PAFO–COLEACP four-week Online trainings in April – crop protection and safe use of pesticides

PAFO (the Pan-African Farmers’ Organization) and COLEACP are collaborating on online trainings on ‘Crop protection and safe use of pesticides’, to be held over four weeks in April. The E-trainings are designed for farmers, technical staff, agronomists and extension workers (who must be PAFO members), who want to learn about the principles and skills relating to integrated crop protection and safe pesticide use.

There will be one two-hour webinar each week during April, with French and English versions running in parallel. The first session will take place during the week starting 5 April, with one further session each week for the next four weeks. The exact times and dates will be communicated shortly.

The sessions will take place online via Zoom. Registered participants are requested to attend all four online sessions to ensure smooth running of the course, so they will need to be motivated and organised. A certificate of attendance will be delivered to all those who take part in all the sessions.

Participants will need to have a stable internet connection; a quiet space in which to work; and a computer, smartphone or a tablet with functional audio and video equipment.

PAFO and COLEACP signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2020 to reinforce their collaboration for the modernisation of agricultural value chains in Africa, in order to promote sustainable and inclusive growth, poverty alleviation, food security, food safety and nutrition. Support for capacity building through training is a key element of the joint action plan, responding to specific training needs expressed by PAFO members during consultations. This course on crop protection is the second in the series; the first, held in October–November 2020 on the theme of Covid-19, focused on information, practical guidelines for implementing Covid-19 measures, and adapting the requirements of private voluntary standards. Further topics for webinars in the coming months may include commercial negotiation, and hygiene and traceability.

This training is organised by COLEACP under the Fit For Market SPS programme, within the framework of cooperation for development between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union.