*REPLAY* Agri-food systems in the Sahel: the need for investment in local value chains

Organised by MEDEF International + UPAS (union of G5 Sahel business federations)

Moderator

• Mr. Henri de VILLENEUVE, President COBASA

Speakers

• Mr. Franck VIAULT, Head of Sector Sahel, DG INTPA

• Mrs. Zeinabou MAIDAH, CEO Niger-lait and President Organisation Professionnelle des Industriels du Niger (OPIN)

• Mrs. Sophie MÉNAGER, Managing Director I&P Accélération au Sahel

• Mr. Bastien BALLOUHEY, CEO Grands Moulins de Mauritanie

CONTEXT

The development of the economy represents a response to the multiple crises experienced by the countries of the Sahel. However, in the Sahel, the food economy represents 27% of GDP and 80% of total employment. Agriculture remains the main segment. The agricultural sector is dominated by subsistence production systems, characterized by small farms, with low productivity, high levels of selfconsumption, and weak integration of value chains.

Because of their capacity for innovation and investment, private operators are seen as key players in the transformation of African agriculture, which must simultaneously increase agricultural production, provide healthy and nutritious food to a rapidly growing population, sustainably preserve natural resources, and provide jobs and decent incomes to tens of millions of young people entering the labor market each year.

Partnerships between companies and producers are put forward as a model for structuring sectors to integrate small producers more equitably and sustainably. Thus, dynamic agro-food processing SMEs are developing in various sub-sectors. Nevertheless, the potential for production and agro-food processing is still under-exploited.

Objectives:

• Highlight the challenges of developing agri-food chains in the Sahel

• Underline the obstacles to the development of agri-food in the Sahel

• Highlight the role of the private sector and promote co-investment models for sustainable

place-based agri-food systems in the Sahel

• Feed reflections on good support practices for private operators involved in the agri-food

sectors in the Sahel