Ever green sahel an overview antoine kalinganire et al.

Evergreen Agriculture in the Evergreen Agriculture in the SahelSahel

An overviewAn overview

A Kalinganire, J Bayala, J Binam, C DembeleJ Weber & Z Tchoundjeu

World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF-WCA)

Talk planTalk plan

Africa drylandsTree functionsChallenges & opportunities for the Sahel Promising innovations:

• FMNR• Rehabilitation of degraded lands• Land – soil – water management• Plans for scaling-up

Concluding remarks

CharacterisationCharacterisation of dryland of dryland AfricaAfrica

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Agricultural productivity is Agricultural productivity is limited by poor availability limited by poor availability of moisture (semi-arid, arid of moisture (semi-arid, arid and hyper arid areas)and hyper arid areas)

More than 30 % of the More than 30 % of the world’s drylands are found world’s drylands are found in Africain Africa

Cover 1.96 billion ha in 25 Cover 1.96 billion ha in 25 countriescountries

Represents 65% of the Represents 65% of the continental land masscontinental land mass

Home to over 400 million Home to over 400 million people, majority rural poor people, majority rural poor smallholder farmerssmallholder farmers

Annual population growth Annual population growth rate is >3%rate is >3%

Challenges for the SahelChallenges for the Sahel

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Fragile environment with sparse Fragile environment with sparse vegetative covervegetative cover

Poor farming practices Poor farming practices

Inadequate germplasm in the Inadequate germplasm in the context of climate changecontext of climate change

Overstocking grazing areasOverstocking grazing areas

Soil erosion leading to crusted Soil erosion leading to crusted soil and increased water loss due soil and increased water loss due to runoff – land cover to runoff – land cover degradationdegradation

Low native soil fertility and Low native soil fertility and general nutrient depletion in general nutrient depletion in cultivated landcultivated land

Poor access to markets of AF Poor access to markets of AF productsproducts

Policy – Land/tree tenure & Policy – Land/tree tenure & gendergender

Agroforestry - tree functionsAgroforestry - tree functions Challenges in dryland Africa are complex - this calls for an integrated agro-ecosystem approach including tree-agriculture-livestockProvide added value tree products that generate income or improve food and nutritional security and health of smallholdersProvide services that increase agricultural production and environmental benefits Regeneration of degraded lands and retention of soil moisture enhances agricultural productivity Planting trees and shrubs have proven to be very efficient in reducing wind erosion and stabilizing sand dunes in dryland AfricaWild species (domestication)of plants useful as food, medicines, fodder, fertiliser species, cosmetics or fibre

Food securityFood security

Rising population implies increasing food Rising population implies increasing food demands –chronic food insecurity & demands –chronic food insecurity & nutrition deficitnutrition deficit

Opportunities for the SahelOpportunities for the Sahel

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Varied sources of water, both rainfall Varied sources of water, both rainfall and irrigation, cropping systems are and irrigation, cropping systems are diversified (vegetable production, diversified (vegetable production, tree based systems etc.)tree based systems etc.)

Demographic pressure lead to Demographic pressure lead to increasing market demands – increasing market demands – opportunities for intensification opportunities for intensification (agricultural and tree crops, (agricultural and tree crops, livestock) livestock)

Increased private sector Increased private sector participation in agricultural participation in agricultural production and marketing (inputs production and marketing (inputs dealers, processing of agricultural dealers, processing of agricultural products, micro-finance etc.)products, micro-finance etc.)

Development of appropriate farming Development of appropriate farming practices: ISFM, Tree domestication, practices: ISFM, Tree domestication, FMNR, Integrated water FMNR, Integrated water management approachmanagement approach

Challenging actionsChallenging actions

How to increase tree and agricultural crop and animal productivity for increasing population through intensification and diversification?

How to enhance environmental services?

Sustainable land managementSustainable land management

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Regeneration of degraded Regeneration of degraded lands and retention of soil lands and retention of soil moisture enhances moisture enhances agricultural productivityagricultural productivity

Tree effect on Tree effect on microclimate - planting microclimate - planting trees/shrubs, live fences trees/shrubs, live fences have proven to be very have proven to be very efficient in reducing wind efficient in reducing wind erosion and stabilizing erosion and stabilizing sand dunessand dunes

Tree domestication, Tree domestication, nutritional banks nutritional banks (vegetable and fruit (vegetable and fruit trees), fodder banks, trees), fodder banks, medicinals, etc.medicinals, etc.

FMNR development in the SahelFMNR development in the Sahel

NIGER 5 million ha regeneratedMALI more than 3 million ha of old parklands in Southern MaliBURKINA FASO at least 1million ha

FMNR: various steps…FMNR: various steps…

Biomass production with Biomass production with P. P. reticulatumreticulatum, , G. senegalensisG. senegalensis during during dry seasondry season

• Biomass production during dry season: mulch & fodder

• Soil conservation and erosion control

Sustainable water managementSustainable water management

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Contours and cut- off Contours and cut- off ditches, half-moon ditches, half-moon shaped earth bounds, zai shaped earth bounds, zai etc. reinforced with etc. reinforced with stones serve as micro-stones serve as micro-catchments basins to catchments basins to reduce water runoff and reduce water runoff and erosionerosion.. Associating trees with Associating trees with these structures these structures increases harvesting of increases harvesting of scarce rainfall by scarce rainfall by channelling run-off into channelling run-off into the micro-catchments the micro-catchments formed by the bounds formed by the bounds and concentrated in and concentrated in basins around the trees.basins around the trees.

Sustainable soil management

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Improved fallow Improved fallow systems, introduction systems, introduction of leguminous cover of leguminous cover crops, nitrogen fixing, crops, nitrogen fixing, phosphorous cycling phosphorous cycling trees and shrubs have trees and shrubs have restored soil fertility to restored soil fertility to degraded lands. degraded lands.

Trees when Trees when intercropped with intercropped with crops crops add nutrients and add nutrients and organic matter to the organic matter to the soil and also reduce soil and also reduce weeds and soil surface weeds and soil surface evaporationevaporation

Scaling-up and outScaling-up and out

There are interesting innovations for an evergreen agriculture for the drylands, especially for the Sahel, for the adaptation and mitigation to CC and enhancing agricultural (millet and sorghum) and tree crop productivity

…How do we scale it up?

Empowerment of farmers with capacities for better land management and enhancing crop production through participatory approaches and collective action (joined-up thinking).

Identify, analyze and publish grass-root success stories and use these as a starting point for expansion.

Use training approaches that facilitate the exchange amongst farmers like Farmers’ field school, farmer-to-farmer and village-to-village approaches –increase the flow of information, knowledge and technologies to farmers.

System thinking – crop-tree-livestock based approach.

Extension services, NGOs and farmers Extension services, NGOs and farmers organisations….organisations….

Practical policy interventions/options to manage Sahelian ecosystems: Practical policy interventions/options to manage Sahelian ecosystems: evaluation of the implications of contemporary tenure systems, land evaluation of the implications of contemporary tenure systems, land statutes necessary (advocacy for policy change); and gender issues. statutes necessary (advocacy for policy change); and gender issues.

Tree management practices need to be assessed within the context of Tree management practices need to be assessed within the context of greening the Sahel : institutionalisation of policies for sustainable greening the Sahel : institutionalisation of policies for sustainable utilisation of Sahelian dryland forests.utilisation of Sahelian dryland forests.

Legal requirements are needed to trade Non-Tree Forest Products in Legal requirements are needed to trade Non-Tree Forest Products in official markets rather in the informal sector (baobab on EU markets).official markets rather in the informal sector (baobab on EU markets).

Investments from private investors, governments and rural Investments from private investors, governments and rural communities (engagement) are needed for scaling-up of re-greening communities (engagement) are needed for scaling-up of re-greening practices targeting both environmental services and food security.practices targeting both environmental services and food security.

Better access and functioning markets of forest/agroforestry products Better access and functioning markets of forest/agroforestry products to enhance re-greening best practices – improved income for to enhance re-greening best practices – improved income for smallholders/communities.smallholders/communities.

Linkages with on-going initiatives on FMNR, micro-dosing, water harvesting e.g. Great Green Wall initiative for the Sahara/Sahel etc.

Policy makers and funding agencies---Policy makers and funding agencies---

Existing practices contribute positively in re-greening drylands/Sahel in a sustainable manner; reducing poverty, food insecurity, deforestation & desertification.

ConclusionConclusionConsiderable work need to be done, how rural communities and investors would adopt such technologies

Thank you!Thank you!