The Agricultural sector is increasingly facing a series of complex challenges, including the production of greater quantity and more nutritional food while using less water, production of sustainable diets in order to reduce malnutrition, application of clean technologies that will ensure environmental sustainability, and the reduction of impacts of climate change while contributing in a productive way to local and national economies.
The Conference aimed at bringing together Ministers of Agriculture, high-level government officials, and representatives of ECOWAS countries and Israeli counterparts to discuss challenges and experiences related to Agricultural and rural development agenda. It serves as an opportunity to foster and strengthen partnerships and cooperation for enabling the implementation of national development plans.
As reflected in the Ministerial Conference, collaboration between ECOWAS countries is of utmost importance to nurture cross-border collaboration and exchange information to achieve sustainable development, as an integral part of the 2030 International Development Agenda, aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (STGs).
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Agriculture, Professor Patrick Monty Jones held series of one-on-one bilateral discussions with top Israeli government officials and private sector companies, including the following: Meeting with the President of the Chamber of Commerce and his team. Professor Monty Jones in readiness tendered two investment proposals for their consideration. Already there have few interests to those proposals at present; a very fruitful meeting with his Israeli counterpart, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hon Uri Ariel. The need for close collaboration, fostering of Agricultural technologies, training and capacity building of Sierra Leonean farmers was top of the discussions; met with Ambassador Gil Haskel, Head of MASHAV, Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss how MASHAV can build MAFFS capacity and training programs in the fields of agriculture, water management, environment and rural development; Also met with Mr. Yakov Poleg, Director of the Centre for International Agricultural Development Cooperation  (CINADCO), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; visited Lahai Forrest – Combating Desertification: Implementing Water, Soil Conservation and Afforestation Project. The Honourable Minister had the opportunity to plant a tree in Israel; and visited the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) then the Valcani Centre of Research Institute.
At the end of the conference, the following agreements were reached In conclusion: the Conference will be held bi- annually; the next conference will be held in an ECOWAS country, which is to be determined by the ECOWAS Secretariat; there will be two training courses for the Anglophone countries 2017; there will be a training course annually for the MAFFS staff, starting 2017. The courses are on Agribusiness, Extension and are specifically designed to improve Agricultural production in developing countries, promote food security and create partnerships as well as ongoing international cooperation for sustainable development; and MASHAV-ECOWAS will organize a meeting for all heads of research Institutes in Agriculture including CORAF.
Professor Monty Jones was asked to deliver a statement in the conference, which was complimented with a certificate for his contribution.
