OCP Group and World Bank Join Forces to Boost Food Security and Agricultural Development in West Africa
OCP Group and World Bank Join Forces to Boost Food Security and ... World Bank Group
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The World Bank and OCP Group Partner to Support Sustainable Agriculture in West Africa and the Sahel
The partnership will unlock opportunities for African farmers to improve agricultural productivity and soil health through the use of customized fertilizers and sustainable farming practices.
MARRAKECH, October 11, 2023
The World Bank and the OCP Group today announced a game-changing partnership to support farmers in West Africa and the Sahel.
At the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings in Marrakech, the OCP Chairman Mostafa Terrab and World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa Ousmane Diagana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster cooperation and programs benefiting five million farmers in Benin, Guinea, Mali, and Togo, covering 10 million hectares. This cooperation aims at accelerating investments and reforms to make fertilizers more accessible and affordable to farmers. “These projects are an important step towards unlocking Africa’s potential in global food security,” said OCP Group’s Chairman and CEO, Mr. Mostafa Terrab. “The goal is to drive a just and sustainable agricultural transition, by widening the access of farmers in West Africa to customized fertilizers that nourish the soil and improve crop yields, which in turn enhances the livelihoods of farmers, thereby contributing to African development and prosperity.”
This is a critical partnership to help achieve the commitments made by the Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security of member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the Lomé Declaration endorsed in May 2023.
“Both our institutions believe in accelerating investments and reforms to support a resilient agriculture that promotes sustainable development and creates jobs. This partnership between the World Bank and the OCP Group is turning the Lomé Declaration into action,” said Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa.
Areas of Cooperation
- Improving soil health and fertility through digital soil mapping analysis and customized fertilization
- Establishing agricultural technology and service centers to train and support smallholder farmers
- Launching a Digital Farming School program to foster local capacities and entrepreneurship to transform the agri-food sector
- Strengthening the capacity of ECOWAS to operationalize its Roadmap on fertilizers and soil health
- Supporting the establishment of a Regional Center for Soil Health and Fertility management in West Africa hosted by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Under the partnership, both institutions reaffirm their commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 2 on hunger and food security, and SDG 13 on climate change.
About OCP Group
OCP Group helps feed a growing global population by providing it with the essential elements for soil fertility and plant growth. With a century of expertise and a turnover of more than US$ 11.3 billion in 2022, OCP is the world leader in plant nutrition solutions and phosphate-based fertilizers. Headquartered in Morocco and present on five continents, OCP Group has approximately 20,000 employees and works closely with more than 350 customers around the world. OCP recently launched a new green investment strategy, dedicated to increasing fertilizer production and investing in renewable energy. The strategy foresees an overall investment of approximately $13 billion over the period 2023-2027, which will enable the Group to use 100% renewable energy by 2027 and achieve full carbon neutrality by 2040. The strategy also aims to reach a water desalination capacity of 560 million m3 in 2026 and to increase the production of green fertilizers. The Group is firmly convinced that leadership and profitability are synonymous with social responsibility and sustainable development. Its strategic vision sits at the junction of these two dimensions.
For more information: www.ocpgroup.ma
About the World Bank
The World Bank provides financing, global knowledge, and long-term commitment to help low- and middle-income countries end poverty, achieve sustainable growth, and invest in opportunity for all. We comprise the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the world’s largest development bank, and the International Development Association (IDA), one of the largest sources of funding for the world’s poorest countries. With the other World Bank Group institutions as well as partners across the public and private sectors, we are helping build solutions to the global challenges of the 21st century in all major sectors of development. A world where no one lives in poverty, and everyone has the opportunity for a better life is within our reach.
In Western and Central Africa, the World Bank focuses on strengthening the social contract, bolstering job creation and economic transformation, improving human capital, empowering women, and boosting climate resilience.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
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SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
- Indicator 2.4.1: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture.
- Indicator 2.4.2: Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status.
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SDG 13: Climate Action
- Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
- Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
- Indicator 13.1.2: Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
The article highlights a partnership between the World Bank and the OCP Group to support farmers in West Africa and the Sahel. The partnership aims to improve agricultural productivity and soil health through the use of customized fertilizers and sustainable farming practices. Based on this information, the following SDGs, targets, and indicators can be identified:
Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
The SDGs addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article are SDG 2: Zero Hunger and SDG 13: Climate Action.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
Under SDG 2: Zero Hunger, the specific target identified is Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
Under SDG 13: Climate Action, the specific target identified is Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
For Target 2.4 under SDG 2: Zero Hunger, the following indicators can be used to measure progress:
- Indicator 2.4.1: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture.
- Indicator 2.4.2: Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status.
For Target 13.1 under SDG 13: Climate Action, the following indicators can be used to measure progress:
- Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
- Indicator 13.1.2: Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 2: Zero Hunger | Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality. |
|
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. |
|
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Source: worldbank.org
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