CLDP hosted a Workshop on the Prevention of  Counterfeit and Illegal Agro-Inputs in Bamako, Mali on June 17-18, 2014. In addition to oversight of agricultural product distribution, the workshop covered the detection and prevention of fake agriculture products including pesticides, fertilizers, seeds and animal vaccines. The workshop included public- and private-sector stakeholders and representatives from farming associations in Mali.

The program aimed to help shape the national dialogue on the spread of counterfeit, illegal, and adulterated agricultural products and what can be done to protect farmers, food security, and the national economy from the effects of counterfeit and substandard products. It also included an overview of counterfeit products' impact on public health and food security, technologies that can help protect farmers from counterfeit products, and ways to improve cooperation between government agencies and other stakeholders in combating counterfeit products. The workshop aimed to build the awareness and capacity of local stakeholders and help the Malian government shape its national strategy on the subject.

This program was organized in cooperation with CropLife, the Institute of Research Against Counterfeit Medicines, and the International Fertilizer Development Center. It was funded by USAID’s Feed the Future Initiative, the business-enabling environment component of the African Growth and Competitiveness Initiative (AGCI) centering on intellectual property rights.