Presentation by ECOWAS, FAO, CILSS and CABI, 3 December 2018 Detected for the first time in West Africa at the beginning of 2016, the fall armyworm mainly attacks maize but it can also attack rice and sorghum, as well as cotton and some vegetables. This joint presentation highlights the nature and extent of the problem and showcases some ongoing interventions to tackle the threat.

1. Banjul, DECEMBER 2018
ANNUAL MEETING
CURRENT REGIONAL SITUATION
OF FALL ARMYWORM INVASION
AND PERSPECTIVES
Joint presentation by:
ECOWAS FAO CILSS

2. GLOBAL CLIMATE SUITABLE FOR FAW INVASION
Climate suitability for Spodoptera frugiperda globally modelled using CLIMEX, including the spatially-explicit effects
of irrigation. The Ecoclimatic Index (EI) describes the potential suitability for persistence, while the Growth index (GI)
describes suitability for population growth. (Source: Plesis, H. et al., Pest Geography, 2018)

3. CURRENT FAW DISTRIBUTION IN AFRICA: FAW IS
HERE TO STAY
Source: http://www.fao.org/emergencies/resources/maps/detail/en/c/902959/

4. PRESENCE OF FAW IN WEST AFRICA
AND THE SAHEL IN JULY 2018
FAW can feed on more
than 80 plant species
including important
food security crops like:
• Maize (favorite)
• Rice
• Sorghum
• Millet
• Vegetable crops
Economic losses on maize production across 12 major African countries
was estimated between 4 to 18 million tones annually, with an economic
value of between US$1 to 4.6 billion per annum." (CABI 2018).
As of February 2018

5. POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON REGIONAL
FOOD SECURITY & LIVELIHOODS (1)
 High economic losses and food insecurity
risks in the affected countries
 Exports of crops that are host plants for FAW
from African countries with confirmed
presence of FAW will come under new
scrutiny from importing countries that haven't
reported FAW
 [Article 8: Control, inspection and approval procedures and Annex C,
WTO SPS agreement]
 The fall armyworm S. frugiperda is a polyphagous pest listed in
Annex IAI of the regulation EU 2016/2031 on protective measures
against pests of plants (enforcement to start end 2019)

6. POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON REGIONAL
FOOD SECURITY & LIVELIHOODS (2)
 Misuse of insecticides and its attendant
consequences on food safety, human health
and the environment:
 Insecticide residues in fresh and dried grains
 Development of resistance by FAW to insecticides
 Higher cost of production of grains
 Farm workers exposure to chemicals
 Accidental poisoning due to unsafe storage and/or
disposal of unused chemicals.
 Contamination of soil, water and air

7. NOT ENABLE TO ACHIEVE THE
SGDs

8. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (1)
ECOWAS and partners
 Establishment of regional taskforce
(15 Member States, UEMOA, FAO,
CORAF, CILSS, technical partners,
private sector, etc.)
 Validation of a “Regional action
plan for the Prevention,
Surveillance and Control of Plant
Pest and Diseases” – Accra, June
2017
 FAO: TCPs for all ECOWAS
countries except Niger

9. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (2)
 Joint ECOWAS-FAS/APHIS regional training
workshop on “Practical tools and procedures for
Phytosanitary Inspection and Sampling for Pest
detection and Introduction to basic tools for Pest
Identification” (15 Member States) - Abidjan -
August 2017
 Regional capacity building workshop and ToTs
training on the management of Fall Armyworm
outbreak in West Africa by FAO (Southern, East,
Central and West Africa) – Abuja, September
2017

10. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (3)
 Regional Training and Awareness
Generation Workshop on Fall Armyworm
Pest Management by CIMMYT / IITA /
USAID / ECOWAS (ToT training for the
ECOWAS 15 Member States) – Cotonou
- February 2018 – FR & ENG versions
available
 Go to https://www.feedthefuture.gov/wp-
content/uploads/2018/03/FallArmyworm_I
PM_Guide_forAfrica.pdf
 Video: Animated instructions on how
to identify and scout for the FAW and
safe pesticide handling by USAID’s
partners such as SAWBO (Scientific
Animations Without Borders – go to
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/
chamlin%40usaid.gov/FMfcgxvzLXJhwrln
qPKZhFvKdMvVNWhP?projector=1

11. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (4)
 First ECOWAS Regional
Phytosanitary Committee
Meeting : National Plant
Protection Organizations
(NPPO) and Partners
Taskforce (Regional
Taskforce) meeting to
address regional priorities
and review of IPPC
instruments including the
Commission on
Phytosanitary Measures
(CPM) – supported by
ECOWAS-USAID-USDA-
APHIS – Cotonou & Lomé,
April 2018
Regional Taskforce & partners

12. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (5)
 AGRHYMET/CILSS
Regional Training on
FAW Identification
and Monitoring : 25
Officers from
National Plant
Protection
Organizations
(NPPO) of 12 CILSS
member countries
trained – supported
by AfDB (P2RS) –
Niamey, March 2018
Regional Training on FAW Monitoring & Identification

13. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (6)
 AGRHYMET/CILSS
Research actions on
FAW (ongoing):
Sensibility to some
registered pesticides
in West Africa in lab
conditions, naturals
enemies collection,
genotypic
characterization –
during AGRHYMET
Crop Protection
students field work in
2018
Trials on FAW sensibility to registered pesticides and
natural enemies studies in laboratory conditions

14. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (7)
Indigenous FAW Natural
Enemies found through the
work at CABI in West Africa
– 7 larval-pupal parasitoid species
– 4 egg-caterpillar predators
– 1 Nematode infesting FAW caterpillars
– Entomo-pathogens (fungi)
Next steps are to evaluate, mass
rear and release the best
candidates depending on ecology
A combination will be preferred
L. K. Agboyi/CABI
P. Beseh/PPRSD
L. K. Agboyi/CABI
P. Beseh/PPRSD
S. Mensah/UCC-
CABI
L. K. Agboyi/CABI

15. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (8)
 High-Level Fall
Armyworm study tour
in Brazil (Malawi, Kenya,
Uganda, Mozambique,
Nigeria, Ghana, Mali,
Niger, Zambia, Ethiopia,
FAO, AUC, ECOWAS
Com., SADC, AATF,
Private sector operators)
by USAID – Brazil March
2018

16. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (9)
Standard protocols, advice and information developed by FAO:
1. Guidance Notes:
- Pesticide Risk reduction: http://www.fao.org/3/I8320EN/i8320en.pdf
- FAW Scouting: http://www.fao.org/3/I8321EN/i8321en.pdf
- FAW Traps: http://www.fao.org/3/I8322EN/i8322en.pdf
- FAW management: http://www.fao.org/3/CA0435EN/ca0435en.pdf
2. Fall Armyworm Monitoring and Early Warning System
(FAMEWS) mobile app training kit (docs, presentations, videos):
tiny.cc/FAMEWS_kit
3. FAMEWS mobile app (Google Play Store):
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.fao.faw
4. Farmer Field School guide:
http://www.fao.org/3/I8665EN/i8665en.pdf
5. Info sheets:
- FAW Management: http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7839e.pdf
- FAW Key messages: http://www.fao.org/3/a-bt556e.pdf
- FAO FAW Pesticide position: http://www.fao.org/3/a-i8022e.pdf
- FAO FAW GM position: http://www.fao.org/3/a-i8023e.pdf

17. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND MECHANISMS TO
CONTROL FAW (10)
● Free online resource
● Diagnostics
● Communication materials
● Data
● Refine by country, language and more
● Central repository for fall armyworm resources
● Collated from a wide range of contributors,
including those collaborating in the FAO-led
‘Framework for Partnership for Sustainable
Management of the Fall Armyworm in Africa’ and
the ‘Fall Armyworm R4D International Consortium’
● Toolbox of apps, pest alerts and Horizon Scanning
Tool
● www.cabi.org/fallarmyworm
Fall Armyworm Portal
www.cabi.org/isc

18. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (11)
 Joint Mission (August to October 2018) FAO-ECOWAS-
CILSS on FAW monitoring and evaluation of the incidence
and damage at high risk countries in West Africa and the
Sahel including Togo, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and
Cape Verde to identify gaps and inform policy, and provide
capacity building on FAMEWS mobile app – A total of 126
trainers trained in the 5 countries (ToT)
 Countries will be able to collect real-time regular data to
enable FAW monitoring and early warning system within
the country and the sub-region
 FAMEWS compiled information will be from now
presented at the regular PREGEC meetings
Go to:
http://www.fao.org/emergencies/resources/maps/detail/en/c/902959/
http://www.fao.org/food-chain-crisis/how-we-work/plant-protection/fall-
armyworm/en

19. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (12)
 FAMEWS is being implemented in several
affected countries in SSA :
Regional workshop on FAMEWS, Risk Modelling and
Impact assessment Training of Trainers for Southern,
Technical advice and country impact assessment plan
developed for the period October 2018/September 2019
growing season by FAO, Lusaka, Zambia, September 2018

20. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (13)
 Research Institutions : International workshop
on invasive species in Africa by ICIPE and
partners in February 2018 that lead to
establishment of Technologies for African
Agricultural Transformation (TAAT)
 TAAT is essentially a knowledge- and
innovation-based response to the recognized
need for scaling up proven technologies across
Africa. It’s a Regional Technology Delivery
Infrastructure made up of CGIAR Centers,
NARS, FARA, AATF, etc.
 A follow up Joint international workshop on
Fall Armyworm R4D validated a “Status
and Priorities for Africa, Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, October 2018” by:

21. REVIEW OF RESPONSES AND
MECHANISMS TO CONTROL FAW (14)
Strong regional political will:
 ECOWAP 2025/RAIP-FSN 2020 (SO1-R1.1,R1.2, etc.)
 Last UEMOA-CHSAN (Niamey 2018) recommended
that ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS strengthen Coordination
actions, build stakeholders (cf.NPPO) capacitys’ and
mobilize Technical & Financial partners in order to
reduce economic impact of FAW
 CILSS-AGRHYMET is equiped to perform research
activites and to train countries officers on Phytosanitary
issues
 CABI ready to promote biological control measures

22. WHAT’S NEXT? (1)
 FAO:
 To support to ECOWAS through a
TCP/RAF/3705 project (2019-2021) to
strengthen ECOWAS’ coordination and
communication on FAW monitoring and
impact assessment in West African
countries;
 To organize a regional workshop
(2019) training on improving FAW
prevalence monitoring, FAW risk
mapping, Dashboard and impact
assessment , experience sharing
and ways forward for the FAW focal
points from Government and FAO.

23. WHAT’S NEXT? (2)
 USAID: to support to
ECOWAS (via the IL) to
build regional capacity
building and networking
 WORLD BANK : to support
ECOWAS via CORAF to
“Rapid / Emergency
Response Fund” based
on Contingency plan

24. WHAT’S NEXT? (3)
 ECOWAS/UEMOA/CILSS : with FAO to
convene a regional workshop to develop
a dashboard.
 ECOWAS/UEMOA/CILSS: with CORAF ,
FAO and CABI , to convene a regional
training workshop (Knowledge sharing :
best practices, lesson learnt, research
progress, etc.)
 ECOWAS/UEMOA/CILSS: with FAO,
CORAF, CABI, etc. to Develop a
INTEGRATED “Regional Plant Pest and
Diseases Early Warning and Surveillance
System” (FAW, Fruit Fly, MLND, etc.).

25. CONCLUSION
 Key factors for success
 Regional coordination, leadership and networking (e.g.
Regional action plan for the Prevention, Surveillance
and Control of Plant Pest and Diseases, etc.)
 Regional coordination of R&D actions (CORAF, CILSS,
CABI, IITA, CIMMYT, etc.)
 Regional coordination for pesticide registration - single
West Africa Pesticide Registration framework
(CILSS/WAPRC)
 Resource mobilization – governments, partners to
prioritize FAW and plants pests and diseases in general

26. Many thanks for your attention!