When agriculture begins to change: AVENIR results in Senegal
At sunrise in a market garden in Goudomp, Ndeye carefully waters her vegetable beds. Just a few years ago, the cracked soil produced very little. Today, rows of tomatoes and okra leaves tell a different story. Like thousands of farmers across the regions of Sedhiou and Tambacounda, Ndeye is among the beneficiaries of the AVENIR project. Implemented by MEDA with scientific support from the Alliance of Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and funded by Global Affairs Canada, the project shows how climate-smart agriculture can help transform local food systems.
- Africa
- Climate Action
- food systems
- Gender and climate
When agriculture begins to change: AVENIR results in Senegal
At sunrise in a market garden in Goudomp, Ndeye carefully waters her vegetable beds. Just a few years ago, the cracked soil produced very little. Today, rows of tomatoes and okra leaves tell a different story. Like thousands of farmers across the regions of Sedhiou and Tambacounda, Ndeye is among the beneficiaries of the AVENIR project. Implemented by MEDA with scientific support from the Alliance of Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and funded by Global Affairs Canada, the project shows how climate-smart agriculture can help transform local food systems.
Restoring soils to bring farmland back to life
Across Senegal, soil degradation remains one of the major constraints to smallholder agriculture. Declining organic matter, erratic rainfall, and erosion have gradually weakened soil fertility, reducing yields and threatening farmers’ livelihoods.
According to the FAO, nearly 65 percent of agricultural land in Africa is affected by land degradation. In Senegal, restoring soil health is therefore a critical pathway toward improving resilience and productivity.
This is where the AVENIR project has focused much of its work. In the regions of Sedhiou and Tambacounda, more than 8,800 farmers have been trained in integrated soil fertility management and climate-smart agriculture practices. These include composting, crop rotation, intercropping, and the use of organic inputs.