest processing, in order to increase the shelf life, quality and diversification of products in West and Central Africa. The event shed light to research findings on harvesting, processing, conservation and marketing in a variety of fields: fruit and vegetables, cereals, non-timber forest products, roots and tubers, and livestock. It was also an opportunity to discuss standards and legislation relating to the processing and marketing of agricultural products.
By emphasizing the importance of innovation, dialogue and collaboration between research and private-sector players, the symposium reaffirmed the relevance of pooling expertise and collective intelligence, exploiting research results and finding innovative solutions to the region’s multifaceted agricultural challenges.
By highlighting the importance of innovation, dialogue and collaboration between research and private sector actors, this symposium reaffirms the relevance of combining expertise and pooling collective intelligence, exploit the results of research and find innovative solutions to the region’s multifaceted agricultural challenges.
CORAF Executive Director Dr Abdou TENKOUANO stressed the urgent need to place the various technologies developed by research at the heart of exchanges, and to make them accessible to all producers.
“This approach within CORAF’s theory of change, which consists of raising awareness, gaining acceptance or adoption, and scaling up technologies and innovations. Technologies are not developed to be put in drawers, but to have an impact on development“, insists Dr Abdou TENKOUANO.Haut du formulaire
The closing ceremony was an opportunity to reward the outstanding presentations of studies from countries such as Cameroon, Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. In all, six scientific studies were honored for their outstanding contribution.
The Lomé Symposium reinforces CORAF’s position as a key player in agricultural development, illustrating its commitment to sustainable and inclusive agricultural development.