Agroenvironmental transformation in the Sahel: Another kind of "Green Revolution"

TR Number

Date

2009

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute

Abstract

Within the last thirty years in the West African Sahel, farmers have started to implement agroenvironmental practices which have allowed them to improve the soil quality and increase crop yields. Using two examples of land rehabilitation in Africa, this paper examines the technical and institutional innovations and their impacts on the ability to meet food demand for the growing population. Agroenvironmental techniques incorporate trees into the agricultural landscape, which improves water retention in the soil, increases the supply of nutrients, reduces wind erosion, and provides other marketable tree products. This large-scale effort has created income opportunities for farmers, benefited women, and increased food supply for many African families.

Description

Metadata only record

Keywords

Social capital, Soil degradation, Soil management, Food security, Gender, Agroforestry, Conservation, Millions fed, Climate change, Land degradation, Sahel, Zaï, Stone bunds, Burkina Faso, Innovation, Farmer-driven change, Agroenvironmental, Rehabilitation, Africa, Farm/Enterprise Scale Field Scale Governance

Citation

IFPRI Discussion Paper 00914