Environment and agricultural production on the agenda of a meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament in Bissau

The opening session of the delocalised meeting of the joint Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources/ Infrastructure, Energy and Mines/ Industry and Private Sector of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the impact of the Community environmental policy on agricultural production in Member States took place, on Tuesday 23 August 2022, in Bissau, capital of Guinea Bissau.

This meeting which is focused on the theme « A critical look at the ECOWAS environmental policy and climate strategy, as well as the biennial review of the agricultural production and food and nutritional safety in Member States », offers the members of the joint Committee the opportunity to reflect on the topic.

The objective of the meeting is to specifically review all the mechanisms and provisions aimed at mitigating the negative impact of climate change while highlighting the role Members of Parliament are expected to play in the implementation of the regional climate strategy.

Furthermore, the ECOWAS Parliament joint Committee, through the biennial review process of the agricultural production, aims at learning more about the progress made in terms of agricultural production, food and nutritional security.

In his address, the Second Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sani Malam Chaibou Boucary stated that “implementation of the environmental policy and agricultural policy commitments of the Community has become a major concern and even the Parliamentarians who are the representatives of the people know this fact”.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of Guinea Bissau, the Right Honourable Cipriano Cassama, in his opening speech, stressed the need for a balance between agricultural production and conservation of environment.