Advocacy for More Investment in the Agricultural Sector

The President of the Farmers Union of Liberia, Josephine George Francis, made a presentation to MPs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on Wednesday August 24, 2022 in Bissau (Guinea-Bissau).

In her speech, she emphasized the consequences of climate change on agriculture: drought, lower yields, poor quality of cereals… In addition, she explained that on a global scale, agriculture is directly responsible for 14% of greenhouse gas emissions. It is also a key factor in deforestation and land degradation, which represent 17% of additional greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, climate change and agriculture affect each other.

Josephine George Francis also pleaded for more investment in the agricultural sector to meet the food demand of a growing population.

In this regard, she invites ECOWAS Member States to comply with the Malabo declaration to allocate 10% of the national budget to the agricultural sector, 50% of which to invest in family farms. She recommends supporting the national research system and regional coordination mechanism in order to stimulate local production in the region to meet the consumption needs of the populations.