The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched a review of its regional food storage and security strategy during a high-level meeting in Dakar, bringing together representatives of member states, agricultural organizations, and development partners.
More than a decade after the adoption of the community food security storage mechanism, ECOWAS says the framework must be updated to address growing challenges posed by climate change, economic shocks, trade disruptions, and public health crises.
According to Kanfitin Konlani, Executive Director of the ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (ARAA), the region needs stronger and more sovereign mechanisms capable of responding effectively to the needs of its populations amid increasingly complex crises.
The current system is built on three levels: local food stocks managed by producer organizations, national reserves overseen by member states, and the Regional Food Security Reserve coordinated by ARAA. ECOWAS officials say the revised strategy will expand beyond emergency response to support agricultural market development, sustainable food systems, and job creation for young people and women.
Alongside the food security discussions, Dakar is also hosting the 11th General Assembly of the ECOWAS Metrology Committee (ECOMET), focused on strengthening quality standards and industrial competitiveness within the region.
Additional support is being provided to the veterinary drug control laboratory of the Inter-State School of Veterinary Sciences and Medicine (EISMV) in Dakar to improve food safety and animal health standards, underscoring ECOWAS’ broader efforts to enhance food resilience, trade competitiveness, and health security across the subregion.
