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GEPC 2026: PANEL 2. Systèmes alimentaires résilients, agroécologie et restauration des paysages — Transcript

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0:00The Agricultural Transformation Agency
0:03has enabled certain producers in
0:05specific areas to benefit from these
0:07input kits. You take the inputs,
0:12whether it's seeds or fertilizer. You
0:16cultivate your field, and at harvest
0:19time, you pay it back with the
0:21harvested product. So, it's not in cash
0:27; this is also to minimize expenses. So
0:31, that's roughly what I could say
0:32regarding that.
0:34>> There you go. Thank you very much, sir.
0:38It is true that you represent the
0:39ministry, and you have taken the time
0:42to list and enumerate all those
0:43programs and government initiatives
0:45through your ministry. So, in less than
0:50a minute, since these programs were
0:52implemented, has it had a real impact
0:55on producers facing issues like input
0:58prices or climate change? Do you
1:02conduct surveys or polls to see if all
1:04these mechanisms have positive effects
1:07on the farmers, in under a minute?
1:11>> Thank you very much. Well, you know I
1:13can never say no. But it's easy to say
1:19yes, but can you demonstrate, through
1:22evidence, that these things work, like
1:24the SMS broadcasts? For example, my
1:27grandfather in Toufelcou, who cannot
1:29read SMS messages—you spoke about SMS
1:31alerts that warn them about the
1:32situation. Do all these mechanisms
1:34actually benefit them? That is exactly
1:36what I wanted to get at.
1:38>> Yes, well, as I said, I can't say no. I
1:41can provide some figures if you allow
1:43me. Please go ahead quickly.
1:46>> Yes. In terms of well, for the
2:02agricultural season 2026-27, we have
2:1018,000 we have 18,200 tons of seeds. of
2:16improved varieties of corn, rice,
2:18sorghum, cowpea, peanut, and sesame,
2:21certified and made available to
2:23producers with a consumption rate of
2:25over 50%. And we also have cassava
2:32cuttings, cocoa pods, hybrid cocoa
2:35plants, and rooted coffee cuttings that
2:38are also distributed to producers.
2:43Regarding the services of weather,
2:48meteorological information services, we
2:51have over 12,000 SMS beneficiaries. As
2:56I said, it is in local languages: there
2:59is Kabye, Ewe, we have Moba, and other
3:01languages, that's more than seven
3:03languages like that. Local language
3:07makes information accessible, it alerts
3:12you about the arrival of rain, about
3:18the cessation of precipitation to
3:21prevent the producer from going to sow
3:24and suffering the effects of rain stops
3:27, so as not to go any further. Right,
3:32thank you very much. Uh, the numbers
3:34already, the numbers say it all
3:36regarding all these initiatives. So, I
3:38turn to you Doctor, I haven't finished
3:41with you yet. I will, I will come back
3:45to Mr. Trainté Chopu. So we are with
3:49the CTO. So, we are talking about
3:53issues of climate change. So tell us,
3:56Doctor, what are the main difficulties
3:59encountered by small-scale producers
4:02facing climate change in Togo, because
4:05you work with small producers, while
4:08it's the State that takes care of large
4:11producers.
4:13>> OK, thank you very much. Uh, I also
4:16thank Compassion for this initiative
4:19and for the invitation extended to the
4:22CTO. The CTO is the national platform
4:26of farmers 'organizations in Togo. So
4:31we define it as the Togolese
4:33coordination of farmers' organizations
4:36and agricultural producers, which is a
4:39member of the African network of
4:41farmers 'organizations. So, it was
4:46founded on July 10, 2001, with official
4:50recognition in 2005. Today, the CTO
4:56counts 21 federations of farmers'
4:59organizations. That's about 560,000
5:06family farms, you know, which touch
5:10several sectors, of course, coffee,
5:14cocoa, cotton, pineapple, rice, corn.
5:22Well, and the livestock sectors, cattle
5:25, meat, all of that, they are included.
5:28Right. And processing as well, with a
5:32youth college and a women's college. So
5:39we intervene at four levels regarding
5:43our intervention strategy which has
5:46been ongoing since 2023-2027. Uh, we
5:54decided that we would work to influence
5:56agricultural policies. Right, working
6:00on leadership and policy influence. We
6:03also work on the economic services we
6:05provide to members and on food systems.
6:09We also work on capacity building and
6:12the performance of the CTO itself, but
6:16transversally, we also work on land
6:20issues, climate change issues, or
6:23resilience, within which this panel is
6:27of course situated. So to finish, what
6:32is the role of the CTO? To promote and
6:37permanently defend the value of family
6:42farming that is truly worthy of the
6:46name. Allow the farmer to be
6:48comfortable in their own skin. Right,
6:51dignified, just as the civil servant
6:52can live off their salary. So that the
6:55farmer can also be proud to say they
6:57are a farmer and be able to live off
6:58their work. So, I will return to your
7:03question. So, as I mentioned, the main
7:08challenges for small-scale farmers—
7:10there are at least 560,000 of them
7:12within the COP. The first difficulty,
7:17as we always know, is that we farm when
7:21there is water. Today, our agriculture
7:26is still dependent on rainfall. That
7:31makes it vulnerable to a number of
7:34things. As soon as the rain is
7:37disrupted a little, it's over. Farmers,
7:41especially small-scale producers,
7:43struggle to adapt. That's very
7:48important to note. Still revolving
7:53around the issue of water, what are the
7:57difficulties? There you go. I will also
8:01talk about the irregular seasons.
8:05Seasons no longer coincide the way they
8:09used to. Since we are talking about
8:12climate change, after all. There are
8:15pockets of drought. The rain might
8:17start well. You plant your crops, then
8:20two weeks without any. You yourself
8:22don't understand anything anymore.
8:24These are the realities we are facing.
8:28Beyond that, there is also heavy
8:30rainfall. It rains more than necessary,
8:34which leads to a number of problems and
8:37really affects the whole ecosystem.
8:41Primarily the soil, erosion, and it can
8:46even lead to flooding. Exactly.
8:51Obviously, all of this affects the
8:53physical, chemical, and biological
8:56parameters, and thus the fertility of
8:58the soil. So, those are a few problems
9:05I can point out to show that all these
9:09factors influence yields. Speaking of
9:14climate change, look at temperature
9:16changes, for example. Ten years ago, we
9:21didn't know about a certain caterpillar
9:25, the fall armyworm, which has been
9:29attacking maize since April 2016. The
9:36entire West African coast is affected
9:39by this pest, which existed before but
9:41didn't really attack crops like maize.
9:46So, changes in temperature and other
9:51factors are what influence these pests.
9:58To be more concrete, this year, we are
10:02in 2026. If you look at the rainfall
10:06situation, for example, you will see
10:08that in the Savannah region, it was
10:10catastrophic. Indeed. For instance, in
10:15the West, there are areas where there
10:18was no production at all. It's a
10:22disaster. As for the Kara region, it's
10:25very irregular. Well, those are the
10:27ones with really short-cycle varieties
10:29that were able to get by. In the
10:32maritime region, you know that we have
10:34the maritime and plateau areas, there
10:35is a short season. There is the second
10:39season. The rains started well, but
10:41they stopped abruptly. So that is what
10:45we are witnessing. Of course, to
10:49conclude, well, perhaps my question
10:51didn't cover all those angles, but
10:53there are also other difficulties that
10:55are not necessarily linked to the
10:57climate. Because if we only look in the
11:00direction of the climate, I don't think
11:02that things can work out either.
11:06Production factors, the producer has
11:08needs. Seeds, inputs, a certain number
11:13of things, equipment, financing,
11:16markets. So, if we take care of all
11:21that and leave these elements aside,
11:23that can also lead to many more
11:25challenges. Thank you.
11:28>> Thank you very much, Doctor, for having
11:30carried the voice of the SETUP
11:32regarding what it does with 560,000
11:34farmers. Well, that is just enormous.
11:37Thank you very much for your work.
11:40Before giving the floor to Mr. Nagoba
11:43Stanislas who comes to us from the
11:46other side of the country's eastern
11:49border, I am going to address Mr.
11:51Andélé Yovi who comes from JVE. The
11:56theme of this panel is resilient food
11:58systems, agroecology, and landscape
12:00restoration. We are going to touch on
12:04the second part of the theme with a
12:07question addressed to your organization
12:11. So, what approach to landscape
12:14restoration and biodiversity protection
12:18can be implemented for rural
12:20communities? After all, you work with
12:23rural communities.
12:26>> Thank you very much, Mr. Moderator, for
12:28the question.
12:31>> I believe it is a very, very good
12:34question and I would say that it is
12:37very good to have associated the
12:40element of forest landscape restoration
12:44with agroecology and food systems. Why
12:49do I say that? I say that because what
12:52we do depends on the natural resources
12:57we have. Everything we do depends on
13:00our ecosystems. That means if there is
13:03no approach for the conservation and
13:06restoration of our ecosystems, we are
13:09headed for ruin. And so, from our
13:13experience. And what have we found
13:18important or even impactful to promote
13:22within rural communities when it comes
13:26to forest landscape restoration? And
13:32today, it is the EbA approach. Which
13:37stands for ecosystem-based adaptation.
13:45And what exactly is this restoration
13:47approach? It is an approach that takes
13:51into account the endogenous knowledge
13:54of the communities. Let me explain,
13:59today we can no longer restore forest
14:01landscapes just for the sake of
14:04restoring; we restore them based on the
14:07ecosystem services these landscapes
14:09provide to us. And so, the approach
14:15helps us achieve four objectives. The
14:19first is the fight against the effects
14:22of climate change. Meaning that this
14:25approach allows you to cope with the
14:27effects of climate change. At the same
14:30time, the approach allows you to
14:32restore your soils. This is much more
14:35interesting for the farmer, because
14:38what does a farmer need? They need land
14:40for their production. This approach
14:45also allows you to reduce the risks of
14:47disasters like flooding. And the fourth
14:53objective is biodiversity preservation;
14:57what we do is based on biodiversity. If
15:02we have a loss of biodiversity today,
15:04it means we ourselves, as human beings,
15:06are heading toward ruin. So, as I was
15:09saying earlier, this approach is based
15:11on the endogenous knowledge of
15:13communities. We ask ourselves questions
15:16regarding this approach. If I want to
15:19restore today, I must know which
15:22species to choose, which species to
15:24plant, for example, and where to plant
15:27it. And if, on my land, on my plot, I
15:31feel that it is an area that is often
15:34prone to flooding, what type of tree
15:37species should I plant? I must ask
15:40myself this first question. So I need
15:44to see, based on my knowledge, which
15:48species allows, in any case, uh...which
15:55can, in any case, soak up enough water
15:57on the plot where it is planted. We
16:00know many of them. You just have to ask
16:03a producer here, or someone here will
16:06tell you that if you take such-and-such
16:08a tree species in a flood-prone area,
16:10in the coming years, you will no longer
16:12see water stagnating in that spot. So I
16:15make the choice of that species; you
16:19see, it is based on endogenous
16:21knowledge. The person knows that, "ah,
16:25in my community, when I often see this
16:27tree species here, water doesn't stay
16:29long." So that means there is an
16:32element there. The other thing, uh,
16:36taking the producer, I feel that my
16:39land is no longer yielding. There are
16:43tree species that emerge. So I am going
16:47to make the choice of those tree
16:48species. So I say the same thing. If
16:52you ask someone here, "Which tree
16:54species do you know that, if I plant it
16:57on my plot, will be able to restore it?
16:59" So the person follows that reasoning
17:02and chooses the plant that will, in any
17:05case, be able to restore their soil.
17:08You cannot tell me today that I need to
17:10restore my soil. I'm going to take teak
17:14or some other tree that won't add
17:16anything to my plot. You see, we ask
17:21ourselves that question, and at the
17:24same time when we talk about
17:26biodiversity, it also relates to
17:28agroecology. So when I want to restore,
17:32I need to know that in some communities
17:35today, there are species that are
17:37becoming endangered. If we do nothing,
17:40we won't have them anymore in the
17:42coming years. So in my restoration
17:45choices, I must also think about that.
17:49Ah, now when I pass by here or there,
17:52those species are no longer there. But
17:55how do we go about it? So I choose to
17:57restore them. So in this restoration
18:01approach, there is reforestation and
18:05there is also assisted regeneration.
18:09There are places where you don't need
18:12to go and plant; you just let nature do
18:14its job. But there are places where you
18:19must plant, and you plant with a
18:20specific goal in mind. Don't plant just
18:24because you have to plant, but plant
18:26because there is a specific need.
18:28>> The landscape.
18:29>> There, restoring the landscape.
18:31>> So from this point of view, we
18:33understand that approaches vary from
18:35one locality to another.
18:37>> And according to the needs.
18:38>> Exactly.
18:39>> Very good. That's it.
18:40>> There we go. Are you finished? Yes. Yes
18:42. No, I just wanted to add that we
18:44could be in the Plateaux region earlier
18:45, yes,
18:46>> but I could be in the west plateau or
18:47east plateau.
18:48>> Yes.
18:49>> The way I restore will be different,
18:51even if it's the same commune.
18:53>> Yes.
18:53>> Even in the same village, there are
18:55zones where restoration will be
18:56different from others. That's what
18:58needs to be understood. Thank you.
18:59>> Very good. Thank you very much, Mr.
19:01Andé, for this approach. How does the
19:04JVE work to contribute to land
19:06restoration? I now turn to Mr. Stanisl
19:11Nagoba. So, the panel theme is
19:14resilient food systems; well, you are
19:16the Secretary General of the
19:18Interprofessional Poultry Association
19:20of Benin. So, share with us Benin's
19:24experience in terms of a resilient food
19:28system. We talked about biodiversity,
19:31we talked about climate change. Do all
19:35these factors also influence the
19:38poultry sector on the other side of the
19:41border in Benin?
19:48>> Thank you very much. I'll take this
19:53opportunity. Thank the. Organizers. For
20:04inviting the poultry interprofession of
20:06Benin to this event. I can say on
20:11behalf of the president of the Benin
20:14interprofessional poultry association,
20:17on behalf of its president, and on my
20:20own behalf, that we have been very
20:22welcomed and very well received. This
20:27proves that we are at home. It was the
20:30colonizers who drew a line between us
20:33to say this is the border. Since we are
20:37brothers, I have heard many things. I
20:44have heard about the government's
20:47efforts. I have heard from the umbrella
20:52organizations. I think we are
20:58practically on the same wavelength. We
21:04have the same difficulties, and it must
21:09be said that when there are many of us,
21:13we have the same challenges, we have
21:18the same difficulties. We must gather
21:23to reflect together and find solutions
21:26to these difficulties. I have heard
21:32about the organizations. There are many
21:37projects, but the beneficiaries of
21:42these projects, are the targets
21:49identified well enough? Because in
21:55reality, the problem is that when the
21:58farmer coughs, the poultry farmer, he
22:08catches a total cold, simply because
22:12today, if we believe that we must
22:16achieve food sovereignty, we must take
22:20both into account. The bird, the bird
22:28feeds on what it is given. And what it
22:35is given is compound feed made from raw
22:40materials from agriculture. That is why
22:47I was saying earlier that when there is
22:50a difficulty in agriculture, there are
22:54difficulties, and great difficulties,
22:57in poultry farming. When I take corn
23:06for example, it represents nearly 60%of
23:09poultry feed. When I take soy, it is
23:14nearly 20%. When I take cottonseed cake
23:20, it is nearly 10 to 12%. This assumes
23:26that there is a total interdependence.
23:31I would simply like to tell you that we
23:34also have difficulties. It only takes a
23:38lack of rain for agriculture to make
23:41the cost of feed to nourish the birds
23:49see a rise. The consequence is that you
23:55produce expensively and you are less
23:58competitive compared to imports
24:01arriving in Togo. Arriving in Togo and
24:06in several African countries. That is
24:11why I say these are the same problems.
24:15That is why today at home, I can say
24:18that every day that God makes, we
24:22reflect on what to do to be competitive
24:26in our sector. Why? What must be done?
24:33And what must be done is essentially at
24:37the level of the feed. This assumes
24:42that our corn producers, our soy
24:45producers must stay close to us, and we
24:49must be concerned with supporting them,
24:52reassuring them that they have a sure
24:56market. So if they produce and the
25:02market is not guaranteed, they won't
25:04bother; they will only think about
25:07their own stomachs. Oh! Today, Africa
25:11and our sub-region need professional
25:14farmers. But with all the problems that
25:19arise, the land no longer yielding well
25:22, and climate issues where the rain is
25:24missing, it becomes complicated. So for
25:31us, we believe research should be
25:34oriented toward how to increase yield,
25:38the number of tons per hectare.
25:46Otherwise, we see today that the
25:47maximum is a few tons per hectare. When
25:52I take corn for example, that cannot
25:54feed its people. It cannot. So we are
26:01attempting varieties that go up to 5 or
26:056 tons per hectare. We have no other
26:09choice. We made an estimate a few
26:13months ago, last June, and we found
26:15that the corn currently produced in
26:17Benin must be multiplied by 4 in order
26:22to meet the needs the needs of
26:27livestock farmers in order to meet the
26:31needs of human consumption in a few
26:33months. So these are the difficulties.
26:38When it doesn't rain, what can we do?
26:41Must we import? Just another dependency
26:45? Others are circling around us asking
26:50us to come and import from them. One
26:55could speak of America, Brazil, and
26:57others. But are we going to continue
27:01this dependency? It isn't raining,
27:07because today we are waiting for the
27:09rain. If it doesn't rain at all, if
27:13there is no irrigation, if there is
27:16nothing at all, nothing that can
27:19provide water so we can produce
27:22full-time, we will be forced, forced to
27:25turn to that and remain under their
27:29dependency. So, I invite our leaders to
27:33reflect on this. How do others do it in
27:37their countries to produce full-time so
27:40there is no water problem? So that is a
27:43bit of it. I have seen many projects.
27:48But what about the small ones, because
27:51here I noticed we talk about very small
27:54businesses, small businesses, and
27:57medium-sized businesses. Here with us,
28:02there is no "very small" like in Togo
28:05that focuses on the small producer,
28:09what is done so that they can truly
28:12benefit from the same advantages as the
28:16big or medium ones? So that's it, if
28:22people aren't informed, there are
28:25organizations that take up their
28:27defense, there are organizations that
28:30can speak on their behalf, and when
28:33they don't join them, they will stay
28:36small. They will stay small. So we must
28:43do everything so that the very small
28:45ones can also join organizations to be
28:48able to benefit from the same
28:50advantages as the big ones so that they
28:53can sell at the same price on the
28:55market because they will be selling in
28:58the same markets. If they don't produce
29:02at the same cost, they are at a
29:04disadvantage. Eventually, they may give
29:09up farming or just produce for their
29:11own family and do something else. The
29:17problem is that other sectors that
29:20require agricultural products won't
29:24have any. So, in a nutshell, those are
29:28the problems. When the season is good,
29:33we must be able to build safety stocks,
29:36not only for human consumption but also
29:40for animals. When we don't think about
29:46these things, there will come a time
29:49when we won't have corn, and we won't
29:51have meat either. Ultimately, it's
29:55problematic. Thank you.
29:57>> Many thanks to Mr. Stanis. So, we
30:00understand that the border is only
30:02something on paper regarding
30:04agriculture and farming. The problems
30:07remain the same. I liked something from
30:10your speech: when the farmer coughs,
30:12the agriculturist gets a cold. So, we
30:15are now going to move on to concrete
30:17matters. We have already talked about
30:20the problems, the difficulties, and the
30:23efforts that the government and
30:25associations are making to keep farmers
30:28and producers safe from want. So, I
30:32turn to you, Mr. Andé Yaoi, you come
30:35from JVE, the Young Volunteers for the
30:39Environment. So, tell us, you work with
30:43many young people in your association,
30:45as the name already implies.
30:47>> Exactly.
30:48>> So, how do you plan to involve young
30:51people in reforestation, agroforestry,
30:53and land restoration activities while
30:56creating economic opportunities? It's
30:59very important. Today, everyone needs
31:01money.
31:02>> Absolutely. It is the sinews of war.
31:05You can't do anything without first
31:07thinking about what I'm going to gain,
31:09and especially
31:10>> well, I prefer to eat first before
31:12thinking about money; even to eat, you
31:14need money to buy.
31:16>> Okay, thank you for that question. It
31:20is true, through our actions and
31:22activities, many young people are
31:25already involved, but what more are we
31:28doing? What's new? What are we doing?
31:34Are we innovating to engage young
31:36people further, or what must we do? If
31:41I refer to the question, first of all,
31:45we must lead young people to know their
31:50ecosystem. I mean by that, if I am in a
31:55locality, I must understand and know
31:57the ecosystems that surround me. I'll
32:00give an example. Someone in the lake
32:04region who doesn't know, a young person
32:07who doesn't know or doesn't imagine
32:09that mangrove ecosystems are very
32:12important for that area. That young
32:17person won't be able to do much
32:19regarding that particular ecosystem.
32:23Yet that ecosystem, uh, also comes from
32:28or provides ecosystem services. As I
32:32was saying earlier, our ecosystems also
32:34provide us with money. I'll just give
32:37an example. Someone who is perhaps in
32:40Dapaong might not necessarily know
32:42mangroves. You see what I mean. But a
32:47young person in the south knows
32:49mangroves but perhaps doesn't
32:51immediately imagine that it can bring
32:53them money. If they decide to take care
32:58of that ecosystem, to restore that
33:01ecosystem, they can do ecotourism based
33:04on that particular ecosystem. It just
33:08needs to be well organized. The young
33:11person from Dapaong, uh, will want to
33:14know, will want to see, right? So the
33:18fact that this young person travels,
33:21pays to discover everything, we take
33:23them around the lakes, they see
33:25concretely what we mean by mangroves.
33:29What is it? That's already money. But
33:32the young person is restoring, is
33:34preserving that particular ecosystem.
33:37It doesn't stop there. Ecosystem
33:40services are diverse. Young people
33:44today can get involved in the
33:47preservation or conservation of sacred
33:51forests. Today, that's disappearing.
33:55There are many now who, when we talk
33:57about sacred forests, don't know what
33:59it's about. But it’s enough for the
34:03young person to understand that, oh, in
34:06my locality there is such and such type
34:08of ecosystem and if I commit to
34:10preserving it, I could make money from
34:13it. I remember, we went to a community
34:19near Issano and I forget the name of
34:25the locality a bit, and we had traveled
34:28through quite a few areas but we hadn't
34:31seen any sacred forest. And over there,
34:34when we saw the sacred forest, and we
34:38asked the question, how did you manage
34:43to still keep the sacred forest you
34:46have? They told us that, oh, because
34:51the forest brings us many things.
34:55That’s where the cultural aspect also
34:56comes in. There are ceremonies if we
35:00want to hold them, we go into the
35:02forest. A child falls ill, there are
35:06medicinal plants we go and fetch in the
35:09forest. Uh, for the harvests, for the
35:14seasons, there are particular
35:16ceremonies we go and perform in the
35:18forest. You see at the same time how
35:22there is a connection between that
35:24particular ecosystem and its population
35:25. And so the person or the young person
35:30who decides to preserve this particular
35:33ecosystem because they know it, they
35:35know how they can make money from it.
35:40It's true, we went, we didn't pay any
35:42money, but we can organize it, young
35:44people can organize something, or
35:45that's it, in ecotourism people will
35:47pay to come and see. That's what you
35:51often see, people go to places like
35:53Palimé and others, but if the forest
35:55area there were destroyed today, how
35:57many people would still go? I am sure
36:00it is because of that forest area that
36:03people go to enjoy the humidity, to
36:05enjoy the warmth. That's it. Firstly,
36:09young people must know the ecosystems
36:11that surround them. Secondly, young
36:14people must commit to preserving those
36:17ecosystems. Now, the third aspect I
36:21want to mention is non-timber forest
36:24products. Because there are species of
36:28trees that when you restore them
36:31species have economic value. I'll take
36:34néré, I'll take shea. There are
36:37plenty of them. Okay. A young person in
36:41Kara, for example, cannot say they
36:44don't know that the baobab gives
36:48>> baobab leaves for sauce.
36:50>> Yeah, for sauce. Yes, the mothers take
36:52them and come to sell them at the
36:54market, even the monkey bread. We make
36:56juice with it, porridge with it. So the
36:59young person must know that this is a
37:01non-timber forest product. I restore, I
37:05plant, it preserves the environment,
37:07but at the same time it gives me fruits
37:09that I can go and sell to make money.
37:12>> Very well.
37:12>> So, uh, that is what I could contribute
37:15regarding this question.
37:16>> All right. Thank you very much. Can we,
37:19uh, give him a round of applause for
37:22everything they are doing at JVE? It's
37:25huge. We will have to travel around to
37:28take into account the, well, the
37:30cultures of each locality before being
37:32able to propose solutions accordingly
37:34to preserve biodiversity and
37:36agroforestry. So it's huge. Thank you
37:39very much, and through this panel. Pass
37:43on our congratulations to your
37:45association, JVE. So I come now to, to,
37:49to the setup with Dr. Osé. So we are
37:52talking about this theme. that
37:55challenges us all. So, tell us how the
37:59peasant organizations you are part of
38:02can also support their members in
38:04adopting agroecological practices?
38:09>> OK, he's smiling. Ah, thank you very
38:13much because you dropped the word
38:16agroecology; it's really, uh, I was
38:19very proud when I saw that, uh, this
38:22concept was part of this panel. It is
38:28very important to produce with, let's
38:30say, agroecology, with that mentality
38:33behind it. It's realizing that when God
38:37created nature, it was in a certain
38:40balance. There we go. And how can
38:46humans produce what they want while
38:48maintaining that balance? Yes, the soil
38:53, the climate, the animals, and the
38:57plants in a certain balance. Well,
39:01that's basically what agroecology is.
39:06So, regarding that, I'm going to draw
39:09from the experience I will share with
39:13you on a project we call Prosmat. It is
39:18the project to support the promotion of
39:20smallholder agroecological market
39:22gardening. Which the CTO has been
39:26implementing since 2024. Uh, I am going
39:33to share that experience with you,
39:36which I find really very important
39:39because at a certain point, we realized
39:43that the vegetables we consume cause us
39:46a number of illnesses. There we go. I
39:51have particularly worked in this sector
39:56since 2000 12 or so, along the coastal
40:01strip here, from Lomé to Aného. I
40:04know all the market gardening sites
40:05that are there. I worked with them, I
40:08gave them advice, all of that. But I
40:13realized that when you arrive, the
40:15products these gardeners were using and
40:18so on, they don't master them. Yes,
40:23there are even some products where the
40:26label has been removed; there are
40:28products that are not approved, meaning
40:31they aren't authorized. There we go.
40:36And sometimes you come into certain
40:38producers 'fields and you see them
40:40spraying and spraying. They say that,
40:43no, in 3 days, those vegetables will go
40:46to the market. No, well, is that okay?
40:50No, they say they won't eat them, that
40:54it's for sale, they won't eat them,
40:57it's for sale. Yes, these are truly the
41:01realities. Yes, that we are and were
41:06confronted with and which really struck
41:09a chord with us. Well, I said it
41:12somewhere in passing, with what I saw
41:14in the field, I had made the decision
41:17to no longer consume certain vegetables
41:19. Seriously, what I saw in the field
41:22myself, it's not that someone told me
41:24about it. If I see the amount of
41:28pesticides put on cabbage, I see it.
41:32They can spray it nearly three times a
41:35week, right? Different products mixed
41:38every time, they just keep adding it.
41:41They just keep adding it. Well, those
41:44are the realities. There are other
41:46crops like that too. So all of that led
41:49me to start maintaining a dynamic of
41:51reflection. Today, if you don't know
41:53how to do it. You will eat, and
41:55tomorrow you will pay the price. If you
41:58don't know what you're doing, you'll
42:00end up in the hospital with the
42:01children, and that's serious. So, as a
42:05visionary, seeing the reality on the
42:08ground, he asked himself what could be
42:11done, and that is how this man got the
42:13opportunity to launch this project. And
42:18Prosmart is not just any project. It is
42:22a project developed by the producers.
42:25For the producers, meaning that
42:27everything we do in it is decided by
42:30the producers themselves, who sit down
42:33and say how the steering should work.
42:38So I’ll get into the details so I
42:41don’t stay too general. It’s a
42:47project that aims to support 250 market
42:51gardening cooperatives, those in the
42:55industry, and how can we support these
42:59250 cooperatives, where each has
43:02between 15 and 30 members? Yes, in each
43:08cooperative. How should it be done?
43:11Given that some are already rooted in
43:16what I just mentioned, since it’s a
43:20project about agroecology, how can we
43:24get them to adopt agroecological
43:28practices, such as compost production
43:33and use, the use of biopesticides, or
43:37local plants with pesticidal properties
43:42like neem, papaya, and so on? How do we
43:47get producers to actually do that? We
43:50understood that we must start from a
43:52certain number of observations or
43:54diagnostics regarding the current
43:56realities. From there, we moved on to
44:01identifying a certain number of
44:03agroecological farms. Exactly. So the
44:07project identified 20 farms and
44:11provided them with equipment. These
44:16farms were already practicing
44:18agroecology, but we equipped and
44:20strengthened them so they could train
44:22others, provide learning centers,
44:24training rooms, and dormitories, and
44:26have access to water and boreholes.
44:30Right, I just mentioned water; it’s a
44:32fundamental factor. So, after that
44:37phase, it allowed producers from those
44:41250 cooperatives to be trained by their
44:46peers who run these farms. So it’s
44:52producer-to-producer training, led by
44:54those who have mastered the approach.
44:59And in parallel, the organization was
45:01there to support them. For instance, by
45:06providing them with a certain amount of
45:09small equipment to produce organic
45:11matter in quantity. The project went
45:16beyond the 250 cooperatives by helping
45:20at least two young people in each
45:23region get set up to produce
45:26agroecological inputs. I am going to
45:30ask you a question like this. Uh, why
45:33does conventional agriculture work? Why
45:37? Well, if you want, if you want to use
45:40fertilizer later on, you go, you buy
45:41the fertilizer and then you start using
45:43it. Yes. If we want to adopt
45:48agroecology, that is to say, to move
45:51away from using synthetic chemical
45:54inputs, the first step forward is that
45:57we must be able to invest in the
46:00production of those agroecological
46:03inputs, to invest in compost. Maybe I'm
46:09speaking like this, and at the same
46:12time, I am issuing a challenge. There
46:15you go, the Ministry of Agriculture
46:17spoke just a moment ago. We greet the
46:20ministry in passing, and that’s great
46:23. We are a partner of choice for the
46:26Ministry of Agriculture in Togo. There
46:30is no agricultural project that the
46:32Ministry of Agriculture can do without
46:34calling on the SETAP. Come and sit down
46:37, you producers, what do you think?
46:40What can serve your best interests?
46:42>> So, we understand that you are at the
46:45heart of the ministry to find tangible
46:47solutions when it comes to agricultural
46:50issues, and even more so for
46:51agroecology.
46:52>> That's clear.
46:53>> Very well. So, we will give the floor,
46:55since you mentioned the Ministry of
46:57Agriculture. We will come back for the
46:59time. We will come back. Keep, keep
47:00your train of thought.
47:01>> Keep your train of thought. We will
47:03give the floor to Mr. Chapoé. who
47:06represents the ministry well on this
47:08panel. We are at the time for actions,
47:12for concrete solutions to be proposed
47:14for the resilience in question. So tell
47:19us, how can we improve the access of
47:21small producers to adapted seeds,
47:24irrigation, and agricultural equipment?
47:31>> Thank you very much for the question.
47:34And you should note that agricultural
47:40stakeholders in 2022 had submitted a
47:48grievance to the hierarchy to solve
47:56their problems of access to financing
47:59and improving agricultural
48:00entrepreneurship. This led to the
48:05creation of the DEFA, the Directorate
48:07of Entrepreneurship and Agricultural
48:09Financing. Speaking of agricultural
48:13entrepreneurship, before, we knew,
48:18let's say, three links in the
48:20agricultural value chains. Today, it
48:24goes beyond that. So, regarding
48:28agricultural entrepreneurship, we have
48:30agricultural service providers, those
48:33who provide mechanization services,
48:35seeds, grains, and others. We have
48:40commercial intermediaries, we also have
48:46incubators that the DEFA supports. So,
48:50to return to the question, beyond the
48:54establishment of the DEFA, we are
49:00promoting contract farming and
49:03guaranteeing a market for the producer.
49:11In contract farming, the producer
49:14agrees with their aggregator to provide
49:17them with inputs, biopesticides,
49:23biofertilizers, chemical pesticides,
49:25and others. Others even go further by
49:30providing a technician to monitor the
49:33cooperative or to follow the producer
49:36from sowing to harvest so that the
49:39expected product is of high quality.
49:44Therefore, we encourage the promotion
49:47of contract farming. Beyond the
49:52promotion of contract farming, we also
49:55have the centers, the CRMA (Regional
50:00Centers for Agricultural Mechanization)
50:02, which are being set up, which are
50:05underway, and two of which are already
50:07operational starting this year, 2026:
50:09the Qualé center, next to the Tové
50:11INFAT, and the Chichao center, in Akara
50:14. In these mechanization centers, there
50:19is the current PROMOT project, the
50:21agricultural mechanization and
50:23irrigation project, which is currently
50:26equipping these centers. In the
50:30meantime, the center had launched a
50:32call to recruit some young people,
50:35those who wish to be trained in
50:37mechanization services, in the
50:39maintenance of agricultural machinery
50:41and equipment, tractor driving, and
50:43others. We have several profiles.
50:48Beyond these services, we have the
50:51management of agricultural inputs which
50:58is training on management that will
51:00allow the stakeholders to benefit from
51:03input kits to be able to monitor the
51:06stakeholders, the farmers in the field.
51:12So these are mechanisms that are put in
51:14place at the ministry level beyond what
51:17I had mentioned previously regarding
51:19the support from the ENSAT and the ATA
51:21to help producers benefit from
51:23certified seeds, pesticides, and others
51:26. And, thank you.
51:32>> Thank you very much, and I truly hope
51:34that all these mechanisms the ministry
51:37has put in place can truly foster
51:39resilience in food systems. This is the
51:44theme of the second panel of this third
51:46edition of the conference on
51:48environmental management and the
51:50protection of creation. Well, ladies
51:54and gentlemen, we have somewhat gone
51:56around the table with our panelists. My
51:58word, they are such specialists! Once
52:01they are given the floor, you can feel
52:03they want to masterfully present all
52:05their knowledge on the issue, but you
52:07must be concise in your interventions
52:10to also give our speakers who are here
52:12the opportunity, uh, through your
52:14interventions...There are questions
52:16lingering in their minds, there are
52:18concerns, there are areas. So, I
52:20haven't even finished introducing, but
52:22I already see hands being, I already
52:24see hands being raised. So, we will
52:28handle this quickly because time is
52:30pressing us. We were late in starting
52:32this panel. So you will agree with me
52:34that we will have to run into the end
52:35of the panel time. Completely agree. Do
52:37you agree with me? No. There we go. So,
52:40uh, there are already hands raised
52:42there. Uh, we will take the hands over
52:44there at the same time. There are 1, 2,
52:463, 4, 5 hands here and three hands here
52:49. That makes eight questions. We'll
52:51take those eight questions at once and
52:53address them, or well, the hosts will
52:54help us. A microphone on this side, at
52:56that row. There we go. Thank you.
52:58Please stand up, introduce yourselves,
53:00and for the sake of time, go straight
53:02to the question. If you have
53:04contributions, be brief, concise, and
53:06precise so we can finish quickly. Thank
53:09you.
53:11>> Thank you very much. I am Pastor Squel
53:15and from Closta Wawa. We thank
53:21Compassion International very much
53:23because, through them, we learned today
53:25about the projects the Ministry of
53:27Agriculture has set up. But in the past
53:33, we made requests for Promifa that
53:36stopped halfway, and we didn't even get
53:39any feedback; we don't know what
53:42happened to Promifa today. Thank you.
53:46>> Alright, thank you, I see you, sir,
53:48taking notes. The second intervention.
53:54Alright, the microphone is already
53:56there. Alright, TG 900, uh, 933. Pastor
54:04. So, I have many concerns, but I will
54:07limit myself to two or three. The first
54:12one is, I believe that the effects of
54:15poverty are a danger to the
54:17preservation of the ecosystem, the
54:20effects of poverty. How many plots of
54:25land are being sold, and how much is
54:27the ecosystem under attack because of
54:29poverty? Even wealth itself becomes a
54:34danger to the preservation of the
54:36ecosystem. School has allowed us to
54:40gain qualifications and earn high
54:43salaries. But when we receive our
54:46salaries, what do we do? We buy
54:48hectares of land. Hectares, that is to
54:52destroy the ecosystem. So, I wonder if
54:57there isn't another module. We should
55:02insert into the educational system to
55:05lead everyone to have a creative spirit
55:08. That is to say, I just tasted some
55:13wine earlier made from a product I call
55:17, excuse me, vulgar, because I didn't
55:20know it was at all, perhaps, uh, useful
55:23to this extent. The "four sides," it's
55:26a fruit called "four sides." So, what
55:30ingenuity to be able to transform that
55:32fruit into a product that can be
55:35consumed? Already, that tree, we can
55:40use it, we can cultivate it, we can
55:42expand it, and it continues and it
55:44contributes to the ecosystem. So I
55:48wonder, if school cannot help us today
55:51to develop our creative spirit, that
55:54creative spirit which must contribute
55:57to the preservation of the ecosystem.
56:00Thank you. It's, it's noted. Thank you
56:02very much, pastor, for your, uh,
56:04question. There you go. Uh, on, on this
56:08side, we'll take, uh, a question from
56:09this side. There we go, he has the
56:11microphone. Now, you can go to this
56:12side for the 4th question. The 3rd
56:14question please, quickly, be precise
56:16and concise please.
56:18>> Yes, my name is Napo and firstly two
56:20questions.
56:22>> You come from, sorry, you
56:23>> I come from the Mono region, Mono-North
56:24. Mo
56:25>> Mono-North. I have two questions for
56:28our brother who comes from the Ministry
56:29of Agriculture. He spoke about
56:35insurance for farmers who perhaps
56:37suffered from drought, I would like to
56:40know which regions are covered by the
56:43insurance and what are the criteria to
56:46benefit from it. The 2nd question:
56:53Facing the rise in prices of inputs,
56:56products, inputs, fertilizer and so on,
56:59we notice that they too, as our
57:01Beninese brother said, small producers
57:04do not benefit from state subsidies. To
57:10this, we observe that our farmers, the
57:13small producers, are abandoning day by
57:16day the production of corn, honey,
57:18sorghum and other things. And facing
57:23this, we notice that this decreases and
57:26it creates famine among families, and
57:30it is our children, our participants,
57:33who suffer. Because if the state is
57:37aware, what action is the state taking
57:39to solve this problem? Thank you very
57:42much.
57:42>> Agreed. Thank you very much for your
57:44concern. taken into account state
57:48action for there you go
57:53>> uh yes
57:54>> the 4th question please.
57:56>> Yes, it is Mr. Condor. I come from
57:59Bossus, TG 206, facilitator.
58:02>> uh
58:02>> mister, mister sorry
58:04>> Condo.
58:05>> OK South, close to your south, is that
58:10right? Yes.
58:11>> Go ahead.
58:12>> I am going to ask two short questions.
58:14>> There you go.
58:15>> Who launched, who in these
58:17interventions works with, I would say,
58:19the gardeners and encountered a
58:21challenge, the abusive use of chemical
58:24products. I want to know how did he
58:27transform this challenge into an
58:29opportunity? Did he manage to organize
58:33advice or discussions with the users?
58:36Or did he prepare a relevant report
58:39that he presented to discourage the
58:42importation of these chemical products?
58:47And how did he help these users to get
58:52hold of inputs or breeding products,
58:57manure for use and market gardening
59:02crops? The CTO helps, I believe, in
59:08these interventions the farmers and for
59:10the implementation of crops. The
59:15Ministry of Agriculture is involved in
59:18these projects, and there is a branch
59:20that informs farmers about the weather.
59:26Yet, the farming population is still
59:29facing problems with flooding and
59:32drought. Can these two parties explain
59:36a bit about how they coordinate their
59:39work? Thank you. Go ahead,
59:56>> thank you very much. My name is Chando
1:00:01Etana, I am from Cloar Wawa, and I have
1:00:06a small concern. The first panel spoke
1:00:13about climate and environmental
1:00:17protection, and the second is also
1:00:21talking about agroecology. The thing is
1:00:28, various interventions mentioned
1:00:33chemical inputs, but we are in the
1:00:38GEPEG framework, where it is encouraged
1:00:44that we use or produce organic products
1:00:50for our crops. So, I am really confused
1:00:57. I honestly don't know which approach
1:01:01we are taking. So I would like a little
1:01:05more clarification. Thank you.
1:01:08>> Thank you very much. That is the 6th
1:01:13intervention. The microphone, here you
1:01:17go. After that, they had their hand
1:01:18raised for a while. There we go. Go
1:01:20ahead quickly.
1:01:22>> Thank you very much. My name is Amou B.
1:01:24Charl, coming from Costa West. Uh, so,
1:01:28Closta West.
1:01:30>> Yeah. Clost W West Lome.
1:01:33>> OK. Uh, I would like to ask a few
1:01:38questions. My first question concerns
1:01:42the use of solar panels to pump water.
1:01:49The gentleman said they have agreements
1:01:52with the European Union to finance the
1:01:55installation of solar panels. How can
1:01:59we, as young producers, benefit from
1:02:01these solar panels? Now, my second
1:02:05question is for the gentleman who spoke
1:02:08about Promat. He spoke about water
1:02:11quality. Given that there are certain
1:02:14fish and poultry farms that are facing
1:02:19problems with water quality. What
1:02:22solutions do you provide to these farms
1:02:25to solve their water quality problems?
1:02:29Thank you very much. The 7th question,
1:02:38the penultimate question, there was a
1:02:41hand here, and we will finish with the
1:02:44microphone on this side. We will take
1:02:46the gentleman in blue; he had already
1:02:48asked to speak a while ago.
1:02:49>> Thank you, moderator. Dr. Ose,
1:02:53>> please introduce yourself, please.
1:02:54>> Pastor Na.
1:02:55>> Pastor
1:02:56>> Naou. OK. Dr. Ose, in his intervention,
1:03:03spoke about the production of
1:03:05pesticides to replace chemicals. First,
1:03:10I would like to know if the producers
1:03:13he works with have adopted these
1:03:16biopesticides. Because in the meantime,
1:03:22I discussed this, and a producer told
1:03:26me that 20 or 25 years ago, to treat
1:03:29beans, for example, they used ash. The
1:03:34ash that our mothers and elders used to
1:03:37treat that. But today, when you try to
1:03:40use that same ash, it doesn't work. The
1:03:45caterpillars still eat the beans. Now,
1:03:47regarding that, they say they are going
1:03:49to produce biopesticides. Do the
1:03:51producers agree, and is this way of
1:03:55treating crops actually effective?
1:03:59Thank you.
1:04:02>> So, the last question, the 8th one.
1:04:09>> Thank you to the international
1:04:10organization for hosting this
1:04:12conference. Thanks also to the
1:04:16panelists. Uh I wanted to, in the
1:04:22>> please introduce yourself, introduce
1:04:24yourself please. It's 276 uh my name is
1:04:32Passaofam. Uh, I would like in the
1:04:36presentations, really, we are in the
1:04:40process of finding a solution for our,
1:04:44but my worry is, if I see in our
1:04:47country at least 80%are farmers and it
1:04:51is also difficult. We are under the
1:04:55protection of God who gives His rains
1:04:57for the fields, we don't have the
1:04:59modern agriculture that can produce
1:05:01every time. Now, my concern, we see in
1:05:06our country inputs, it's true, they
1:05:09have increased, the pharmaceutical
1:05:12products have increased, but the
1:05:15farmers' production is dropping day by
1:05:19day, but I don't know why. And for that
1:05:24too, how can those farmers now provide
1:05:27for their children and improve the
1:05:30holistic life of their children? Thank
1:05:35you. There we go. Thank you. Ah, how
1:05:46many questions are there? It is just
1:05:48one question. Ah, okay. There is still
1:05:50a hand behind there. So, the best,
1:05:52there are still hands being raised. We
1:05:54will make an effort to quickly get
1:05:56through this list and if there is time,
1:05:59we will allow other people to speak as
1:06:01well. So, uh panelists, just after our
1:06:05dear gentleman's question, uh everyone
1:06:07smiled because it touches on a reality
1:06:09that dare not speak its name. So, since
1:06:13it is the most recent question, so, uh
1:06:16we give the floor. There, Mr. Andélé
1:06:19wants to answer. Today, everything is
1:06:22on the rise, especially for the
1:06:24peasants. So, he is wondering how he
1:06:27will be able to meet the needs of his
1:06:29children. So, given the time and the
1:06:32pressure of the questions, can we move
1:06:34quickly please?
1:06:35>> Absolutely. I believe this question and
1:06:38question 5, uh on Valin, because I just
1:06:41want to say that dear friends,
1:06:44conventional agriculture is not working
1:06:47. On that. We must agree on that.
1:06:52Agroecology is the best way. I say
1:06:56question 5 also boils down to the same
1:06:58question because Mr. Wawa asked this
1:07:01question too. The person just now said
1:07:05we invest more in inputs and the like,
1:07:08but how is the yield? That means it’s
1:07:11not working. We must review our way of
1:07:15producing. And that is what agroecology
1:07:18is. It is really important that we keep
1:07:21that in mind. Someone mentioned earlier
1:07:24the caterpillar and how pesticides
1:07:26aren't working. It is because by
1:07:29constantly using these synthetic
1:07:31pesticides, the caterpillars have
1:07:33developed a resistance, so today what
1:07:35you used to eliminate this pest
1:07:36yesterday won't work anymore. So that
1:07:40means by using these synthetic
1:07:42pesticides ourselves, what are we doing
1:07:44? We are actually helping them. So we
1:07:49must change our methods. Let’s move
1:07:52toward agroecology. Agroecology helps
1:07:54us to restore our soils. I will just
1:07:57give an example. I was on a follow-up
1:08:00mission in Dani with cooperatives that
1:08:02we support on agroecology. Actually, I
1:08:05asked the lady a question. "Ma'am, tell
1:08:08me, are you able to sell what you
1:08:11produce as agroecological products?"
1:08:14She told me, "Yes, sir." I said, "Okay,
1:08:17explain it to me." She said, "What I
1:08:19produced before adopting agroecology,
1:08:22as soon as I produced it, I couldn't
1:08:24really keep it for long. It spoiled, so
1:08:27it became a loss. What I produce on the
1:08:30agroecological plot has a longer shelf
1:08:33life." That is it. The difference is
1:08:37there; she told me her clients, when
1:08:40they arrive now, that is what they are
1:08:43demanding to buy because they have seen
1:08:46the difference between the
1:08:48agroecological products they buy and
1:08:51the conventional products. So the
1:08:54question is very, very relevant. The
1:08:57ministry must review its budget. It is
1:09:00true, there are many projects to at
1:09:03least allow agriculture to be developed
1:09:06in the country, but we must move toward
1:09:09agroecology. The ministry must review
1:09:11it. It is true, we have a national
1:09:14strategy for organic farming and
1:09:16agroecology, but we must do more; we
1:09:19must dedicate more budget to support
1:09:21cooperatives and producers in adopting
1:09:24agroecological practices. If the
1:09:28government decides today to take
1:09:30everything currently spent on chemical
1:09:33fertilizers and instead set up
1:09:35factories in every region and
1:09:37prefecture to produce inputs and
1:09:39bioprotectants—that is, organic
1:09:42fertilizers or bio-fertilizers—it
1:09:44will work. Why won't it work? It's true
1:09:48that efforts are being made. I don't
1:09:51deny that, but we must do more;
1:09:52conventional agriculture isn't working.
1:09:55Let's move toward agroecology, that's
1:09:56the ideal. Thank you.
1:09:58>> Thank you very much for your input. So,
1:10:01on that question, is there anything
1:10:02else? Do you want to add anything else
1:10:04on the matter? Let's move on to the
1:10:06next question. Please allow us to go
1:10:10from the bottom up to keep the
1:10:12questions asked by you, the speakers,
1:10:15fresh in our minds.
1:10:23>> There we go. So, Pastor Nayo, who comes
1:10:26to us from Classou, was talking about
1:10:28the adoption of biopesticides. And in
1:10:32the discussion, I think it was the
1:10:34doctor also who spoke about
1:10:36biopesticides, I believe. Ah, so he
1:10:40wanted to know if, in the areas where
1:10:42you worked, there was an agreement on
1:10:44the use of these pesticides? So, was
1:10:48there any effectiveness when it came to
1:10:51these biopesticides? OK, thank you very
1:10:55much. Uh, there were a series of
1:10:57questions asked and some overlap, don't
1:11:00you think? So, I will try to gather
1:11:03them in a comprehensive way. There we
1:11:06go, very quickly, perhaps others can
1:11:09chime in if needed. So, on the question
1:11:13of adoption, I'm answering the person
1:11:15who asked the question at the same time
1:11:17; as we made these observations in the
1:11:20field, what did we do? The project to
1:11:25support the promotion of agroecological
1:11:29market gardening is a response we are
1:11:33giving to these observations made in
1:11:36the field. There we go. So today, as I
1:11:42said, we are engaged in a process with
1:11:45250 cooperatives. At the halfway point
1:11:50today, I can guarantee that at least 50
1:11:53cooperatives are mature at a certain
1:11:56stage; today you can get agroecological
1:12:00products from these 50 cooperatives. Of
1:12:06course, I am not talking about the
1:12:08farms themselves; they are already
1:12:11involved. Perhaps you are not aware of
1:12:13that. Perhaps there are farms very
1:12:15close to you in your own localities.
1:12:17There we go. So, perhaps at the end, I
1:12:19will leave my contact details for those
1:12:21who want to find out more. There we go.
1:12:25So, I want to reassure you that the
1:12:27project has taken every measure, first
1:12:31in terms of training, and first in
1:12:34terms of equipment or materials that
1:12:37people can use to produce organic
1:12:39matter. As I said in my first
1:12:43intervention, conventional agriculture
1:12:46works because we produce fertilizer. If
1:12:50we also produce agroecological inputs
1:12:53in quantity, I assure you it will also
1:12:57work. It works because we put the
1:13:00energy into it. That’s it, and I’m
1:13:03going to go in the same direction. That
1:13:05is an appeal we are making to the
1:13:06ministry. We all know how many billions
1:13:09are put into chemical fertilizers, for
1:13:11example. Even if we could just take a
1:13:15step forward by putting 5%or even 10%of
1:13:17that budget towards producing organic
1:13:20matter to see what happens. I can
1:13:23guarantee you that it will work. There
1:13:26you go. Regarding regarding the
1:13:30questions raised earlier saying that
1:13:32ash was used before but ash no longer
1:13:34works. I am speaking from experience.
1:13:39And the references are there. I don’t
1:13:43know which area you are in, but I can
1:13:45even refer you to farms where you can
1:13:47go and get trained yourself. There is
1:13:50an ingredient we prepare, we call it
1:13:53ash broth. It is not just ash that you
1:13:55take and start putting in water and
1:13:57then applying. No, there is a way to do
1:14:00it, a way to prepare it, and also a way
1:14:03to use it to be effective. So, whether
1:14:08on farms or in cooperatives, we have
1:14:10equipped people with these practices,
1:14:12and I can guarantee you that it works.
1:14:15I was surprised myself when we were
1:14:17farming recently; you see the cabbages.
1:14:20I used to say I didn't eat cabbage
1:14:22anymore, but I saw cabbages that people
1:14:26produced, using a certain way of
1:14:28treating them with bioprotective
1:14:31products. Exactly. And it works. I was
1:14:34surprised, I was amazed myself. So, it
1:14:36is really to encourage people, young
1:14:38and old, that it works. And I will also
1:14:42follow up on the point that JV made
1:14:44earlier. Please, the future is not in
1:14:48conventional agriculture. If I refer to
1:14:52my scientific background, I have
1:14:54studied the soil. Yes. And I noticed
1:15:00that, you know, when you apply
1:15:01fertilizer, as time goes on, if you
1:15:03apply the same amount in the following
1:15:05years, you will no longer get the same
1:15:06amount of corn. If you want to have
1:15:09that again, you have to add more. You
1:15:11must add even more. You still have to
1:15:14add even the chemical inputs, those,
1:15:16the insecticides, there you go, the
1:15:18pests develop what is called resistance
1:15:20. They resist. So the dose you used
1:15:24last year, if you use it again, you
1:15:25will see that some are holding their
1:15:27ground. So you have to add more, and we
1:15:31really shouldn't be following that path
1:15:35. There are other issues as well that
1:15:38concern, for example, flooding. I would
1:15:42really like to weigh in on that because
1:15:44a few weeks ago, there was the transfer
1:15:46of the Siam system. Developed by the
1:15:50FSRP, Ministry of Agriculture. It is a
1:15:54system that produces weather
1:15:56information for agricultural purposes,
1:15:59regarding planting dates and
1:16:02agricultural advice, to help producers
1:16:05know how things are evolving in terms
1:16:08of the weather. And this system was
1:16:13transferred by the ministry through the
1:16:15IFDC. Yes. Since it is a Ministry of
1:16:19Agriculture project, it was officially
1:16:21handed over this September. Yes. So,
1:16:26this is to say that we are working on
1:16:29it, and since the mechanism is now with
1:16:32the producers, I can guarantee that we
1:16:35will get to work so that things can
1:16:37move forward at this level as well.
1:16:42Well,
1:16:45>> we will pass the floor to Mr. Prété
1:16:47because a good number of questions have
1:16:50been addressed to him. If you have any
1:16:54other comments, right after his speech,
1:16:58we will give you the floor. Now, there
1:17:03is a concern that I personally found
1:17:06significant regarding the solar panels
1:17:10that the state provides to certain
1:17:13producers. The person who asked the
1:17:17question wanted to know how it is
1:17:20managed and what conditions must be met
1:17:23to benefit from these solar panels for
1:17:26irrigating fields during drought
1:17:28periods, and that is the first question
1:17:31.
1:17:33>> OK, thank you very much. To answer
1:17:35simply, first of all, we have had two
1:17:39types of support for solar-powered
1:17:43irrigation. At the level of GIZ,
1:17:51selections were made based on certain
1:17:55criteria. One of the criteria is the
1:17:58availability of a water source. Since
1:18:02these are solar pumps, cooperatives
1:18:07have benefited, and individual
1:18:09producers have also benefited based on
1:18:12a list. At the Ministry of Agriculture
1:18:17level through projects, by the Promifa
1:18:19project. We have the former directorate
1:18:24, the Directorate of Plant Sectors, now
1:18:27the Directorate of Agricultural
1:18:29Production, which had distributed,
1:18:32through a state-funded subsidy, certain
1:18:35pumps and also some solar pumps to
1:18:38certain producers. We also have
1:18:41individual producers and cooperatives.
1:18:44The criterion was also the availability
1:18:46of a water source. We have the private
1:18:53company EDF BBOX, which has subsidized
1:18:58kits and Bbox solar pumps for the
1:19:04producer. The criterion there is to be
1:19:09a cooperative or an individual producer
1:19:12. Now, I will return to the main
1:19:16criterion for the subsidy, which is
1:19:19that instead of selling at 500,000,
1:19:22there are two types of pumps depending
1:19:25on capacity; we have 800,000 pumps, we
1:19:28have 540,000 pumps. Now, for the
1:19:33500,000 pumps, the subsidy: the State
1:19:36covers half. You divide the price in
1:19:40two, take one part, and you pay it, but
1:19:43in installments. You do not pay your,
1:19:47let's say, 200 or 100,000 upfront; it
1:19:49is staggered, and you pay it that way.
1:19:53For example, you pay 10,000 per month,
1:19:5550,000 per month, depending on your
1:19:57capacity. You commit to the partner;
1:20:00they come with their technicians and
1:20:02install it for you. But the first
1:20:06criterion, well, I had mentioned the
1:20:08water resource criteria beyond that,
1:20:12there have been private entities; some
1:20:15private players are also promoting
1:20:17these solar pumps. So, there are those
1:20:21who are in cooperatives. Today, the
1:20:25ministry's support, beyond subsidies,
1:20:29goes more to cooperatives than to new
1:20:32producers, because if cooperatives are
1:20:36well organized, they can better utilize
1:20:40the equipment made available to them.
1:20:45Regarding the producers, the
1:20:47observation is that well, what led to
1:20:51changing this approach is that in the
1:20:53past, there was support for individual
1:20:55producers, some came forward claiming
1:20:57to be in need, we went out into the
1:21:02field, and they showed us the water
1:21:03sources. Now, during the follow-up, it
1:21:07turned out that some could not install
1:21:10their pumps because during the dry
1:21:12season in December-January, there was
1:21:15no more water. So that is what led us
1:21:22to reorient the selection criteria for
1:21:26beneficiaries. Regarding criteria for
1:21:31State offers, there is Mr. Napo, who
1:21:33comes to us from the northern Mono
1:21:35region, who wanted to know about the
1:21:38insurance granted to farmers. Uh, first
1:21:42of all, which regions are covered by
1:21:44these insurance policies, and what are
1:21:46the criteria to benefit from this
1:21:48insurance?
1:21:51>> The coverage is national coverage for
1:21:54agricultural insurance. The criteria.
1:22:00The first criterion is to be a victim
1:22:08of the effects of climate change,
1:22:11either drought or flooding. There is an
1:22:14assessment carried out in the field.
1:22:16For example, you have grown your rice,
1:22:20there has been an on-site assessment to
1:22:25confirm that you have truly been a
1:22:28victim. We analyze, or rather, we
1:22:32evaluate the surface areas, the
1:22:37investment you have put into your plot,
1:22:42and we map all these beneficiaries, all
1:22:46these victims nationwide. This work is
1:22:52done by agricultural advisors, the
1:22:56prefectural directors of agriculture.
1:23:01But the advice is that some are not
1:23:05informed. There is now a whole range of
1:23:12communication tools. We have social
1:23:16media, we have rural radio stations
1:23:18that provide information, we also have
1:23:21the prefectural directorates of
1:23:24agriculture. If you have a problem on
1:23:29your plot, in your field, in your
1:23:32processing unit, you must approach the
1:23:34regional directorate. If you are in a
1:23:39region, a regional head, approach your
1:23:42agricultural advisor, approach the
1:23:45regional and prefectural director of
1:23:47agriculture to get information on how
1:23:50to be compensated, so to speak, so you
1:23:53don't lose your entire investment. I
1:23:58don't know if I was able to answer his
1:23:59question. The problem is that I tell
1:24:03myself: "I am a poor farmer, so to
1:24:06speak, I am in my plot, I see my field,
1:24:08I put my hands on my head, I go back
1:24:11home, I pray to my God," while nearby
1:24:17there is insurance available, that can
1:24:20cover, even if it is not the total
1:24:22amount, at least 80%of my costs. If I
1:24:25invested 100,000, at least reimburse me
1:24:2880,000. So, regarding the lack of
1:24:32information, we must now go and search
1:24:34for information ourselves. It is very
1:24:37important.
1:24:39>> Thank you very much. It is very
1:24:40important. It is said that ignorance of
1:24:44the law is no excuse for what should be
1:24:47known by all. So we also need to take
1:24:51the step to get the info because there
1:24:53are many things that the state puts in
1:24:55place, but for lack of information, for
1:24:56lack of knowledge, it goes unnoticed.
1:24:59Thank you for all these clarifications.
1:25:02>> Yes, there is someone who was asking
1:25:04the question about support from the
1:25:08first FA.
1:25:09>> There you go, that was the first one.
1:25:13Well, there are others there are some
1:25:18projects that had launched a call for
1:25:20applications to bid for support. It
1:25:25turns out that with budget adjustments,
1:25:28some projects no longer have the
1:25:31financial capacity to support those who
1:25:35were selected. They have not suspended
1:25:40them; they have just put them on hold
1:25:42and are negotiating funding to relaunch
1:25:44them. Among you, there are some who
1:25:48have benefited from this support
1:25:50despite there being a budget deficit.
1:25:54There are some, whenever the
1:25:56opportunity arises, there are some we
1:25:58call to say: "In the meantime, you have
1:26:01been selected, we have reframed your
1:26:04sub-project, we want to relaunch it
1:26:06with you." So much so that, among
1:26:08yourselves too, you do not share the
1:26:11information, you keep it a secret. For
1:26:14instance, we are five in the region, or
1:26:16in the prefecture; they called me for
1:26:18an 80-million thing. I don't tell
1:26:20anyone, I keep quiet, I handle it with
1:26:22the project. So, whenever the
1:26:29opportunity arises, each project—
1:26:31currently this week for the PDPRS
1:26:33project, those in the Plateaux region,
1:26:35Plateau East and Plateau West for the
1:26:38concerned communes, as there are 10
1:26:40communes in the two Plateaux—is in
1:26:42the sub-project evaluation phase.
1:26:47Afterward, there will be a field visit
1:26:49phase to verify the effectiveness of
1:26:50the operations, and the reframing will
1:26:52follow. Before funding. So, this is to
1:26:57say that nothing is lost as of yet.
1:27:00Whenever the opportunity arises, there
1:27:02will be a relaunch. Thank you. Thank
1:27:05you very much for your contributions,
1:27:07for being a specialist in the field of
1:27:09the environment, and for mastering many
1:27:11of these offers from the Ministry of
1:27:13Agriculture. I believe Mr. Stanislas
1:27:17has something to add regarding the
1:27:19interventions. There is a concern here
1:27:22just after his intervention. I think we
1:27:24will come back to that; I find it
1:27:26relevant. Go ahead. two interventions
1:27:36very much so who spoke about small
1:27:54businesses that often do not benefit
1:27:58from projects and such. I must tell you
1:28:04that when you are a small business,
1:28:09seek to obtain information. I think
1:28:14your uh supervisory administrations are
1:28:21everywhere, if I am not mistaken;
1:28:24approach these structures to get
1:28:27information. A second thing I would
1:28:33like to say regarding this as well is
1:28:37that you should—because you shouldn't
1:28:41always wait for projects, but rather
1:28:45seek to have types of financing adapted
1:28:49to your production. That is true. Uh,
1:28:56in our countries, most of the financing
1:28:59, the types of financing we have, are
1:29:01types of financing that are not adapted
1:29:04to our activities. But we must lead,
1:29:09perhaps lead the leaders of our
1:29:12countries to work toward putting
1:29:16mechanisms in place so that the funding
1:29:20we can get can be funding adapted to
1:29:24each of our sectors, each of our
1:29:27activities. That is important. I would
1:29:33also like to say that our existing
1:29:36organizations need to specify in their
1:29:40targets that small-scale producers such
1:29:47as young people, who are numerous and
1:29:50represent the future of our countries,
1:29:54and women who lack resources and face
1:29:57land constraints, should all be taken
1:30:01into account in those targets. Second
1:30:08concern, someone spoke about water
1:30:10quality and it seems they specified,
1:30:12what should be done in agriculture? I
1:30:18must say that biosecurity measures in
1:30:20agriculture, particularly when choosing
1:30:24a site, must take this into account.
1:30:29You shouldn't set up in a low-lying
1:30:31area and expect to have quality water.
1:30:37Second thing that is part of the
1:30:39principles in agriculture, you must be
1:30:42able to analyze the quality of your
1:30:44water every 6 months. Whatever the
1:30:50source, even if it is a public network
1:30:53source supposed to be treated, you must
1:30:57be able to analyze it, check the
1:31:00microbiological elements of the water,
1:31:04and the physicochemical quality of the
1:31:07water, which is also important. So,
1:31:13that is it for market gardening
1:31:15production. I don't know much about it.
1:31:19Specialists are here to talk to us
1:31:22about that. Thank you.
1:31:24>> There we go. Thank you very much, Mr.
1:31:26Stanislass, there are two concerns here
1:31:28that we need to return to. It is the
1:31:30pastor who comes to us from TG933. He
1:31:33asked a really very scientific question
1:31:35. So, it is said that poverty uh is a
1:31:38danger to the ecosystem as well as
1:31:40wealth. So, he wants to know why not
1:31:44develop an educational model? to create
1:31:47a creative spirit so that whether poor
1:31:51or rich, the environment is protected
1:31:54and the ecosystem is always maintained
1:31:57as it is. So, I found his question. I
1:32:01don't know if uh uh we will be able to
1:32:03work on that. Uh, why not develop
1:32:07educational models to have a creative
1:32:09spirit? There you go. Quickly, we will
1:32:14touch on that and then uh we will see
1:32:16what follows.
1:32:17>> Yes, thank you very much. I can say
1:32:19that at JVE, for example, we have
1:32:22developed a program we call the PEC
1:32:24program, Ecology Consciousness program.
1:32:29These are environmental courses,
1:32:31biodiversity courses, nature protection
1:32:34courses that we give in schools and
1:32:37through volunteer teachers. Now, it is
1:32:42the innovation side that is very, very
1:32:46important. The person asked the
1:32:48question but in their question there
1:32:50was at the same time a proposed answer.
1:32:53So you know, one can give you
1:32:55everything but if you yourself do not
1:32:57rise up to transform and get what you
1:32:59want, it will be complicated. We
1:33:02provide the information, we perhaps
1:33:04provide the expertise, but if the youth
1:33:07themselves, if the community itself
1:33:09doesn't use the information it has to
1:33:12find solutions to the problems it's
1:33:14facing, it’s complicated. Mr. Chapo
1:33:17just said it earlier. You have the
1:33:20information or you go seek it, but if
1:33:22you don't use it properly, it will be
1:33:24complicated. So, what I will simply say
1:33:29is that it is a collective effort for
1:33:32all of us. We all have to contribute to
1:33:36the cause. So, you have already
1:33:38proposed a solution. That's good; why
1:33:41not take the initiative to continue the
1:33:43reflection with your peers and see what
1:33:45changes you can bring to your community
1:33:48? Thank you.
1:33:49>> There you go. Thank you. One last
1:33:51question from Yana, who comes to us
1:33:54from Hawa. We are here to talk about
1:33:58protecting the environment, managing it
1:34:00, and protecting creation, but in some
1:34:02interventions, chemicals and pesticides
1:34:05are mentioned. So for him, it’s
1:34:08confusing. So who should he turn to? So
1:34:14>> I think I had [already] asked the
1:34:16question. OK. So, are we going to have
1:34:20more...
1:34:21>> Are you satisfied with that answer? Is
1:34:24there satisfaction regarding the
1:34:26question? All right. That’s good.
1:34:29That’s good. Well, thank you very
1:34:31much. We will finish this panel with a
1:34:34round table. We will honor Mr.
1:34:37Stanislas, who comes to us from Benin.
1:34:41So, regarding everything that has been
1:34:43said about the theme of resilient food
1:34:46systems, agroecology, and landscape
1:34:48restoration, a word on all that has
1:34:50been said to this lovely audience. I
1:34:55would simply say that a farmer produces
1:34:59primarily to feed people, and if it is
1:35:03to feed people, we are also people, and
1:35:07we also have families. So, we are
1:35:12required to produce quality.
1:35:17Consequently, I would like to invite us
1:35:20to avoid anything that could end up on
1:35:23our plates and be harmful to our health
1:35:26. The second thing I would like to say:
1:35:34if corn, soy, and perhaps cotton seed
1:35:39producers are here, I would like to ask
1:35:43them to double their efforts so that
1:35:48our fellow poultry farmers who dream of
1:35:57immediately finding a substitute for
1:36:01poultry imports can, at the right
1:36:04moment, be first in order to be able to
1:36:11produce for the Togolese population.
1:36:15>> Thank you very much to Mr. Nagoba
1:36:16Stanislas, Secretary General of the
1:36:17Inter-professional Poultry Association
1:36:19of Benin. Can we give him a round of
1:36:21applause, please? Can we give him a
1:36:24round of applause for his availability
1:36:26to join us on this panel? Mr. Chapo,
1:36:29you have the floor.
1:36:31>> Thank you very much. And well, as a
1:36:34closing word, I would like to encourage
1:36:38our brave players in the agricultural
1:36:40world to work more hand in hand rather
1:36:45than going or wanting to go in a
1:36:47scattered way organized. into strong,
1:36:54sustainable, and resilient cooperatives
1:36:57. Go in search of information. I inform
1:37:03you that among you, there are those who
1:37:05come to the cabinet, there are those
1:37:08who write directly to the minister,
1:37:10there are those who share WhatsApp
1:37:12messages with the minister since, in
1:37:14the meantime, the minister himself gave
1:37:16me his WhatsApp number. People write to
1:37:21him regarding their problems, and he
1:37:23helps them find solutions. Do not stay
1:37:27in your corner saying I am just a poor
1:37:29farmer, I am a poor grower, I am this.
1:37:32Please, I invite you to get closer to
1:37:34the structures of the Ministry of
1:37:36Agriculture, whether it be the cabinet,
1:37:39the regional level, the prefectural
1:37:41level, or in the cantons where there
1:37:43are agricultural advisors. Approach
1:37:47them, go in search of information. You
1:37:50have a pocket of drought, approach them
1:37:52, go in search of information to see
1:37:53how you can benefit from agricultural
1:37:55insurance. It is for you, the farmers.
1:37:59Where are we? In the office, drought
1:38:03does not strike us, a flood does not
1:38:06strike us. So it is for you: the
1:38:12follow-up that is done is deplorable.
1:38:15Sometimes it makes you laugh because I
1:38:17will give you an example. Last year,
1:38:20last year, out of a quota of 4 billion,
1:38:26barely 2 billion were consumed only.
1:38:30The country loses, the country loses a
1:38:34lot because you do not have information
1:38:36. Therefore, approach the Ministry of
1:38:39Agriculture's structures to seek
1:38:40information; it is very important. We
1:38:44have the Directorate of
1:38:45Entrepreneurship and Agricultural
1:38:47Financing which takes care of your
1:38:50needs and concerns, your problems with
1:38:53access to credit. Approach this
1:38:57structure. Those who knew the DF of
1:39:00Topa, this is the directorate that
1:39:03replaces the DF of Topa. Approach this
1:39:08DEFA directorate; it was created for
1:39:09you. So, I urge you above all to create
1:39:16cooperatives, revitalize your
1:39:18cooperatives, and approach state
1:39:23structures. That is my
1:39:27>> There you go. Thank you very much. to
1:39:28Mr. Titré Chapo. He is an
1:39:31environmentalist, a specialist in
1:39:33environmental and social safeguards,
1:39:36and comes to us from the Ministry in
1:39:38charge of Agriculture, Fisheries,
1:39:41Animal Resources, and Animal
1:39:43Sovereignty, MAPRAZA. Mr. Tié,
1:39:46>> thank you for being on this panel. I
1:39:50will give the floor to Dr. Alat Osé
1:39:52who comes to us from the CTO for his
1:39:55closing word.
1:39:57>> OK. Thank you very much. The Togolese
1:40:02coordination of peasant organizations
1:40:04and agricultural producers, through my
1:40:07president and the executive secretary,
1:40:09thanks you very much for the invitation
1:40:12. For us, we are fully committed to the
1:40:18agroecological transition, and we truly
1:40:22believe that if we commit ourselves,
1:40:25provide the resources, provide training
1:40:29, and also provide access to water,
1:40:32well, and the inputs, mainly compost
1:40:35and the organic inputs I mentioned
1:40:38earlier. And also the question of
1:40:42markets. That also is very close to our
1:40:44hearts because everyone here wants to
1:40:46eat agroecological or organic
1:40:48vegetables. Exactly. But I find that in
1:40:53relation to this theme of climate,
1:40:56protection of creation, and resilience,
1:40:59we must move from awareness to action.
1:41:04If we really want to move to action,
1:41:06all lines must move, everything must
1:41:09change, and we must tackle things from
1:41:11the ground up. I personally believe
1:41:15that the message of agroecology must be
1:41:18conveyed at all levels. Starting with
1:41:22schools. JVE mentioned it. And I
1:41:25personally discovered JVE in a school
1:41:27setting. Where they were talking about
1:41:31ecosystems and how to maintain a
1:41:33certain number of things. I believe the
1:41:37gathering here consists largely of
1:41:41pastors who are with us. We know that
1:41:46you are often in contact with a large
1:41:49number of people. I think you can also
1:41:54create panels at your level to raise
1:41:56awareness among your members regarding
1:41:59consumption, production, and even
1:42:02training on the production of
1:42:04agroecological inputs, everything we
1:42:06talked about earlier. You have groups
1:42:11of young people among you, and I think
1:42:14you can encourage them to develop; I
1:42:16spoke earlier about 10 young people who
1:42:19are being supported in their processing
1:42:22units, but your members can also be
1:42:25part of these groups. And it is up to
1:42:28you to pass on the information. Lastly,
1:42:32if you need to buy agroecological
1:42:35vegetables or inputs, or if you want
1:42:37training, or simply go in that
1:42:39direction. I will leave my contact
1:42:42information shortly. Perhaps in the
1:42:44area where you are located, there is an
1:42:46agroecological farm nearby or a
1:42:48cooperative. But because you don't have
1:42:50the information, you don't know. I will
1:42:51leave my contacts. It is 92. The 92 45
1:43:0191 62 It is 92 45 91 62. So, if you
1:43:11have other concerns, we can continue
1:43:13the discussion. Thank you. Thank you
1:43:16very much, Doctor Alaté Osé, for
1:43:18everything you do for the farmers and
1:43:20for the agricultural entrepreneurs, and
1:43:22please also convey our thanks to COP.
1:43:26Now, Mr. Andé Yorvi, who comes to us
1:43:28from JVE, to bring things to a close.
1:43:31Thank you very much, dear moderators.
1:43:32Thanks to Compassion for involving us
1:43:35in this panel and to the various
1:43:38participants, and my closing word is to
1:43:41say that the just transformation of
1:43:46food systems requires production
1:43:49through agroecology and the consumption
1:43:52of local products. We consume what we
1:43:56produce, and what we produce is what we
1:43:59consume. We are in a "consume local"
1:44:03movement, and I call on everyone to
1:44:06reflect deeply on this issue so that we
1:44:10can achieve our food sovereignty. To
1:44:14conclude, the restoration of forest
1:44:17landscapes must not just be an act of
1:44:20planting trees, but it must help to
1:44:23restore life. If there is no life, it
1:44:28means our restoration model does not
1:44:30really have any meaning. So I also want
1:44:36to mention our availability at JVE,
1:44:39working with Compassion throughout the
1:44:41national territory. If you need us to
1:44:46work with the young people you
1:44:48supervise or with your congregations on
1:44:50topics of environmental protection,
1:44:53agroecology, or food systems, we remain
1:44:55available. Uh, I will do the same as my
1:44:59predecessor. I can leave my contact
1:45:02information if needed. Uh, I can be
1:45:05contacted on WhatsApp at 92 41 62 86. I
1:45:15repeat the name, it's Andé Yaoubi.
1:45:18Thank you.
1:45:20>> Thank you as well for your availability
1:45:23: resilient food systems, agroecology,
1:45:25and landscape restoration. That was the
1:45:29theme of our 2nd panel, the last panel
1:45:32of the day. Thank you for your, uh,
1:45:34availability; thank you for your
1:45:36patience. So, from these discussions,
1:45:38what do we note? You must know the
1:45:41ecosystem in which you operate. We
1:45:43operate, excuse me. You must commit to
1:45:45protecting your community and
1:45:47protecting your environment. That was
1:45:50said at length by the panelists. We
1:45:52must also promote agroecology because
1:45:55conventional agriculture has shown its
1:45:58limits and no longer works. We must
1:46:01also encourage joining cooperatives.
1:46:04The morning panelists also hammered
1:46:06this home, and finally, you have to
1:46:09seek out information. It is very
1:46:11important. The Togolese state makes
1:46:13many things available to the
1:46:14agricultural world, but for lack of
1:46:16information, it remains in the drawers.
1:46:19Earlier, I felt bad when Mr. Napo just
1:46:21said that there were more than 2
1:46:23billion that remained unspent and were
1:46:25returned to the partners. Really, if
1:46:28the word had gotten out, I believe even
1:46:30those 2 billion wouldn't be enough.
1:46:32Well, thank you all for your patience.
1:46:35So, we are now bringing these
1:46:37activities to a close.
1:46:38>> Mr. Moderator, if you would allow me.
1:46:40Yes. Go ahead.
1:46:41>> We talked about agroecology, and with
1:46:43your permission, I would like to hand
1:46:45over an advocacy document
1:46:47>> uh from AFSA, a network that JV belongs
1:46:50to.
1:46:51>> Yes.
1:46:51>> So that the work can continue to be
1:46:54done at the ministry level.
1:46:56>> There we go, the representatives from
1:46:58Compassion are here. We'll do it
1:46:59quickly before we take photos. Well,
1:47:01thank you. If there is any information,
1:47:04I think right after the photo, we will
1:47:05give the floor to hand that to the
1:47:06ministry representative.
1:47:08>> From the ministry. There we go. And
1:47:09also a copy for Compassion because it
1:47:11is Compassion that brought us together
1:47:13here.
1:47:14>> Absolutely. Thank you.
1:47:16>> Can we thank the panelists for their
1:47:18availability and the depth of the
1:47:20discussions? Here is a photo to
1:47:25immortalize the advocacy. The gentleman
1:47:28from JV came well prepared, didn't he?
1:47:30Aside from his presentation, he took
1:47:31the opportunity to do what he had
1:47:33planned to do. You have to be in life,
1:47:35you have to be clever. You have to know
1:47:36how to seize opportunities. He didn't
1:47:39know he was going to be in contact with
1:47:41a representative from the Ministry of
1:47:43Environment. Thank you very much. Just
1:47:45after the photo, we will give the floor
1:47:48to our guest. Yeah.

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