7th edition of the International Exhibition of Agriculture and Animal Resources (SARA): ECOWAS signs up for its second participation in this important agricultural event

Stakeholders and partners from the agro-forestry-pastoral and fisheries sectors will gather from 23 May to 1 June 2025 in Abidjan for the 7th edition of the International Exhibition of Agriculture and Animal Resources (SARA) in Abidjan, Côte d-Ivoire, which was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, H.E. Beugré Mambé, at the Parc des Expositions.

Invited to this agricultural event by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, the ECOWAS delegation is led by Ms Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the ECOWAS Commission. Within the ‘Institutions and Sponsors’ cluster, ECOWAS is sharing its achievements in the agricultural sector with the public through an exhibition stand and the organisation of eleven side events.

Under the theme ‘What agro-food processing systems for food sovereignty in Africa?’, the 7th edition of SARA is a platform for meetings and exchanges of experiences among stakeholders in the agricultural, animal and fisheries sectors in West Africa. It is a major event in the agricultural world in West Africa and provides an opportunity for visibility, networking, experience sharing and lobbying through visitors, national and international investors, the countries represented, professionals and the various presentations at the stands.

Participating in SARA for the second time after the 2023 edition, ECOWAS aims to increase its visibility and raise awareness of ECOWAS policies and initiatives on regional integration in relation to agriculture, while promoting regional initiatives related to agricultural processing systems to improve food and nutrition security. ECOWAS at SARA will take stock of the implementation of its Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) over the last 20 years, an opportunity to highlight the results of programmes and projects contributing to the implementation of the Policy, as emphasised by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture: “Our presence at this major event reflects the ECOWAS’ strong political will to support Member States in the sustainable transformation of their agricultural and food systems. It also illustrates our determination to make agriculture a driver of economic development and decent job creation, particularly for young people and women, and an essential lever for food and nutrition security. ‘

Driving food sovereignty agenda in West Africa: 20 years of implementing ECOWAP” is the theme of ECOWAS second participation in SARA. Through exhibitions, high-level panels and side events, the ECOWAS Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development, the  Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF), the Regional Animal Health Center (RAHC) and their technical and financial partners, will highlight efforts to ensure food and nutrition security, climate resilience and the sustainability of agricultural systems, in line with the continent’s food sovereignty ambitions.