“Food Security: At the Heart of the Solution to Demographic, Migration and Security Challenges”

In collaboration with the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development of the European Commission, the SWAC Secretariat will discuss why the challenges facing food security in West Africa should not be overshadowed by the resurgence of demographic, migration and security concerns on the international agenda. Food security issues are at the heart of these concerns and should be considered as part of the solution to the challenges they raise. Of central importance is the food sector which is the largest economic sector in the region, far ahead of extractive industries, cash crops or the energy sector. The food economy offers huge potential for creating more jobs, stimulating stronger and more inclusive growth, opening up a wider field of opportunities - in rural and urban areas - for agricultural producers and entrepreneurs, and pulling the most vulnerable out of poverty and insecurity