23rd – 24th JUNE 2010. FARA Secretariat, Accra, Ghana. In order to contribute to sustainable improvements in broad-based agricultural production, competitiveness and markets, FARA organized a Regional Policy Dialogue on Promoting Agricultural Commodity Market Access in West and Central Africa (WCA).
The workshop was organized in collaboration with the European Center for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), the Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), the Foundation for Democracy in Africa (FDA), the Regional Economic Communities (ECOWAS and ECCAS), and the Sub-regional Organization (CORAF/WECARD).
The workshop brought together key stakeholders involved in African agriculture and trade including policymakers, policy analysts and practitioners, researchers, and representatives of the African Union Commission, NPCA, RECs, sub-regional research organizations (SROs), regional policy institutions, regional farmers’ organizations, among others to examine the relevant policy options for promoting access to markets. The dialogue provided a platform for assessing and determining the critical issues bordering on promoting agricultural market access in WCA as well as to promote debate, enhance dialogue and facilitate discussions on WCA agricultural trade policy issues among national, regional and international experts, stakeholders and policymakers.
The WCA policy dialogue was a follow-up to the East and Southern African policy dialogue which was held in Nairobi, Kenya from 24th – 25th March, 2010. The outcomes of these two policy dialogues will be discussed during a third workshop involving representatives of CAADP implementing institutions (AUC, NPCA, CAADP Pillar Institutions, RECs, SROs, CTA, ECDPM, FDA, etc). This workshop will be organized to share lessons and mainstream key messages drawn from the two policy dialogue workshops into national and regional policy-making processes, including the CAADP country and regional compacts implementation processes.
