Agriculture and biodiversity take centre stage at the Franco-Comorian alliance in Moroni
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Minister Abdou Madi Nassur and the French Ambassador formalized the Franco-Comorian alliance at Thursday’s launch event entitled “Nature as a Model” in Moroni. Opened by the Ministry of Production, Environment, Energy and Crafts and the Cirad, it aims to educate the general public about local agricultural and biodiversity issues. Several activities will be held as part of the event until 30 November in Njazidja and until the end of January 2014 in the rest of the country.
The theater was packed on Thursday for the launch event of “Nature as a Model”. Officials, farmers' organizations and the general public made ??the trip to see the exhibition on agroecology organized by the Cirad and to attend the various speeches. In addition to the talks given by Minister Abdou Madi Nassur and French Ambassador Philippe Lacoste, who stressed the importance of cooperation between Réunion and the Comoros in the sectors of agriculture and biodiversity, other presentations allowed those present to discover a number of practical activities relating to the e-PRPV project.
Many activities will accompany the exhibition which runs until November 30 in Njazidja. A competition entitled "Nature Today and Tomorrow" will be offered to all young people in secondary schools and sixth forms on Wednesday 20 and Saturday 23 November. Film screenings and a conference on the theme of climate change in the Comoros : impact on agriculture and the environment will also take place during this period at the Alliance HQ. Other activities are planned in villages, with documentary films and educational workshops on biodiversity for college kids (see program, below).
In the evening, in conjunction with the ALIMENTERRE festival, a film was projected followed by a discussion, organized by the Society of Comoros Scientists and Engineers (S²IC) and Dr. Said Omar Said Hassan. The public was treated to a documentary filmed in Haiti and entitled Bread of the Tropics which showed the peasant populations learning to survive using agroecology to combat the negative effects of climate shocks and soil depletion.
The “Nature as a Model” event will also take place in Anjouan from 5 December and Moheli from January 9.
Program in Njazidja :
At the Franco-Comorian Alliance in Moroni:
• Wednesday 20 and Saturday 23 November: Contest entitled "Nature Today and Tomorrow" for young people in secondary education.
• Friday, November 22 at 7pm: Film entitled “Plantezcouvert!” Conservation agriculture in Laos. By Cirad & Asidi Ya Ismael NGO Dahari.
• Wednesday, November 27 at 6pm : Conference entitled "Climate Change & The Comoros : Impacts on Agriculture and the Environment".
• Friday, November 29 at 7pm: Screening of ALIMENTERRE Changing Crops followed by a discussion.
• Saturday, November 30 at 3pm: Award ceremony for "Nature Today and Tomorrow" in villages.
• Projections & discussion of documentary films at the ALIMENTERRE Festival.
• Educational workshop on biodiversity "Ndouyelewa owulanga" for secondary school pupils.