Group picture during the opening ceremony/FAO Cote d’Ivoire

This workshop is one of the concluding activities of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) funded NEPAD-FAO Fish Programme (NFFP) implemented from 2012 to 2015.

The Programme aimed at the development of approaches, tools, methods generation of information and knowledge that can inform policy formulation, mostly at regional and sub-regional levels, while supporting efforts to improve responsible fisheries and aquaculture along with social and economic development at every stage. Activities within the post-harvest chains encompassed capacity development of fisheries professionals and private sector representatives to raise their understanding of post-harvest losses and the support to loss assessments in major fisheries sites. The data sharing workshop held in 2014 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, led to a roadmap for the development of a strategy for post-harvest loss reduction and regional trade enhancement in Volta Basin riparian countries. This whole process has been implemented through consultations and buy-in from interested parties.

The workshop was convened so that beneficiary countries (Volta Basin riparian states) - through a government representative at decision-making level of the fisheries and aquaculture sector and the leader of the national post-harvest loss assessment team - could validate the strategy. The 25 participants included representatives from Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali and Togo and representatives of NEPAD’s Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA), the Volta Basin Authority, FAO and the Fishery Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC).

Images of poor post-harvest practices in the Volta Basin riparian countries-

Credentials: Y. Ouedraogo, Burkina Faso for the first 2 pictures & RTI Cote d’Ivoire image (3^rd)

The draft strategy is consistent with the pan African policy framework and reform strategy for fisheries and aquaculture in Africa and the subsequent Malabo Declaration by the African Union Heads of State and Governments, who met in June 2014 and committed to reduce post-harvest losses by at least 50 percent by 2025. It identifies eight priority areas comprising two crosscutting beams (Resilience and Social Protection, Gender concerns) and six specific areas (Capacity Development, Policy/Regulations, Infrastructure/Services, Technology/Techniques, Market Access and Consumer level interventions). The key outcomes of the critical supply chain bottlenecks analysis, which integrated a sustainable value chain approach and mainstreaming of climate change, gender and other social concerns, can therefore serve as baselines to establish loss reduction interventions and gauge efficiency in this sub-regional shared water body.

Beyond the strategy, participants envisioned strengthening the synergy between FAO, NPCA and riparian countries through a concept note to mobilize funds for a regional programme and national action/implementation plans.  

As part of the information sharing process, a noteworthy presentation was made by a research team of the University of Abidjan on the preliminary findings of a 2-years study initiated in two artisanal fishing communities, on the impacts of poor fish smoking practices on women fish processors’ health.

Contact persons:

Yvette Diei Ouadi, FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture Department

Hamady Diop, NEPAD Program manager, Fisheries & Aquaculture

Elogne Kadja, Information Resources Assistant, FAO Cote d’Ivoire

Illia Rosenthal, International Consultant