Agroecological and other innovative approaches, practices and technologies can improve resource efficiency, minimize ecological footprint, strengthen resilience, secure social equity and responsibility, and create decent jobs, in particular for youth, in agriculture and food systems. One case studies is within the framework of The FAO Multipartner Programme Support Mechanism (FMM) ''Enabling women to benefit more equally from agrifood value chains'' in Cote d’Ivoire. In this country, cassava is the second main staple crop, after yam. Resistant to different weather conditions and poor soils, cassava represents an important crop for ensuring food security. From 2014, the production has been increasing considerably reaching about 4.5 tons in 2016. Nevertheless, the cassava value chain is still very informal and lacks information and resources. It is mainly dominated by women, in particular at the last segment of the chain: processing and commercialization. ''Attiéké'': cassava couscous (obtained after peeling, grinding, press, fermentation, drying, steam cooking) is one of the national dishes and is getting a place in international markets and the processing is done by women who don't benefit much from this activity which is laborious. Thanks to the FMM project ''Attiéké''capacities of women cassava processors (from 40 associations in Cote d'Ivoire) have been built on how to diversify their activities, generate incomes from their activities by using the approach of integrated production. They have been trained in Centre Songhai (a reference center in agroecology based in Benin) and on their processing sites in Cote d'Ivoire. This training enabled ''Attiéké'' processors to better understand the potential of application of Agroecological approaches and other innovations for sustainable agriculture and food systems (that enhance food security and nutrition). Indeed these women have been trained on management cassava starched water (collected from the peeled cassava during the stage of grinding, pressing, fermentation) in order to address sanitation and hygiene issues (to tackle environmental pollution) by using innovative and improved equipment. And at the same time, they have been trained on and the use/valorization of this starched water collected for fertilization of fish-farming waters and production of biogas. Besides they also have been trained on the use of the cassava peels (which is a bioproducts) as ingredients to formulate pellets (for fish feed). Their satisfaction and interest in this training was above our expectations. And the application by women of what have been learnt has already started. This kind of initiative ''a success story'' need to be replicated.
Komivi Boris Sodoke