Study of the potential or real impacts of oil and gas exploitation on the world of fishing and consumers along the coast and other water bodies in West Africa

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Financed by Milieudefensie, Friends of the Earth-Togo coordinated a study on the exploitation of oil in west Africa. This project was initiated with regard to the environmental and socio-economic challenges posed by the exploitation of oil in the world.

The project takes into account the growing food needs of millions of people in West Africa. the West and global efforts to reduce CO2 emissions to limit global warming planet below 1.5oC.
For Friends of the Earth-Togo, it is necessary to understand the oil/gas-fisherman interaction and to highlight the risks of a carbon economy for West African countries. The study aimed to identify actual or potential impacts of oil and gas development along the coastline and other bodies of water on the world of fishing (fishermen, women working in the processing fish) and consumers in West Africa.
The study initially covered eight West African coastal countries, namely, Senegal, Gambia, Liberia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo and Nigeria. But due to constraints budgets and difficulties in finding competent and available consultants for the duration of the study project, only six case studies were carried out in the following countries: Liberia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo and Nigeria. This study constitutes a first research on the actors, impacts and risks of oil exploitation in the sub-region on the world of fishing and consumers. It will serve as a tool to help in decision-making on the future to be given to investments in the oil and gas extractive sectors in light of the negative impacts at the point from an ecological, social and health point of view and distribution of revenues from this industry.
The study covered both coastal areas and other water bodies in the countries concerned. He It should be noted that not all the countries concerned are at the same level of exploitation. There are three countries (Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire) which are in operation; a country notably Liberia which has suspended the exploitation of oil and two countries (Togo and Benin) which are not yet exploiting but which have recorded exploration phases with conclusive results.
This project includes the study itself, the compilation of the report, the report validation workshop and the translation of the study into English. The project period is from April to October 2019.
The main objective of the study is to identify the real or potential impacts of the exploitation of oil and gas along the West African coastline and in other water bodies on fisheries (fishermen, women working in fish processing - members of the alliance of fisheries networks in West Africa) and consumers.
The study aims more specifically to:

• - Map companies involved in oil and gas extraction in West Africa;
• - Identify environmental pollution and health problems that communities in West Africa know or will know because of the extraction of oil and gas;
• - Highlight the difference between men and women in terms of financial impact and loss of revenue from oil and gas extraction in West Africa;
• - Highlight the risks associated with fishers in oil and gas extraction (fishermen, women working in fish processing - members of the alliance of fishermen's networks) in West Africa;
• - Compare revenues from oil alone to revenues from fishing activities in West Africa.

Organization of regional fora on the just energy transition

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Organization of regional fora on the just energy transition

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Energy transition is an ecological objective that consists of a change in the energy system towards a new energy system based on renewable resources. It consists mainly to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in a large part of human activities such as industry, transportation, lighting, building, land use and allocation, etc.

The energy transition involves a change in energy policy while contributing to a better energy efficiency, the main challenges of which are:

• - Protecting the climate and health;
• - Promote energy independence and limit geopolitical tensions related to energy;
• - Reduce overall energy consumption;
• - Decentralize energy production;
• - Abandoning fossil fuels for ecological solutions (wind power, hydraulic dams, solar energy, biomass, etc.).

Organization of the Farmers' Social Forum

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On November 26 and 27, 2019, the first edition of the peasant social forum was held in Lomé (Tokoin Césal). A forum co-organized by Friends of the Earth-Togo and the Togolese Convergence of Land and Water Struggles.
The two days of this forum saw panel discussions which focused on:

• - The economic, socio-cultural rights of peasants, in the light of Togolese agricultural policy, national and international legal instruments: strengths and weaknesses.
• - Togolese farmers, authors and actors of their development: what alternatives, challenges and perspectives?
• - Agro-ecology and food sovereignty in the face of the challenges of global warming: women in heart of family farming.

The first edition of the peasant social forum, initiated by Les Amis de la Terre-Togo, in addition to the discussion panels, made it possible to have a debate on the rights of peasants in the context of the establishment of agricultural transformation poles. In this case, the case of the agropole of Kara was processed. About fifty civil society organizations working on agriculture farmer, farmer organizations, representatives of the ministry in charge of agriculture participated and enriched the debates.
The results of these exchanges are recommendations made to the Togolese government, technical and financial partners and civil society. These recommendations, if implemented implemented by stakeholders in the Togolese agricultural sector, would improve the living conditions of farmers.
Mr. Kwami Kpondzo, Campaigns Officer at Friends of the Earth Togo, one of the presenters of panel 3, especially highlighted emphasis on family farming and the promotion of peasant agroecology, guarantees of food sovereignty. For him, this contributes to the real solutions to the climate crisis that the planet is experiencing. He has at the same time denounced the industrial agriculture promoted by certain States and agricultural industries.
The first edition of the farmers' social forum ended with a declaration adopted by the participants. This declaration is addressed to the government, technical and financial partners and organizations of Civil society.

Organization of the West African skills-sharing workshop on the conservation and restoration of gender-responsive community forests and bioenergy strategy meeting

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Organization of the West African skills-sharing workshop on the conservation and restoration of gender-responsive community forests and bioenergy strategy meeting

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Friends of the Earth-Togo organized in partnership with the Global Forest Coalition from 18 to 21 March 2019 at the spiritual center of cannosiennes of Lomé, a skills-sharing workshop on the conservation and restoration of community forests gender-sensitive, and a strategic meeting on bioenergy which brought together 33 participants from 6 different African countries. Participants came from civil society organizations and forest communities.

The skills-sharing workshop on the conservation and restoration of gender-sensitive community forests, and the Bioenergy Strategy Meeting also brought together members of the Global Forest Coalition, Women 2030 partners, AJWS partners and other allies in Africa. The purpose of these meetings was to strengthen the capacities and knowledge of the members of these organizations mentioned, as well as their partners and West African allies in the following areas:

• - Gender-responsive approaches to forest conservation and restoration that take full account of rights, women's roles, needs and aspirations;
• - Truly community-based approaches to forest conservation and restoration, participatory and rights-based, the needs and aspirations of communities, which build on their traditional knowledge and practices customary;
• - Distinction between forest restoration and establishment of monoculture tree plantations, threats to conservation and restoration of forests in general;
• - Trends and potential impacts of wood-based bioenergy expansion, especially to meet demand urban and industrial energy.

Organization of the campaign against economic partnership agreements in Togo and West Africa

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Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union (EU) and West Africa (WA) propose to abolish/modify trade relations current preferences granted to West Africa. This could therefore be detrimental to the livelihoods of millions of people in the region. Friends of the Earth Togo has decided to coordinate its efforts with those of other members of the Friends of the Earth-Africa Network to strengthen the capacities of the civil society in West Africa to help stop EPAs and advocate for fairer trade policy for Africa.

Currently, the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) for West Africa have not yet entered into force due to rejection by Nigerian governments, Mauritanians and Gambians who consider these agreements an obstacle to their sustainable development. The next few months will be decisive for the outcome of the agreement, as the EU increases the pressure on African governments to finally commit.
With this in mind, Friends of the Earth Togo has organized several awareness-raising activities against EPAs in Togo and West Africa.
We can mention: the organization, on January 15, 2019 at the Salle Entente du CASEF (Lomé) of the capacity building workshop for leaders of opinion and representatives of communities in mining areas on the right of peoples to self-determination and on the contribution to fair economic agreements for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Friends of the Earth-Togo received, on April 30, 2019, support from the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, financial support for:

• - Advocate for the tax exemption of mercury-free substitute materials
• - Encourage universities to develop partnerships to modify curricula for mercury-free options in dental practice;
• - Undertake initiatives to encourage the implementation of the provisions of the Minamata Convention on the progressive reduction dental amalgams.