The Platform for Agricultural Risk Management (PARM) actively participated in the 38^th restricted meeting of the “Réseau pour la Prévention des Crises Alimentaires (RPCA)”. The conference was held from the 12^th  to 14^th April 2023 in Paris, France. The event was a great opportunity for PARM to present its technical assistance at regional level with a special focus on West and Central African countries as well as to promote its contribution to prevent food crises, notably by supporting regional organizations in managing cereals reserve.

On 14 April 2023, PARM participated in the panel of discussions during the session on “Risk management and governance instruments for agricultural innovation in response to food and nutrition security challenges”. PARM’s Manager, Mr. Massimo Giovanola, and the Capacity Development Specialist, Mrs. Francesca Nugnes, led the discussion on “Agricultural risk management instruments, investment plan and resource mobilization: experiences in Africa”, addressing PARM’s holistic approach for Agricultural Risk Management (ARM) through the presentation of specific tools and Capacity Development activities implemented in the ECOWAS region. Both presenters highlighted the utility of PARM’s new risk management approach based on value chain and of capacity development as part of a strategy to de-risk investments in agriculture, which particularly raised the interest of the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and of the Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et des Producteurs Agricoles de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA). The session was introduced by the CILSS and benefited from the participation of the Réseau Billital Marrobé (RBM) of pastoralists, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West and Central African Counsel for agricultural research and development (CORAF).

The 38^th RCPA meeting was held under the high patronage of the Commissions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and brought together the main stakeholders active in food and nutrition security in the Sahel and West Africa region and was organized by CILSS and the Secretariat of the Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC/OECD). The meeting focused on examining the evolution of food and nutrition situation and mobilize all stakeholders in the face of major food crises in the region. It was underlined that crises are interconnected and involve economic, health, social and environmental matters enhancing the importance of having a holistic approach to risk management. PARM process aligns with that recommendation and contributes to its achievement by providing capacity development and value chain risk analysis to identify tools helping to prevent food crises with a gender perspective.

The participants also examined and discussed the complexity and risks related to the ECOWAS regional cereals reserve. The latter represents an important opportunity for small farmers to access institutional markets, which also makes possible to certify the products stored in the deposit and develop warehouse receipt systems (WRS). As a specialized global platform working at regional level, PARM could support the regional cereal reserve by providing a holistic assessment of its risks and identify tools to complement the reserve and incorporate it in a risk management strategy. Also, PARM Capacity Development workshops could provide key training about ARM strategies for relevant actors of the region.