CURRENT REGIONAL SITUATION OF FALL ARMYWORM INVASION AND PERSPECTIVES

West Africa perspectives on FAW monitoring and its effective control

Gbemenou Joselin Benoit Gnonlonfin, PhDDirectorate Agriculture and Rural Development AND Department of Industry and Private Sector Promotion

ECOWAS-USAID Senior SPS Standards Adviser

Thematic session on Fall Armyworm19 March, 2019

WTO, Centre William Rappard, Geneva

REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS ON THE BASIS OF SPS PRIORITIES

• ECOWAP: Strategic policy for the 2016-2025ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP/CAADP).

• Harmonized Regulation C/REG.21/11/10 related to the structural and operational rules for plant health, animal health and food safety in the ECOWAS region.

• Harmonized Regulation C/REG.3/05/2008 on the rules governing pesticides registration in ECOWAS region.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS (1)

International level

Regional level

• ECOWAS is Observer Inter-governmental organization of international standards setting bodies (Codex, OIE, IPPC) as well the implementation body (WTO-SPS Committee)

• WAPRC = 2 Sub committees (CSP + Humid Zones)

• ARAA : Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS (2)

Cooperation: technical and financial partners

PRESENCE OF FAW IN WEST AFRICA AND THE SAHEL IN JULY 2018

FAW can feed on more than 80 plant species including important food security crops like: • Maize (favorite)• Rice• Sorghum• Millet• Vegetable crops

Economic losses on maize production across 12 major African countries was estimated between 4 to 18 million tones annually, with an economic value of between US$1 to 4.6 billion per annum" (CABI 2018).

As of February 2018

POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON REGIONAL FOOD SECURITY & LIVELIHOODS

Exports of crops that are host plants for FAW from African countries with confirmed presence of FAW will come under new scrutiny from importing countries that haven't reported FAW

[Article 8: Control, inspection and approval procedures and Annex C, WTO SPS Agreement]

• The fall armyworm S. frugiperda is a polyphagous pest listed in Annex 1 of the Regulation EU 2016/2031 on protective measures against pests of plants (enforcement to start end 2019)

OUTLOOK ON IMPLEMENTED ACTIVITIES WITH PARTNERS INSTITUTIONS

Regional action plan for the Prevention, Surveillance and Control of Plant Pest and Diseases” – Accra, June 2017

PILAR 1- PREVENTION

PILAR 2-PREPAREDNESS

PILAR 3- RESPONSE

PILAR 4- RECOVERY/EVALUATION

PILAR 5- COORDINATION & COOPERATION AMONG STAKEHOLDERS

ECOWAS: Power of convening regional meetings and specific trainings

West Africa Regional and national Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) and Partners Taskforce: Toensure better regional coordination of efforts; To Strengthen regional capacities in plant health and surveillance; To embark in the harmonization processes of the international standards setting

Capacity building of NPPOs and extension officer on Surveillance, Diagnostic Capacities and Reporting of plant pests: border inspection trainings for 15MS25 NPPO trained on FAW identification and monitoring

Development and dissemination of guidance documents (IPM), early warning systems (FAMEWS, PlantVillage), animated Video on pest identification, etc.

Study tour in Brazil for awareness creation and experience sharing for high level policy-makers

Research actions (ongoing): - Sensibility to some registered pesticides in West Africa in lab conditions, - Naturals enemies collection, - Genotypic characterization

FAW management strategies

FAO: TCPs to 14/15 ECOWAS MS and to the Commission Emphasis on Farmer Field School (FFS), awareness creation, coordination

Strong regional political will

ECOWAP 2025/RAIP-FSN 2020 (SO1-R1.1,R1.2,

etc.)

ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS strengthen Coordination

actions, buildstakeholders (NPPOs)

capacitys’ and mobilizeTechnical & Financial partners in order to

reduce economicimpact of FAW

CILSS-AGRHYMET isequiped to perform

research activities and to train countries

officers on Phytosanitary issues

WHAT’S NEXT?

Development of holistic programme on plant pest and diseases prevention and control (ongoing): to be submitted to AfDB and

World Bank

Organizing a regional workshop (2019) training

on improving FAW prevalence monitoring,

FAW risk mapping, Dashboard and impact

assessment

Development an INTEGRATED “Regional Plant Pest and Diseases

Early Warning and Surveillance System”

(FAW, Fruit Fly, MLND, etc.).

Awareness creation and capacity building of relevant stakeholders (private sector, FEWACCI,

NPPOs, etc.) on new EU and USA regulations related to export/import (WTO-SPS and IPPC

regulations)

Resource mobilization –governments, partners to prioritize

FAW and plants pests and diseases in general

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Contact information: bgnonlonfin74@gmail.com