Abidjan: Financing sustainable agriculture in the WAEMU zone begins with reducing losses and ensuring access to energy, stated economist and former Beninese Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou. He made these remarks during the first BOAD Development Days, which focused on energy transition and sustainable agriculture.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Lionel Zinsou emphasized that the primary method to finance agriculture is to mitigate losses, identifying energy as the main bottleneck. Zinsou highlighted the lack of ventilated silos and cold chains due to an energy deficit, which results in significant losses of dry and fresh agricultural products.
The economist pointed out that in the WAEMU region, approximately a third of agricultural production is lost due to insufficient energy resources. This energy shortfall also impacts the food and agribusiness sectors, Zinsou concluded.
The BOAD Development Days, held over two days, assembled experts, decision-makers, and investors to explore innovative financing solutions and enhance private sector involvement in agriculture and energy sectors.