Meeting in Bamako with Mr. Lassine DEMBELE, Minister of Agriculture of Mali

As part of the “Scaling up climate-resilient rice production in West Africa” - RICOWAS project implementation monitoring activities, the Sahara and Sahel Observatory conducted a mission to Bamako from October 11 to 13, 2023. Accompanied by the officials of the IER/CRS-Riz, the project regional implementing entity, the OSS delegation was received by His Excellency Mr. Lassine DEMBELE, Minister of Agriculture of Mali on Thursday October 12, 2023.

Discussions focused on the OSS initiatives carried out in Mali. Particular emphasis was placed on the progress of the RICOWAS project implementation, officially launched in January 2023. The main challenges hindering the effective start of the project at the regional level were addressed and possible solutions were proposed.
 
The Minister expressed his satisfaction with the quality of the collaboration with the OSS, emphasizing the importance of these initiatives in supporting the efforts of the countries in priority sectors, in particular rice production, which has become the most consumed food in recent years. He restated his unfailing support for such regional initiatives and said was eager to have them reproduced elsewhere.
 
At the end of the meeting, he reiterated his commitment to achieving the objectives of the RICOWAS project that will contribute to strengthening food security in West Africa, in a context particularly marked by the climate change effects.