APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDED ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS

APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDED ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS

Approved:

Regional Ag. Office Director ____/signed/______________ Date: _1/27/2014____

Candace Buzzard
Regional Environmental Advisor: ________/signed/_________ Date: _1/27/2014__ Anne Dix
Mission Environment Officer USAID/WA: ___/s/__________ Date :__1/27/2014___

Benjamin Opoku

USAID/West Africa ________/CHB for/ _____________ Date: 1/272014_____

Regional Agriculture Office Jorge Oliveira

WASP AOR
Distribution:

CTOs and Activity Managers

Agriculture & NRM Team Leaders

Regional Acquisitions & Assistance Office Chief

CORAF/WECARD activities are driven and implemented by the constituent National Agricultural Research System (NARS) of the 22 member countries in West and Central Africa and guided by CORAF headquarters in Dakar, Senegal. CORAF/WECARD currently has USAID-committed projects under the Feed the Future (FtF) Initiative of the USAID aimed at assisting countries in WCA to achieve objective one (Eradicating Hunger and Extreme Poverty) of the Millennium Development Goal. A major thrust of this programme will focus on institutional strengthening of CORAF/WECARD and its constituent National Agricultural Research System (NARS) for coordinating sub-regional agricultural research for development, while promoting agricultural productivity enhancing technologies and innovations for adoption under Program Support (PS). The CORAF/WECARD FtF strategic objective is productivity and competitiveness of Cereal (Rice, Sorghum and Maize), Livestock and Milk Value Chains sustainably improved in West Africa (WA). In addition the West Africa Seed Project (WASP) has been initiated to build on the work of the West Africa Seed Alliance (WASA) supported by USAID/West Africa and, like WASA, implement activities to promote a commercial seed industry in the West Africa region.

CORAF/WECARD FTF’s main goal is to increase food security and decrease hunger through agriculture-led growth and inclusive market access by smallholder farmers. The project will improve smallholder productivity, expand markets and trade, and increase private sector investment in agriculture-related activities. Applying both “push” and “pull” interventions to create a pathway out of poverty for smallholders, CORAF/WECARD FTF will increase productivity and efficiency, promote private enterprise and investment, and ensure that women and vulnerable groups benefit equitably.

Specifically, the following programs/projects are covered by this PERSUAP:

• 
  CORAF/WECARD-Implemented Feed the Future (FTF) activities in: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sénégal, Sierra Leone and Togo
  
• 
  CORAF/WECARD-Implemented West Africa Seed Project (WASP) activities in: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal
  

FTF country and crop coverage:

WASP’s purpose is to implement activities to promote a commercial seed industry in the West Africa region. Expected activities of WASP include policy development, strengthening the competitiveness of local seed companies and agrodealers/stockists; seed multiplication; improving access from the private sector of improved inputs including seed, fertilizers and pesticides; development of seed production training modules, media campaigns and advocacy efforts; facilitating bank loans, raising social venture capital, and leveraging additional funding; demonstration plots and field days; agrodealer/stockist identification and training in business management, fertilizer use and safe handling and use of pesticides; seed demand creation activities; linking smallholders to inputs and outputs markets through agrodealers/stockists, seed marketing information.