G/SPS/GEN/1620  
 
18 June 2018  
(18-3777) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
OUTLOOK ON ECOWAS IM PLEMENTED SANITARY A ND PHYTOSANITARY ACT IVITIES 
DURING THE PERIOD OF  MARCH – JUNE 2018  
COMMUNICATION FROM E COWAS -USAID SENIOR SANITAR Y 
AND PHYTOSANITARY (S PS) STANDARDS ADVISO R 
The followi ng communication, received on 12 June 2018, is being circulated at the request of 
the Economic Community of West African States  (ECOWAS).  
 
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1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  The USAID/West Africa Regional Mission works to support the Economic C ommunity of West 
African States  (ECOWAS) to advance their v ision to create an economic union and common 
market. In line with this objective ECOWAS is implementing many agreements designed to support 
the free movement of goods and people throughout the reg ion. In standards, a  USAID/West  Africa  
Cost Reimbursement Im plementation Letter no 2 was signed between CILSS and USAID/West 
Africa. It is through this agreement focus will be on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS)  standards.  
1.2.  With reference to the approved 2018 -2019 work plan and in view of improving and 
strengthenin g SPS activities in the ECOWAS region the following activities were implemented 
during the period of March -June 2018 : 
2  PLANT HEALTH AND PLA NT PROTECTION  
2.1.  The recent introduction of the fall armyworm (FAW) as well as the discovery of the new alien 
invasive pe st identified in West Africa and its growing threat to agriculture and food security have 
caused much concern in about 44 countries in the sub -Saharan region including 15 West African 
countries. The FAW is a crop-destroying worm and can cause high damage t o maize, rice, 
sorghum, vegetables. These attributes have made the control of FAW a challenging task. There 
have been efforts to sensitize, build capacity for the pest identification, knowledge sharing and a 
study tour. Overall, development of management o ptions has mobilized international experts and 
the national capacities of affected countries and raised general attention to caterpillar attacks on 
various crops. It is in this line that a high -level FAW study tour in Brazil (visited cities Brazilia, Sete 
Lagoas) was organized with the support of USAID in collaboration with USDA, EMBRAPA, CIMMYT, 
Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), from 24 -29 March 2018. Participants were m ember States: 
Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Zambia,  Ethiopia; 
organizations:  FAO, AUC, ECOWAS, SADC, AATF; private s ector: Syngenta, AgBiTech, Corteva 
Agriscience™, IntreXon Crop Protection.  
2.2.  The objectives were to (i)  demonstrate proven and successful technologies to combat the Fall 
Armyworm, (ii) u nderst and advantages and limitations of various technologies, (iii) see how 
institutions are addressing pest problems through sus tainable diversification, (iv) l earn what 
makes cert ain technologies scalable, (v) u nderstand the key policies to develop and apply t hese 
technologies in your own countries.  G/SPS/GEN/1620  
 
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  General lessons learnt:  
 
 FAW poses a serious threat to food security and livelihoods of millions of smallholders in 
Africa. The pest unfortunately here to stay for the long term;  
 We still do not know all the answer s about the pest and its dynamics in Africa. However, we 
can certainly learn a lot from countries which have been dealing with this pest for several 
decades ; 
 Indiscriminate and extensive use of highly toxic pesticides must stop. We need to adopt 
ecological ly and environmentally -friendly and IPM -based technologies/management 
practices for sustainability ; 
 Need for well -coordinated and rapid responses at the national, regional and continental 
levels.  
Specific lessons learnt:  
 
2.3.  A wide range of proven and success ful technologies to combat the Fall Armyworm 
demonstrated (both theory and field visit).  
 EMBRAPA maize and sorghum and Trichogramma  wasp (biocontrol) ; 
 Crop-livestock integration ; 
 Irrigated maize field and Trichogramma  wasp (release in the field using drone technology, 
intensive agriculture) ; 
 Use of neem leav es (Azadirachta  indica ) extract;  
 Use of genetically modified organisms (GMO crops) such as Bt maize . 
2.4.  It is important to note that:  
 Each farm is unique and requires  a combination of technologies (IPM) ; 
 Use of technology is scaled to fit the size of the farm and cost -benefit impact ; 
 Use of GM maize seeds is an effective tool to control FAW in combination with other 
technologies ; 
 Use of Trichogramma in combination with  natural predators like earwigs to control some of 
the FAW infestation ; 
 Advantages and limitations of these various technologies understood;  
 EMBRAPA demonstration field as well as supported farmers field visited and applica tion of 
IPM to combat FAW shown;   
 Certain technologies  scalable, and that can fit in the African context selected ; 
 Key policies to develop understood (policy on GMO, Biocontrol application);  
 Visit of Trichogramma biofactory, JB Biotechnology . 
 
Take home messages:  
 
2.5.  Following the successful  FAW study t our in Brazil, there is need to:  
 Convene in the short time a regional meeting for restitution (feedback to member States, 
NPPOs) of the outcomes of the FAW study tour in Brazil with focus on the potential 
technologies available to control FAW ; 
 Pilot biocontrol technologies in selected member States (short and mid -term action) ; 
 Organize awareness campaigns to sensitize pol icy-makers, politicians, parliamentarians on 
benefits to adopt GMO in controlling FAW ; 
 Initiate/s tart dialogue for policy revi ew; 
 Exploring possibility for signing MoU with EMBRAPA, ABC for collaboration on the effective 
management of FAW in ECOWAS member countries (long term action) . 
2.6.  Further the  ECOWAS Commission will seek and  initiate dialogue with member S tates for 
policy revi ew, facilitate the signing of MOU with EMBRAPA, ABC for collaboration on the effective 
management of FAW in ECOWAS member countries (long term action) and finally ensure better 
coordination of harmonized IPM based technologies to control FAW at regional le vel.  G/SPS/GEN/1620  
 
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  3  ATTENDANCE AT R EGIONAL, INTERNATION AL SPS FORA  
3.1.  The ECOWAS Commission were represented at regional and international meetings including:  
 Participation to the 9th Pan African national C odex contact p oint officer meeting from 
17-18 May 2018, Nairobi, Kenya to harmonize common position on matters of interest to be 
discussed at the 41st session of Codex Alimentation Commission to be hel d in Rome, Italy, 
from 2 -6 July  2018; 
 Participation to the Global Food Security Strategy Development – Regional Strategy  
Development meeting in Accra, Ghana, from 30 May – 01 June 2018.   
4  CONCLUSION AND WAY F ORWARD  
4.1.  The ECOWAS Commission take this opportunity to thank USAID Regional office, West Africa, 
USDA, USDA -APHIS, European Union, AU -IBAR and all partners and donors for their continuing 
support in advancing SPS issues in the ECOWAS region and beyond. The ECOWAS Commission 
also want to call for more collaboration, support for future implementation of actions to better 
address SPS matters in the region.   
 
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