Improving transparency on fruit fly control

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Start Date 
01/06/2009
End Date 
30/06/2011

Improving transparency on fruit fly control

This project aimed to promote a coordinated approach to address the challenge of fruit fly in Sub-Saharan Africa. It facilitated information sharing and dialogue between public and private stakeholders at the national, regional and international level.

A result story on the project is available here.

Background 
The spread of fruit flies is a major problem in Africa, affecting domestic fruit and vegetable production, as well as access to regional and international markets including the European Union.  To meet such a long-term challenge, significant scientific, technical and financial resources needed to be mobilized. However, the continent lacked an integrated and effective approach to tackle the problem. Information exchange and dialogue among the key stakeholders involved was also weak.

STDF also joined the efforts in previous projects such as STDF/PG/255 and STDF/PG/283, bringing technical support. This project provided a complementary support to those projects by initiating coordination and information sharing amongst different actors from producers to NGOs, research bodies, government institutions and donors. 
Results 
Latest news on fruit fly disseminated widely 

The main output of this project was the preparation and dissemination of 18 electronic newsletters (in English and French) between June 2009 and January 2011 called "Control of fruit and vegetable fly in Sub-Saharan Africa". The news items reached 1,300 readers in 59 countries. These included the private sector, government authorities, research institutes and universities, etc.  

Increased awareness and knowledge on how to address the fruit fly challenge

The distribution of the newsletters contributed to the greater use of biological control techniques, to the mobilization of efforts towards ECOWAS Regional Plan, and to the organization of events in Eastern and Southern Africa in 2011. This exchange of information was the first step to mobilize a sub-regional response to control fruit fly including committees in West Africa, as well as to disseminate advance alerts on the arrival of new plant diseases (such as mango bacterial disease) in West Africa.
 
Recommendations 

Based on the success of the information exchange effort, ECOWAS agreed to continue publication of the newsletter in 2011/2012, within the context of the fight against fruit fly in West Africa.

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Reference Number 
STDF/PG/287
Status 
Completed
Project Value (US$) 
136,500
STDF Contribution (US$)  
82,800
Beneficiaries 
Global
Implementing Entities 
Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLEACP)
Partners 
Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), France