GROW Campaign 2013-2014 GROW is a global campaign initiated by Oxfam. It was launched in over 45 countries worldwide on June 1, 2011. It denounces the production methods and current consumption level that has led us to the environmental limits for the planet. It calls on governments to establish a global food system guaranteeing a better future where everyone always has enough to eat. The campaign also calls on companies to change their practices so that their profits do not come at the expense of poor producers or consumers.
In West Africa GROWis carried out at two levels, national and regional, with a consortium of member organizations. National campaigns should enable toincrease the impact of our actions. The countries involved in this campaign are the Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Ghana and now in Niger. In these countries, it is co-managed by the member organizations, through national committees piloting. Other countries are interested and already integrated into their advocacy objectives of the campaign, this the case of Sierra Leone, Mauritania and Chad.
At theregional level , this campaign is being # performed with many member organizations, such as ROPPA Bilital Maroobe Network APESS , POSCAO , WILDAF , RECAO or the # Institute of Agricultural and Rural Prospects (IPAR )and # Inter Networks . These members meet in a regional steering committee confirms the regional strategic priorities.
Whether at national or regional level, Africa West, the campaign calls for Investing in Family Businesses to break the cycle of hunger.It was launched when the ECOWAS undertook setting # work of its agricultural policy (ECOWAP), but also in the context of energy crisis, continued high food prices and food crises.
This campaign has helped develop and implement shared of integration of the gender dimension (10 reflexes, 10 facts about the inequalities between men and women in agriculture in West Africa) tools. It will also help launch many initiatives of public engagement ( field trip with celebrities, together with celebrity video contest Generation Without hunger , the Kudu Faso, Female Food Heroes) while contributing to awareness .
Meanwhile, an important lobbying work on thematic and regional processes such that a lobby international tourin April 2012 to increase the response to thecrisis , but also an important work of monitoring the charter for the prevention and management of food crises . This work has been supported by such an important communication work on the potential of family farms andin particular the production of avideo and Documentation (pitch on the potential role of family farms).
External context
In 2012 , the campaigns place in a context marked by a major food crisis , which has affected more than 18 million people in the Sahel. After 2005, 2008, 2010 , 2012 crisis seems to have raised awareness in the international community of the need to break the cycle of crisis.

2013: pivotal year !

It is interesting to see that 2013 appears to be an important year for many other reasons. It  marks the 10th anniversary of the declaration of Maputo. In this sense, it is the opportunity to make an assessment of the commitments made by the Heads of African States for more and better investment in agriculture. After the food crisis of 2008, agriculture is back with forcein national and international policy agendas, but it is clear that this political enthusiasm has struggled to translate into action .