CORAF / WECARD has rewarded the 04 best innovation platforms from Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger and Senegal during the wrap-up of the International Conference on agriculture in West Africa on 19 November, 2015. This is for CORAF / WECARD the opportunity to promote successful experiences and lessons learned from the implementation of the innovation platform approach for the sustainable improvement of the agricultural system productivity, competitiveness and markets in West Africa.

CORAF / WECARD launched the call for applications of current innovation platforms in West Africa to promote best practices regarding value chain and innovation platforms approaches. "CORAF/ WECARD considers innovation platforms as essential tools for the development of the various components of national agricultural research systems (NARS) of regional projects that it coordinates to meet the specific challenges of the agricultural sector. These platforms offer an exchange and learning framework between stakeholders that facilitate the generation of results and their dissemination and adoption, "said Dr. Paco SEREME, during the official award ceremony.

Based on specific criteria, Cowpea Innovation Platform of the Namenzanga Provincial Women's Union (UPFN) of Bam in Burkina Faso is awarded in the category "association / organization"; Cassava Innovation Platform from Bouake in Ivory Coast received an award in the category "Producer"; the Platform innovation on local milk from the Region of Niamey, Niger for Category "Transformer" and the Innovation Platform of Local Milk from the Kaolack Region (PAFILKA) from Senegal is awarded in the category "researcher".

The awarded platforms were urged to focus more on processes to ensure the necessary and continual innovation in value chains at technological and institutional level and the documentation of these processes for better dissemination and appropriate innovations sharing.