Support to Agricultural Research in West and Central Africa - I

This project aims to support the institutional capacity building and research activities of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD). The goal of this support is to contribute to the development and dissemination of innovative agricultural technologies and knowledge to local farmers and producers who are directly implicated in the region's agricultural production and food security. The main research areas that WECARD aims to explore include the following sectors: (1) livestock fisheries and aquaculture; (2) staple crops; (3) non-staple crops; (4) natural resource management; (5) biotechnology and biosafety; (6) policy markets trade institutions and socio-economics; (7) knowledge management; and (8) capacity strengthening. This component represents the first part of CIDA's contribution to the project which is worth $10 million in total. The activities initiated in this component continue in component number A035187-005 (Support to Agricultural Research in West and Central Africa - II).