Sustainability dimension – Economy and Markets

Ensuring Market Access and Fair Prices for Smallholder Farmers: We aim to create a fair and accessible marketplace for smallholder farmers, where they receive equitable prices for their produce. By fostering transparent trading practices and reducing intermediaries, we want to build a market environment that promotes sustainability and rewards hard work.

Protecting Living Wage Income for Small-Scale Producers: We envision an agricultural sector where small-scale producers earn a living wage that ensures a decent standard of living. This encompasses fair labour practices, equitable compensation, and improved social safety nets for the most vulnerable workers in the food chain.

Guaranteeing Fair Prices for Collectors and Processors: We strive for a value chain where collectors and processors are paid fairly for their services, acknowledging their vital role in bringing products from the farm to the market. This seeks to eliminate exploitation and ensure equitable distribution of value across the entire agricultural sector.

Holding Companies Accountable for Farm Gate Prices: We aspire to create a business environment where companies take full responsibility for farm gate prices, ensuring they are fair and transparent. This promotes accountability and discourages outsourcing to traders who exploit smallholder farmers.

Promoting Local, Fair, and Sustainable Production and Trade: We aspire a thriving local economy supported by fair and sustainable production and trade practices. We aim to foster resilient local food systems that prioritize local sourcing and build strong territorial markets that encourage regional collaboration.

Enhancing Value Addition and Competitiveness in the Sector: We envision an agricultural sector with enhanced value addition, leading to increased competitiveness and new market opportunities. This includes investment in local production and processing, allowing small-scale producers to capture more value from their products.

Strengthening Regional and Local Food Systems for Greater Resilience: We attempt to strike a balance between resilient local/national value chains and robust intra-regional trade. By strengthening regional markets, such as the EAC, SADC, and ECOWAS economic blocs, we aim to create immediate markets for value-added products and pave the way for global expansion.

Improving Transparency in Price Setting for Coffee and Other Crops: We desire a market where price setting is transparent, involving farmers at the cooperative level and ensuring fairness in transactions. By promoting clear and open pricing mechanisms, we aim to build trust and confidence among all stakeholders in the value chain.

Investing in Local Production and Processing for a Stronger Economy: We aspire to build a robust economy by investing in local production and processing facilities. This vision encourages the development of local businesses, creating job opportunities and fostering a sustainable and resilient agricultural sector.

Reforming Futures Markets to Include Farmer Interests and Promote Transparency: We wish for a reformed futures market where transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights and the environment are paramount. By incorporating farmer interests and fostering collaboration, we aim to create a futures market that serves the common good and supports sustainable agricultural practices.

Sustainability dimension – Social and Human

Empowering Rural Communities through Social Protection and Self-Help Initiatives: We envision a future where rural communities flourish through robust social protection programs, small grants, and self-help initiatives. By encouraging community work, cooperative associations, and crop/livestock insurance, we aim to foster a culture of resilience and shared prosperity.

Promoting Black Economic Empowerment in Agriculture: We strive for a transformative agricultural sector where land ownership and opportunities are equitably distributed, addressing the historical inequalities of past policies. This transformation will be driven by initiatives that support and empower black farmers and ensure equitable access to resources.

Supporting Small-Scale Producers and Empowering Marginalized Communities: We aspire to create a thriving ecosystem that supports small-scale producers and marginalized communities. This includes providing resources, training, and market access to ensure that every producer has the opportunity to succeed and contribute to sustainable food systems.

Championing Consumer Awareness and Ethical Production: We opt for a marketplace where consumers actively seek and demand ethically produced products. By promoting consumer education and transparency, we aim to build a value chain that is both socially responsible and environmentally sustainable.

Ensuring Fair Wages and Decent Working Conditions for Agricultural Workers: We envision an agricultural sector where all workers receive fair wages, safe working conditions, and the benefits they deserve. This includes eradicating child labour and reducing gender disparities to create an inclusive and equitable workforce.

Promoting Gender Equality and Asset Ownership for Women and Youth: We aim for a society where gender equality is achieved in asset ownership, allowing women and youth to fully participate in agricultural production and land ownership. By challenging discriminatory cultural norms, we aim to ensure that everyone has equal rights to property and resources.

Improving Collaboration for Sustainable Value Chains: We strive for a future where producers, retailers, and consumers work together to create sustainable value chains. This emphasizes traceability, transparency, and fair value distribution to ensure a more ethical and efficient food system.

Guaranteeing Food Security and the Right to Nutritious Food: We pursue a world where food security and the right to nutritious food are guaranteed for all. We aim to achieve this by supporting smallholder farmers, promoting food sovereignty, and addressing the root causes of food insecurity.

Strengthening Co-operatives to Enhance Market Participation and Reduce Rural Poverty: We attempt to build a future where co-operatives play a central role in enhancing market participation for smallholder farmers, leading to increased incomes and reduced rural poverty. By fostering a sense of community and shared goals, co-operatives will be instrumental in achieving sustainable rural development.

Sustainability dimension – Natural Capital

Integrating Sustainable Farming Practices into the Agricultural Value Chain: We envision an agricultural value chain that integrates sustainable farming practices, addressing the impacts of changing dietary habits, climate change, and environmental justice. This promotes transparency, with processors and retailers providing clear information on sustainable practices and encouraging further product labelling to meet evolving consumer expectations.

Ensuring Efficient Use of Water Resources in Water-Scarce Regions: We opt for a resilient agricultural sector that prioritizes efficient water use, especially in water-scarce regions. By fostering innovative practices, global financial support, and collaboration, we aim to achieve sustainable water management, promoting both environmental and economic resilience.

Conducting Environmental Impact Assessments for Trade: We aspire a world where environmental impact assessments are a standard practice for all trade activities. This seeks to ensure that international trade complies with environmental regulations and promotes sustainability, with a focus on reducing the ecological footprint of agricultural products.

Ensuring Compliance with Environmental Regulations: We opt for an agricultural sector where all stakeholders comply with environmental regulations, ensuring that production practices align with global sustainability goals. This promotes accountability, with governments and other actors enforcing standards that protect the environment.

Aligning Global Sustainability Standards with Local Realities: We aim to create a framework where global sustainability standards are compatible with local realities. This emphasizes institutional fit, ensuring that these standards support local communities while advancing global sustainability objectives.

Promoting Animal Welfare and Environmental Sustainability in Production Regulations: We opt for a set of production regulations and standards that prioritize animal welfare and environmental sustainability. By incorporating humane treatment of animals and sustainable practices, we aim to create a more ethical and environmentally conscious agricultural sector.

Addressing Environmental Risks through Business Model Changes and Sourcing Practices: We envision companies that proactively change their business models and sourcing practices to address root causes of environmental risks. This includes implementing Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD), with a focus on mitigating, monitoring, and reporting negative impacts in the value chain, especially regarding greenhouse gas emissions.

Improving Productivity with Best Agronomic Practices and Genetic Innovations: We aim to improve agricultural productivity by promoting best agronomic practices and innovative genetic materials. This seeks to enhance yield while minimizing environmental impact, contributing to a more sustainable and productive agricultural sector.

Promoting Climate and Environmental Justice in Agricultural Practices: We aspire an agricultural sector that champions climate and environmental justice, addressing the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable communities. This promotes practices that mitigate climate risks and support those most affected by environmental changes.

Leveraging Global Financial Instruments for Sustainable Development and Economic Resilience: We strive for a world where global financial instruments are harnessed to support cooperation in sustainable development and economic resilience. By providing the necessary resources and support, we aim to create an environment conducive to sustainable agricultural practices and robust value chains.

Sustainability dimension – Policy, Governance and Regulation

Developing Strong, Equitable, and Sensible Policies for Local Value Chains: We envision a future where ECOWAS and national West African (WA) governments implement robust policies that support investment in local value chains and ensure market protection. This promotes a balanced approach that fosters local economic growth, food security, and equitable opportunities for all stakeholders.

Providing Comprehensive Capacity Building for Processors and Exporters: We want to create established bodies that offer extensive capacity-building initiatives for processors and exporters, enabling them to meet World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, European Union (EU) requirements, and other global standards. This includes support for certification, technology adoption, and value addition, empowering businesses to thrive in a global market.

Promoting Transparency in Environmental Sustainability Practices and Standards: We aspire to increase transparency in environmental sustainability practices, ensuring that production methods and standards are clearly specified in agreements. This addresses the need for dedicated sustainability units within processors and retailers, emphasizing their role in sustainability reporting and aligning with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

Providing Free Public Research and Extension Services for Key Agricultural Products: Our aim is a public system where research and extension services for the husbandry of key agricultural products like cassava, banana, goats, and cocoa are freely available to farmers. This supports the dissemination of knowledge and best practices, fostering agricultural innovation and sustainability.

Regulating Markets with a Focus on Food Security: We envision market regulations that prioritize food security, ensuring that agricultural policies are designed to meet the needs of local populations while promoting sustainable production. This seeks to create a stable environment that supports local farmers and secures access to nutritious food for all.

Advancing the Representation and Fair Treatment of Sustainable Agricultural Products: We want to create a world where sustainable agricultural products receive fair treatment and representation in global markets. By promoting equitable policies and reducing barriers, we aim to encourage the production and trade of environmentally responsible goods.

Establishing Robust Enforcement Systems for Agricultural Obligations: We aim to create an enforcement system that holds all stakeholders accountable for their agricultural obligations. This includes mechanisms to ensure compliance with environmental, human, labour, and animal rights standards, fostering a culture of responsibility and accountability.

Empowering Farmers as Key Actors for Change: We aspire a society where farmers are recognized and empowered as key actors for change in the agricultural sector. By providing them with the resources, knowledge, and support they need, we aim to enable farmers to drive innovation and sustainability within their communities.

Promoting Fundamental Rights in Agricultural Practices: We envision an agricultural sector that upholds fundamental human, environmental, labour, and animal rights. This encourages fair treatment, ethical practices, and a commitment to sustainability at every level of the value chain.