Final steering committee for the Regional Agroecology and Climate Change Initiative

The Regional Agroecology and Climate Change Initiative (IRACC), put into effect in 2010 by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), aims to disseminate "green" agricultural technology to farmers in Madagascar, Mauritius, Rodrigues, the Seychelles, Reunion and Zanzibar to help them adapt to climate change. The last steering committee was held on December 4 2012 at the Plant Protection Centre in Réunion. Its objective was to take stock of the activities of the past year, while discussing action for the coming years.

The IRACC has organized a dozen or so workshops and exchange visits foragricultural technicians and producers in the Indian Ocean on the theme of composting, vermicomposting, integrated farming, integrated crop protection andtechnical standards in agroecology. Through these workshops and exchange visits, effective relays have been set up in each country, which has helped promote more ecological farming techniques.

With the support of Réunion and its e-PRPV network of crop protection, action was taken in response to the challenges farmers face in the Indian Ocean, namely : fruit flies, Varroa mites on bees, the need for reliable early diagnosis of major crop diseases and pesticide alternatives such as agroecological management of vegetable flies. e-PRPV provided important I.T. support with the launch of the Bio & Agri webportal, a platform linking AGRO-OI agroecology professionals, and the enhancementof a database of major crop pests in the Indian Ocean.
e-PRPV also carried out awareness campaigns, including an ecology workshop, which will be given in schools in 2013, the release of aspecial agroecology edition of AGROnews and an exhibition entitled "Natureas a model" for all ages which opened at the end of the steering committee. This exhibition will travel around the IndianOcean in 2013.