Inades-Formation Togo in its commitment to promote food sovereignty took part from April 11 to 13, 2019 in the National Forum of Togolese Farmers (FNPT). This is a meeting of business opportunities that allowed its agricultural partners (actors of the food sovereignty project) to exhibit their products, enrich their address book and forge new partnerships.
Well packaged and labelled fonio, packaged fonio flour, common bean, fonio and bean seeds, food brochures, Inades-Formation booklets on agriculture, livestock, business management: these are some of the articles from this national forum on the Inades-Formation Togo stand. For this 11th edition, the reflections revolved around the theme: « agricultural processing poles to enhance the potential in Togo: a new vision translated by the NDP ». This is an opportunity for the actors of the food sovereignty project to highlight the products of their harvest.
Clearly, visitors were amazed and satisfied with the beauty of the product: « without a doubt, the quality is there. It’s my first time seeing the fonio so nicely wrapped up. It is already building my appetite, » said one of the Aklesso visitors. Even the elected representative of the people, the Honorable Abass KABOUA, came to the Inades-Formation Togo stand. He congratulated private organizations for their contribution to development and their commitment to promoting local products. He appreciated the packaging of the fonio »Ovali » and promised to promote it as much as possible.
Public debates and conferences focused on various themes at this give and take meeting. Panels from several sectors were run, including one on the fonio sector, to which the Inades-Formation Togo delegation composed of seed companies, producers and processors strongly contributed for the improvement of this sector.
This forum allowed Inades-Formation Togo to capitalize on some achievements: a Whatsapp platform was created. It brings together national stakeholders in the sector. The delegation entered into negotiations with other operators with a view to developing a possible business relationship. The agricultural partners also discussed with delegates from the MIFA (agricultural financing incentive mechanism) on the modalities of collaboration.
The Forum aims to strengthen the development dynamics of agricultural processing poles through the organization, structuring and financing of agricultural value chains in order to effectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the National Development Program (NDP). More than six hundred (600) actors from the agricultural world from Togo and elsewhere took part in this meeting.
The meeting was opened by the Minister of Agriculture, Noël Koutéra BATAKA. In his speech, he recalled the government’s actions aimed at making Togolese agriculture competitive, resilient and income-generating, as outlined in the National Development Plan (2018-2022 NDP). He also congratulated and encouraged non-governmental organizations and private structures for supporting grassroots communities for a developed, prosperous and influential rural world.
