Sahelian migration within the region: Burkina Faso and Mali alone are responsible for over 28% of West African emigrants. Along with Niger and Chad, they are the countries whose migration trajectories are most centered on neighbouring and nearby countries. Emigrants from Senegal and Mauritania are more oriented towards the rest of the world. Read on

The food economy: a primary source of employment: Agriculture represents only 60% of the food economy. The economic activities that take place upstream (input supply, seeds) and downstream (processing, trade) account for 40%. The food industry is growing faster than agricultural production. It consists of numerous and increasingly complex value chains. Read on

According to a source from the French Ministry of the Interior, France plans to increase its support to Senegal and the G5 Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad) to help them deal with security challenges. About EUR 42 million of financial assistance is planned for the 2017-22 period, half of which will be used to acquire new equipment. Read on

Officially launched during the COP21 Climate Change Conference in December 2015, the “4/1000 Initiative: Soils for Food Security and Climate” aims to ensure that agriculture contributes to combating climate change. French Agriculture Minister Stéphane Le Foll went on mission to Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, to inform the West African partner countries about the initiative and encourage the establishment and diffusion of climate-smart agricultural practices to increase the carbon stock of soils and regenerate degraded soils. Read on