Regional Workshop on Local Stock Management Opens in Cotonou, aims Sustainable Food Security in W/Africa and the Sahel
By Raymond Enoch
A regional capitalization workshop on local stock management training opens today Tuesday 25th February 2025 in Cotonou, Benin Republic, marking a critical step towards enhancing food security in West Africa and the Sahel.
The Workshop organized by the ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) in collaboration with INADES-Formation, this three-day event, which will conclude on February 27, brings together over 70 key stakeholders from across the region, including representatives from local farmer organizations, technical experts, and international partners.
The workshop’s focus on strengthening the management of local stocks, a crucial component in ECOWAS’s broader regional food security storage strategy, which has been in place since 2015.
Local stock management has proven to be the first line of defense against food and nutrition crises in the region, especially amidst the increasing frequency of climate shocks and geopolitical instability. As part of the initiative, ECOWAS is committed to building the capacity of local organizations and communities to manage these vital food reserves effectively.
“Storage of food products or livestock feed requires a great deal of care and skill,” said Mr. Dossouhoui Gaston, Benin’s Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, during the workshop’s opening ceremony.
He added that “Setting up a regional training scheme for managers and technicians of local storage organizations is a highly relevant investment for the entire ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS region.”
The ECOWAS strategy for regional food security is built on three pillars: decentralized national food security stocks, national storage administered by individual states, and the establishment of a regional food reserve.
The recent shift towards emphasizing local stocks is a critical aspect of enhancing food resilience at the grassroots level. This approach is not only about building physical storage capacity but also about imparting the necessary skills to the individuals managing them.
Mr. Mohamed Zongo, Executive Director of RAAF, highlighted the success of the training programs that have already been rolled out, reaching over 160 producer organizations and training 86 specialized regional trainers across the region. He emphasized the importance of creating a continuous training framework that can adapt to emerging needs and challenges, ensuring that local players remain equipped to manage food security effectively.
To date, the ECOWAS training program has garnered substantial support from regional institutions like the World Bank, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the European Security Reserve (RFSR). The collaboration between ECOWAS and local organizations, along with the development of a robust e-learning platform, has positioned the region for greater self-sufficiency in managing food security crises.
“The regional capitalization workshop is an opportunity for us to reflect on our progress, share lessons learned, and explore new strategies to sustain this critical work,” said Zongo. “This initiative represents our collective commitment to creating a resilient and inclusive storage system, one that will ensure food and nutrition security for the people of West Africa and the Sahel.”
Participants in the workshop include technical experts, financial partners, and local storage facilitators, all united in their mission to reinforce the capacities of local storage organizations. The workshop will also discuss the creation of new strategies to guarantee the sustainability of the training system, ensuring that local stock management remains a priority within the regional food security framework.
As the workshop progresses, the stakes remain high for the success of this initiative and could reshape the future of food security in the region, fostering a self-sufficient, resilient, and adaptive approach to managing local food resources for generations to come.
