Soil fertility decline poses a major threat to food security in the African Sahelian region. Historically, soil fertility in the region has been maintained through shifting cultivation with long natural fallow, however, increasing population pressure has shortened fallow periods. As a result, nutrient lost through crop yields are not replaced...

The SustainSahel project, and in particular work package 6: Benefits of shrub foliage for livestock husbandry, has made significant strides in disseminating its research findings on the use of woody fodder for enhancing livestock production and health across the projects’ focus areas in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal.

How can farmers in resource-limited areas access vital knowledge on sustainable agriculture? A project study in Mali reveals that interactive voice recordings (IVR) on basic mobile phones can drive agroecological intensification. By sharing simple yet impactful practices like crop rotation, mulching, and pest management, this digital innovation significantly boosts adoption...

Knowledge sharing and co-creation for application offer pathways for the multidimensional challenges of food systems in West Africa which are to date still largely underexplored. They have the potential for the emergence of effective communities of practice to tackle some of the serious threats West African food systems face today,...

This project introduced a range of renewable energy technologies to enhance the lives of rural people. Biogas digesters were coupled with latrines and slurry storage was developed. Sustainable bio slurry will replace chemical fertilizers, allowing households to save money and consume healthier foods. Biogas digesters also alleviate burdens on women...

Quels sont les systèmes de gestion et les pratiques de sélection des dromadaires dans la région de Gao au Mali ? Quelle est la typologie des élevages camelins dans cette région, avec un accent sur la diversité des pratiques de gestion des ressources animales camélines ? La thèse présentée par Bakary...

This study explores how livelihood assets, strategies for accessing the assets, and enabling and discouraging factors in the value chain shapes the inclusion of women and youth in on-farm, off-farm and non-farm activities. It is based on the Safeguarding Sahelian Wetlands for Food Security (SaWeL) program that aims to make...

La synthèse de cette étude montre comment les organisations paysannes, du fait de leur structuration et de leur fonctionnement, ont la capacité à rester opérationnelles et à constituer des acteurs incontournables en périodes de crise. En effet, leurs rôles de contributrices aux politiques et actions de développement, de maintien de...

La synthèse de cette étude sociologique montre comment les organisations paysannes, du fait de leur structuration et de leur fonctionnement, ont la capacité à rester opérationnelles et à constituer des acteurs incontournables en périodes de crise. Leurs rôles de contributrices aux politiques et actions de développement, de maintien de la...

There are about 2.5 billion people in the world, on 500 million farms, involved with smallholder family agriculture and food production. Their creative capacity to farm productively and sustainably with nature, instead of against it, is perhaps the most powerful force that can be unleashed to overcome the interlinking challenges...

Beyond the interplay of land, investment and migration over time in central Mali, this book tells the story of a special attachment to the place and people of one scholar’s foundational fieldwork experience, Dlonguebougou (DBG) – which the author visited over 35 years. Its pages intertwine technical topics with personal...

AFSA is delighted to launch a series of five national reports, within AFSA’s Our Land is Our Life land rights initiative in these countries. These reports aim to: Examine Land Policies and Governance: They seek to understand the national land policies and governance structures, focusing on how these policies affect peasants’ rights,...

Digital tools hold the potential to open the untapped potential for agroecology across Africa. One such tool, aiming to reach rural farmers in their own language, interactive voice response, was put to the test in Mali, yielding good results.

Quels rôles peuvent jouer les organisations paysannes en matière de transition agroécologique ? Quelles initiatives et approches défendent-elles pour répondre aux enjeux de formation ? Éléments de réponses avec Ramadan Sylla, chargé d’agroécologie paysanne à la CNOP-Mali (et apprenant du master MIFAR).

 Cet article étudie les attentes et les aspirations des Bamakois et Bamakoises (habitants de la capitale du Mali) concernant leur alimentation. Dans un contexte de transition alimentaire en milieu urbain, il s'intéresse à la façon dont les représentations de l'alimentation et à travers elles, les modèles alimentaires, se déploient entre...

A webinar titled « Ressources disponibles sur l'agriculture biologique en langues locales » (Organic agriculture knowledge resources available in local languages) was organised on 14 September 2023 by Access Agriculture Local Engagement team for Francophone partners, especially from the Knowledge Centres for Organic Agriculture (KCOA) in Africa project funded by...

Populations in the G5 Sahel countries are growing rapidly. Given these large cohorts of young populations, over the next five years 11.4 million youth will turn 16 years old, and most will then start to seek jobs in the region. Although the countries are urbanizing, meaning that future economic growth...

Non-extractive and power-equalising research involves different knowledge holders (e.g. researchers and farmers) in a process of close cooperative engagement, jointly producing new knowledge, with mutual learning. As such, this form of cooperative enquiry is a significant reversal from dominant roles, locations, and ways of knowing. I offer some examples and reflections on...

The overall objective of WP4 of the SustainSahel project is to design locally adoptable integrated crop-shrub/tree-livestock systems (CSL) that can improve soil quality and productivity, food security and the resilience of farming systems to climate change.

The study objective is to contribute to food security through the implementation of agroforestry technologies resilient to the effects of climate change in Mali.