Togo

Phase V – Baseline Assessment

Project overview

Number of participating farmers	Project area (hectares)	Annual SOC sequestration potential (tCO2e)
45	250	146

Implementing institutions

Coordination Togolaise des Organisations Paysannes et de producteurs agricoles (CTOP)

ITRA (Institut Togolais de Recherche Agronomique)

Le Laboratoire de Botanique et Écologie Végétale (LBEV)

Organisation des Producteurs Forestiers et Agricoles (OPFA) Alibi

FAO – GSP

FAO - Forest and Farm Facility (FFF)

FAO Representation in Togo

Region (municipality)

Alibi Canton

Main Crops

Cashews, yam, maize, soy, grazed savannah

Soil management:

Soil threats addressed

Soil erosion
Soil compaction
Nutrient imbalances
Soil organic carbon / soil organic matter loss
Biodiversity loss

SSM practices implemented

Soil organic cover (e.g. cover cropping, organic mulch…)
Crop diversification (e.g. crop rotation, intercropping…)
Organic matter additions (e.g. manure additions, green manure, compost application, residue management…)
Integrated nutrient management (e.g. fertilizer management, mineral fertilization, fertigation…)
Grazing management (e.g. improved pasture management, grazing exclusion and rotational grazing, pastoralism…)
Integrated systems (e.g. agroforestry, sylvopastoral systems, syntropic agriculture, permaculture, agropisciculture, saline agriculture…)
Forest restoration and management (continuous cover forestry, afforestation, reforestation, natural regeneration, rehabilitation of forest soils after fire…)

Soil analysis:

Number of samples taken	54 samples for laboratory analysis (27 sampling points)
Soil indicators analysed and SOPs used	Total carbon – dry combustion Total Nitrogen - Kjeldahl Soil respiration – titration Bulk density - cylinder pH – pH meter EC - conductimeter CEC (Na, Mg, K, Ca) Sand Silt Clay

Trainings conducted:

“RECSOIL: Introduction to the process and main soil threats” and “Soil Doctors: Introduction to the programme and RECSOIL module” – virtual – French – 13 January 2023 – 7 participants. Participants were trained on the RECSOIL tools and Soil Doctors implementation within RECSOIL.

“RECSOIL technical training: stratification of the project area, definition of sampling design and density” and “Soil Doctors: training of trainers” - in person (Lomé and Canton d’Alibi) – French – 19-21 February 2023 - 6 participants. Participants were trained on how to take soil samples and conducts Visual Soil Assisments (VSAs) according to the RECSOIL methodology.

“Soil Doctors: training of trainers” - in person (Lomé and Canton d’Alibi) – French – 22-25 February 2023 - 25 participants. Participants were trained on how to equip farmers with the capacity to assess and address soil threats present in their fields through the Soil Doctors program. Photogallery.

“Laboratory methods for analyzing soil carbon and other soil properties” - in person – French – 23-29 July – 15 participants. Participants were trained on pre-processing, storage and measurement of soil organic carbon, bulk density an soil respiration rate according to GLOSOLAN standard operation procedures. Article | Photogallery.