" Building sustainable livelihoods trough on farm conservation" is one of the projects supported by the Benefit-Sharing Fund of the International Treaty for Food and Agriculture (Second Cycle).
This project aims to reintroduce strategic crops in semi-arid zones: yams, sorghum, finger millet and cowpeas. These crops have a high market and nutritional potential, but have been progressively lost and now germplasm is available primarily in genebanks. By reintroducing these crops in farmers’ fields, the project aims to benefit poor, food insecure small-scale farmers. Sensitization meetings have been organized in 14 project sites to achieve a common understanding and common goals among farmers, scientists, extension officers and governmental officials, one-third of whom are women. Production demonstrations have been mounted in all project sites covering 2 crops per site.