Established to unite the African Organic Actors

and provide coordination and leadership to the sector.

Main Objective

To develop a unique ecological organic agriculture sector in West Africa

based on the principles of health, ecology, fairness and care

guarantee food security, food sovereignty and sustainable employment and incomes.

Our main objective is

To develop a unique ecological organic agriculture sector in West Africa
based on the principles of health, ecology, fairness and care
guarantee food security, food sovereignty and sustainable employment and incomes.

West Africa Organic Network” hereinafter referred to as “WAfrONet”was established to unite the African ecological organic actors and provide coordination and leadership to the sector.

WAfrONet is a charitable International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) with registered office in Senegal, West Africa

In the begining …

The idea of West Africa Organic Network (WAfrONet) was first muted by three representative of West Africa that attending the  launch of East African Organic Products Standard (EAOPS) in July 2007 at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This led the 1st West African Organic Conference that took place in 2008 at Abeokuta, Nigeria. The 2nd conference that took place at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, let to endorsement of WAfrONet as the umbrella organization uniting and representing West African organic stakeholders. WAfrONet shall be operated as a charitable not-for-profit organisation with a mandate limited to the objectives set in this constitution. The WafrONet is an affiliate of the African Organic Network (AfrONet).

Main Objectives

To develop a unique ecological organic agriculture sector in West Africa based on the principles of health, ecology, fairness and care to guarantee food security, food sovereignty and sustainable employment and incomes.

Specific Objectives of WAFRONet

To initiate, develop and coordinate programmes and networks of common interest at national and regional levels

To identify and build strategic partnerships with relevant and critical international, regional and national institutions within West Africa

To collaborate with national and regional ecological organic agriculture stakeholders and lobby African Governments to include organic agriculture in their policies and programmes

To engage with the ECOWAS and UEMOA for pro-organic policy reforms and mainstreaming Ecological organic agriculture into programmes and strategies

To engage with ECOWAS and UEMOA to mainstream organic agriculture into existing Regional Agricultural Frameworks and initiatives including the Regional Compacts, Research for Development, Advocacy, Outreach and Communication, Media, Publications, Capacity building, Technical Cooperation and intergovernmental meetings

To engage stakeholders and development partners to support the implementation of Organic Agriculture from technical, financial and institutional perspectives;

To promote and develop capacity of key partners in the network to conduct Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) research, training and extension in developing organic value chains and markets

To strengthen farmer extension research extension linkages and collect, collate and disseminate information

To strengthen national and regional networks and partnerships of EOA actors and stakeholders in the continent

To initiate of facilitate as necessary the creation of national networks and partnerships of EOA actors and stakeholders where they do not exist in West Africa

To organise West African Organic Conferences and participate in national, regional and international organic events and publicize the results, outcomes and impacts of the network activities including sharing best practices and case studies

Key Functions

Support capacity building for key players in EOA across the region;

  1. Mobilize resources for its endeavours in promoting EOA on the region;
  2. Spearhead EOA research, extension, training and value chains and market development;
  3. Provide management and administrative consultancy to like-minded programmes and partners; and

WAfrONet shall undertake functions appropriate to meeting the objectives cited in this constitution including:

  1. Unite and network EOA actors and stakeholders across the region;
  2. Undertake advocacy at high levels – AUC, ECOWAS and Development partners;

Undertake any other initiative as may be deemed necessary to address the objectives of WAfrONet

The functions of the Network shall be conducted as much as possible by pooling and making use of Members’ own human and technical resources, including existing staff, intervention prototypes, materials and research findings.