Policy and Institutional Landscape for
Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal
African Technology Policy Studies Network(ATPS) Technopolicy Brief No. 57
Dr. Nicholas Ozor
Mr. Alfred Nyambane

Policy and Institutional Landscape for
Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

Dr. Nicholas Ozor
Mr. Alfred Nyambane
African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)

The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is atransdisciplinary network of researchers, policymakers, private
sector actors and the civil society promoting the generation,dissemination, use and mastery of Science, Technology andInnovations (STI) for African development, environmental
sustainability and global inclusion. In collaboration with like-minded
institutions, ATPS provides platforms for regional and international
research and knowledge sharing in order to build Africa’s capabilities
in STI policy research, policymaking and implementation forsustainable development.

Published by the African Technology Policy Studies
Network (ATPS)
P. O. Box 10081, 00100- GPO, Nairobi, Kenya
2021
ISBN: 978-9966-124-83-8

Table of Contents
About the Mainstreaming Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative................ ii
About the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) ....................... iii
Acknowledgement ........................................................................................ iv
Key Messages ................................................................................................ v
1. Introduction ............................................................................................. 1
2. Rationale for Ecological Organic Agriculture ............................................ 2
3. Methodology ........................................................................................... 3
4. Major Findings ......................................................................................... 3
4.1 National Policies, Strategies and Plans that support EOA development .... 3
4.2 Institutional Framework for EOA in Senegal.............................................. 6
5. Conclusion ............................................................................................... 8
6. Policy Recommendations ......................................................................... 9
References ................................................................................................... 11
ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief Series .................................................................... 12

i |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in SenegalAbout the Mainstreaming Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative
The Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative (EOA-I) 1 is a continental Initiativethat holds promise for increasing the productivity of Africa’s smallholder farms,
with consequent positive impacts on food security. Garnering support andlegitimacy for programs and initiatives run in Africa from continental bodies suchas the African Union Commission (AUC), the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development (NEPAD), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa(UNECA), the Regional Economic Commissions (RECs) as well as the relevant
National governments could undoubtedly lead to ownership, high visibility,
success, and sustainability of such programs and initiatives. However, theprocess of engaging with these high-level bodies and governments is notstraightforward. It requires strong champions who have establishedlongstanding relationships both formal and informal with these bodies andgovernments to achieve the desired objectives. The African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS) 2 is one uniquely placed organization in Africa that has
well-established working relationships and goodwill with these aforementioned
bodies and governments for over 30 years. In most cases, ATPS provides humanresource supports to these bodies in a win-win situation that has led to thedevelopment of trust and high integrity between ATPS and the continental
bodies and governments. The EOA-I aims to transform and create sustainable
food systems through promoting ecologically sound strategies and practices
among diverse stakeholders in production, processing, marketing andpolicymaking, to safeguard the environment, improve livelihoods, alleviate
poverty and guarantee food security. The overall goal of the Initiative is to
mainstream EOA into national agricultural production systems by 2025 in orderto improve agricultural productivity, food security, access to markets andsustainable development in Africa.

12

https://biovisionafricatrust.org/eoa-initiative/
https://atpsnet.org/about-atps/

ii |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in SenegalAbout the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)
The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is a trans-disciplinary
network of researchers, policymakers, private sector actors and the civil society
actors that promote the generation, dissemination, use and mastery of Science,
Technology and Innovations (STI) for African development, environmental
sustainability and global inclusion. ATPS has over 5000 network members and
3,000 stakeholders in over 51 countries in 5 continents with institutional
partnerships worldwide. ATPS implements its programs through members innational chapters established in 30 countries (27 in Africa and 3 Diaspora
chapters in Australia, United States of America and the United Kingdom). In
collaboration with like-minded institutions, ATPS provides platforms for regional
and international research and knowledge sharing in order to build Africa’s
capabilities in STI policy research, policymaking and implementation forsustainable development.

iii |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in SenegalAcknowledgement
This Policy Brief was produced by the African Technology Policy Studies Network(ATPS). The ATPS takes this opportunity to thank all the ATPS National Chapter
Coordinators in the study countries, the lead researchers and facilitators who
sacrificed their time and efforts amid the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that thisstudy was successfully conducted. We also thank the respondents from thestudy countries for their inputs. Special thanks go to the Biovision Africa Trust(BvAT) team for their support and cooperation throughout this first phase of the
project implementation under the EOA-I. ATPS also thanks the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation (SDC) for providing the funds used for thisresearch.

iv |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

Key Messages
 Senegal has developed policies, strategies and plans in the agricultural
sector but none yet has explicit provision for ecological organic agriculture(EOA) development.
 There is increasing political goodwill, government support and private
sector participation in EOA related developments in Senegal.
 The existing EOA products certification organizations in Senegal are notwell-coordinated. This has negatively affected the participation of thesmall-scale organic producers and hence a decrease in productivity in the
EOA subsector.
 Given the low awareness levels on EOA in Senegal, concerted efforts are
required to sensitize and educate the relevant stakeholders on thebenefits of the practice through sustained advocacy campaigns, capacity
building, and mainstreaming of EOA into policies, curricula, programmes,
development plans and strategies of governments and otherpractitioners.

v |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

1. Introduction
There have been aggravated adverse impacts on the ecosystem biodiversity andoverall human welfare due to unprecedented increase in the use of chemical
agricultural inputs. Africa has been focussing on improving agriculture and foodproduction systems to make them more resilient and sustainable while
increasing productivity. A shift from conventional agricultural production
systems to ecological organic agriculture (EOA), as a better option, has beennecessitated. There have been efforts to improve agricultural productivity, foodsecurity, access to markets and sustainable development in Africa. These include
the continental, regional and national initiatives and strategies such as theStrategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa (2016-2025), Grow Africa
Partnership of 2011, the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development
Programme (CAADP) of 2003, ECOWAS Common Agricultural Policy Framework(ECOWAP) of 2005, and the Malabo Declaration of 2014 among others. The
government of Senegal aims to make agriculture an engine of economic growththrough several programmes and initiatives.
Senegal is among the few African countries that have allocated up to 10% of
their annual public budgets to agriculture in accordance with the CAADP Maputo
target (Sers and Mughal, 2018). The livelihoods of about 77% of the population
depend on small-scale agriculture, which is adversely affected by theconsequences of climate change and environmental degradation. As a result,
the Senegal’s National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) was developedin 2006, following the recommendation to least developed countries to create
policy frameworks that enable them to communicate more clearly about theirvulnerabilities and priorities for adaption. Many other private and public
interventions aimed at improving the livelihoods of vulnerable people throughthe introduction of various technologies for improving productivity, adaptationand mitigation of climate change impacts were initiated. From among thosetechnologies, organic farming techniques are gaining importance and popularity
with the help of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In the Niayes region,
ENDA-PRONAT is one of the leading NGO’s that have been promoting organic
farming methods since 1986. Reports show that farmers who adopted thesefarming methods make significant savings from the purchase of fertilizers(inorganic) and have improved their incomes in addition to the positiveenvironmental effects that this method of farming offers (Amadou and Barbier,2015).

1 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

2. Rationale for Ecological Organic Agriculture
Organic agriculture is a good option for food security equal or better than mostconventional systems and more likely to be sustainable in the longer term,
according to a study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) andthe United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (2008).
Moreover, a shift towards organic production systems has an enduring impact,
as it builds up to levels of natural, human, social, financial and physical capital in
farming communities (UNEP-UNCTAD, 2008). However, organic production
systems among other forms of sustainable agriculture receive little support fromthe governments compared to conventional agriculture. Some policies, such as
agrochemical subsidies, tilt the playing field away from organic producers.
Worse still, organic agriculture is not well mainstreamed into agricultural
education, extension services, and research and development activities. Lack ofawareness and misinformation or poor information flow are also among the big
challenges confronting the practice since there is a misconception that organic
yields are lower than conventional yields.
The gradual saturation of arable land, due to population growth, on the one
hand, and the degradation and decline in fertility of the land currently
cultivated, make agroecological intensification an unavoidable requirement.
Advances in science and technology now offer new research tools and biologicalmaterials that offer great prospects for improving agricultural productivity(Seck, 2017). There is increasing political support for sustainable agricultural
practices in Senegal. This has been demonstrated by its participation in two
international symposia on agroecology co-organised by FAO in 2015 in Dakar
and 2018 in Rome respectively. Senegal has pursued several initiatives aimed atpromoting the adoption of climate-resilient approaches throughout the country,with the support of FAO and other partners. These actions include the Multistakeholder approaches for the development of agroecology in West Africa,
organized by the multi-stakeholder Task Force for the Promotion of Agroecology
in Senegal (TaFAé) 3, the signing of a charter for green cities and towns
committing more than 50 local authorities to the promotion of agroecology
which is closely related to EOA, as well as regional and national workshops
organised alongside partners from civil society organisations and beyond.

3

https://pfongue.org/-TaFAe-.html

2 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

3. Methodology
Mixed approaches were used for data collection in this study. A comprehensive
desk study was conducted where existing literature on all policies, strategies andplans as well as institutional frameworks relevant to EOA in Senegal werereviewed and analysed. Secondly, 12-15 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) wereconducted with the identified EOA stakeholders at the national level targeting
policymakers, researchers, non-governmental bodies, private sector, traders
and individual parties among others. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were also
conducted with a group of 8-12 selected stakeholders who provided deeper
insights on EOA issues including policies, strategies and institutional frameworks
related to EOA.
4. Major Findings
4.1 National Policies, Strategies and Plans that support EOA development
The implementation of environmentally sustainable farming systems in Senegal
is influenced by a range of policies and strategies, which provide incentives ordisincentives on the development of EOA. The Senegalese government has often
been criticized for lacking clear direction in the design and implementation ofagricultural innovation policies (Stads and Sene, 2011). Most of the policy
measures used to support agriculture discourage organic farming. In the shortterm, this means that farmers switching from high-input to resource-conserving
technologies cannot do so without incurring some transition and transaction
costs. Nevertheless, Senegal has developed several policies and strategic plansthat directly or indirectly support EOA development in the country. They
include:a) Plan for an Emerging Senegal (PSE) (2015-2035): In 2014, theGovernment of Senegal adopted the Plan for an Emerging Senegal (PSE),
a 20-year strategy to guide the implementation of coherent economic andsocial development policies. PSE aims to promote human capital by
improving people's living conditions and reducing social inequalities aswell as focuses on social protection and resilience of the most vulnerable,
gender equality, improved disaster and risk prevention, optimal use ofnatural resources and sustainable development. This plan commits to an
inclusive, holistic approach to sustainable development, noting thatmeeting basic social needs is a key factor in promoting sustainable humandevelopment and the green economy, thus revealing its indirect support
for ecologically benign agriculture.
3 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegalb) National Strategy and National Action Plan for Biodiversity (2015-2020):
The strategy and action plan reinforce the country’s vision 2030 and thePSE among other policy frameworks. The plan aims to improvebiodiversity knowledge and strengthen institutional and technicalcapacity, reduce pressures and restore and conserve biodiversity,
promote biodiversity accounting in socioeconomic development policies
and promote the sustainable use of biodiversity and mechanisms foraccessing biological resources and equitably sharing of the benefits
derived from them. The plan is fully supportive of eco-friendly economic
activities and practices in the country including agriculture.
c) Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) of 2014: PAGE supports
Senegal to transform its economy as a driver of sustainability and social
equity. It asserts that green investments in sustainable agriculture
technologies and techniques will prevent soil degradation and lead to anincrease in agricultural production. PAGE has worked directly withmultiple branches of government to mainstream green economy
advocacy at the national and sub-national levels and has leveraged its
specialised expertise to help formulate and implement the National
Strategy on green economy. PAGE’s commitment to capacity building has
also led to the establishment of national institutions and partnerships that
can help ensure the long-term success of Senegal’s green economy
transition, hence its support for EOA in the country.
d) National Agricultural Investment Plan [PNIA] (2010-2020): This Plan wasformulated in 2010 and operationalizes the ECOWAP and the CAADP
compact at the national level. Its objective is to increase production,
ensure sustainable management of water and natural resources, improve
market access and value-added transformation, and strengthen
stakeholders’ capacity to ensure efficient implementation of ECOWAP
and CAADP. With regard to ecological organic agriculture, PNIA recognizes
the importance of combating environmental degradation challenges inorder to increase agricultural productivity, which is an ecologically soundpractice but is not explicit on organic agriculture.
e) National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (NAPA) of 2006: This
Plan gave a cross-sectoral view of the impacts of climate change as wellas the adaptation and mitigation strategies. It identifies the agriculture
sector among the most vulnerable sectors of the economy. This is due tofactors such as soil degradation and loss of vegetation cover caused by
4 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

higher temperatures and decreased rainfall, leading to continued
agricultural losses. The Plan is also concerned about the effects of climatechange on biodiversity, such as extinction and changes in species
composition. Since environmental protection and conservation is one ofthe primary objectives of this Plan, it shows that the Plan invariably
supports eco-friendly agricultural practices that EOA promotes.
f) The Agricultural, Forestry and Pastoral Law (LOASP), (2004-2024): Thislaw defines guidelines for the development of the agricultural sector andthe reduction of poverty for 20 years, explicitly targeting the objectives ofincreasing agricultural exports and improving the quality of products
destined for export, as well as establishing a system of incentives forprivate investment in agriculture and rural areas. So far only a small
portion of the specified activities under LOASP have been realized. LOASP
aims to reduce poverty and increase food security in the country while
ensuring environmental protection and sustainable management of
natural resources, thereby supporting EOA in the country.
g) The National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD) of 2002: This
Strategy aims at integrating sustainable development in different sectors
deemed as priorities and growth drivers for the country including
increasing the level of awareness and education of actors for sustainable
development, promotion of sustainable production and consumption
patterns and the promotion of economic and harmonious development.
This Strategy supports and promotes environmentally friendly agriculture
as a way of sustainable production, which is in line with EOA principles.
Results from the study further show that for organic agriculture to thrive inSenegal, agriculture policies should address issues of relevance to organic
agriculture, such as reduction of pesticides, protection of soil and biodiversity,
developing small-scale farms and decreasing dependency on imported inorganic
fertilizers. Also, very important is the need to address the land tenure systems
which are very critical for investors in the subsector. Organic farming represents
a major investment in a piece of land, and it is not likely to interest farmers thatare squatting or otherwise have less secure tenure. Therefore, there is dire needfor the government through the responsible ministry to ensure stable landownerships, especially for small scale producers. As of now, the existing policies,
strategies and plans are inadequate to support EOA development in the country
although evidence shows that there is increasing political goodwill andgovernment support.
5 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

4.2 Institutional Framework for EOA in Senegal
Senegalese agricultural sector is organized and administered through various
ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture; Ministry of Mining, Industry,Agro-Industry, and Small and Medium Companies; Ministry of Livestock; andMinistry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The Ministry of Agriculture
oversees various directorates within the agricultural sector. One of themandates of the Ministry of Mining, Industry, Agro-Industry, and Small andMedium Companies is to promote the competitiveness of the country’s
agricultural sector. The Ministry of Livestock operates several services thatdelegate government support and control to the livestock, dairy, and poultry
subsectors. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Researchadministers biotechnology regulations and development and oversees
agricultural research and development carried out by the country’s universities(Stads and Sene, 2011). Critics assert that research coordination is dispersed
across too many ministries, and linkages between ministries are weak, leading
to the duplication of activities.
The National Federation for Organic Agriculture (FENAB) is the lead organizationin Senegal that coordinates EOA activities in the country. Regarding certificationin organic farming, the services are currently provided by support organizations
such as ENDA-PRONAT, AGRECOL, and Association Solidarity of the Partisans of
Ahllou Bayti (ASPAB) for farmers' organizations that practice organic
farming. However, this certification is valid only at the national level and is notrecognized by foreign bodies like the European Union (EU), the United States ofAmerica, Japan, among others. Thus, for the export of organic products,
producers are obliged to ask European Certification Organizations to certify theirproducts. This certification process is very expensive and may not be within thereach of many organic farmers.
Other various agencies of government have been found to promote aspects of
EOA practices in Senegal. They include the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural
Research (ISRA) responsible for agricultural research and cooperation with theprivate sector, the Food Technology Institute (ITA) responsible for research instorage, conservation, and processing of agricultural products as well as thedevelopment of new local food products and in assisting in quality control offood products. Other public agencies involved in agricultural R&D include anumber of faculties and departments under the Université Cheikh Anta Diop
(UCAD), Université Gaston Berger, and the Advanced National School of
Agriculture (ENSA) among others (Stads and Sène 2010).

6 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in SenegalDespite the implementation of policies promoting participation by the private
sector in agricultural R&D in Senegal, the private sector’s role in technologicaldevelopment and agricultural innovation to promote EOA remains unclear.
Reliable data on how much private agricultural R&D and innovation contributeto increasing EOA production, farm incomes, social welfare, or environmental
sustainability does not exist. Many NGOs are, however, involved in various
agricultural research activities in the country such as international agriculturalresearch centres supported by the Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR) but the specification on which organizations are
involved in EOA research is not clear.
Since May 2019, NGOs, farmer organizations, research establishments, multistakeholder platforms, consumer associations and pioneering elected
representatives have been working on a policy dialogue with the State, focusing
on the agroecological transition, following President Macky Sall's declarationthat agroecology was now a priority4. This was also reemphasized by theminister of Agriculture Moussa Balde at an agroecology event in the capital
Dakar in January 2020 5. "We can't destroy our fields by farming. Sustainableagriculture ... is the president's vision."
Individual farmers as well as private firms have strongly been involved in the
production and marketing of organic products in Senegal. For example, “a young
Senegalese farmer in the commune of Toubab Dialaw, south of Dakar, Rahim
has managed to tame the arid land by creating his ecological garden. He started
with a surface area of 300 m2, and his farm school now extends over four
hectares of land. He is passionate about organic farming, grows a little bit ofeverything. Tomatoes, corn, vegetables, a host of fruit trees, etc. He also raises
bicycle chickens, geese and ducks. Rahim works without chemical fertilisers andoffers 100% organic products on the market, a type of product that has becomerare on the Senegalese market. A West African country where, because of the
scarcity of rainfall, farmers very often use fertilisers and other chemicals to boost
yields. This strategy has an impact on the environment and human health. He
has been training numerous youth and women who are now working to promoteecological agriculture in Senegal 6.”

https://www.cirad.fr/en/news/all-news-items/press-releases/2020/agroecology-senegal-public-policy
https://reliefweb.int/report/senegal/senegal-turns-eco-farming-protect-food-supply-climate-changes
6
https://www.afrik21.africa/en/senegal-abdoul-rahim-ba-showcases-bio-agricultures-potential-for-africa/
4
5

7 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

5. Conclusion
This Policy Brief highlights the policy and institutional structures that support
EOA in Senegal. The findings revealed that the government of Senegal iscommitted to supporting agroecology and by extension EOA although it has notprovided explicit policies or strategies that support it. This support needs tomanifest in government policies, strategies and programmes for EOA
development. As it is now, the existing agricultural policies and most of thestrategies do not explicitly support EOA nor is there sufficient financial support
for it. Nevertheless, Senegal is among the few countries in Africa that havemanaged to comply with the Malabo Declaration of 2014 by contributing 10%
of public expenditure to support agriculture. Most of the funding has been
directed to conventional agriculture and government subsidies, for example,
have mainly been provided for conventional agriculture inputs and has
neglected the EOA subsector. There are no formal institutional structures
provided for EOA development to support the implementation and coordinationof actors in the subsector. A major weakness exists in the certification of EOA
products where many farmers especially the small-scale farmers are not able toafford the services, which are rather expensive, or the processes, which arecomplicated to comply with, hence the need to streamline the issue ofcertification standards for swift development of the subsector. This will require
the involvement of all subsector players led by the government and othersubsector coordinating organizations led by FENAB. To seamlessly achievethese, there need to be strong public awareness campaigns and advocacy acrossall the stakeholders in the country. It is also critical to design training
programmes aimed at regularly building the capacity of the various personnel
involved in the subsector. Developing a standalone EOA policy/strategy or
integrating EOA into the overall agricultural policies and poverty reduction
strategies, and building organic agriculture supply capacities through education,
research, extension services, of local and regional markets and export
facilitation, are key to realizing the benefits that EOA offers in Senegal.

8 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

6. Policy Recommendations
Based on the key findings from the study, the following policy recommendations
are proffered in order to ensure the growth and development of EOA in Senegal:
Recommendation 1: Review the existing agricultural policies to integrate EOA
Review of existing agricultural policies with a view of integrating aspects of EOA
principles and practices and strategies for achieving them remains of priority inthe short to medium terms. This option should be pursued while efforts fordeveloping a standalone EOA policy or strategy, which is most preferred, isundertaken in the long term. To achieve this, all actors in the EOA value chain
including policymakers (including relevant government ministries), researchers(including research institutes and universities), private sector entities (such as
EOA farmer associations, youth and women associations), the civil society, andthe media among others need to work together collaboratively in order toproduce a robust EOA policy or strategy that provides a roadmap fortransformative change in the agricultural sector through organic farming.
Recommendation 2: Build the capacity of stakeholders across all levels of the
EOA value chain
There is need to build the capacity of all actors along the EOA value chain toensure effective and efficient delivery of goods and services in the subsector. All
actors including producers, processors, middlemen, marketers, productcertifiers, policymakers, researchers, civil society and the media need tounderstand their roles in order to achieve the target objective of a sustainable
EOA in Senegal. The government needs the capacities and competencies toelaborate, negotiate, put into work, and to evaluate the effective and equitablepolicies of agricultural and rural development in partnership with private
stakeholders and farmer associations. The agricultural extension system should
integrate regular visits to train the organic agriculture producers and processors
to ensure that standards are regularly maintained. It will also be necessary to
streamline the coordination of all the stakeholders in the subsector with each ofthem having clear roles and responsibilities in contributing to the developmentof EOA in the country.
Recommendation 3: Increase avenues for research and development anddissemination in EOA
There is need to increase support for research on EOA. This can be throughincreased funding by the government and/or development partners. The
research findings should continuously be shared through conferences andworkshops, farmer field schools, field days and curricula in order to increase the
9 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

awareness, knowledge exchange and learning on EOA thereby boosting its
adoption. It is also important to create functional and reliable national andregional networks for better interaction and networking among stakeholders in
EOA. The establishment of a system of information, training, research and a
support council in rural areas is also indispensable to support farmers in the
adoption of improved EOA technologies. This system must permit all rural
peoples to have access to information, training, improved technologies andnecessary advisories in order to make decisions concerning their economic
activities. The 10% public expenditure allocation to agriculture as proposed in
the Malabo Declaration of 2014 by the African Heads of States and increased
support from development partners and private sectors will help bridge this gap
and hence improve productivity in the subsector.
Recommendation 4: Intensify awareness creation and advocacy activities on
EOA
Concerted efforts are required to increase general public awareness about EOA,
especially on its benefits in terms of health and income generation as well as in
the sustainability of the environment. Similarly, an advocacy campaign needs tobe launched to secure increased political goodwill and government participationin the subsector through policies, programs, funding and curriculum reforms on
EOA. All efforts should be people-centred and inclusive with the intention ofincreasing productivity and one health (soil health, plant health, animal health,and human health) in the agricultural systems in the country.
Recommendation 5: Streamline the EOA products certification processes
There is no government-approved certifying body yet to regulate and ensurecompliance with the organic production system that will provide a level-playing
environment for all EOA stakeholders. Several organizations are involved in thecertification process and that has further led to complications especially for thesmallholder farmers in Senegal. To improve market access for EOA products,
there is need to establish a well-organized market for local and international
outlets. There should be organized standard sales outlets for organic products
to bring producers closer to potential buyers and consumers who should be wellinformed on the health values of the organic products.

10 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in SenegalReferences
Amadou Binta B A, and Barbier, B (2015). Economic and Environmental
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Farming System: A Case Farm Model to Simulate the Horticultural Sectorof the Niayes Region in Senegal. J Horticulture 2: 152. doi:10.4172/23760354.1000152.
Peyton N., (2020). Senegal turns to eco-farming to protect food supply as climatechanges.
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Stads, G. and Sene, L., (2011). Private Sector Agricultural Research andInnovation in Senegal; Recent Policy, Investment and Capacity Trends,
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11 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief Series• Advancing Ecological Organic Agriculture in Nigeria (ATPS TechnoPolicy
Brief No. 56)• Policy and Institutional Framework for Ecological Organic Agriculture in
Rwanda (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 55)• Bridging Climate Information Gaps to Strengthen Capacities for Climate
Informed Decision (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 54)• Embracing Open Contracting in Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No.53)• The Digital Revolution, Open Science, and Innovation for Open Science
Development in sub-Saharan Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 52)• Nouvelles approaches de financement de la recherché et de L’innovationen Afrique (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 51)• New Approaches for Funding Research and Innovation in Africa (ATPSTechnoPolicy Brief No. 50)• Towards Effective Public-Private Partnerships in Research and Innovation:
A perspective for African Science Granting Councils (ATPS TechnoPolicy
Brief No. 49)• Innovative Practices and Policies for Promoting Biodiversity Informatics in
Sub Saharan Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 48)• Improving the Relevance of University Training to Labour Market
Demands in Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No.47)• Developing Policies for Biodiversity Informatics in sub-Saharan Africa(ATPS Technopolicy Brief No. 46)• ICTs role in Agricultural Development: Prospects of Land Potential
Knowledge System (LandPKS) (ATPS TechnoPolicy brief No. 45)• Mainstreaming Gender in the National Science, Technology andInnovation (STI) Policy of Kenya (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 44)• Social Innovation: An untapped Resource for Inclusive Green Growth(ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 43)• Policy Axes that can uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change
Adaptation & Food Security in Central Africa: Case of Cameroon,
12 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief
No. 42)• Frameworks for Intellectual Property Protection of Traditional Knowledge
in Tanzania (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 41)• Assessment of Possible Intellectual Property Protection Options of
Traditional Knowledge System in Ethiopia (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No.
40)• Towards influencing National Legislation, Policies, Strategies andProgrammes for appropriate Protection and Benefit-Sharing of Traditional
Knowledge (TK) with and by Traditional Herbalists in Uganda. (ATPSTechnoPolicy Brief No 39)• Traditional Healers and their provision of Mental Health Services in
Cosmopolitan Informal Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. (ATPS TechnoPolicy
Brief No. 38)• Policy Implications for Intellectual Property Systems for Traditional
Healers in Lesotho. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 37)• Incidence of Indigenous and Innovative Climate Change Adaptation
Practices for Smallholder Framers’ Livelihood Security in Chikhwawa
District, Southern Malawi. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No.36)• Machobane Farming System and its Relevance to Climate Change Policyin Lesotho. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 35)

13 |Policy and Institutional Landscape for Ecological Organic Agriculture in Senegal

The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)
is a transdisciplinary network of researchers,
policymakers, private sector actors and the civil society
promoting the generation, dissemination, use andmastery of Science, Technology and Innovations (STI)
for African development, environmental sustainability
and global inclusion. In collaboration with like-minded
institutions, ATPS provides platforms for regional andinternational research and knowledge sharing in orderto build Africa’s capabilities in STI policy research,
policymaking and implementation for sustainable
development.

African Technology Policy
Studies Network (ATPS)
Contact Executive Director:
executivedirector@atpsnet.org
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P. O. Box 10081-00100, Nairobi
Tel: +254 (020) 2714092
www.atpsnet.org

Science Technology and Innovation
for African Development
ISBN: 978-9966-124-83-8