The Sahel countries face a range of problems from low food insecurity to environmental problems like climate change and soil degradation. The Ecofarm project was undertaken in Mali, Sudan and Ethiopia to address these problems through testing and developing integrated farming methods based on technologies that could simultaneously increase crop yields, increase livestock production, improve human nutrition and preserve the environment. The technologies tested were a mix of technologies developed by national and international research institutes and farmers own best practices. The technologies were tested in farmers own fields and with farmers as active participants. The project was running for 3-4 years in each country and was implemented as a collaborative effort between farmers, NGOs and research institutes. The involvement of NGOs was important to facilitate the contact with farmers and for up-scaling of the results from the project. The Ecofarm project has contributed to increasing farmers’ income, diversifying their sources of income and making farmers less vulnerable to climate change. The up-scaling of the results is continuously ongoing and the full effect of the Ecofarm project is likely to be seen in the years to come.
Facts on Ecofarm
Factsheet
DCG's factsheet on Ecofarm project main results
