CABI joined high-level experts and stakeholders at the recent Presidential Roundtable on “Unlocking Food Security in West Africa Through Agricultural Transformation”, hosted by the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) in Accra, Ghana.
The roundtable brought together key stakeholders, including Dr George Agyekum Donkor, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors at EBID.
Also in attendance were Lakshmi Moola, Country Director at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Ghana, and Aurore Rusiga, Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Ghana to explore collaborative solutions to the region’s growing food insecurity crisis.
Addressing the roots of food insecurity
Dr Victor Attuquaye Clottey, CABI’s Regional Director for West Africa, represented the organisation, contributing valuable insights on science-led approaches to sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems.
“The two major sources of food insecurity are inefficiencies and wastage,” said Dr Clottey during the discussions. “Inefficiencies stem from the way we do things. This includes pest infestations damaging crops, issues surrounding drought, and too much rainfall. Farmers lack the right resources to respond to such challenges, which then leads to inefficiencies in food production.”
Drawing on CABI’s experience, Dr Clottey highlighted the need to strengthen plant health systems, empower smallholder farmers with digital advisory tools, and promote climate-smart agriculture as pillars for sustainable transformation.
“Ignorance is equal to poverty, as you do not know what to do. Knowledge management is important,” he noted, underlining the value of timely, accessible, and actionable information in improving agricultural outcomes.
Dr Victor Clottey (second from right) joins fellow panellists during the roundtable discussion.
Food safety as part of food security
Dr Clottey also highlighted the importance of harmonisation in pest management and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, as part of ensuring regional food systems are efficient and resilient. He highlighted that food insecurity is not just a question of availability, but also of safety and quality.
“Insecurity is not just about having enough food or not, but also whether the food is safe. This raises important questions: How much pesticide is being used? At what levels? That’s why quality assurance is critical across the entire food production process to ensure food is not just available but also nourishing and safe to consume,” he said.
Dr Clottey also called for a more holistic view of agriculture, including livestock and other interlinked sectors.
“Usually, when we talk about agriculture, the majority only look at the crop side, but there are other sectors, such as the livestock sector,” he said.
He pointed to insect protein as a promising, sustainable alternative to fishmeal and soy-based feeds, helping address feed-related inefficiencies and resource limitations.
Driving technological efficiency
During the discussions on leveraging technology to address food insecurity, Dr Clottey stressed the need for proactive and future-focused investment in innovation.
“When considering the capacities to be built, the first is technology. With the changing demands in food consumption patterns, we should always be a step ahead,” he said.
He explained that rather than reinventing tools from scratch, AI and other technologies can help identify and adapt proven solutions to meet local needs faster and more effectively.
“Organisations like CABI think ahead by adopting technologies that are already working elsewhere and adapting them to local contexts,” he said.
In closing, he added CABI’s ongoing commitment to regional collaboration.
“As part of our strategy, we aim to continuously partner with governments, researchers, and scientists to develop solutions for sustainable agriculture that improve livelihoods and support the Zero Hunger Initiative.,” he said.
Additional information
This report was written by Serita Eregwa who is currently undertaking an internship at CABI’s Regional Centre for Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.
Main image: Dr Victor Attuquaye Clottey, Regional Director for West Africa, CABI during the event (Credit: EBID).
Catch it on video
Dr Clottey speaks at 17.16 in the video below:
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