According to a study, the west-african agriculture will not be able to respond to populations’ needs in the region unless it relies on a better integration of the states. The work commissioned by the African Development Bank (ADB), FAO and ECOWAS, meet the challenges faced by regional agricultural industry.

Thus, the report indicates, that integration could be the key to achieving economies of scale in the aspect of access to fertilizers and seeds as well as in the improvement of technologies used in the region. West-Africa, which is the part of the continent with the highest urbanization, strongly relies on imports to satisfy its food needs, and that is a clear evidence of the failures of its agricultural industry.

Yet, as the document points out, it benefits from unprecedented agricultural growth opportunities. And whilst its population is to rise from 300 million to 490 million by 2030, agriculture in this region of the world will have to overcome various obstacles such as roadblocks, commercial embargo or the disparity of national standards in terms of seeds and fertilizers, in order to fulfill its destiny.