Ibrahima Coulibaly is a distinguished Malian farmer and agricultural leader. His recent election as PAFO President for a two-year term underlines his influence and his impact as an effective advocate for farmers on a continental level. In December 2022, he was also re-elected president of the Network of Farmers’ Organisations and Agricultural Producers of West Africa (ROPPA), a position he has held since his election at the organisation’s 7th Convention in December 2018.
Mr.Coulibaly is also President of the Steering Committee of the Alliance for Agroecology in West Africa (3AO), where he works to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices. This position strengthens his commitment to agriculture that respects both ecosystems and local communities.
His career has been marked by significant contributions to family farming and food sovereignty. He played a key role in the adoption of Mali’s Agricultural Orientation Law in 2006, which recognises the importance of food sovereignty and family farming. In 2014, he was appointed UN Ambassador for the International Year of Family Farming, a role that underlined his global influence in promoting this cause.
Coulibaly was also a key actor in the organization of the first World Forum on Food Sovereignty in Nyéléni in 2007, and consistently defended the interests of small-scale producers in the face of agricultural trade liberalization policies.
His commitment extends beyond the borders of his native Mali, impacting communities throughout West Africa and well beyond. As an emblematic figure of the farmers’ movement in Africa, Ibrahima Coulibaly continues to actively shape the region’s agricultural sector, promoting policies that promote farmers’ well-being and environmental sustainability.