Latest news with #Thiès
Zawya
11 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Agricultural cooperatives in Senegal: Driving the sector's modernization
With an agricultural sector that employs more than 909,000 households, according to ANSD, organizing Senegal's producers into well-equipped, operational cooperatives is a key lever for achieving the goals of the Senegal Vision 2050. The West Africa Competitiveness Programme in Senegal (PACAO-Senegal) serves as a relevant model as it supported the creation or compliance of 29 cooperative societies as well as strengthened their managerial and organizational capacities. Together, these cooperatives bring together over 545 producer organizations active in the mango and onion value chains. Among these 29 cooperatives, the Cooperative Society for Support to Production, Processing, and Marketing (SCAPTC) of Pout (Thiès) perfectly illustrates the impact of this support. Created in 2021, the Cooperative SCAPTC covers four municipalities in the Thiès region (Pout, Diander, Keur Moussa, and Moroland) and brings together almost 2,940 members, including 20 producer organizations and over 20 individuals. Specializing in onion production, the cooperative was born from an urgent need to structure and professionalize producers who previously worked in a scattered manner, without coordination or appropriate management tools. Doudou Diop, President of the Board of Directors of the SCAPTC, recalls the difficult beginnings: 'Before our cooperative society was born, our groups were not even structured. We didn't have statutes or internal regulations. We each worked on our own, without a common strategy.' With support from PACAO-Senegal, SCAPTC benefited from training in financial management, leadership, conflict resolution, and strategic planning, which enabled its members to transform an informal structure into a high-performing, sustainable organization. Mamadou Lèye, a doctoral student in applied physics at Cheikh Anta Diop University committed to agriculture, combines his studies with farm work and serves as the Secretary General of SCAPTC. He says: 'We learned to manage our cooperative like a business. We now organize our meetings efficiently, manage our finances rigorously, and resolve internal conflicts constructively. All these skills, acquired through PACAO-Senegal's support, are key to our success.' Today, SCAPTC is cited as an example in the region for its rigorous management and effective organization. 'Other cooperatives and even the supervising ministry send experts to study our model and draw inspiration from it,' adds Mamadou Lèye proudly. Amy Ndiaye, hired by PACAO-Senegal as a community development officer, confirms this transformation: 'Meetings are held regularly, the General Assembly is organized every year, and members have become autonomous in managing their activities. SCAPTC has become a benchmark model in the region.' The members of SCAPTC have improved their yields and incomes. 'Today, we have full control of our activity from A to Z, from production to marketing. It has changed our lives,' says Doudou Diop. From informal to a benchmark model, SCAPTC illustrates the transformative potential of cooperative societies. Thanks to targeted support, they become frameworks for structuring, formalizing, and strengthening agricultural value chains, thereby contributing to achieving the goals of Senegal Vision 2050. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.
Zawya
25-06-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Strengthening Communication for Better Food Safety in Senegal
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Association of Journalists in Health, Population and Development (AJSPD), organized a five‑day capacity‑building workshop in Thiès (June 16–20, 2025) to train Senegalese media professionals on food safety issues. The training aimed to deepen their understanding of the key challenges, legal frameworks, technical tools, and best practices related to food safety. In her opening remarks, Mrs Bintia Stephen‑Tchicaya, FAO's Acting Sub‑Regional Coordinator for West Africa, complimented AJSPD for its outstanding work in health and development journalism. 'You are essential actors in building a culture of prevention and responsibility around food safety. Through your investigations, reports, and columns, you can shift mindsets, influence behaviors, and hold decision makers to account. We count on your renewed commitment to consistently include food safety in your reporting,' she said. Food safety remains a major challenge across Africa. According to a 2015 WHO estimation, more than 91 million people in Africa fall ill annually from foodborne illnesses, resulting in around 137 000 deaths. These alarming figures highlight the urgent need to raise public awareness and influence policymakers, professionals, and consumers alike. Professor Amadou Diop, Chair of the National Codex Committee in Senegal, reminded participants that the Codex Alimentarius - fully endorsed by Senegal - sets rigorous, science‑based international food safety standards. 'These standards only have impact,' he said, 'if they are understood, communicated, and applied - especially by media professionals. Journalists are not only messengers but educators, preventers, and mobilizers who can translate complex scientific data into accessible, actionable messages.' The workshop featured theoretical lectures, panel discussions, case studies, and practical field work. Journalists visited Thiès's main transport hub to assess street food safety issues firsthand. Captain Armand Seck of the Thiès hygiene brigade reported numerous violations: cramped stalls, poor ventilation, inadequate lighting, and makeshift food stands under tarpaulins. Recognizing the lack of formal training among journalists on food safety, the program covered legal frameworks, international standards like Codex, microbiological, physical, and chemical hazards, surveillance systems, and safe handling practices for food preparation and sale. Participants proposed several recommendations to improve communication, awareness, and advocacy: fostering stronger collaboration between media, health authorities, and partners; organizing regular specialized training; publicizing safe food-handling practices; educating policymakers including parliamentarians; and creating regional professional networks. This workshop marks an important milestone in promoting quality information on food safety to benefit consumers in Senegal and across West Africa. It is part of the project 'Strengthening capacity to respond to food safety emergencies and improving street food quality in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal,' funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with the goal of enhancing emergency response to food safety threats and improving street food hygiene standards in West Africa. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.
