- FOA shared with stakeholders the role of solar energy in agricultural development in West Africa.
- FAO hosted more than 30 actors and partners, including ECOWAS and ECREEE.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) recently shared with stakeholders how solar energy plays a vital role in agricultural development in West Africa.
FAO recently hosted more than 30 actors and partners and discussed the importance of solar energy for the transformation of agri-food systems in West Africa and the Sahel. The session, organised in partnership with the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), provided an opportunity to review the options and benefits of integrating renewable energy into agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries activities.
The Executive Director of ECREEE, Francis Semporé, when presenting the state of renewable energy in West Africa, stated that: “Agriculture is the main economic activity in the ECOWAS region, contributing to about 35% of regional GDP and employing 65% of the population. It requires both water and energy.” He confirmed the willingness of his institution to collaborate further with FAO to popularise the use of renewable energy in the sub-regional agricultural sector.