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Food security

Regional Food Security Reserve: A Regional Consultation to Discuss the Implementation of the Animal Feed Component

As part of the operationalisation of the Regional Food Security Reserve undertaken in 2015, relevant efforts were made to consider the specificities of pastoral crises through an "Animal feed" component of the regional scheme. The process and discussions continued until 2023/2024, when in-depth documentation on the sector was produced with contributions from all stakeholders. A compromise was reached at the regional technical consultation with stakeholders on the implementation of the Animal Feed Component of the Regional Reserve, held in Cotonou (Benin) on 28 to 30 May 2024.

The objective of the regional consultation was to bring together national and regional stakeholders in charge of responding to pastoral crises to discuss best approaches for actions and propose effective intervention strategy and tools to ECOWAS statutory bodies and authorities for the operationalisation of the animal feed component of the Regional Food Reserve.

Considering the variety of the options that emerged from the discussions to address the main concerns -lack of availability of animal feed and inadequacy of funding - participants rather recommended to: (i) consider an operational plan that combines the strengths of the various  options and that offers a range of possible support depending on the pastoral situation, (ii) ensure cohesion and complementarity between Sahelian and coastal countries and (iii) define clear triggers for intervention by the Reserve: for example, animal density on border areas, rate of fodder shortage, monitoring of the situation, country's capacity to cover the needs of the pastoral component of its national response plan, etc.

To ensure that the animal feed component becomes operational, the regional storage strategy shall also consider other aspects such as in-depth discussions with stakeholders in existing frameworks, like those of the PREGEC mechanism on the Harmonized Framework, the pastoral component of national response plans, market information, crisis indicators, and indicators of interventions effect and impact.

Whichever option is chosen, the strategy should make the most of the expertise of producer organisations through their strong involvement in the process and in decision-making bodies. It is also advisable to always carry out fodder balances in good time before the start of PREGEC cycles, add an economic component to the solidarity component of local stocks, give priority to purchases in host countries and work, among other things, on a manual for purchasing quality feed for animals.