Project
Title
Sustainable intensification of food production through resilient farming systems in West & North Africa
Acronym
SustInAfrica
Start
01.09.2020
End
31.08.2025
Coordinating Institute
Natural Resources Institute Finland
Coordinator
Nils Borchardt
Contact
Partner
Universität für Bodenkultur Wien
International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies
Universidade Losboa - FCIENCIAS.ID - ASSOCIACAO PARA A INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO DE CIENCIAS
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST
Universidade Lisboa INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE ECONOMIA E GESTAO - ISEG
Self Help Africa - Gorta
Université de Dédougou
UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (UDS), Ghana
DexAfrica Ltd.
Farmerline Ltd
University Abdou Moumouni (UAM)
Olive Tree Institute Sousse
Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development (HUSD)
Natural Resources Institute Finland
Project team ATB
Allocated to research program
Internet
Summary
Large areas of agricultural land in W. and N. Africa are heavily degraded, with water scarcity, low soil fertility and poor plant health, due to use of unsuitable agronomic systems and inappropriate management. In W. Africa, poor water, organic matter and nutrient retention limit food productivity, whilst in N. Africa, salinisation, wind erosion, formation of crusts and compaction threaten rainfed cropland and silvopasture. The low food productivity, poor resilience and unsustainability of current approaches have severe socioeconomic and environmental consequences.
The overall goal of SustInAfrica is to empower smallholder farmers, small and medium enterprises and various government and non-governmental organisations in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Egypt and Tunisia to successfully intensify food production and deliver ecosystem services in a sustainable and resilient manner. This will be achieved through:
A) comprehensive analysis of i) local/regional target ecosystems; ii) currently applied and potential landscape, soil, water and plant health management strategies and agronomic systems; iii) relevant actors across supply/value chains; iv) business models and policies; v) challenges and threats to production;
B) development of technologies, including a smart platform supporting farmers in decision-making, concerning factors assessed in A);
C) implementation of field trials at target sites, combining traditional knowledge, sustainable strategies and systems (agroecology, agroforestry, organic farming) and modern technologies (developed apps/platform);
D) communication/dissemination/education/training to inform stakeholders/consumers and empower smallholders (especially women/youths);
E) exploiting/continuing approaches/ technologies for improved productivity/ ecosystem services, long-term self-sufficiency beyond the project, reduced hunger/poverty and gender/wealth disparity, reduced environmental impact, long-term local food sectors growth/increased economic benefit.
Funding
Europäische Union (EU)
Funding agency
European Research Executive Agency
Grant agreement number
861924
Funding framework
H2020, Call H2020-SFS-2019-2 SFS-35-2019-2020