The Gambia is hosting the Fourth West Africa Sub-Regional Forum on Food Security through Commercialisation of Agriculture (FSCA) programme, which commenced yesterday at the Ocean Bay Hotel in Cape Point, Bakau. The US$21 million FSCA is among seven national projects funded in West Africa by the Italian government through its special contribution to the Global Trust Fund for food security and safety.

The projects are implemented through the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in Mali, Senegal, Liberia and Guinea Bissau as well as Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. It aims, among other things, to promote food security and support specific policies to introduce sustainable production, processing and marketing of agricultural products.

Declaring the forum open, the vice president and minister of Women’s Affairs, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy said that the project is timely as it comes at a time when governments are working tirelessly to address endemic poverty. She urged countries to embrace agriculture, saying that as nations of the West Africa sub-region, they cannot continue relying on outside markets. She also informed the gathering that at least 24% of Gambia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is driven from agriculture, with the greater percentage of the country's local communities depending solely on agriculture and its related products.

The VP said The Gambia is known for agriculture and continues to stand on its slogan of “grow what you eat and eat what you grow”, a slogan she said President Jammeh always use as a tool to remind Gambians to respect agriculture potentials. VP Njie-Saidy also identified poor road infrastructure and proper packaging as the major challenges to agricultural marketing in Africa.

She further stated that commercialisation of agriculture has huge potential for employment, comparing it to Gambia's recently launched Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE). She reminded the gathering that eradicating extreme poverty is the first programme spelt out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adding that agriculture plays a leading role in that. While hoping that the three-day forum will lead to a fruitful conclusion, VP Njie-Saidy used the platform to thank the Italian government and FAO for their collaboration, financial support and commitment to make the project a reality.

Speaking earlier, the FAO representative in The Gambia, Dr Babagana Ahmadu said the FSCA project aims at providing marketing for agriculture products. He reminded the participants that they are gathered to work towards producing success stories and make positive changes in the agricultural sector. While commending participants for their commitment to the development of the agriculture sector, Dr Ahmadu assured them of his office's commitment to strengthen its efforts for the mutual benefit of the people.

The FAO sub-regional coordinator for West Africa, Gambian-born Musa Saihou Mbenga said that the FSCA programme provides opportunities for participating countries to exchange ideas and make positive development in the agriculture sector. Mbenga, a former minister of Agriculture from July 1994 to January 1999, averred that the project contributes to FAO's efforts in Africa, pointing out that its innovative support targets to meet market demands for agriculture. While expressing gratitude to the government and people of Italy for funding the programme, Mbenga reaffirmed FAO's commitment to deepening and strengthening its collaboration with The Gambia.

Giuliano Soncini, the project inter-country coordinator, thanked the government and people of The Gambia for hosting the forum while assuring of his office's unreserved commitment to the promotion and development of the agriculture sector.