NEWS

On 3 and 4 October, Paris hosted the FrancoTech Forum, organised in conjunction with the Francophonie Summit. This international event brought together leaders and stakeholders from the 88 member states and governments of La Francophonie to promote solidarity, cultural diversity and civic engagement. The summit aimed to strengthen international cooperation while sharing initiatives and solutions to promote sustainable economic development.

Patrice Noa speaks at a round table on food security in Africa

Invited to take part in a round table discussion, Patrice Noa, delegate of the Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement (IECD) in the Central African Republic, took the floor to talk about food security in a globalised world. In his speech, he highlighted the challenges of economic diversification and strengthening value chains, drawing on the expertise developed by the IECD as part of its Agricultural Development programme.

On behalf of over 1,000 market garden and fish farming professionals supported by the IECD in Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, Cameroon and Congo, Patrice Noa stressed the importance of supporting producers and traders.

Concrete approaches in the Agricultural Development programme

The approach developed by the IECD is characterised by experiments in real conditions, which have demonstrated their effectiveness with concrete results in terms of increased production. These initiatives are part of a process of ecological and social transition, integrating sustainable agricultural practices adapted to local contexts.

IECD’s projects aim to turn challenges into opportunities: adapting agricultural sectors to environmental change, while meeting growing food needs. The organisation’s actions include strengthening the skills of local players, introducing modern agricultural techniques and developing more robust marketing channels.

Seeking new partners for large-scale impact

While the results achieved demonstrate the potential of the IECD’s approaches, the organisation is seeking to broaden its impact. It is now time to mobilise new public and private partners to deploy these best practices on a larger scale. This increased cooperation would make it possible to reach more communities and respond more effectively to the challenges of food security, while stimulating the local economy.

The Francophonie summit was an opportunity for the IECD to make the voice of local players heard and to reaffirm the importance of supporting local initiatives to meet global challenges. Food security and the ecological transition require concerted efforts and a shared vision, and the IECD is positioning itself to play a key role in this transformation.