This document summarizes discussions from the 6th annual donor meeting in Rome from May 9-11, 2006 on rural development in Western and Central Africa. Key topics discussed included community driven development, the food crisis in the Sahel region, conservation agriculture, natural resource management including land tenure, agricultural commodity chain development for crops like rubber, carbon, and cotton, and strengthening farmer organizations. Participants also discussed the need for policy reform informed by evidence and knowledge sharing between partners to better support agriculture and rural development across the region.

1. SYNTHESIS
VIth ANNUAL DONOR MEETING
9-11 May 2006
Casa San Bernardo - Rome, Italy
Mohamed Manssouri, IFAD
Rural development in Western and Central Africa

2. COMMUNITY DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT/LOCAL
DEVELOPMENT
– Engage in a policy dialogue and reform on decentralization as the
real entry
– Based on WB’s evaluation and other assessments and existing
efforts (decision tools) work together to develop an improved M&E
System, CB analysis, benchmarking.
– Increase our credibility by showing impact of CDD and improving
impact of M&E vis-à-vis the tax payer and the various partners
– Need for a better costs & benefits analysis to contribute really to
poverty reduction and economic growth;
– Increase collaboration between donors in order to have a higher
impact on the ground;
– Platform, websites, common events…
– Land tenure is a key entry point (resource base, fiscal
decentralization, cultural values…)
Rural development in Western and Central Africa

3. FOOD CRISIS IN THE SAHEL
• Various causes for food-crisis: not only climate changes, but
also locusts, social reasons, market, etc.:.
• Remote areas and rural areas are generally more affected.
• Need for more collaboration since the projects design.
• Need for better assessment capacity and emergency
guidelines.
• Need to share information (public website).
• Early warning systems to be further developed
• Need to better understand the determinants of the crisis
• Need to better understand the management of the response to
the crisis
Rural development in Western and Central Africa

4. CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE
• Dynamic topic, increase of interest for this approach.
• Concrete achievements since 2005,
• Soils are one of the most important assets of developing countries’
capital.
• Already existing demand from private partners.
• Collective decisions processes in some case might slowdown the
diffusion of CA.
• Dynamic at global and regional level
• Need for concrete application to build the momentum Africa should
be part of
• Integrate WCA in this dynamic, create a network and find new
partners: Could the decentralization of local communities foster the
diffusion of CA?
• Economics: need to convince farmers of the economic comparative
advantage.
Rural development in Western and Central Africa

5. NATURAL RESSOURCES MANAGEMENT
LAND TENURE
• Central issue but moderate progress
• Importance of the links between land tenure and local
development.
• Need for more political engagement.
• Decentralization of land tenure arrangements is a way to
empower local communities;
• Strong links between NRM, Land Tenure and CDDs.
• Pursue the partnerships initiated by ICARDD: Develop / create
dialogue groups, sustainable platform, partnerships.
• between FAO / IFAD / AFD… a role for the Hub
Rural development in Western and Central Africa

6. NATURAL RESSOURCES MANAGEMENT
(2)
CASE STUDIES - SOLARID, TERRAFRICA AND WB PROJECT
ON PAYMENT FOR SERVICES
• Cost of inaction much higher than rehabilitation cost.
• Economic quantification strengthens engagement of all partners
• Integration TerrAfrica/ SolArid
• PES is a major innovation: need to consolidate and… scale up
• Need to start initiatives where people are able to pay for them.
Rural development in Western and Central Africa

7. AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT
RUBBER AND CARBON
• Innovativeness perennial crops/carbon sequestration
• Develop new types of financing for carbon and rubber.
• Carbon credit is temporary. Need to find ways to secure it.
• A lot of interest to be expanded to other crops
Rural development in Western and Central Africa

8. AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT (2)
COTTON
• Good progress and donor coordination.
• Joint dynamics of price risk management arrangement:
promising innovation!
• Need for more partners’ involvement in the platform.
• New price risk management needs to be farmer-based
Rural development in Western and Central Africa

9. AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT (3)
FARMER ORGANIZATIONS (FO)
• Increase in dialogue with FO at all levels,
• Farmers’Forum is partnership venture at global level
• Need to have a differentiated approach to working with FOs
(operational, local, national, regional)
• Need to support the structuring of FOs at the various levels and
their networks
Rural development in Western and Central Africa

10. Policy Reform
• Need to inform policies by rational information & knowledge
• Fact-based advocacy for agricultural & rural development
• How to support African agriculture?
• Consideration for environment when policies are defined; the
resource base is not illimited
• The regional platform is a way to foster collaboration action
through knowledge sharing & policy dialogue
Rural development in Western and Central Africa

11. Thank you
VIth ANNUAL DONOR MEETING
9-11 May 2006
Casa San Bernardo - Rome, Italy
Rural development in Western and Central Africa